KathyB's blog

If you measure success by the number of attendees, the sixth annual Green Festival in San Francisco http://www.greenfestivals.org/ on November 9-11 was a winner. It sure felt like the anticipated 35,000 attendees did indeed attend. With over 150 speakers and 400 exhibitors plus workshops about sustainable living, the organizers claim it is the world’s largest sustainability conference.

“Green Building: How a Healthier Built Environment Can Benefit All” was one of the panel discussions that I attended. The panelists included: Sean Culman, USGBC http://www.usgbc.org/ certified architect; Kevin Griffith, real estate developer for affordable housing; Sandy Mendler, sustainable building designer; Michael Willis, architect for neighborhood revitalization projects.

The panelists noted that there has been an important shift in green building in the last few years. Sustainable design was once just an overlay to the existing design process. Now the panelists see more integrative system solutions where the engineers, architects and designers are collaborating closely to create sustainable buildings. It has gone much further than just using green materials such as recycled carpets and cabinetry. Rather than reacting to client’s wishes, the panelists are more proactive about sustainability.

Another key shift in sustainable building is the realization of cost benefits. According to the panelists, until recently the cost benefits were realized over time and initial costs of sustainable building were higher. Now, initial costs are generally the same as non-sustainable design costs. This is a pivotal point for the green building industry. The conversation has shifted its focus on two key issues: site selection and water access/usage. Site selection and health issues are now linked as people pose the question: “Do suburbs make you fat?” The lack of community and the dependence on cars in many suburbs are cited as contributors to poor health. Generally, the feeling is that the denser the city, the better for not only for the environment but for personal health.

One of the lectures I attended at West Coast Green focused on marketing and financing green real estate. What is the real estate industry doing with regard to green real estate? Chris Bartle, Founder and President of Green Key Real Estate, http://www.greenkeyrealestate.com/Green_Key_Real_Estate/ answered this question for the group.

The Build It Green Real Estate Council http://www.builditgreen.org/guild/index.cfm?fuseaction=realestate is working on a green MLS which would include green home ratings and thus distinguish the "green homes" from the other homes listed. A 2008 launch in select cities is planned. Industry groups are also working on instituting or increasing current local energy efficiency ordinances so that homeowners would receive credits when installing energy and water conservation items in their homes. San Francisco and Berkeley currently have such an ordinance and there's concerted effort to increase the amount from its current $1300 level. Additionally, Ecobroker http://www.ecobroker.com/ is a national training and certification program for green real estate agents and brokers. Currently there are 725 Ecobrokers in 42 states. Its website allows interested parties to locate certified Ecobrokers in their area.

There appears to be a critical mass of real estate firms who are integrating a "green" component to their existing business. And San Francisco happens to have the first realty in the Bay Area founded solely to serve the green real estate market. This firm, Green Key Real Estate, has plans to franchise nationally in the upcoming year which will most likely spur even more green activity in the industry.

The U.S. Green Building Council's http://www.usgbc.org/ Greenbuild Expo http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/ will be held in Chicago November 7-9. I talked about the conference in a prior post but the venue for the conference is also worth noting given its size and LEED certification. It will be held in the new addition to the existing McCormick Place, which itself totals about 2 million square feet, just south of Chicago's downtown. The addition, called McCormick Place West, was completed in August 2007, eight months ahead of schedule and on budget. It includes an expansive roof top garden, 470,000 sq ft of exhibit space, 250,000 sq ft of meeting space and a 100,000 sq. ft. ballroom. The LEED certified addition was built at a cost of $882 million by TVS Architects. http://www.mccormick2008.com/ Its environmental and innovative design adds another dimension to Chicago's rich architectural history.

San Francisco is in the midst of its "Architecture and the City" festival, the fourth annual month-long architectural event showcasing buildings, tours, films, workshops, etc. http://www.aiasf.org/Programs/Public_Programs/Architecture_and_the_City.... And yes, there's plenty of green building activities including tours of commercial green buildings, lectures on solar power for home owners, LEED seminars etc.

I attended a reception by the Green Home Center whose mission is to "help homeowners make green living a healthy and beautiful way of life." http://www.thegreenhomecenter.net/index.php?page=About. What makes this place especially unique is that it is located on a busy commercial street with lots of foot traffic. It opened in April 2007 and sits alongside all the restaurants and the coffee shops, making green home design materials accessible and visible to any pedestrian walking by - from kitchen counter-tops made from recycled glass and concrete to solar energy panels.

San Francisco's Department of the Environment is very much involved with the festival, sponsoring many of the green programs offered. And each year the festival seems to have more and more emphasis on everything green which supports Mayor Newsom's desire to make San Francisco the greenest city in America.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) http://www.usgbc.org/ will hold this year's Greenbuild Expo in Chicago on November 7-9. http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/ The move to Chicago was made in part to accomodate its growing attendance and given this year's keynote speaker, former President Bill Clinton, it was probably a good idea. Apparently the "Clinton Climate Initiative" has decided that green building is key to reaching its goals of reducing CO2 emissions that lead to climate change.

