green building BLOG

Green or just green washing?

2007-06-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

www.homedepot.com

These days, it seems like every product (and company) out there is jumping on the eco-bandwagon. With all the feel-good ads and new "green" products out there, it can be hard to tell what's green-washing and what's really a sustainable choice.

The bad news: There are very few 100% green products. Many products are sustainable in some ways, and not so green in others. Chances are, you'll need to decide what green qualities are most important to you. Indoor air quality? Recycled content? Durability?

The good news: There are basic criteria you can use to evaluate the sustainability of a product, and decide if it's green to you. BuildingGreen.com offers a great free online article
that outlines how to evaluate the greenness of a product. It's meant specifically for building products, but is applicable to pretty much any product you'd bring into your home. (There's one category that I'd add to their list - and that would be the way the company treats its employees. Are they paid a living wage? Exposed to dangerous working conditions? If so, their product isn't green to me.)

Not into researching every can of paint, lamp or tile you bring into your abode? These resources will help you find green products fast.

- BuildingGreen.com's GreenSpec Directory is a comprehensive directory of environmentally preferable building products (available online or as an annual publication).
- Domino Magazine and Treehugger.com's 2007 Green List includes listings for sustainable furniture, food, clothing, travel and more.
- The Green Home Guide has helpful room-by-room information about making green buying choices.
- National Geographic's The Green Guide offers green home advice and news.

Socialites Clean Green

2007-04-25T09:41:00.000-05:00

Green cleaning products are gaining popularity with the wealthy and well connected. Interested in using green cleaning products in your home? Check out Seventh Generation or Green Clean (a local company) or consider mixing up some green cleaners yourself from ingredients like vinegar and baking soda.

New York City Plan for Sustainability

2007-04-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Mayor Bloomberg proposed a series of projects and regulations to turn New York into “the first environmentally sustainable 21st-century city.” Most contentious is the proposed $8 a day charge for anyone driving into lower Manhattan, but the proposal included improved public transit for neighborhoods without access to subways (that would be completed before congestion charges are instituted). The proposal also calls for the creation of a New York City Energy Planning Board and an Energy Efficiency Authority to oversee conservation efforts.

An Educated Consumer is the Best Customer...

2007-04-20T08:24:00.000-05:00

... we've heard that phrase thrown around at lots of green building events in town lately (with credit to Sy Syms, of course). The idea is that if consumers understood the impact of their choices on their wallets, their health and the environment, they might make different choices. The New York Times yesterday looked at the way Sharp is selling their solar panels in California, and it's an interesting strategy of education first, sales second.

iTunes Podcasts for Earth Day

2007-04-20T08:11:00.000-05:00

Something to listen to while you bike or ride to EarthFest at the Zoo this Sunday - iTunes' Earth Day podcasts. Download podcasts from Treehugger.com, the Sierra Club, NPR, and more! Free, entertaining and educational.

EPA Moves Tentatively Towards Green

2007-04-17T14:24:00.000-05:00

As of May 1st, the EPA will be asking hotels and convention centers bidding for their business about the sustainability of their operations. According to the NY Times, the "questions range from sweeping queries about recycling programs and energy efficiency to specific ones about paperless billing and reused towels". Unfortunately, the questions will only be "considered" when selecting a meeting space, and the EPA won't verify the honesty of hotels answers.

The EPA is also (finally) considering a proposal that would cut emissions from lawnmowers about 35 percent, and put reduce powerboat and outboard engine emissions by 70 percent. The proposal would regulate about 25 percent of all mobile-source hydrocarbon emissions.

Baby steps, but maybe they're starting to take the Supreme Court ruling earlier this month to heart?

Home Depot to Label Green Products

2007-04-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

Unless you want drag your copy of the GreenSpec directory with you every time you head out to the home improvement store, it can be difficult to identify environmentally preferable products. Until now. Today Home Depot (the world's largest buyer of construction material, and the country's second biggest retailer) will introduce a "Eco Options" label that identifies products as environmentally friendly. The initiative is expected to include 6000 products by 2009 - or 12 percent of the chain's sales. Read more in the NY Times or check out the official Home Depot site for more information.

The Power of Green

2007-04-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

For anyone who might have missed it, Thomas Friedman's cover story from Sunday's NY Times Magazine is a green call to arms. Friedman asserts that green is the answer to the "three major issues facing every American today: jobs, temperature and terrorism". He writes that "green is not about cutting back. It's about creating a new cornucopia of abundance for the next generation by creating a whole new industry."

