http://www.novagreenteam.com Green Real Estate Agents, Northern VA EcoBroker Specialist. David Harbour with the NOVA Green Team, Northern VA. premier green real estate team.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Cyber Monday
Shop often for deals of the week and specials from over 650 retailers at the official Cyber Monday site.
The term "Cyber Monday" refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday and marks the beginning of the online holiday shopping season when retailers offer bargains through online purchasing portals. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports Cyber Monday spikes online sales.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Cooking Up A Green Thanksgiving
Save Energy in the Kitchen: 10 Cooking Tips
These 10 tips are worth their weight in gold, especially with energy bills being what they are! And they are so brilliantly simple that you’ll find them easy to incorporate without feeling put-upon or strained in any way.
With Thanksgiving preparation, and whirlwind of cooking plans underway, you may be wondering how to reduce energy use in the kitchen. Here are a few green living tips for saving energy while preparing your Thanksgiving dinner….or any dinner!
11 Common Sense Low Energy Cooking Tips
We're all getting more aware of our energy consumption when it comes to cars (hybrids and electric cars are getting more popular) and to lighting (compact fluorescents took over in only a few years), but most of us are still in the dark when it comes to energy-efficient cooking. Here's a few common sense tips to get your started on the road to low energy cooking.
Green Cooking Tips How To Store Your Food
Between single-serving containers and non-recyclable plastics, there are few places that serve as better examples of wasteful behavior than supermarkets. If you know what you're looking for and how to repurpose items, you can become an aware shopper and make the best choices for you and the planet.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Green Friday
Top 10 Ways to Go Green on Black Friday
Black Friday is not officially a holiday, but don’t tell that to the millions of crazed bargain shoppers out there who get up before the crack of dawn to shop ‘til they drop! For many people it’s a family tradition to get up early the day after Thanksgiving and head straight for the best deals in town. For others it’s an excuse to shop and work off the extra pounds that they gained from eating turkey, sweet potatoes and stuffing.
Make Black Friday a Little Greener
Obviously, shopping on Black Friday is not the eco-friendliest way to spend a day. But, let's say you wake up the morning after Thanksgiving, pumped up on adrenaline and ready to shop 'til you drop. How can you make your Black Friday shopping spree a little greener?
Make Black Friday Green in 2009
In this state, and in this economy, buying from locally owned independent businesses this Christmas is more important than ever. At CRIBA, we would like to challenge everyone to keep as much money in the local economy this year as possible.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Green Homes
Commercial innovations lead way for green homes
Green building practices are not only paying off more quickly as costs decline with demand, but home buyers also are seeking out greener developments over ones without green features ... if they aren't too pricey.
Permalink to GreenBuild Blog 3- How LEED Certified Homes Impact Homeowners
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to help identify and implement practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
US builds one million Energy Star green homes
Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas are the top three cities with the most qualified green homes, followed by Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Tucson, San Antonio, Sacramento, San Diego, Columbus, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Austin, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Denver, Orlando and Oklahoma City.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Green Energy Savings
U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
L.E.D. LIGHTING: AN INVESTMENT IN ENERGY SAVINGS.
Still white-light LED lighting has moved forward dramatically since 1999. The first white light LEDs were barely white, a very light blue would be a better description. Now there’s a warm white, still not the incandescent glow consumers are comfortable with but close enough. And, white light LEDs are found in all kinds of products from Christmas tree lights, to flashlights to the latest: back lighting for flat computer displays. (I’m looking forward to one of those when (and if) prices drop.
What are some tips for saving money and energy when it comes to lighting?
Apartment energy savings can be huge when it comes to lighting. According to ENERGY STAR, if every home in the United States replaced an incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR rated compact florescent bulb, enough energy would be conserved to light three million homes.
“Green Tap”- NEC develops energy-saving power strip
The device can be used for all kinds of electric appliances. The sensor monitors various data such as the luminosity, temperature, humidity or human heat around it. If you’re out of the room in which you placed your TV, for example, the sensor makes the power strip send an infrared signal to the remote control, which then makes the TV go into standby mode or turn it off completely. If you return, the TV will be turned on again.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Green Holiday Shopping
How to Keep Your Holiday Shopping Eco Friendly
Americans like to shop green. In the 90s, this meant buying Ben & Jerry’s. (Okay it may have meant more, but such as the perspective of a girl who spent graduate school in Vermont.) Now with cars to cleaners to organic meatballs, Madison Avenue is pushing the environment on everyone. And hey, we’re not complaining.
Holiday Shopping Tips: Green Gift Guide
The holidays can be hard on all things green: from your money to the environment. This year, give both a break by trimming down your approach to holidays. Embrace gifts that are low in cost, don’t require excessive shipping, and help preserve both the environment and your cash.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Green Tax Credits
Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency
More time for homebuyers tax credits
President Obama recently signed the bill into law. The tax credit was set to expire at the end of the month, but will now run through April.
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
‘Green’ tax credits you may not know about
One of those opportunities is a generous tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements. Whether it's new doors and windows, insulation, a roof, or even a solar water heater, you can earn a tax credit of up to 30% of the cost of the improvements.
Clean up with green tax credits
Another, larger credit program, also administered by the Department of Energy, lets homeowners deduct up to 30% of the cost of fuel cells, solar cells or solar water heaters, wind energy and geothermal energy generators. These credits have no cap and are in place until 2016. Also, all but the fuel-cell credit can be used for non-primary residences
Friday, November 6, 2009
Green Home Improvement
11 Nifty Green Home Improvement Projects
From the shade trees I plant around my home to the recycled water I use for growing vegetables in my back yard, I try to use only earth-friendly resources for my home. My husband is on board with this effort as well. He drives a Prius and walks to the corner store instead of hopping in his car. Plus, our diet consists partly of vegetables grown from our organic vegetable garden, and we compost.
