Dandelion Communitea Cafe's American Clay project

Submitted by Gabe LeBlanc on Tue, 2010-08-10 02:16
in

Dandelion Communitea Cafe's American Clay project

Green TV

American Clay brings 5 LEED points to your building, but it does much more than that. Learn how Julie Norris of Dandelion Commmunitea Cafe, an Orlando-based organic restaurant and tea house and Jeff Barrett work to update her restaurant's wall with a new eco-friendly faux finish. Also learn the basics of the process to decide if American Clay is right for you.

Earth Day 2010 San Diego: Building a Greener Downtown

Submitted by ecofactory on Fri, 2010-04-23 04:04
in

Earth Day 2010 San Diego: Building a Greener Downtown

SAN DIEGO, California, April 22, 2010 (ENS) - On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders unveiled a new program designed to make the downtown more environmentally sustainable and to help San Diego reach state climate change goals for 2020.

Mayor Sanders says that even before the adoption of the state's new CalGreen building codes next January, California will have some of the most stringent environmental building standards in the country.

Earth Day 2010 New York City: Planning and Planting

Submitted by ecofactory on Thu, 2010-04-22 12:44
in

Earth Day 2010 New York City: Planning and Planting

NEW YORK, New York, April 22, 2010 (ENS) - For Earth Day 2010, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today released the PlaNYC Progress Report, which details achievements and shortcomings since the launch of the city's long-term plan for a greener New York on Earth Day 2007.

Seattle's First USDOE Builder's Challenge Homes

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Wed, 2010-02-10 00:45
in
Press Release:

Seattle's First USDOE Builder's Challenge Homes

Seattle, Washington February 3, 2010

Seattle area green building has taken many of its early steps toward urban development that includes broad use of sustainable materials, pervious paving, and low VOC finishes. We continue to see greater focus in Seattle’s walkable neighborhoods, a commitment to infill development in areas of the city that are well connected to public transportation and designs that surprise and inspire rather than restrain our longing for originality.

Green Home vs Hurricane Debris Blast Cannon

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Fri, 2010-01-22 23:13
in

Green Home vs Hurricane Debris Blast Cannon

Green TV

Jeff Alexander of the Insulated Concrete Form Association and Greenblock invited us out to a demonstration of just how durable green building can be. With the tools and talents of the University of Florida's department of Hurricane Research on tap, the demonstration would simulate a direct blow from a piece of lumber flying at 50mph. To compare, a pair of ICF walls would be tested against stick frame and hollow cinder block walls to demonstrate the clear advantage of a solid concrete solution.

California Adopts Mandatory Green Building Code

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-01-18 18:57
in

California Adopts Mandatory Green Building Code

State Regulators unanimously approved Calgreen, a mandatory green building standard administered by the state that threatens independent green certification outfits like LEED.
San Francisco skyline

California led the nation in establishing the first mandatory green building code, Calgreen. While this move promises to slash water use and electricity consumption across the state, green groups say this could have dire implications for independent green building standards like the LEED program.

Environmental Groups Move to Block California Green Building Standard

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-01-11 18:53
in

Environmental Groups Move to Block California Green Building Standard

Environmental groups are fighting the State of California's attempts to incorporate green building practices into the standard building code. Find out why inside.
Green building. Photo by Wonderlane on Flickr

Just days before coming to vote, environmental groups like the Sierra Club are moving to stop new legislation in California that would make energy efficiency and water conservation part of the standard building code. Critics say that this code falls short of standards set by some municipalities, and threatens to dissolve a major portion of the green building industry, specifically green certification schemes like the US Green Building Council's LEED program.

Central Florida USGBC LEEDership Awards Dinner

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Fri, 2009-12-04 16:51
in

Central Florida USGBC LEEDership Awards Dinner

Green TV

The Central Florida Chapter of the United States Green Building Council held its annual LEEDership awards at the Church Street Ballroom. Special guests include sustainability seer Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc, as well as Florida Senator Lee Constantine. We catch up with a wide array of award winners, including Julie MacPherson of Wyndham Vacation Ownership and Robert H. Burke Jr. of Burke Houge Mills.

American Cities Embrace Green Buildings

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2009-11-17 14:59
in

American Cities Embrace Green Buildings

PHOENIX, Arizona, November 17, 2009 (ENS) - More than one in five large U.S. cities surveyed by the American Institute of Architects has a policy of promoting green buildings, and the number of cities building green is on the rise. The AIA survey shows that 138 cities have green building programs, compared with 92 cities in 2007 – an increase of 50 percent.

All but one of the 25 most populated metropolitan regions in the United States are built around cities with a green building policy, the survey found.

Southeast Homebuilder Hit With $350,000 Stormwater Fine

Submitted by ecofactory on Wed, 2009-11-11 11:20
in

Southeast Homebuilder Hit With $350,000 Stormwater Fine

ATLANTA, Georgia, November 11, 2009 (ENS) - Two related home building companies based in Atlanta have agreed to pay a $350,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.

In addition to the civil penalty, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods Inc., and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods of the Carolinas Inc. have also agreed to implement company-wide stormwater compliance programs at their construction sites that go beyond current regulatory requirements.