What does all this mean? I think it points to how far the green building movement has come in recent years. The interest and commitment to building, both commercial and residential, in a sustainable manner has reached new levels.

USGBC initiated the LEED system http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 that rates buildings according to specific criteria pertaining to green building practices. It has been beta-testing "LEED for Homes" for nearly two years as I mentioned in a prior post. USGBC started Greenbuild in 2002 and in 2006 attendance was much higher than anticipated. The conference consists of educational sessions and workshops, an exhibition floor, networking events and even guided tours of local green buildings. Attendees include building professionals, i.e. architects, designers, engineers etc. as well as anyone interested in green building.

Why hold it in Chicago? "Chicago is committed to becoming the most environmentally friendly city in the world," said Mayor Richard Daley. "Chicago was one of the first cities to adopt LEED for the construction of all new city facilities and to develop an expedited permit process for LEED certified green buildings. As a signatory to the U.S. Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement and a member of the Clinton Climate Initiative, Chicago is also a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions." Also, the site of the conference is a LEED registered project. Given Chicago's rich architectural history, perhaps an appropriate place to hold a conference on building green.

So now there’s a LEED standard for homes. But, do people outside the building industry even know about LEED? That was also a question posed by the speakers at a presentation I just attended. Kevin Wakelin, CEO, Holliday Development http://www.hollidaydevelopment.com/ recently had his latest home project become LEED certified. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a nationally recognized certification system for the commercial and industrial building industry which rates the sustainability of buildings. In November 2005, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) http://www.usgbc.org/ which oversees LEED, decided to beta test the certification system for new home construction. The other speaker was Lynn Simon, President, Simon & Associates, Inc. http://www.greenbuild.com/ and it was her firm that helped the developers achieve its LEED certification. The project is located just over San Francisco’s Bay Bridge in Emeryville. Simon’s firm was one of the twelve “LEED for Homes” providers USGBC selected to provide technical, marketing and verification support to builders during the beta test of low-rise homes in neighborhood developments.

“More of a closer than an opener.” That’s how Wakelin, the developer, described the reaction of the home buyers to the fact that the homes were so sustainable. It helped to seal the sales transaction but it was not the initial draw. As prospective home buyers learned more about what it meant to be sustainable, they became more enthusiastic.

“LEED for Homes” uses a holistic approach to sustainability by focusing on and measuring (third party verified) seven key areas of new home construction: sustainable site development, water savings, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, innovation and design, location and linkages, energy and atmosphere. I think the last two categories are the most unique and caught my attention. “Location and linkages” refers to how the home or project is connected to the community in terms of proximity to existing infrastructure, public transit and green space. Housing density (units per acre) is also measured. The “energy and atmosphere” category includes criteria such as insulation, duct tightness, renewable energy and even the appliances selected. This detailed level of attention to home construction can bring a whole new level of environmental awareness to home owners everywhere.

I want to add to the discussion on pesticides since I just found one that's very effective and non-toxic. Mysterious bugs suddenly appeared on a few shelves in my kitchen- tiny, pin-head size black bugs set in constant motion. I never had a bug problem in my home before and I was unable to figure out the source of this infestation. After cleaning the shelves with a strong disinfectant cleaner, they reappeared within 24 hours. I ran to my local hardware store and there on the shelf next to all the usual toxic pesticides was Victor’s Poison-Free Ant and Roach Killer. It did the trick after the first spraying but I sprayed two more times to be sure and haven’t seen a bug since.

What makes this spray unique is that mint oil is the active ingredient and the inert ingredients are mineral oil, water, CO2 and lecithin. Amazingly simple! But, what is lecithin? Putting the scientific definition aside, it is used primarily as a food additive or a medicinal supplement – certainly non-toxic. I was dreading filling my kitchen with toxic pesticide and its lingering odor. Instead, my kitchen was filled with the scent of mint, though strong, but an arguably better alternative.

I became more curious about this unusual product and did some research about the “OMRI Listed” seal on the label. OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) www.omri.org is a national nonprofit that conducts third party reviews of products. “It provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing. OMRI reviews applying products against the National Organic Standards.” I then wondered whether a governmental agency has weighed in on the safety and effectiveness of mint oil as a pesticide. Sure enough, mint oil was listed as one of the minimum-risk pesticides exempt from the regulatory reporting requirements that which toxic pesticides are subject. www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1996/March/Day-06/pr-577.html.

Good to know that someone has researched all this and that it lives up to its poison-free labeling. While my personal experience does not extend to any of the other bugs listed on the label (ants, roaches, waterbugs, crickets, spiders, etc.) it sure put my mystery bugs to rest, without filling my home with unwanted toxins.