Read the entire article online here, and watch "Green: The New Red, White and Blue," a documentary featuring Thomas Friedman's' reporting on green technology on the Discovery Channel on Saturday, April 21st at 9:00pm.

Cleveland Green Roofs

2007-04-10T14:50:00.000-05:00

Today's Plain Dealer has a profile of Cleveland's own Garland company and local green roofs - complete with a reference to our own Cleveland Environmental Center and a quote from GBC's Melanie Kintner Knowles! Read the article online here.

Regional Climate Change in the News

2007-04-09T10:46:00.000-05:00

As we were digging out from the snow this morning, 90.3 WCPN's The Sound of Ideas was talking about the impact of global climate change on our region. If you missed the show, you can still listen online. The Plain Dealer also reported yesterday on the consequences that climate change will have on Lake Erie and the regional economy (and it's not good).

E4S and GBC in Akron!

2007-04-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

The E4S Network Hub in Akron kicks off this Wednesday with an exploration of the pulse and possibility of high performance buildings and products in the Akron area, co-hosted by the Cleveland GBC. From 5:30-8:30 on April 11th come to network and learn about the LEED green building ratings system, the return on investment from green buildings, and local LEED projects by the Summit County Metroparks and the Akron Zoo.

This exciting event - the first of its kind in Akron! - is free and open to the public, but registration is required. RSVP online or by calling 216-451-7755. Exhibitor tables are also available for organizations and businesses that embrace sustainability. More information is available online at the E4S website. We'll see you there!

Cleveland and Gund Foundations Will Only Fund Green Capital Projects

2007-04-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

Organizations seeking money for capital projects from either the Cleveland or Gund Foundation will have to seek LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. From the Plain Dealer's coverage - "Melanie Kintner Knowles, interim executive director of the Cleveland Green Building Coalition, also welcomed the policy, along with the increased attention it brings to the issue. 'I think it's excellent,' she said. 'The more incentives and the more it's in the front of people's minds, the better.'" We agree! Read the full PD story here.

Supreme Court Rules that EPA Can Regulate Greenhouse Gas

2007-04-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

From today's New York Times - "In one of its most important environmental decisions in years, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate heat-trapping gases in automobile emissions. The court further ruled that the agency could not sidestep its authority to regulate the greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change unless it could provide a scientific basis for its refusal." Read the full story here, or listen to NPR's coverage here.

New AIA Web Tool: How Design Works for You

2007-04-03T09:34:00.000-05:00

Not sure if your next home renovation project requires an architect, or at what point you should hire them, who to hire, how to find them, or what value they'd bring to your project? Visit the American Institute of Architects' website for a new feature on How Design Works for You. We're also fans of the online video case study that shows step-by-step how homeowners and architect worked together to create a sustainable home in Minnesota. There's also a great article on saving money while saving the environment by going green, and information on the growing demand for sustainable, energy-efficient homes.

Looking for a Cleveland architect to work with you on your next green design project? Contact Cleveland GBC at 216-961-8850.

Green is Fabulous

2007-03-23T14:40:00.000-05:00

Fun reading for your weekend: check out Fabulously Green, a blog featuring "Fabulous style finds in Fashion and Interior Design that look good, feel good, do good. A go-to source of sleek, eco-modern design for style-enthusiasts everywhere." Gifts, apparel, projects for around the house, links galore - all stylish and eco-friendly. Fabulous all around.

Record Foreclosures and a Shrinking Population

2007-03-23T14:21:00.000-05:00

The New York Times reports on Cleveland's record number of mortgage foreclosures. Suburban cities are spending millions to fight blight and flight from neighborhoods. Although high-interest sub-prime loans are to blame, high utility costs that further strain a family's budget can't help, either.

And, of course, there was the census report earlier this week that Cuyahoga County had the sixth-largest drop in population in the country between July 2005 and July 2006 - behind only the counties hit by Hurricane Katrina and Detroit.

Time to make Cleveland a sustainable city that draws in new residents and young talent from around the country and the world... with homes that are affordable to buy, but also to operate.

Free Program on Native Plant Landscaping

2007-03-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

Visit the Shaker Lakes Nature Center this Wednesday (March 21st) for a free program on landscaping with native plants. Native plants save you money, require less money and fertilizer, and are great for the environment. Be sure to RSVP and let them know you'll be there by calling 216-321-5935 x235.

