Be Wise! Be Healthy!
Be in the know about Sustainable Living and Green Building, Products & Experts
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Winter Holiday Issue: November/December 2007
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by Elaine Ireland
Its the season we in America consciously make a point to express thankfulness for all that we receive and all that the earth provides. Its the time when we most generously enact our intentions to graciously give. We at GreenSage thank you, our readers, our customers and each of you making changes toward a greener world. Thank you. (read on) |
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"The First Thanksgiving"
by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris
painted in 1915
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General Features |
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by Alan S. Glassman
Third part in this popular series continues to demystify this fascinating topic of Sacred Geometry. Here the author discusses meaning in shapes and forms, highlighting how nature displays Phi, Fibonocci and Five. He explains that Fibonocci learned from various additive series of numbers which are generated by the Golden Ratio of phi. (read on) |
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| Greenbuild 2007, held November 7-9 in Chicago attracted a record number of attendees and exhibitors dedicated to "designing, building, living, and working in green buildings." The Greenbuild conference in Denver in 2006 collected 14,000 attendees, but this year topped 20,000 who made the pilgrimage to the "Show of Shows" for green building and sustainable development. (read on) |
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Global Warming |
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"The meaning of life is to give life meaning."
(Ken Hudgins)
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| Architecture 2030 delivered the "silver bullet" for solving the global warming crisis in a full-page ad in The New York Times. According to Edward Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030, the only way to stop global warming is to stop coal. (read on) |
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| Each year at the Clinton Global Initiative gathering, corporate leaders announce their commitments to reduce global warming and improve other social challenges. Since its launch in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative has seen $10 billion in action pledges. (read on) |
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by Gregory M. Lamb, Christian Science Monitor
A key threshold crossed: An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report shows that the limit on greenhouse-gases scientists hoped to avert has already been surpassed. (read on) |
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Health & Toxins |
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| A major report issued by the United Nations reveals that climate change, the rate of extinction of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population are among the threats putting humanity at risk. This according to the United Nations Environment Program in its fourth Global Environmental Outlook (read on) |
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Building & Construction |
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| Former President Bill Clinton recently announced several new partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of millions of square feet of public and private real estate throughout the United States. The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) will partner with the City of Chicago to enable a green overhaul of privately-owned housing around the city, as well as two major landmarks, the Sears Tower and the Merchandise Mart — the country's tallest and largest buildings, respectively. (read on) |
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by Glenn Stock
Retired industrial properties with environmental problems - brownfields - can weigh heavily on the minds of managers and the balance sheets of their owners. Traditionally, such sites have been viewed as major liabilities, given the cost and complexity associated with large-scale environmental cleanup. But, environmentally contaminated industrial sites can become valuable assets for their owners and for their communities. (read on) |
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Courtesy John Gendall, Architectural Record
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched its LEED-for-Homes program at the organization's annual Greenbuild conference in Chicago. A nearly two-year pilot program to adapt the LEED rating system to residential building ended this spring, but USGBC waited until Greenbuild for its official debut so that the program could be balloted with the organization's full membership. (read on) |
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| Green is the color for commercial construction in Central Florida these days. Offices, schools, apartments and mixed-use towers that use less energy and soften their footprint on the environment are in. Energy-gobbling properties that need lots of water for irrigation and other scarce resources are out. (read on) |
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by Tipping Mar Architects
There are 1000 ways to build a house, there are just as many subsurface habitations. Here is a view of using haybale construction under ground or above ground or some of each. (read on) |
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New Urbanism |
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by Greg Weaver
Energy-efficient systems. Recycled materials and non-toxic finishes. Natural light and ventilation. Low-water-use fixtures and xeriscaping. These hallmarks of green building have become common features of new development of all kinds. They're certainly common in Austin, widely recognized as one of the country's capitals of green building. So it's no surprise that in the largest real estate project in Austin history - the redevelopment of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - you'll find many best practices of green building being included in every single home, office, storefront, and civic building in the community. (read on) |
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by Sadhu A. Johnston