Waste is all too prevalent, and in this day and age it is becoming a huge problem. More than 4 pounds of trash is produced every day by just one person alone, and although its estimated that 75 percent of all the trash sent to the landfills can be recycled, only about 30 percent of that trash actually is. Fortunately there are plenty of simple ways to help contribute to solving the problem, and contribute to your savings by reducing, reusing, and recycling in and around the home.
Moderately Priced Green Home Improvements
Going green is a popular concept lately. The outcome of our planet’s existence depends on its people thinking green whenever possible. You can create green home improvements that are important because you can easily see the outcome of your efforts. You have many options when it comes to making your house green. Let’s take a look at some home improvements that are inexpensive and cost effective.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Travel Green
The holidays are approaching fast, and that means one thing: travel.
Here are some tips and resources to help you stay green on the road.
Green Travel Plan: A Roadmap to Green Travel
If you want to create a green travel plan, we’ve created this roadmap guiding you through some of our favorite posts so far. Plus we explain why they’re an important part of your green travel plan.
The Green Directory – Travel Responsibly
Exploring the corners of the earth and embracing other cultures can enrich lives and inspire healthy change, but being aware of and taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of our journeys are equally important. With our Green Directory we hope to connect travelers to options that will help to diminish the footprint their trips leave on the planet by featuring environmentally-friendly hotels and destinations, as well as offering our customers tips on responsible travel, eco-travel based reviews from fellow travelers, and the opportunity to negate your trip's footprint through carbon offsets.
Travelers who are passionate about preserving and protecting the environment are checking into Virginia Green.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Daylight Saving?
Daylight Saving Wastes Energy, Study Says
Indiana's change of heart gave University of California-Santa Barbara economics professor Matthew Kotchen and Ph.D. student Laura Grant a unique way to see how the time shift affects energy use. Using more than seven million monthly meter readings from Duke Energy Corp., covering nearly all the households in southern Indiana for three years, they were able to compare energy consumption before and after counties began observing daylight-saving time. Readings from counties that had already adopted daylight-saving time provided a control group that helped them to adjust for changes in weather from one year to the next.
Report Reveals Daylight Saving “Saves” Energy
The “heuristic” method compared the average changes in the pattern of electricity consumption between 2006 and 2007 during the periods of extended daylight saving time in March and November. The statistical method examined daily and hourly electricity consumption for a sample of electric utilities across the country.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Happy “Hallowgreen”
Green Halloween: A healthy, green & fun community movement
This Halloween, think treasures, instead of candy. Kids love little trinkets like spinning tops, stickers and collectable cards. Most children especially love gifts from nature like polished rocks, crystals and seashells. Think keepsakes, tokens and stocking-stuffer type gifts but don’t forget to think healthy and green. Although non-food items are generally healthier than food items, try to avoid non-recycled plastic toys.
Readers, Send Us Your Green Halloween Photos!
Did you pass out organic candies or fair trade treats? Design a fresh-from-the-farm jack-o-lantern? Throw an eco-fabulous Halloween party? Enjoy the bloodcurdling benefits of a DIY costume? Prove it! We want to see photos from your green Halloween for our next readers slideshow--if you're the last minute type, check out Planet Green's How to Go Green: Halloween . Click through for details and see the potential for your photo in this week's Readers' International Day of Climate Action Photos.
A few years ago, while taking her then six- and two-year-olds out trick or treating, Colwell-Lipson was impressed and inspired by the houses that provided treats like bubbles and stickers as an alternative to candy. She thought it would be great if there was a way -- like a sign -- for parents to know which houses had healthy treats, so they could steer their children accordingly.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Green Home Business
Home Based Green Businesses Are Raking In The Green
All of us have been exposed to the green movement in one form or another, you can’t turn on the TV or radio, can’t open a newspaper or magazine without getting blasted with information about how we need to protect the environment. I have personally seen the phrase “ Green is the new Black” used at least five hundred times over the past year and although I’m an environmentalist, I could certainly survive without having to hear that little quip once more.
Green Home Business Profitable Start-Ups
Fortunately, savvy entrepreneurs are using their ingenuity along with new technologies and renewable energy sources to recycle, reduce, and reuse waste materials to start profitable ventures. Here are fifteen green home business ideas for you to consider that are potentially-profitable and earth-friendly.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Green Budgets
55 Green Budget Tips to Show Nature You Love Her
I don’t care if you grew up in the city, and your only interaction with nature was through the birds on the phone lines, or the ants in your kitchen. Nature has been there for you your entire life, and now it’s time for you to open yourself up to nature’s message.
Permanent Link- 30 Green Ways to Stretch Your Family’s Budget
Money doesn’t seem to go as far as it did even a few years ago, and raising a family while being green can be expensive if we believe all of the hype about buying more green stuff.
Back to basics: Green budget living tips
The economy. Energy. Burgeoning carbon footprints vs shrinking portfolios. Not an appetizing picture. Still, we gotta eat. To alleviate some of the stress surrounding these complex and confusing issues, let’s look to the past for simple, green solutions. During the Great Depression, consumers had to differentiate between needs and wants, and you may have witnessed the legacy of that frugal time in the spending habits of your grandparents and their friends. It’s time we all started buying like that generation.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Green Tech
A round-up of recent Green Tech stories from CNet:
Where the clean-tech jogs are
General unemployment may be on the rise, but the clean-tech sector should be a bright spot for job seekers, according to a report released Thursday by Clean Edge research.
Solar-charging backpacks set for hike to market
G24 Innovations has shipped its first flexible solar panels, which are destined for the outside of backpacks and other bags, the company said Wednesday.
Who will pay for the electric 'gas' stations?
With electric vehicles, you could probably do away with stopping at fueling stations entirely, as the majority of your fueling, or battery charging, will be done overnight while plugged in at home or during the day while parked at the office. But because it is conceivable that not every trip will be within the battery range of your vehicle, the mere presence of public charging stations for electric vehicles could help alleviate "range anxiety," or the concern that with an electric vehicle, you will be stranded when your battery dies.