Last Day of Early Bird Registration for ACI

2007-03-16T11:31:00.000-05:00

The early bird registration discount for the ACI Home Performance Conference ends today! ACI works to advance home performance, and their 2007 annual conference will be held here in Cleveland April 23-27th. Sign up for the full conference, just a day, or for a short course - there's something there for everyone. Visit the conference website for the full agenda, more information, and to register. Also, be sure to check out the full-day workshop "Profit with Home Performance" that the Cleveland GBC is sponsoring on April 27th!

Green List 2007 from Domino Magazine and Treehugger.com

2007-03-16T11:17:00.000-05:00

Here at the Cleveland Green Building Coalition, we get lots of calls and emails from homeowners interested in greening up their homes. If you're one of those folks who's interested in greener furniture, fabric, wallpaper, rugs, tile, cleaning products and more, check out Domino Magazine and Treehugger.com's 2007 Green List for green, stylish products for your home.

To qualify, products had to be "made from materials that are rapidly renewable (such as fast-growing bamboo), responsibly grown (wood from a socially and environmentally managed forest, for example), reusable (can be recycled after use) and/or biodegradable (able to be safely returned to the soil). Bonus points were given for durability (well-built things that won't have to be replaced frequently). No off-gassing (materials and finishes that can pollute the air inside your home) was allowed. We embraced relativity (a Prius may be better than a fuel-gulping SUV, but it's still pretty dirty compared to a totally electric car or, for that matter, a bicycle) and gave gold stars for good manufacturing practices (such as wind-powered factories and fair labor conditions). And last but not least, we decided that vintage counts!" (Photo from Domino.com)

FLOR now at Target!

2007-03-15T15:26:00.000-05:00

It's great to see green products popping up in mainstream stores, so we were excited to see that Target will be selling eco-friendly FLOR modular carpet tiles in their stores and online. For now the selection at Target is limited, but it's a way to learn about FLOR and check it out in person without having to order samples. For full color, texture and design options, visit the FLOR website. (Their virtual carpet designer is lots of fun!)

Silicon Valley Energy Start-Ups

2007-03-14T10:41:00.000-05:00

From the New York Times - "Silicon Valley’s dot-com era may be giving way to the watt-com era.

Out of the ashes of the Internet bust, many technology veterans have regrouped and found a new mission in alternative energy: developing wind power, solar panels, ethanol plants and hydrogen-powered cars.

It is no secret that venture capitalists have begun pouring billions into energy-related start-ups with names like SunPower, Nanosolar and Lilliputian Systems.

But that interest is now spilling over to many others in Silicon Valley — lawyers, accountants, recruiters and publicists, all developing energy-oriented practices to cater to the cause."

Read the full article online here.

E4S Featured in the Plain Dealer's new feature "Green, Inc."

2007-03-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

Sustainability manufacturing

Businesses find one's waste is another's feed stock

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Peter Krouse, Plain Dealer Reporter

On a recent winter's night, inside the Tasting Room of Great Lakes Brewing Co., the topic of discussion wasn't beer, but food.

Kari Moore, a sustainable-farming supporter, stood before a packed room and offered the "Eat Local Corporate Challenge," which urges businesses to spend 10 percent of their food budgets on items grown or made locally.

Then Brad Masi of the New Agrarian Center presented his version of the "low-carb diet," only in this case carb was short for carbon, not carbohydrate. His point; a lot of fuel gets burned up hauling food long distances, so buy local.

Next week, the Tasting Room will play host to advocates of energy efficiency. Case studies will be shared and business opportunities discussed.

In May, a Michigan furniture manufacturer will explain its audacious goal of using 100 percent renewable energy by 2020.

Later in the year, biomimicry will be on the agenda. Biomimicry? It's billed as a new science that looks to nature for inspiration and guidance in design.

In the middle of it all is Holly Harlan, 47, founder of Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, or E4S for short. Her group organizes the regular monthly meetings at Great Lakes Brewing Co., the town square for Greater Cleveland's thriving sustainability movement.

Meetings that once drew 12 to 25 people in 2001 now average about 140.

"She definitely has captured the interest of a lot of people," said Bill Oatey, a member of the E4S board and vice chairman of plumbing products manufacturer Oatey Co.

Typical environmental fare, you might think, but it's not. Harlan is all for a cleaner world, but she's a champion of manufacturing first, with the allure of sustainability providing her motivation.

