green

Part 5 of our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building from the publishers of HealthyHouseInstitute.com. Click here for the introductory post and furthur details.

Question: Aren’t wood windows best from a health standpoint?

Answer: Wood windows are usually treated with water-repellent and fungicidal chemicals. So, while wood is a natural material, treated windows can certainly bother some sensitive people. Also, they’re usually made of pine which can have a strong natural odor. Furthermore, wood windows require routine painting. However, wood windows usually aren’t strong outgassing sources. Therefore, these concerns are only important for very sensitive people.

Vinyl windows are a less-expensive option. While they never need painting (a real plus), the vinyl itself can outgas a little—especially when new—which can be enough to bother some sensitive individuals.

Personally, we prefer aluminum-framed windows. Most are available prefinished in white or brown, and they require little maintenance. In cold climates, you should look for frames with thermal-breaks to minimize sweating. Aluminum windows generally have rubber or plastic seals that have a slight odor—but it usually isn’t significant.

Multiple panes of glass are a good idea in harsh climates for energy efficiency. Low-E coatings and argon-filled windows rarely cause health problems, and we think they’re important to conserve energy.

Question: Is there a healthy window putty I can use?

Part 4 of our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building from the publishers of HealthyHouseInstitute.com. Click here for the introductory post and furthur details.

Question: We’re considering building a house with steel framing. Does it have any particular advantages?

Answer: Light-weight steel framing is becoming popular with some builders. It consists of C-shaped studs and channels that are usually lighter-in-weight than wood. Everything is held together with self-tapping screws, and the studs typically have holes prepunched in them for electrical wires and plumbing lines. This saves drilling time, but the holes have sharp edges, so they must be fitted with plastic grommets to prevent plastic-jacketed wiring from getting nicked and shorting out. Steel framing is also very uniform in size, it has no knots, and it won’t warp.

The biggest health-related advantage to steel is the fact that it never needs to be treated for termites. So, where toxic chemical use is the norm, or where less-toxic alternative treatments aren’t feasible, steel is a great option.

Although it’s not a concern for most people, some very sensitive individuals are bothered by the natural odor of wood, and steel is odor-free. Most framing lumber is pine or another softwood, and the odor is composed of the same chemicals in turpentine. These sensitive people are just reacting to much lower levels of the same pollutants that have the potential to bother all of us.

The 'Sonoma House' is a gorgeous, barn-style, 1200sqft granny home with a modern interior that is healthier, more energy efficient, and better for the environement! Additional environmental products featured with the home are: reclaimed local wood installed for floors, PV solar system, rainwater catchment system, built in recycling system, ICF foundation forms, smart vents, cool metal roof (as seen in example photo), lime plaster, and more! In 2002, Nichoel Farris founded American Home Sales, a local prefab home design company specializing in factory built custom homes and cottages. Because of the lack of affordable green building options available to the average family, she worked with the EPA's Energy Star New Homes program to design and develop the first Green Manufactured Model Home. The Sonoma House will be open daily for tour at the Spring Auburn Home Show. May 16- - May 18 For more info or to tour the other Green Model Homes on display: American Home Sales 530.885.4555. Custom Home Design Services and Full Construction Available Serving California and some neighboring states.

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GreenerBuildings News: March 27, 2008
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Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed
to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full
spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities.
Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news,
tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building
practices.
A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST GREEN BUILDINGS NEWS =-=-=-=-=-=-=

TIAA-CREF to Improve Energy Efficiency of its Portfolio by 10 Percent
The institutional real estate investor plans to improve the energy efficiency of
its portfolio, which consists of 43 million square feet of office buildings and
other properties, by 2010.

German Parliament Heading for 100 Percent Renewable Power
The German Reichstag is set to become the first parliamentary building in the
world to use only renewable energy.

Wal-Mart's Latest Green Store Slashes Energy Use
Wal-Mart unveiled a new store prototype Tuesday that will use nearly half as
much energy as a conventional Supercenter. Its HE.5 prototype is the first to be
designed around a specific climate.

San Francisco Officials Move Green Building Codes Forward
The city is on its way to imposing the strictest green building codes for new
large construction and renovation.

Travelers Expands Property Coverage to Support Green Building
The insurance company is now one of many to promote the use of green building
alternatives when rebuilding.

CU-Boulder Researchers Turning Waste Into Building Materials
Architecture researchers at the university are using cellulose -- paper,
cardboard and wood waste -- to create high-performance building panels.

Green Building is Best Bet for CO2 Cuts in N. America: Report
A report from a trinational group says green building can cut carbon emissions
fastest and most effectively, but also warns about what barriers are holding
back widespread acceptance of green building.

Energy Star Developing Data Center Rating
Dozens of companies and organizations are helping create an Energy Star rating
to provide standards and benchmarks for data centers.

New Regs Aim to Control Construction Waste
All construction projects in England costing more than £300,000 will soon need
plans setting out how building materials and other waste products will be
removed from the site.