Solar village begins to bloom on National Mall
WASHINGTON--After nearly two years of preparation, teams of architecture and engineering students will soon open the doors on a cluster of 20 solar-powered homes on the National Mall.
Where the clean-tech jogs are
General unemployment may be on the rise, but the clean-tech sector should be a bright spot for job seekers, according to a report released Thursday by Clean Edge research.
Solar-charging backpacks set for hike to market
G24 Innovations has shipped its first flexible solar panels, which are destined for the outside of backpacks and other bags, the company said Wednesday.
Who will pay for the electric 'gas' stations?
With electric vehicles, you could probably do away with stopping at fueling stations entirely, as the majority of your fueling, or battery charging, will be done overnight while plugged in at home or during the day while parked at the office. But because it is conceivable that not every trip will be within the battery range of your vehicle, the mere presence of public charging stations for electric vehicles could help alleviate "range anxiety," or the concern that with an electric vehicle, you will be stranded when your battery dies.
Solar village begins to bloom on National Mall
WASHINGTON--After nearly two years of preparation, teams of architecture and engineering students will soon open the doors on a cluster of 20 solar-powered homes on the National Mall.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Green Redecorating
Green redecorating / remodel on a budget PART1
There is a time in the life of a house when remodeling, or at least redecorating is absolutely necessary: walls thirsty for paint, tired rooms begging to be rejuvenated. In our difficult economic times few people have the resources for such home improvements. However, it is not impossible to redecorate or remodel on a budget while still upholding green standards.
Green redecorating / remodel on a budget PART2
The initial stages of a remodel can be daunting for homeowners, decreasing energy consumption is one of the primary goals of green remodeling. This can be achieved in a myriad small ways begun quite simply by fostering environmentally sound habits: turning off appliances and lights, decreasing use of heating or air-conditioning, etc.
There is a time in the life of a house when remodeling, or at least redecorating is absolutely necessary: walls thirsty for paint, tired rooms begging to be rejuvenated. In our difficult economic times few people have the resources for such home improvements. However, it is not impossible to redecorate or remodel on a budget while still upholding green standards.
Green redecorating / remodel on a budget PART2
The initial stages of a remodel can be daunting for homeowners, decreasing energy consumption is one of the primary goals of green remodeling. This can be achieved in a myriad small ways begun quite simply by fostering environmentally sound habits: turning off appliances and lights, decreasing use of heating or air-conditioning, etc.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Green...And Spooky!
Green Costume Ideas for Halloween
Looking for a way to spread the message of environmentalism with a sense of humor? Why not consider a green-themed Halloween costume for this year's round of parties and trick-or-treating?
How to Have a Green Halloween
Back in the day, Halloween was different. It was a low-budget holiday. We spent more time and effort on Halloween than we did money and energy. Decorations and costumes were not bought. They were fabricated out of old sheets and cardboard boxes. Treats were often homemade and eaten on the spot. Trick-or-treating was done on foot with protective parents in tow. Kids carried old pillowcases as candy bags. Back then, Halloween was green and we didn't even know it. Unfortunate changes over time have made a green Halloween harder to achieve, but it can be done. With these suggestions and ideas, you can do your part to help the environment while you have a good, old-fashioned Halloween holiday.
Green Halloween costumes
Need some costumes ideas for Halloween? Store shelves are lined with costumes, but why spend your hard earned dollars on a pre-fab costume that your children will wear once and throw away when you can make your own costumes from old clothes and other items you already have around the house? As promised in my Green Halloween primer, here are some great ideas for simple, eco-friendly Halloween costumes for you and/or your kids. Got a few great ideas of your own? Post them here!
Green Halloween Party Ideas – Recycling Theme
If you have decided on hosting a party for Halloween, why not plan it around a green theme? And what could be greener than “recycling”? Here are some easy, cheap and fun ideas you can use for your Halloween entertainment.
Looking for a way to spread the message of environmentalism with a sense of humor? Why not consider a green-themed Halloween costume for this year's round of parties and trick-or-treating?
How to Have a Green Halloween
Back in the day, Halloween was different. It was a low-budget holiday. We spent more time and effort on Halloween than we did money and energy. Decorations and costumes were not bought. They were fabricated out of old sheets and cardboard boxes. Treats were often homemade and eaten on the spot. Trick-or-treating was done on foot with protective parents in tow. Kids carried old pillowcases as candy bags. Back then, Halloween was green and we didn't even know it. Unfortunate changes over time have made a green Halloween harder to achieve, but it can be done. With these suggestions and ideas, you can do your part to help the environment while you have a good, old-fashioned Halloween holiday.
Green Halloween costumes
Need some costumes ideas for Halloween? Store shelves are lined with costumes, but why spend your hard earned dollars on a pre-fab costume that your children will wear once and throw away when you can make your own costumes from old clothes and other items you already have around the house? As promised in my Green Halloween primer, here are some great ideas for simple, eco-friendly Halloween costumes for you and/or your kids. Got a few great ideas of your own? Post them here!
Green Halloween Party Ideas – Recycling Theme
If you have decided on hosting a party for Halloween, why not plan it around a green theme? And what could be greener than “recycling”? Here are some easy, cheap and fun ideas you can use for your Halloween entertainment.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Green Shopping
eBay Launches Green Shopping Campaign
eBay's Green Team has launched a six-week "re+purpose" campaign designed to get people to make more sustainable shopping choices and increase awareness about green products.
Tax-free holiday lets shoppers go green for less green
In Virginia, the state also is offering what is being called a first-come, first-serve rebate program aimed at encouraging residential and commercial customers to buy energy-saving products. The Virginia Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate program will use $15 million in federal stimulus funds to give back 20 percent of qualifying purchases, or up to $2,000 for homeowners and up to $4,000 for commercial buyers, the AP report said.
Reportlinker Adds Green E-Commerce: Gaining Momentum Report
The Green E-Commerce report traces the many ways the Internet is spurringeco-consumerism and how brand marketers are responding.
