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Voices For Green Building and Sustainability

March 4, 2010 By 2 Comments
sustainable-city

Thanks to Sustainable Cities Collective, I came across this video which asks the question of 'what does sustainability mean to you' of a group of bloggers and community activists who attended Greenbuild 2008.  Take a look 'Green'  and 'sustainability' are complex terms, it seems to me.  Both evoke all kinds of associations for many people; some commonly shared, and some not.   It's like looking at a collage, where your eye is drawn to one area, then to another, but difficult on first … [Read more...]

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A Green Olympic Games: In Process

February 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment
olympic-games-skijumper

Our Vancouver 2010 Olympics are being touted, largely by the organizers perhaps, as the greenest Olympics in history. The Olympics are  a series of events featuring the paragon of athleticism, goal-oriented in nature ('gold-oriented" even), demonstrating excellence in its final and most fully formed manner.  After all, it takes years and years of training to get to Olympic levels of competence in any sport.  And we as spectators get to see that final result. And the same is true, I believe, … [Read more...]

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Public Transit and Green Communities: Eat Your Vegetables!

February 8, 2010 By 2 Comments
rail-system

Perception is a funny thing. In some cities, doing without a car and relying on public transit is no big deal. In others, the very idea is entirely alien, even if the option of public transit is presented as a viable, and logical, option. I don't want everyone to think that I am down on car ownership. I like cars! They're convenient when visiting friends and family, or heading to public parks, or taking a cross-country trips to find yourself. They tend to be magnets for household detritus, … [Read more...]

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Green Building: Eco-Districts Need Eco-People

January 26, 2010 By 1 Comment
girl-in-meadow

There is a ton of news out there, seeming to be coming in by the minute, about specific buildings gaining LEED status.  Some of these buildings are quite high profile, which means that as a culture, we've got shining examples of what is possible when thinking about commercial scale buildings that are considered to be energy efficient. These examples are therefore indications of what green technology can potentially deliver across the board in terms of cost savings as well as a cleaner, and more … [Read more...]

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7 Green Building Predictions 2010

January 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
crystal-ball

I must be list-crazy.  It may be a new year thing. But, it struck me that it might be a good idea to scour the interwebs for some encouraging projections in green building, to take a guess at how we'll move green construction practices and uses of green building materials forward for 2010.  Here are a 7 green building predictions for 2010 that I've gathered that I find most encouraging as seen by other bloggers, online magazines, and other online sources.   Take a look! 1. Modular homes … [Read more...]

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The Greenest Place in America?

November 3, 2009 By 2 Comments

When we think 'green', maybe we have certain associations that float around our minds.  Maybe we think of a solitary hemp-clothed peacenik living on a grassy rolling plain, at one with nature, and uncluttered by the accouterments of the city.  And maybe Edvard Greig's 'Peer Gynt' is playing somewhere in the background, too. Yet, according to recent research it seems that, when it comes to the greenest place in America, we should change our vision from a bucolic rural scene of a solitary man … [Read more...]

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Green Building Hobbit Style!

October 14, 2009 By 1 Comment

One of my favourite stories is J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and its prequel the Hobbit.   Tolkien, who had it in for progress and the industrialization of England, wanted his main character to be one who demonstrated a life of simple pleasures, and being at one with his surroundings.   And to show this, he described the homes of the Hobbits as being integrated with and not intrusive on the natural world. When directed to this article about a self-built, earth sheltered home, I was … [Read more...]

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Sustainability and Eco-Footprint Calculator: Consumer’s Burden?

October 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A colleague of mine pointed out an interesting survey by the University of British Columbia.  It's the sustainability calculator, which is really two surveys which measure eco-footprints as well as general attitudes surrounding the issue of sustainable living. You can take the surveys here where your answers will be stored in the database.  Be prepared to be surprised by the results, particularly the eco-footprint survey which tells you how many 'earths' it would take if everyone lived the way … [Read more...]

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Sin City: Green Building Role Model

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Las Vegas has quite a reputation for greed, self-indulgence, and to use an older word - sin.  Hence, its affectionate nickname Sin City.  They say what happens there, stays there.  Although in the age of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube I'm not so sure. On paper, you'd think that Las Vegas was the least green city in the world.  With all of the lights that burn 24/7, to the energy expended to keep the casinos, the barrooms, the clubs running around the clock, and the fact that the city is built … [Read more...]

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Are you ready to rock?: ‘Green’ guitars

June 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

One thing that everyone who knows me is aware of is how important music is to me.  I'm kind of a geek about music, really.  Apart from writing about music in my spare time on my personal blog, collecting CDs, and (every so often) attending shows, I also hack around on the guitar. And as such this article caught my interest. Take a look at this article about the greening of the luthier business, that is the makers of guitars, now sensitive to the impact the industry has on species of rosewood, … [Read more...]

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