San Diego State University Offers Green Building Education Online
A new online course at San Diego State University offers training on green
construction and design.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

I read an interesting article in Metropolis last night, "Going Local" by James Howard Kunstler.

I encourage you to read it.

It sent me off on a slightly different tangent of reflection. We are inundated by "green" and we all try to stay on track as encouraging gentle lifestyles in a positive way without sinking into greenwashing’s shiny consumerism or the hoarse blaring of a death-toll message shouted in spittle mouthed fear.

But there was just something there, in this article, that made me think about what my own identity of "green" is, and how it has changed.

Many here were green before there was "green"- I mean, you’re talkin’ to a girl who grew up with a family farm, who always had a vegetable garden and composting, and whose family had solar panels in the ’70s.

What changed?

For myself, my vegetables became not just a pleasure and addition to our table, but where, in an urban environment, I carefully plan and rely on fresh produce from our garden.

It was the perplexing realization that I do not have the *right* in my city to have minigoats for milk or hens for fresh eggs in my large, fenced-in back yard- that just bothers me! I strongly feel that every human should have the right to rely on themselves for sustenance, and as someone committed to helping those less fortunate, it frustrates me that these families with meager incomes don’t have the right to provide their families with fresh eggs and milk.

Having children, it was the knowledge I gleaned from information on GMOs, hormones in meat and milk, pesticides, and the horrible factory farm conditions and the great respect for life I have that led me to only purchase meat from people I know whose animals are free-range and naturally fed, to raise heirloom vegetables, save seed, and patronize our neighbors’ farms.

It was the shock of reading about how our seed companies are purposely creating vegetables and grains that will not produce viable seed so that you (and farmers) will have to purchase their seeds each season!

It was the fun of a science experiment:
I giggle over solar cooking, yet it has changed my life. With two young children whining to stay outside instead of forcing them indoors so momma can make dinner, I now just throw food in the solar oven and… go off and play!

The cold frames I use enable me to defy cold weather, giving the seeds just enough more heat to resist freezing and get an early start on production.

And as someone in the green building industry, it was the disgust I felt as I saw endless tracts of vinyl, huge, ugly, inefficient houses being the major choice a home buyer has, and even then they are out of financial reach for most first time home buyers.

So, there you have it, my latest musings as I stand up on the cafeteria room chair to rant…

So, who is gonna kick me off today?
; )

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GreenerBuildings News: February 28, 2008
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Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed
to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full
spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities.
Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news,
tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building
practices.

A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at:
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST GREEN BUILDINGS NEWS =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Over 40 Facilities Join EPA's Performance Track, Add New Environmental Goals
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=55648
Forty-two facilities have made goals ranging from reducing carbon emissions to
cutting water use as part of the Performance Track program.

U.K. Could Have Zero-Carbon Future
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?Page=1&NewsID=55644
The United Kingdom will reportedly announce this week a call for all future
non-domestic buildings, such as schools, supermarkets and hotels, to be zero
carbon.

Southern California Gas Company Earns Fourth LEED Certification
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55633
Improvements to its Monterey Park facility's water, lighting and waste recycling
bring the company its fourth LEED certification.

Seattle, Los Angeles Announce Green Building Plans
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55626
Los Angeles will require all new buildings to meet LEED certification standards,
while offering expedited permits to projects that aim for LEED-silver or higher;
Seattle's plan is more comprehensive, covering existing and new residential and
commercial buildings.

ASLA Creates Climate Policy Recommendations
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55622
The American Society of Landscape called on Congress to incorporate principles
of sustainable design into future climate change public policy.

Mumbai's Largest Mall Gets Energy Retrofit Through Clinton Climate Initiative
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55613
The Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, run by the Clinton Climate
Initiative, is helping India's Inorbit Mall cut its energy use.

New BIM Solution from Autodesk Aims to Bring Teams Together for Greener Projects
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55608
Autodesk unveiled a host of upgrades to its Building Information Modeling suite
of applications at an event last week, allowing architects, engineers and owners
to work together more closely on environmental issues in building projects.

GeoSun Helps Buildings Reduce Emissions
http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55598
A company specializing in renewable energy systems for corporate customers
launched "Zero Solution" Thursday to eliminate energy costs and carbon emissions
from office buildings.

MORE OF THE LATEST NEWS... http://greenerbuildings.com/news.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TOOLS & RESOURCES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Doing Good: Business and the Sustainability Challenge
http://greenerbuildings.com/tool_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=97307
Energy efficiency has become one of company leaders' three most important
priorities when it comes to greening operations, and bringing down energy use in
offices and facilities is a significant way of achieving that goal, according to
this new study.