How parents can save money and live green
In today's economy, every penny counts. It can be difficult to live green and give the best to your family on a budget. Here are a few simple ideas to save money while living green.
eBay's Green Team has launched a six-week "re+purpose" campaign designed to get people to make more sustainable shopping choices and increase awareness about green products.
Tax-free holiday lets shoppers go green for less green
In Virginia, the state also is offering what is being called a first-come, first-serve rebate program aimed at encouraging residential and commercial customers to buy energy-saving products. The Virginia Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate program will use $15 million in federal stimulus funds to give back 20 percent of qualifying purchases, or up to $2,000 for homeowners and up to $4,000 for commercial buyers, the AP report said.
Reportlinker Adds Green E-Commerce: Gaining Momentum Report
The Green E-Commerce report traces the many ways the Internet is spurringeco-consumerism and how brand marketers are responding.
How parents can save money and live green
In today's economy, every penny counts. It can be difficult to live green and give the best to your family on a budget. Here are a few simple ideas to save money while living green.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Green On A Budget
Josh Dorfman's Tips for Going Green on a Budget
Going green doesn't have to cost a lot of green! Use these simple tips to make a positive impact on the environment while keeping your wallet intact. It's easy, even for the laziest of environmentalists.
Demand more efficient lighting
How much energy could be saved by more efficient lighting? If you're among the millions of Americans who switched to CFLs, you've seen the difference in your electricity bill.
How to 'go green' on a budget
The consumer who grabs the half-gallon of organic milk instead of regular milk knows something about the cost of "going green." It's high.
Going Green on the Cheap
For those of us with more limited means, there are small things we can do every day to trim our energy use. Many are low-cost or free, and some will even save you money. After all, you shouldn't have to be rich to help save the planet. Check out these 15 ways you can live an environmentally friendly lifestyle on a budget.
Five Simple Steps to Going Green on a Budget
1. Rethink your trash: Make a conscious effort to reduce your garbage and increase your recyclables. “Everything should not be destined for the trash can,” says Caraccioli. “Help reduce the mountains of material headed for the landfill by donating toys, clothes, old computers, cell phones and extra food to charities.” The remaining “trash” can then be sorted and recycled where applicable. “I recently discovered that Hewlett Packard recycles old printer ink cartridges,” she offers. “When you purchase new cartridges, the company includes mailing labels to send back the empty cartridges at no cost to the consumer.”
Going green doesn't have to cost a lot of green! Use these simple tips to make a positive impact on the environment while keeping your wallet intact. It's easy, even for the laziest of environmentalists.
Demand more efficient lighting
How much energy could be saved by more efficient lighting? If you're among the millions of Americans who switched to CFLs, you've seen the difference in your electricity bill.
How to 'go green' on a budget
The consumer who grabs the half-gallon of organic milk instead of regular milk knows something about the cost of "going green." It's high.
Going Green on the Cheap
For those of us with more limited means, there are small things we can do every day to trim our energy use. Many are low-cost or free, and some will even save you money. After all, you shouldn't have to be rich to help save the planet. Check out these 15 ways you can live an environmentally friendly lifestyle on a budget.
Five Simple Steps to Going Green on a Budget
1. Rethink your trash: Make a conscious effort to reduce your garbage and increase your recyclables. “Everything should not be destined for the trash can,” says Caraccioli. “Help reduce the mountains of material headed for the landfill by donating toys, clothes, old computers, cell phones and extra food to charities.” The remaining “trash” can then be sorted and recycled where applicable. “I recently discovered that Hewlett Packard recycles old printer ink cartridges,” she offers. “When you purchase new cartridges, the company includes mailing labels to send back the empty cartridges at no cost to the consumer.”
Monday, October 5, 2009
Carbon Capture And Storage
Carbon Capture and Sequestration 101
Several recent congressional hearings on the deployment of carbon capture and storage technology require a look at why CCS is necessary and how best to implement it.
Carbon capture and storage: Absolute necessity or crazy scheme?
That said, there is urgency to the task, according Gardiner Hill, head of environmental technology at oil giant BP, which is participating in the CCS project in Algeria. "For every five years of inaction, it requires an extra gigaton of reductions," he said. And that urgency—plus U.S. and global political realities—are pushing even environmentalists to back CCS for coal.
DOE awards $21.6 million for 12 carbon-capture projects
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Obama administration on Friday awarded $21.6 million to a dozen companies seeking to capture carbon dioxide emissions from cement plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, paper mills and other industrial sources.
Several recent congressional hearings on the deployment of carbon capture and storage technology require a look at why CCS is necessary and how best to implement it.
Carbon capture and storage: Absolute necessity or crazy scheme?
That said, there is urgency to the task, according Gardiner Hill, head of environmental technology at oil giant BP, which is participating in the CCS project in Algeria. "For every five years of inaction, it requires an extra gigaton of reductions," he said. And that urgency—plus U.S. and global political realities—are pushing even environmentalists to back CCS for coal.
DOE awards $21.6 million for 12 carbon-capture projects
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Obama administration on Friday awarded $21.6 million to a dozen companies seeking to capture carbon dioxide emissions from cement plants, chemical plants, oil refineries, paper mills and other industrial sources.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Staying Warm And Green
Now that October is here, you can feel that cool crispness in the air. Cooler temperatures are heading our way as winter approaches. Here are some tips and some information about how to stay warm while staying green.
Weatherizing homes: The next big green industry?
It's not the sort of thing that excites your typical Silicon Valley venture capitalist, but companies that weatherize homes could be the sleeper green-business success stories this year.
Take Advantage of the Government's Weatherization Assistance Program
A well-insulated house won't just save you money, it will also benefits the environment. The less energy expended to heat your home, the less pollution emitted. Everyone wins.
Winter Green Weatherization Tips
Definitions of winter weather differ throughout our country. I cannot help but be jealous of my San Franciscan friends’ 70 degree weather forecast as I bundle up to face my Chicago 10 degree (and falling!) weather. The chill of my first Chicago winter has driven my poor San Franciscan self to uncover as many alternative heating solutions as possible.
