Welcome to the October 2008 Green InSight eNewsletter!

Jon Dougal Editor, Green InSight

" Global Warming can be slowed, and stopped, with practical actions that yield a cleaner, healthier atmosphere." James E Hansen, Director, NASA Goddard Institute

This insightful and progressive newsletter is concerned with present energy issues and technologies as well as the future of energy. The information is brought to you in living color, on widescreen digital HD format, and sparing paper use with our long shelf-life, greedy little electrons to deliver the latest from the far corners of the alternative and renewable energy empire to foster sustainable development. We exalt your feedback and contributions of your latest experiences and reactions to our content. Sustainability is not just our mission, it is our passion.

Green Building Incentives

By: Jon Dougal
Date: October 21, 2008

Various municipalities have given the green light to the greening of their various agencies. Mandates for green cities proliferate across the country. One of the mechanisms, besides speedier permit processing, is tax incentives. 

The tax breaks were created during the 2005 Nevada State legislative session when the Assembly unanimously joined the Senate in special session to encourage businesses to build efficient "green" buildings. Businesses that qualify are exempted from all but the base 2 percent of sales taxes on construction materials and fittings. They also get a property tax break of up to 50 percent for 10 years.

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What Makes Green Real Estate

The US Green Building Council, which is now the fastest growing non-profit in the world, has as its mission – Market transformation. Transformation of the building industry, to one that stands for sustainability, and the transformation to high performance or energy efficient buildings, both residential and commercial. The USGBC has largely been successful in accomplishing its goal in its brief 15 year history.

Sustainable building design begins with reducing loads through the use fo insulation, high-performance insulation, high performance glazing and exterior shading, good lighting deisgn and energy efficient appliance selection.

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Senior and active adult housing market may be 40 percent of total by 2012

Over the next few years, affordable housing, which includes some senior housing developments, will continue to grow throughout the credit slouch and the home building crater.  Mandated affordable housing, mostly federally funded, will continue come down the pipeline. Seniors are still the people with money - not as much as they had before the 2nd week of Oct. 2008, but still more money than folks raising kids and commuting everyday. In the future the majority of affordable housing will be green. You can take that to the bank.

Now, more than ever, sustainability is a must.  There is no good business case for a compromised environment, lacking the government's leadership in many cities. Many of these cities in the US alone have begun the process of implementing "green building" mandates.

Is it the money or the economics? Green/sustainable design has proven to lower energy use.  Energy is the largest component of building operations, followed by water. Sustainable design will begin to be mandated across the country, whether by federal mandate or by local municipality. A modest size city alone can save $500,000 by just retro fitting a few buildings. A city would have access to additional funds by just converting their stoplights to LEDs, their buildings to photovoltaic and solar thermal heating and cooling. These funds could be further allocated to other worthwhile causes.

Companies would benefit by jumping on the “green bandwagon”. Compliance is more expensive when you're forced into it rather than when you plan for it.

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The Changing Face Of U.S. Cities

By:Jon Dougal
Date:October 21, 2008

The Demographics of cities are going to change drastically over the next 10-30 years. As minorities become majorities and majorities fade from dominance, the cultural fabric will change along with the look, feel and structure of cities. A sense of place will be defined by new brick and mortar storefronts, signs in foreign languages, changes in mobility and colors.

A simple revue of recent world politics will document the social unrest in Europe as the Muslim population has grown. This is a result of changing demographics and major immigration changes. Diversity will become the norm and anticipating the changes are paramount to cities becoming vibrant and prosperous.

USA Today on August 14, 2008, ran a short article of truly earth shaking impact. The article “America’s face evolves, blurs, ages” predicts that white populations will decline from ca. 65% at 2010 to 46% by 2050, Hispanic will increase from 16% in 2010 30% by 2050, blacks will remain the same at about 125 of the population. The US population is currently about 305 million, and will grow to 400 million in about 31 years.

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Ground-Breaking Sustainability Tool Launched

Source: ARUP (www.arup.com)
Release date: 07/28/2000

SPeAR Routine set to revolutionize the way companies assess sustainability

Arup, the global engineering, planning and environmental consultancy, is launching SPeAR, (Sustainable Project Appraisal Routine), a universal design tool enabling companies and organizations to demonstrate sustainability. The tool represents a step-change in both the understanding and application of sustainability theory and practice. It is an innovative approach to an often-uncertain issue.

SPeAR can be used for assessing the sustainability of projects, products and organizations. Central to the project is the 'SPeAR rose diagram'. It combines in a graphical format the diverse issues that need to be considered for sustainable design, including the social, economic, natural resource and environmental issues. The diagram can show both negative and positive effects.

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VOB – Vegetable Oil Based Resins

By: Jon Dougal
Source: September 19, 2008

For the last 10 years we have been arguing, cajoling, pushing and prompting the U.S. Plastics Counsel to promote vegetable based plastics. Being a trade group (527) whose mission it is to create, augment, implement and popularize the agenda of the member corporations, we could not understand why bio-based plastics couldn’t be on the agenda as well as petroleum (solvent) based resins and adhesives.

Well time has caught up with the plastics industry. Petroleum prices have shown that they can influence the costs of just about everything based on it. Asphalt, adhesives, filaments- like nylon fiber, paints, plastics, and resins.

While the federal government has mandated “Environmentally Preferable Purchasing” for all federal monies projects as well as 26 states endorsing the same idea, bio-based products are becoming the norm for the construction industry.

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Announcing Green LinkUp

Your Personal Green

Over the past 15 years, many of our gentle readers, our humble public servants and our fervent activists have taken time over the years to reply to our editorial positions on current issues or comment on the content of our publishing to the "Green Choir."

Now you have a tool to express your discontent, contentment (good deserves praise) or alignment with others of your rare genetic compliment. Sponsored and created by ecocentric, LLC., this networking site is offering you new horizons of communication. Form public or private groups for "social justice", "solar energy regulations," "building permit changes," "vibrant cities," "eco-art," "algae based biodiesel," only your mind can set limitations to the potential. Blast and rant, contribute photos, capture "greenwash" video or pictures on your phone, upload them to the site, and tell the world about the "bad guys."

But for a good time logon to www.greenlinkup.com

TheGreenMall.net is open. Holiday shopping is live … get your Christmas gifts and support GreenMotion

By: Tim Grollimund, eCommerce Manager, GreenMotion
Date: October 20, 2008

TheGreenMall.net was officially launched on Monday, October 20th. We have plenty of eco-friendly products lined up for you, from baby clothes to eco gadgets to industrial strength green-cleaning products…and much, much more.

While you are contemplating how to fill those stockings – and getting that great big gift you just know they’ll love, we invite you to take a tour of the mall.

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Eco Travel? Well Almost!

Our staff has been building and maintaining what we know is the most comprehensive “Upcoming Events” calendar in the Green Marketplace for 15 years. Encompassing an agenda across many different trades and industries, including but not limited to architecture, engineering, glass, fenestration, soils technology, and storm water management is our goal and we can and do provide it. The premise is to afford those who enjoy traveling a venue, which may revolve around a trade or industry of interest. While educating yourself on varied topics of interest, you will be excited to know that this travel is a legitimate business expense.

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Interested in sponsoring our next eNewsletter issue? Contact Jon Dougal at (415) 798-1933 or editor@greenmotion.org.