MORE TOOLS & RESOURCES... http://www.greenerbuildings.com/tools.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-= NEW FEATURES & COLUMNS =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Sustainable Facility Management is the Next Wave
By Christopher P. Hodges, The McMorrow Report
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55656
Green buildings have taken off in a major way, but the drive to renovate and
improve the millions of existing commercial buildings has lagged behind. Not for
long: here is what facility managers should expect in the coming months.

When Buildings Talk, People Listen
By Peter Sharer
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=55654
The green economy is bristling with new technologies that have to the potential
to lead us into a new sustainable economy, but when people change their
behaviors, change will increase exponentially. New technologies in Building
dashboards -- think a Prius display for your office -- aim to jumpstart
behavioral change.

The Father of LEED Takes on China and India
By Violet Law, Plenty Magazine
http://greenerbuildings.com/news_detail.cfm?NewsID=36636
Robert Watson aims to make green building standards global with his
recently-founded enterprise EcoTech International, a consultancy that provides
green technology and project development expertise.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FEATURED EVENT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ecocity World Summit
http://greenerbuildings.com/event_detail.cfm?LinkAdvID=92134

Host: Ecocity Builders
Date: April 12-26, 2008
Location: San Francisco

Ecocity World Summit 2008 will bring together the key innovators, decision
makers, technologists, businesses and organizations shaping the conversation
around ecological and sustainable city, town and village design, planning and
development.

MORE EVENTS . . . http://www.greenerbuildings.com/search_events.cfm

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= GREENERBUILDINGS AND YOU =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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tool you'd like to share with others? Please write to
GreenerBuildings@GreenerWorldMedia.com, or click on the "Contact" link
on the home page.

We'll look forward to hearing from you.

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For more on our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building, click here for the introductory post.

Question: Have houses always been unhealthy or this something new?

Answer: Over the centuries, many houses have been unhealthy due to mold, wood smoke, gas lighting, kerosene heaters, coal dust, pests, animal dander, lead pipes, lead paint, asbestos, etc. While some of these pollutants are less common today, we now have new pollutants such as formaldehyde with which to contend. So, although unhealthy houses have been around for a while, the specific pollutants are changing.

Question: With all the new environmental laws and regulations, why aren’t houses healthier than ever before?

Answer: In some areas, there definitely has been some progress. For example, we no longer use lead paint or asbestos insulation. But in many instances, we’re creating new building products and developing new construction practices faster than they can be evaluated or regulated. Today’s indoor environmental pollution problems are related to two trends—the use of unhealthy materials and unhealthy techniques.

Question: What are the two trends that are contributing to make today’s houses unhealthy?

Approximately one tire is discarded per person per year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003. These tires are among the largest and most problematic sources of waste, due to the large volume produced and their durability. Those same characteristics which make waste tires such a problem also make them one of the most re-used waste materials, as the rubber is very resilient and can be reused in other products. With landfills minimizing their acceptance of whole tires and the health and environmental risks of stockpiling tires, many new markets have been created for scrap tires. Growing markets exist for a majority of scrap tires produced every year, being supported by State and Local Government.

Believe it or not, recycled tire products can economically add value and safety to your home. Through a special process, tires can be chopped into small pieces and the metal removed. The resulting products are include crumb rubber (also known as ground rubber) and tire buffings that can be used for mulch or used to create a wide array of ...Read More on GetWithGreen.com

=========================================================== GreenerBuildings News: January 31, 2008 =========================================================== Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities. Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news, tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building practices. A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at: http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= JUST RELEASED: STATE OF GREEN BUSINESS 2008 =-=-=-=-=-=-=

In this landmark report, Joel Makower and the editors of GreenBiz.com answer the question: How are U.S. businesses doing in their quest to be more environmentally responsible? It introduces the GreenBiz Index, 20 indicators of progress, tracking the resource use, emissions, and business practices of U.S. companies: carbon, materials, energy, and toxics intensity, clean-tech investments, e-waste recovery, paper use, employee commuting, and more. Download it for free at: http://www.stateofgreenbusiness.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Water Management Strategies to Boost the Triple Bottom Line By Tom Ash Smart water management can be a simple improvement to facilities, but one that can help real estate portfolio owners achieve LEED certification, protect and improve property value by eliminating water-related property destruction and liabilities, save costs and improve the environment.

The Importance of Measuring Building Energy Use By Brandi McManus With companies rapidly seeking out every possible way to improve their environmental performance, many are finding that tracking down inefficiencies in building energy use is a quick and easy way to make a noticeable difference.

Clorox and Sierra Club Announce Branding Partnership
The Clorox Company has formed a partnership with the Sierra Club as part of the company's launch of Green Works, a new line of natural cleaning products made from plant-based ingredients.

Three Trends Push Green Building From Niche to Mainstream: Report A new report pins attributes the growth of green building to government initiatives, demand for green residential housing and better sustainable building materials.

CIA Campus Embraces Green Building The CIA is working on its newest, greenest campus, with a vegetated roof, energy- and water-saving measures, and special parking for carpoolers.