Weatherizing homes: The next big green industry?
It's not the sort of thing that excites your typical Silicon Valley venture capitalist, but companies that weatherize homes could be the sleeper green-business success stories this year.
Take Advantage of the Government's Weatherization Assistance Program
A well-insulated house won't just save you money, it will also benefits the environment. The less energy expended to heat your home, the less pollution emitted. Everyone wins.
Winter Green Weatherization Tips
Definitions of winter weather differ throughout our country. I cannot help but be jealous of my San Franciscan friends’ 70 degree weather forecast as I bundle up to face my Chicago 10 degree (and falling!) weather. The chill of my first Chicago winter has driven my poor San Franciscan self to uncover as many alternative heating solutions as possible.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Green Networking
Eco-friendly relationships blossom at green-networking events
Groups have sprung up around the country to provide a way for environmentally minded entrepreneurs to meet and drum up business.
Green Networking Made Easy
Want to talk to like-minded people who are interested in sustainability? Sounds good to me. But is networking anything really more than an excuse to have a few drinks at a new bar?
The art of green networking: 15 tips from a reluctant schmoozer
I've always hated the term "networking" as it connotes forced conversations and social climbing. But make it your own authentic process, and it will be your new best friend. These are my top 15 pieces of advice when it comes to building your network and landing a job you'll love.
Groups have sprung up around the country to provide a way for environmentally minded entrepreneurs to meet and drum up business.
Green Networking Made Easy
Want to talk to like-minded people who are interested in sustainability? Sounds good to me. But is networking anything really more than an excuse to have a few drinks at a new bar?
The art of green networking: 15 tips from a reluctant schmoozer
I've always hated the term "networking" as it connotes forced conversations and social climbing. But make it your own authentic process, and it will be your new best friend. These are my top 15 pieces of advice when it comes to building your network and landing a job you'll love.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
David Harbour On HGTV
Check out David Harbour of the NOVA Green Team on one of his HGTV's "Get It Sold" or MommyCast appearances
David's upcoming HGTV "Get It Sold Appearances:
HGTV Schedule
Episode #309 Outdated Asking Price (September 25, 2009 11:00 PM e/p)
Episode #108 Boxing Up the Bachelor Pad (October 01, 2009 5:30 PM e/p)
Episode #309 Simple Fixes in Several Rooms Make This Home More Marketable (October 17, 2009 5:30 PM e/p)
Episode #605 Nine Months to Sell (November 01, 2009 11:30 AM e/p)
Click Here to see David's Mommy Cast Appearance
David's upcoming HGTV "Get It Sold Appearances:
HGTV Schedule
Episode #309 Outdated Asking Price (September 25, 2009 11:00 PM e/p)
Episode #108 Boxing Up the Bachelor Pad (October 01, 2009 5:30 PM e/p)
Episode #309 Simple Fixes in Several Rooms Make This Home More Marketable (October 17, 2009 5:30 PM e/p)
Episode #605 Nine Months to Sell (November 01, 2009 11:30 AM e/p)
Click Here to see David's Mommy Cast Appearance
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Global Climate Week
Notes of Urgency at ‘Climate Week’ Kick-Off
“Remember, we cannot press the undo button if the climate gets out of hand,” said Connie Hedegaard, Denmark’s climate and energy minister, who urged immediate action.
Climate Week Begins, as U.N. Negotiations Near
Starting today, advocates will be staging dozens of events throughout New York City in an attempt to influence the world's government and business leaders, who are converging on Manhattan for a round of United Nations global warming.
Climate Week Opening Ceremony
Hugh Jackman, he of climate change destroying adamantium claws, just kicked off the climate week in New York in an event at the New York Public library with Ban Ki Moon, Tony Blair, and UN Foundation President Tim Wirth, among many others.
“Remember, we cannot press the undo button if the climate gets out of hand,” said Connie Hedegaard, Denmark’s climate and energy minister, who urged immediate action.
Climate Week Begins, as U.N. Negotiations Near
Starting today, advocates will be staging dozens of events throughout New York City in an attempt to influence the world's government and business leaders, who are converging on Manhattan for a round of United Nations global warming.
Climate Week Opening Ceremony
Hugh Jackman, he of climate change destroying adamantium claws, just kicked off the climate week in New York in an event at the New York Public library with Ban Ki Moon, Tony Blair, and UN Foundation President Tim Wirth, among many others.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Green News
Board Advances Green Initiatives: Energy Plan Takes Shape; Business Challenge Issued
County leaders and staff continue to take steps towards making Loudoun one of the top green counties nationwide, with two concurrent initiatives that hope to achieve that goal.
Telework day in Virginia draws thousands
Virginia teleworkers saved $113,000 in commuting costs and avoided driving 140,000 miles by participating in Telework Day on Aug. 3.
Loudoun Businesses Learn Profitability Strategies from Green Initiatives
In fact, eliminating disposal cups that the administrative staff used at the National Conference Center – which boasts 265,000 square feet of meeting space, 250 meeting rooms and 917 guest rooms – saved about $4,500 a year, Fletcher said. Similarly, he saved about $75,000 by eliminating Styrofoam and $10,000 for switching to CSI waste removal.
Pritchard hosts green housing
"Our idea for the outcome of Green is that the group of students involved do not have to be convinced as to why this program is important," Penven said. "Our goal is to enhance their understanding of issues and hopefully provide them with resources and information that they can take and use in other activities that they are involved with."
County leaders and staff continue to take steps towards making Loudoun one of the top green counties nationwide, with two concurrent initiatives that hope to achieve that goal.
Telework day in Virginia draws thousands
Virginia teleworkers saved $113,000 in commuting costs and avoided driving 140,000 miles by participating in Telework Day on Aug. 3.