"What she's about is finding solutions that work for the environment and the economy," said Michael Kinsley of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado nonprofit devoted to sustainable business practices.

Harlan likens sustainability to the total quality management movement that began in Asia before being embraced in the United States, only this time the wave started in Europe and spread across the Atlantic. And just as TQM has been woven into the fabric of everyday business practices, sustainability is inspiring change in the way products and processes are designed, she said.

One of Harlan's loftier goals is to have local industry copy nature, where there is no such thing as waste. Whatever's left on the kitchen or manufacturing floor becomes the raw material for yet another production process.

It's not mere recycling. It's designing a manufacturing process knowing beforehand how the waste can be used by somebody else. The question then shifts from being how do you minimize waste to how much waste should you produce, she said.

To that end, Harlan has convened regular meetings of what she calls the "waste equals revenue roundtable," which includes such local industrial heavyweights as Alcoa and Arcelor Mittal. The goal is to have neighboring industries compare their material streams to see if discards for one can be inputs for another.

Local construction and demolition debris recyclers Rosby Cos. and Kurtz Bros. are part of the roundtable, as is Zaclon Inc., which makes zinc fluxes used to galvanize steel products.

Zaclon has already found success buying waste lime from Alcoa and using it to lower the acidity in Zaclon's water treatment plant. Thanks to the roundtable, Zaclon may also start acquiring caustic soda from Alcoa.

Harlan, who grew up mostly in Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University, has an unusual background for someone who would like to turn manufacturing on its ear. But that's what makes her effective. She's an industrial engineer by training, so companies that might resist the efforts of a straight-line environmentalist know Harlan speaks their language, too.

Harlan spent eight years with General Electric Co., including two years in its vaunted manufacturing management program, and was well on her way to becoming a wealthy corporate executive when she took a new direction. Harlan had already worked for GE in New York, South Carolina and Georgia when she found herself on the verge of a transfer from her Cleveland-area job to Parkersburg, W.Va..

Not willing to leave the city and desiring a more entrepreneurial experience, Harlan quit. She went to work advocating for manufacturers, first with CAMP Inc., which is now MAGNET, and then with Shorebank Enterprise Cleveland and Wire-Net.

She was still at Wire-Net when she had her epiphany. It came in the spring of 2000. She went to a Cleveland Green Building Coalition meeting at the Cleveland Public Library downtown to hear Amory Lovins talk about something called natural capitalism.

Lovins is chief executive of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Natural capitalism is a concept that measures cost not in short-term dollars, but in the long-term effect on people, the planet and profits.

"I left there with what they call an 'aha moment,' " Harlan said.

So did Pete Accorti, president of Talan Products, a small metal-parts stamper. When he and Harlan walked out of the library at twilight, it was as if they had just seen a great movie and couldn't stop talking about it.

"It was very compelling," Accorti said, "because [Lovins] made the case from a business perspective."

Harlan dived right in. She attended an institute workshop in Des Moines, Iowa, then accepted a seven-week internship at the institute's Colorado home. She returned to Cleveland brimming with confidence that sustainable ideas would sell here.

Harlan started E4S in late 2000 and got a boost in 2002 when the Gund Foundation gave her a small grant. She hired her first two staffers in 2004. Without an office of their own, they met in local wireless cafes.

At first, mostly entrepreneurs were eager and willing to sign on, while manufacturers largely resisted, Harlan said. But that's starting to change, as corporate leaders such as GE and Wal-Mart have publicly embraced sustainable concepts. Now E4S is as much a resource for large companies and progressive thinkers as it is for entrepreneurs.

E4S has about 120 members who have paid from $50 to $350 to join the organization. That entitles them to individual help from Harlan and her staff, who now operate out of a 2,000-square-foot office in Shorebank's Glenville Enterprise Center on a budget of $400,000.

And, of course, there are always the monthly meetings at Great Lakes Brewing Co. They are free and public. At the last one, Moore took in 15 pledges for her "Eat Local Corporate Challenge."

To the sustainability crowd, Harlan is referred to as "kind of the network weaver," Moore said, and she has been instrumental in bringing critical mass to the effort in Northeast Ohio.

"Holly has a unique talent for the big picture," she said, "and seeing the whole system."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
pkrouse@plaind.com, 216-999-4834

Special NY Times Section on the Business of Green

2007-03-07T14:38:00.000-05:00

The special business section in today's Times is chock full of articles on anti-idling, renewable energy farms, greening restaurants, offsetting carbon emissions, and consumer products that reveal their environmental impact. Pick up a paper, or read it online.

