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.
... 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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!)