Loudoun Businesses Learn Profitability Strategies from Green Initiatives
In fact, eliminating disposal cups that the administrative staff used at the National Conference Center – which boasts 265,000 square feet of meeting space, 250 meeting rooms and 917 guest rooms – saved about $4,500 a year, Fletcher said. Similarly, he saved about $75,000 by eliminating Styrofoam and $10,000 for switching to CSI waste removal.
Pritchard hosts green housing
"Our idea for the outcome of Green is that the group of students involved do not have to be convinced as to why this program is important," Penven said. "Our goal is to enhance their understanding of issues and hopefully provide them with resources and information that they can take and use in other activities that they are involved with."
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Energy Savings
Your Home
Homeowners and renters know saving energy means saving money without sacrificing comfort. There are many things you can do to save energy in your current home, or when designing and building a new energy-efficient house. Whether you choose no/low cost improvements or invest in long-term energy saving strategies, the following sites can help you choose what is best for your energy picture.
Energy Efficiency Plan
Dominion Virginia Power asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission on July 28, 2009 to approve a broad offering of programs that will enable customers to reduce their energy usage and save an estimated $1.2 billion over 15 years.
Appliances - Wiring, Repair & Energy-Saving Tips
Find out how to wire major appliances and what supplies you will need. Energy saving appliance guides will help you save precious money.
Homeowners and renters know saving energy means saving money without sacrificing comfort. There are many things you can do to save energy in your current home, or when designing and building a new energy-efficient house. Whether you choose no/low cost improvements or invest in long-term energy saving strategies, the following sites can help you choose what is best for your energy picture.
Energy Efficiency Plan
Dominion Virginia Power asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission on July 28, 2009 to approve a broad offering of programs that will enable customers to reduce their energy usage and save an estimated $1.2 billion over 15 years.
Appliances - Wiring, Repair & Energy-Saving Tips
Find out how to wire major appliances and what supplies you will need. Energy saving appliance guides will help you save precious money.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Solar Roads?
Solar Roadways Could Solve The US Energy Crisis
The benefits to their solar powered roadway go beyond the conventional. In addition to generating electricity, the solar road ways, which are crafted of solar cells and glass, contain LEDs that could provide drivers with information similar today’s overhead highway signs as well as melt snow and ice using built-in heating elements.
Solar Roadways Receives DOT Contract
A visionary project, called Solar Roadways, announced that it has been awarded a $100,000 Department of Transportation contract to build a prototype road "paved" with solar panels.
Solar Roadways Site
The benefits to their solar powered roadway go beyond the conventional. In addition to generating electricity, the solar road ways, which are crafted of solar cells and glass, contain LEDs that could provide drivers with information similar today’s overhead highway signs as well as melt snow and ice using built-in heating elements.
Solar Roadways Receives DOT Contract
A visionary project, called Solar Roadways, announced that it has been awarded a $100,000 Department of Transportation contract to build a prototype road "paved" with solar panels.
Solar Roadways Site
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2nd Annual Cascades Green Expo
NOVA Green Team will be an exhibitor, providing energy efficiency and eco-friendly home recommendations for buyers/sellers.
2nd Annual Cascades Green Expo
Tips for greening your home, your lifestyle, and our community.
Sunday, September 13, 2 – 5 p.m. Stone House Community Center
NEW THIS YEAR:
WE’RE COLLECTING E-WASTE AND WE’RE SHREDDING DOCUMENTS!
E-waste: All electronics accepted; NO appliances. Shredding: NO bound documents or paper clips.
Thanks Rentacrate/ShredX and JK Moving & Storage for providing these FREE services!
ALSO new this year:
Hybrid car test drives! Leesburg Toyota and Leesburg Honda are bringing a 2010 Prius and possibly an Insight and will offer no-obligation test drives to licensed drivers.
Visit www.cascadesva.com for more information.
The Expo is free & open to the public. The NOVA Green Team hopes you’ll drop in!
2nd Annual Cascades Green Expo
Tips for greening your home, your lifestyle, and our community.
Sunday, September 13, 2 – 5 p.m. Stone House Community Center
NEW THIS YEAR:
WE’RE COLLECTING E-WASTE AND WE’RE SHREDDING DOCUMENTS!
E-waste: All electronics accepted; NO appliances. Shredding: NO bound documents or paper clips.
Thanks Rentacrate/ShredX and JK Moving & Storage for providing these FREE services!
ALSO new this year:
Hybrid car test drives! Leesburg Toyota and Leesburg Honda are bringing a 2010 Prius and possibly an Insight and will offer no-obligation test drives to licensed drivers.
Visit www.cascadesva.com for more information.
The Expo is free & open to the public. The NOVA Green Team hopes you’ll drop in!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Green Tech News
A round-up of recent Green Tech stories from CNet's Green Tech Blog:
IBM plunges into the 'smart grid for water'
Even as billions of dollars are being spent around the world to modernize the electricity grid, the systems to delivery fresh water are also in desperate need of a 21st century upgrade.
New school year brings 'Green IT' college degree
Because of financial and environmental concerns, more data center operators are taking steps to cut energy use, such as consolidating server workloads and upgrading cooling systems. Companies such as IBM, HP, and IT consulting companies have practices in designing facilities to be more efficient.
Home appliances to get Cash for Clunkers-like rebate
Now that you've dumped your gas-guzzling pick-up, maybe it's time to move that old fridge from the garage.
USB solar panels charge cell phones on the go
If you plan on walking through the desert with a cell phone anytime soon, you might want to check in with Sanyo before you leave.
IBM plunges into the 'smart grid for water'
Even as billions of dollars are being spent around the world to modernize the electricity grid, the systems to delivery fresh water are also in desperate need of a 21st century upgrade.
New school year brings 'Green IT' college degree
Because of financial and environmental concerns, more data center operators are taking steps to cut energy use, such as consolidating server workloads and upgrading cooling systems. Companies such as IBM, HP, and IT consulting companies have practices in designing facilities to be more efficient.