The Plain Dealer should consider running a section like this to highlight green businesses and opportunities in Northeast Ohio.

Call for Applicants - Enterprise Community Partners Rose Architectural Fellowship Opportunities

2007-03-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

Enterprise Community Partners is pleased to announce that applications are available for FOUR ROSE ARCHITECTURAL FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES beginning September 2007.

The Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship was established in 1999 by Enterprise Community Partners, a national affordable housing and community development nonprofit. The Fellowship creates partnerships between emerging architects and community-based organizations to direct the skills and passions of the architects in the service of low- and moderate-income communities.

The Rose Fellowship honors the late Frederick P. Rose, a prominent developer and philanthropist who believed in the value of good design and the spirit of public service. The Fellowship encourages architects to become lifelong leaders committed to sustainable community development.

Applications are available online. Please note that the New Orleans Fellowship, sponsored by Capital One, begins as early as May 1 with the application due April 1. All other Fellowships start on Sept. 1 with applications due April 15.

Fellowships are available with:
. The Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation in Bronx, New York
. Providence Community Housing in New Orleans, Louisiana
. Farmworker Housing and Development Corporation in Woodburn, Oregon
. Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership in Slayton, Minnesota

The Rose Fellowship network is a vital part of the fellowship experience, providing a national support system of colleagues who share a passion for public interest architecture and community development.

Applicants with diverse educational, professional and personal backgrounds, including minorities and individuals from disadvantaged communities, are encouraged to apply.

For more information, please visit the website or contact Rose Fellowship Director Katie Swenson at kswenson@enterprisecommunity.org.

Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners creates Office of Sustainability

2007-03-06T13:53:00.000-05:00

From the press release:

CLEVELAND – Amid the growing concern regarding how public and private facilities and operations affect the environment, the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) has created an Office of Sustainability to review the environmental impact of current operations and coordinate “green” development across the entire region.

The Commissioners selected Joyce Burke-Jones, a veteran planner, as the county’s first Sustainability Officer and charged her with the responsibility of establishing a regional approach to making public and private buildings, construction projects and operations both “greener,” and more efficient, while maximizing the cost savings such efficiencies will engender. Her primary duties include analyzing and coordinating issues of energy usage and efficiency, identifying opportunities for development of alternative energy sources, adoption of “green” building practices and operations throughout the county, and waste reduction and recycling.

“Northeast Ohio has the potential to take the lead in developing alternative energy sources, more efficient, environmentally friendly transportation, and conservation and preservation of the natural resources we have,” said Commissioner Timothy F. Hagan, President of the Board of Commissioners. “We are establishing the Office of Sustainability to coordinate that development and to maximize the benefit for all communities.”

As an example of what the Sustainability Office might be able to do, Commissioners cited a similar City of Cleveland program, begun in 2005, which has already yielded $500,000 in savings and identified an additional $2-3 million in potential future savings.

“It is well established that sustainability is both an ethical mandate, and fiscal imperative,” said Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones. “ ‘Going Green’ creates a win/win scenario for those we serve and future generations as well.”

The Commissioners have already taken the lead in embracing environmental-friendliness, green technology and sustainability. Many county buildings have recently won awards for energy efficiency, and the BOCC has required that the new County Administrative complex that will rise at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue be designed to be as efficient and “green” as possible.

“In recent years, advances in building methods, materials and alternative forms of energy, have made it possible to assure the safety of the environment.” said Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. “It is no longer more expensive to be “green,” and we are ensuring that we can sustain the environment cost effectively.”

Earlier this year the Commissioners also established the Cuyahoga County Alternative Energy Task Force, which recommended both the development of wind-generating turbines on Lake Erie and the removal of legal and regulatory barriers that discourage for private companies from developing other alternative energy sources in the region.

Ms. Burke-Jones, who was formerly the project director for the new County Administrative complex, worked for 25 years with R. Buckminster Fuller, a world-renowned architect, inventor and one of the fathers of the “green” movement in building construction and operations.

Welcome!

2007-03-06T13:45:00.000-05:00

After a bit of a break, the Cleveland Green Building Coalition has re-entered the blogosphere! We hope you'll visit us for the latest in green building news in Cleveland and northeast Ohio, and around the globe. Have green news you want to see here? Email us with your tips - info [at] clevelandgbc.org