Green building design is absolutely necessary if Chicago is to continue to achieve its environmental goals. While the City continues to lead by example in its green building strategies, the private sector and individual home owners are critical players as well. That’s why they’ve put together a number of programs and initiatives to educate Chicago residents and businesses on what they can do to lessen their impact on the environment — especially when building new construction and renovating homes and businesses. Green buildings are healthier, use less energy and help preserve natural resources. (read on) |
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Energy |
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| The NorCal Solar Energy Association, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, presented the first annual City Solar Awards© last month, recognizing cities in the ten Bay Area counties for the amount of solar electric technology installed — enough electricity for 61,725 homes. Awards are given for the number of systems, amount of energy being produced, and watts per capita. (read on) |
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| Ready Solar and Green Life Guru late last month announced the launch of the Zero Energy Challenge to significantly reduce America's home energy usage and eliminate dependence on coal-fired power plants. Green Life Guru, a Santa Monica-based environmental consulting and services company, has partnered with Ready Solar, an industry leader in modular solar energy systems, to develop a comprehensive protocol for retrofitting existing homes to perform at efficiency and sustainability levels that achieve near-zero energy status. (read on) |
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GreenSage Guide to Living Green |
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Acquire Some Green Habits and Don't Leave Home Without Them
We're finally at a place where many companies want to participate, save energy and do the right thing by being sustainable. Is yours resistant? Fear not! Just as Margaret Mead has said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Its likely the same at your workplace. (read on) |
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Lifestyle - What You Can Do |
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By Chris Clugston
Is Our American Way of Life Sustainable? Through our relentless pursuit of the American Dream and our blind adherence to our American way of life, we have become overextended — we have exceeded America's capacity to sustainably support our existing population at our current standard of living. That is, the natural resources and economic resources required to support our ever-increasing consumption levels by our ever-expanding population are simply not available. Are we or are we not living on borrowed time? Here's some facts and figures to ponder. (read on) |
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Facing Up to the Toxic Truth about Cosmetics
By Stacy Malkan
'Just tell me what not to buy; which ingredients to avoid.' It’s the most common reaction people have upon hearing this story. This is every woman’s story — and every man’s story, every child’s story, even the ones not yet born. This tale has to do with being a teenage make-up diva. Each morning was an elaborate ritual involving various skin creams, eight types of face make-up and multiple hair products, topped off with a generous cloud of hairspray — all applied before leaving the house to catch the school bus. (read on) |
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By Mark Schapiro with David Weir
Every day at GreenSage we hear from customers who are shocked and outraged at what they're just beginning to hear in the media about toxins in their everyday products. Usually we hear 'I can't believe it!' We can't either, especially after we and so many others have been outraged and shouting about it for 20 years. Read this investigative reporters' exploration on this topic and their valuable information and insights. (read on) |
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By Laurie Greig
The story of a woman nervously sitting in a cancer ward, waiting to hear the prognosis for her 27-year-old goddaughter recently diagnosed with Stage Three breast cancer. The oncologist began by pointing at the grocery store bought water bottles in the hands of those in the waiting room. “Do you all know that these types of plastic water bottles are known to be cancer-causing?” (read on) |
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Indoor Environmental Quality |
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by Elaine Ireland
Now that winter is upon us with shorter days, light — natural light, that is — is not so plentiful. Yet light has a powerful effect on us — the amount of light, the kind of light and the color of light. The more natural light we get, the better it is for us. Turning on artificial lights not only involves the use of electric energy, which we're all trying to reduce, is not as effective — and not even as good for us — as natural light. (read on) |
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Green Products |
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| PacifiCrest Carpet has rolled out its Ambiente HRC Series of recycled content carpeting — eight styles constructed of Antron® Legacy High Recycled Content nylon fiber for sustainable design projects. The fiber is EPP (Environmentally Preferable Product) certified to have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products that serve the same purpose. The Antron® fiber is certified to contain 90 percent or more post-industrial recycled content. Ambiente HRC Series products can be recycled at the end of their useful life through the third-party certified INVISTA™ reclamation program. It helps qualify for LEED points too. (read on) |
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| Designed to provide just the right amount of uplight from the most discreet linear profile, Amerlux Lighting Solutions’ new “Linea” fixture is ideal for indirect, ambient lighting for commercial and retail spaces. Amerlux, a leader in energy-efficient, task-specific lighting solutions, broadens its linear fluorescent systems offering with Linea, giving specifiers and designers more flexibility. This product furthers Amerlux’s commitment to facilitating sustainable strategies recognized by organizations such as LEED and The USGBC. (read on) |
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Green Experts Profile |
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Ray Anderson, Hero of the Environment |
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Calendar of events |
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Dozens of Green Events Around the World to Participate in |
Where Every Issue is a Green Issue