Home appliances to get Cash for Clunkers-like rebate
Now that you've dumped your gas-guzzling pick-up, maybe it's time to move that old fridge from the garage.
USB solar panels charge cell phones on the go
If you plan on walking through the desert with a cell phone anytime soon, you might want to check in with Sanyo before you leave.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Green Careers
10 Great Green Opportunities
Everything’s coming up green. Across every industry, new job possibilities are emerging for those with the skills to bridge the divide between the old, fossil-fuel-based economy and the new, energy-efficient one. Corporations once demonized for their role in creating pollution and exploiting workers are being held accountable; they are partnering with nonprofits and hiring corporate social responsibility managers.
Investors Will Bring The Green Jobs
The alternative energy industry — the green business — is about to ramp up its hiring, with the next year likely to show an increase in demand, according to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
Project GreenSearch Is On! The Search for the Next Face of Green
Project Green Search is a campaign aimed at inspiring people to start thinking about how to align their careers with their environmental ethics. A model search and competition is a natural and exciting expression of the Project Green. Search mission, given the influential role beauty and fashion play in society.
Everything’s coming up green. Across every industry, new job possibilities are emerging for those with the skills to bridge the divide between the old, fossil-fuel-based economy and the new, energy-efficient one. Corporations once demonized for their role in creating pollution and exploiting workers are being held accountable; they are partnering with nonprofits and hiring corporate social responsibility managers.
Investors Will Bring The Green Jobs
The alternative energy industry — the green business — is about to ramp up its hiring, with the next year likely to show an increase in demand, according to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
Project GreenSearch Is On! The Search for the Next Face of Green
Project Green Search is a campaign aimed at inspiring people to start thinking about how to align their careers with their environmental ethics. A model search and competition is a natural and exciting expression of the Project Green. Search mission, given the influential role beauty and fashion play in society.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Going Green For Labor Day
To Green Your Labor Day, Skip... Everything
Forget the parties. You've got a day off and if you're feeling some green spirit this Labor Day, there can be no better way to honor it than by... well, taking the day off. Try not working. By not running around and shopping the latest sales or for supplies for a holiday party, you tred a little more lightly on the earth.
10 Tips to Green Your Labor Day Weekend: Green & Organic Savings Friday
And with worries about the economy weighing on so many people’s minds, it’s good to know that going green can actually save money. “Green” items such as recycled and biodegradable items have dropped in price due to rising demand.
Five Ways to Green Your Labor Day Weekend
The last vacation weekend of summer is finally here, and if you don’t have plans to get out and enjoy it, it’s time to make some. It’s also time to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to make your Labor Day weekend as green as possible, and there are ways to get eco-friendly with your holiday activities, whether you’re flying across the country to get away or barbecuing in the backyard at home.
What You're Doing Labor Day Weekend
Stuck in town on Labor Day Weekend? It's OK, you didn't really want to figure out how to get to National Airport without the Metro, anyway, did you? Check out what's going on in town:
Forget the parties. You've got a day off and if you're feeling some green spirit this Labor Day, there can be no better way to honor it than by... well, taking the day off. Try not working. By not running around and shopping the latest sales or for supplies for a holiday party, you tred a little more lightly on the earth.
10 Tips to Green Your Labor Day Weekend: Green & Organic Savings Friday
And with worries about the economy weighing on so many people’s minds, it’s good to know that going green can actually save money. “Green” items such as recycled and biodegradable items have dropped in price due to rising demand.
Five Ways to Green Your Labor Day Weekend
The last vacation weekend of summer is finally here, and if you don’t have plans to get out and enjoy it, it’s time to make some. It’s also time to ensure that you’re doing everything you can to make your Labor Day weekend as green as possible, and there are ways to get eco-friendly with your holiday activities, whether you’re flying across the country to get away or barbecuing in the backyard at home.
What You're Doing Labor Day Weekend
Stuck in town on Labor Day Weekend? It's OK, you didn't really want to figure out how to get to National Airport without the Metro, anyway, did you? Check out what's going on in town:
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Green Sales
How to Boost Your Home's Value Before a Sale by Going Green
Green Real Estate Education is green "training the chain" of professionals in real estate transactions to bring information to home buyers and sellers on achieving basic economical energy savings, as well as financing these types of renovations. Energy-efficient homes, and especially green-certified properties, are some of the most sought-after residences and are gaining strength daily. The entire building industry is changing towards sustainable and green techniques; it's about time we embrace the new green revolution.
Six Green Strategies for Selling Your Home
Let’s face it. This is not an easy time to sell a house. Improving your home’s energy efficiency is always a good idea, but when you’re getting ready to sell, a few simple, green fix-ups could help put a sold sign on your lawn.
7 Eco-Friendly Tips To Sell Your Home
If you’re going through the same thing or are thinking about selling sometime soon, then you might be interested in some eco-friendly tips to sell your home.
For more information on green selling - and buying - contact the Eco-Broker Certified experts of the NOVA Green Team!
Green Real Estate Education is green "training the chain" of professionals in real estate transactions to bring information to home buyers and sellers on achieving basic economical energy savings, as well as financing these types of renovations. Energy-efficient homes, and especially green-certified properties, are some of the most sought-after residences and are gaining strength daily. The entire building industry is changing towards sustainable and green techniques; it's about time we embrace the new green revolution.
Six Green Strategies for Selling Your Home
Let’s face it. This is not an easy time to sell a house. Improving your home’s energy efficiency is always a good idea, but when you’re getting ready to sell, a few simple, green fix-ups could help put a sold sign on your lawn.
7 Eco-Friendly Tips To Sell Your Home
If you’re going through the same thing or are thinking about selling sometime soon, then you might be interested in some eco-friendly tips to sell your home.
For more information on green selling - and buying - contact the Eco-Broker Certified experts of the NOVA Green Team!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Green Flooring
How to Choose Green Flooring
Two of the most common flooring materials -- carpet and vinyl -- pose risks to the health of the environment and your home.
