BUILDING AND BUYING GREEN HOMES GETS EASIER
Central Washington home builders are embracing new methods for producing more environmentally friendly homes through the new Central Washington Built Green® Association (CWBGA). Its parent organization, the Central Washington Home Builders Association, established the new non-profit program to help train builders in new sustainable methods of construction, to certify and verify homes built according to new green standards, and to help the community better understand the newer methods and materials. To help fulfill this mission, for the first time Built Green sponsored an exhibit at the Yakima Home Show in March that featured more earth-friendly products such as high-efficiency insulation, non-toxic paints, and rapidly renewable natural products including bamboo flooring and cabinetry. With funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology, CWBGA asked Otak to help produce two brief guides to buying and remodeling a green home. Written in an easy-to-understand checklist format, the brochures help homebuyers and homeowners select greener options. These brochures are available as free downloads on the website. The Central Washington Built Green program is the only program in Washington State that was developed using the National Association of Home Builders National Green Building Standard™ that will soon become an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for green home building construction practices. For more information visit the Built Green website.

Checklist format helps consumer identify greener strategies for buying or remodeling homes

THE NORTHWEST GREEN HOME PRIMER
A new book brings sustainable homes within reach of every reader. The Northwest Green Home Primer, published by Timber Press, delivers hundreds of ideas with real-world strategies that work within normal budgets. Even though it’s tailored to the Northwest, the many case studies, photos, diagrams, tips and resources can provide inspiration to projects anywhere in the U.S. The book was co-authored by two of the Pacific Northwest’s resident green building experts: Kathleen O’Brien of O’Brien and Company and Kathleen Smith of EcoSmith Design & Consulting. For almost 20 years, Kathleen O’Brien has been a powerful force in green building and has helped create green home building programs, as well as educate builders, designers, and contractors all across the building industry. Both authors write from their own experiences in creating green homes in Washington, which feature durability, comfort, health, and money-saving ideas. Now, they share their extensive knowledge with anyone through this highly readable and usable book that takes the reader through all stages of green home planning, construction, remodeling, and maintenance—looking at a home's exterior, its operating systems, its orientation on the site, and interior design. You can meet the authors at various locations and times across the northwest and beyond; to see the Timber Press online calendar click here.

The City of Kirkland, WA, established the Kirkland Green Business Program to recognize Kirkland businesses for their environmentally-friendly practices. Otak has been recognized, so far, for our waste reduction and water conservation efforts, and is one of the first companies to achieve a listing on the program website. Other categories include energy efficiency, transportation, green power, green building, and pollution prevention. This incentive program was created in partnership between the City of Kirkland, the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, and Puget Sound Energy. For more information or to apply visit the website.

Julie McGrew, a landscape architect and planner in Otak’s Carbondale, CO office, recently passed the exam to become a LEED Accredited Professional. A self-described idealist, Julie says her inspiration for sustainability came from serving as an extremely idealistic Peace Corps volunteer and from traveling and living outside of the U.S. “I learned from these experiences that I could probably be of most help at home because of America’s influence—especially American consumer behavior and its affect on natural resource depletion, environmental destruction, and materialism—on the rest of the world, and how in some cases other cultures try or want to emulate us.” As a result of this insight, Julie changed careers to a profession where she feels she can make a difference in influencing and educating American culture. In the process, she hopes that her actions can perhaps change people’s attitudes and behavior towards the environment and how resources are used and sustained. “Becoming a LEED Accredited Professional is one part of the equation that influences my ability to make a positive impact in my profession, my community, and hopefully beyond,” says Julie.

GREENING THE AMERICAN HOME
The National Association of Home Builders launched its website for green home building, which includes many resources for builders and homebuyers. There’s a unique, user-friendly scoring tool that allows anyone to determine how many points a project would score, whether for an existing home or a new project, or for a homeowner, homebuyer, or builder.

GREEN FESTIVAL COMES TO NORTHWEST
The first Green Festival in the Pacific Northwest will be held in Seattle April 12 and 13. It will be a celebration of green living, with approximately 400 exhibits covering natural homes, solar panels, fair trade products, dining and local foods, investing, education, energy conservation, music, etc. More than 100 speakers will be featured including Amory Lovins, Jim Hightower, Gifford Pinchot III, Amy Goodman, Thom Hartmann, Frances Moore-Lappé, Riane Eisler, Sarah van Gelder, and many other well-known authors, movers, and shakers. For $18.75, you get access to the full festival. Other Green Festivals will occur in Chicago in April and Washington, D.C. and San Francisco in November.

REBUILDING TOGETHER GREEN IN NEW ORLEANS
Attendees at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Conference in New Orleans in May will have the opportunity to participate in a special service project on Saturday, May 10. The NAHB has partnered with the non-profit organization, Rebuilding Together, to “green” the home of two New Orleans residents who were adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina. Volunteers of all skill levels are welcome, but registration is required.

SEATTLE’S GREEN LANDSCAPE INITIATIVE
Seattle is the first city in the nation to adopt a “green area ratio”, known as the “Green Factor”. It requires developers and designers to incorporate green elements into their site designs. Modeled after Berlin’s biotope area factor and a similar program in Malmo, Sweden, the Seattle Green Factor provides designers and developers with a toolbox of landscaping options that can be used to reach certain targets. Options include vegetative walls, permeable paving, green roofs, and rain-collection systems. Developers seeking permits must demonstrate that they will reach a landscaping target using the menu of “green” options before receiving a permit. A worksheet is provided by the city that calculates the value of each option and helps designers decide which mix of options will work best on a particular project. The Green Factor website includes several training presentations for topics such as green walls, green roofs, plant selection, and drainage code compliance.

RECYCLE OLD REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS FOR A REBATE Many utilities in Oregon, WA and Northern California are offering a recycling rebate program for old refrigerators and freezers. JACO Environmental picks up the old appliances and recycles at least 90 percent of each unit while safely disposing of toxins and ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbon gases. You can enter your zip code online to see if there’s pick-up in your area or call 877-577-0510.

THE BUSINESS OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
Top Sustainable Companies in the World – The Global 100
Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
KLD Global Sustainability Index

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PARTING SHOT by John Epperson

Cherry Blossoms on Seattle's Capitol Hill Neighborhood