Be Wise! Be Healthy!
Be in the know about Sustainable Living and Green Building, Products & Experts
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February 2008 Issue
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| Follow the thread of your deepest heart's longing into a life of meaning and purpose. Oriah, the author of this prose-poem and best-selling books, explores how. For us at GreenSage, meaning and purpose is inseparable from our Green mission, kindling the spark of desire to share this inspirational work with you. (read on) |
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Are there aerial spraying plans for anywhere around your home?
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General Features |
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| Coinciding with GreenSage's popular service, Green Jobs listings — our latest feature designed to further optimize our service to you — now there comes a nationwide conference on this topic. We'll be reporting on this conference intended to move our country toward leadership in promoting the benefits of a new green economy and green jobs. This conference is bringing together advocates from all walks of life — policymakers; labor; business; environmental leaders; investors; scientists; technology experts and more. (read on) |
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| According to the U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, the world is on the cusp of "the age of green economics." He has called on nations to cooperate to fight global warming and promote the transformation. "With the right financial incentives and a global framework, we can steer economic growth in a low-carbon direction." (read on) |
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AL's Sacred Geometry
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| Alan S. Glassman is on vacation this month. Next issue in this highly popular series, he'll discuss more about the contributions of Pythagoras as we continue with Part 5 of AL's Sacred Geometry Corner -- The Basics. (read Part 4) |
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"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put foundations under them."
(Henry David Thoreau)
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Outdoor Air Issues |
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| The state agriculture department has a little known plan to use airplanes at night this summer to spray a farm pesticide over urban San Francisco, Marin County and the East Bay, intending to eradicate a potentially destructive moth. Last year when this was done in other California counties, hundreds of people whose homes and yards were sprayed, registered complaints of experiencing adverse physical symptoms. (read on) |
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| EPA, with state and national partners, released a comprehensive plan to reduce runoff and increase environmental and economic benefits for communities. The strategy will help reduce stormwater runoff and sewer overflows by promoting “green infrastructure” approaches, such as green roofs, trees and tree boxes, rain gardens, and porous pavements. (read on) |
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Building & Construction |
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by James T. Kienle, FAIA, AIA Historic Resources Committee
It is difficult to be an architect today and not know about sustainability and the green building movement. Yet, green buildings are but part of a larger and more comprehensive landscape of conservation and sustainable development. The President's Council on Sustainable Development set 10 goals, including health and the environment, economic prosperity, conservation of nature, stewardship — and preservation of natural and historic resources. (read on) |
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By Amy Cortese, New York Times
Just about every month, a glitzy new tower rises somewhere in the country, boasting the latest in “green” design and technology. Its an encouraging trend, especially considering that commercial buildings account for more than 60% of the nation's electricity consumption, and generate 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Yet these new buildings represent a small fraction of the nation's commercial properties, most of which were erected decades before sustainable, or green, designs became de rigueur. Older buildings present a much bigger opportunity to cut down on energy consumption and carbon emissions that contribute to the warming of the planet. (read on) |
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by Jon Dougal
This company has seen the light and been making some moves to green their image. Their headquarters building achieved LEED EB Platinum status last year. Then they started to make some greener products and WOW here is another first for them — FSC Chain of Custody certification in their Vicksburg, Mississippi engineered hardwood manufacturing facility. (read on) |
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| Major announcements at ASHRAE's 2008 Winter Meeting in Atlanta included free electronic distribution of the Advanced Energy Design Guide series, publication of the 2007 energy conservation standard from ASHRAE and IESNA, and signing of memorandums of understanding with the Brazil Green Building Council and the Building Owners and Managers Association. (read on) |
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| The Stormwater Management Academy, with the aid of University of Florida students, begins FSGE's Stormwater Design implementation with a multi-phase green roof installation to help FSGE (Florida's Showcase Green Envirohome) become a “Near-Zero Runoff Home™”. (read on) |
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GreenSage Guide to Living Green |
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By Elaine Ireland
Thousand of pollutants are found indoors. Chemicals, particulates and biological contaminants can wreak havoc upon occupants. Indoor exposure concentrations are one to five times the median outdoor concentrations, and sometimes as much as 100 times more polluted than outdoors. Here's the Guide to what these pollutants are and what you can do. (read on) |
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Lifestyle - What You Can Do |
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By Elaine Ireland
The majority of household fires involving furniture is, you guessed it, smoking related. Fire retardants in our homes are mostly irrelevant to those of us who don't smoke. The presence of chlorinated and brominated chemicals to satisfy fire codes that may protect those who do smoke adds unnecessary health and environmental burdens to the long list of chemicals that invade our lives every day without our consent. Wouldn't it just be easier to ban smoking indoors? Or make sure our three year olds don't smoke in bed rather than dousing their beds (or pajamas) with toxic chemicals? (read on) |
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Green Products |
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| Two-component Polyurethane Foam Insulation has long been recognized as the insulation with the most R-Value per inch of any commonly available insulation product for the building industry. Through the introduction of water based blowing agents and environmentally friendly fire retardants, Tiger Foam Insulation, with these safer chemicals, makes foam insulation easily available to any builder, remodeler and do-it-youselfer. (read on) |
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| Nokia has unveiled “Remade” a concept phone made out of aluminum cans, plastic drink bottles, car tires, and other recycled materials. The phone would also use environment-friendly technologies, including printed electronics and display graphics that save energy. (read on) |
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| Nike has released the Nike Trash Talk, a basketball shoe made from manufacturing waste. Steve Nash is the All-Star guard for the Phoenix Suns whose passion for environmental awareness forged a partnership with Nike to create the Nike Trash Talk, the first performance basketball shoe made from manufacturing waste. Nash debuted the Nike Trash Talk Valentines Day in Phoenix against the Dallas Mavericks. (read on) |
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Green Economics |
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By Nick Hodge
There's been growing clamor lately about BIPV companies and BIPV Stocks. Which technology is the best? Which company should be invested in? Let's try to clear this mess up. BIPV refers to solar energy technologies that are integrated into a building's façade or roof. The idea is that solar cells would not be an addition to a building, but rather incorporated directly into the building materials by way of shingles and glass (windows), although some BIPV components can be retrofitted onto a building. Here's a look at two of the most prominent BIPV-related companies out there. (read on) |
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Green Experts Profile |
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Calendar of Events |
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Dozens of Green Events Around the World to Participate in |
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Where Every Issue is a Green Issue