Bamboo flooring: Looking good for the environment
Bamboo flooring has come a long way in a short time. Once only available in lighter natural shades and hard to come by, it is now a hot new choice for flooring in new homes and remodels.
A House for the Future, Now
Camela and Wes Speer’s new house in Lorton will be environmentally friendly, energy efficient and unlike anything else around. It will also be one of the most carbon-neutral homes in Virginia.
Two of the most common flooring materials -- carpet and vinyl -- pose risks to the health of the environment and your home.
Bamboo flooring: Looking good for the environment
Bamboo flooring has come a long way in a short time. Once only available in lighter natural shades and hard to come by, it is now a hot new choice for flooring in new homes and remodels.
A House for the Future, Now
Camela and Wes Speer’s new house in Lorton will be environmentally friendly, energy efficient and unlike anything else around. It will also be one of the most carbon-neutral homes in Virginia.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Going Green At Work
How to Go Green: At Work
A greener workplace can mean a lighter ecological footprint, a healthier and more productive place to work, and good news for the bottom line. Whether you’re the boss or the employee, whether your office is green already or still waiting to see the light, some practical steps can lay the groundwork for a healthy, low-impact workspace.
5 Simple Ways to Green Your Office
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average employed American works 9.3 hours per day —that’s more time than dedicated to any other activity. Not surprisingly, offices account for nearly a fifth of all commercial energy consumption. The good news? Greening your workplace can be both simple and cost effective. Try these steps today!
10 Ways to Go Green at Work
Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies.
A greener workplace can mean a lighter ecological footprint, a healthier and more productive place to work, and good news for the bottom line. Whether you’re the boss or the employee, whether your office is green already or still waiting to see the light, some practical steps can lay the groundwork for a healthy, low-impact workspace.
5 Simple Ways to Green Your Office
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average employed American works 9.3 hours per day —that’s more time than dedicated to any other activity. Not surprisingly, offices account for nearly a fifth of all commercial energy consumption. The good news? Greening your workplace can be both simple and cost effective. Try these steps today!
10 Ways to Go Green at Work
Greener homes are in the spotlight these days, but what about the other places where many of us spend huge chunks of our time--our offices? Some simple changes of habit can save energy and resources at work, and these small steps can be multiplied by persuading the powers-that-be at your workplace to adopt environmentally friendly (and often cost-effective) policies.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Back To School...The Green Way!
8 Ways to Green Back to School
Don’t be fooled: Even if Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” has been playing nonstop lately, the beginning of another school year is quickly approaching.
How to Go Green: Back to School
So, how do you combine school's three R's -- that's readin', writin' and 'rithmetic -- with the planet's three R's of reduce, reuse, and recycle? Here's how to follow up your green summer, full of green barbeques and fun, with a green school year.
Back to School Green Shopping Guide
Today's new green school supplies are high on style and usability, as well as increasingly affordable.
Don’t be fooled: Even if Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” has been playing nonstop lately, the beginning of another school year is quickly approaching.
How to Go Green: Back to School
So, how do you combine school's three R's -- that's readin', writin' and 'rithmetic -- with the planet's three R's of reduce, reuse, and recycle? Here's how to follow up your green summer, full of green barbeques and fun, with a green school year.
Back to School Green Shopping Guide
Today's new green school supplies are high on style and usability, as well as increasingly affordable.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Green Tax Credits
2009 Top Green Tax Credits and Deductions
A tax credit is a one-for-one dollar reduction in your total tax bill. Think of it as the government literally giving you a credit for a particular amount of money off of your tax bill. A tax deduction on the other hand reduces your taxable income. Once you have all of your deductions taken off of your total income, this amount is then the amount of money you will be taxed against. The difference is a large one in that a tax credit is much more beneficial than a deduction, but both are useful in reducing your tax bill.
Green Energy Home and Auto Tax Credits in the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package
As a soon to be home owner, I was surprised at the amount of "green" tax credits available in President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus package (aka 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). The $1500 energy efficiency credit has been well publicized, but there are a lot more goodies in there that you could save you a lot of money when it comes to tax returns next year, and reduce your carbon footprint to boot.
A tax credit is a one-for-one dollar reduction in your total tax bill. Think of it as the government literally giving you a credit for a particular amount of money off of your tax bill. A tax deduction on the other hand reduces your taxable income. Once you have all of your deductions taken off of your total income, this amount is then the amount of money you will be taxed against. The difference is a large one in that a tax credit is much more beneficial than a deduction, but both are useful in reducing your tax bill.
Green Energy Home and Auto Tax Credits in the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package
As a soon to be home owner, I was surprised at the amount of "green" tax credits available in President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus package (aka 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). The $1500 energy efficiency credit has been well publicized, but there are a lot more goodies in there that you could save you a lot of money when it comes to tax returns next year, and reduce your carbon footprint to boot.
Friday, August 7, 2009
GIY: Green It Yourself
How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit
Non-toxic cleaning can give you a deep feeling of gratification in knowing that your family’s health is protected, and that your home is a place for your bodies to rest and recuperate rather than promote harm.
Green Homes & Green Solutions For Your House
These articles feature energy saving tips about existing appliances and home systems, explanatory information about Energy Star ratings and unique approaches to gardening and landscaping. Get started by selecting a topic below.
Planet Green - Do It Yourself
Multiple articles on green DIY projects.
Do It Yourself Green Roof
A green roof is a roof that is covered with vegetation. Very popular in Europe, they are an excellent and economic way to reduce energy costs, insulate during the winter, and cool during the summer. Aside from receiving special tax benefits, green roofs can save the home-owner a ton of money throughout their lifetimes, sometimes up to 50% of what they would otherwise spend on energy and insulation.
Non-toxic cleaning can give you a deep feeling of gratification in knowing that your family’s health is protected, and that your home is a place for your bodies to rest and recuperate rather than promote harm.
Green Homes & Green Solutions For Your House
These articles feature energy saving tips about existing appliances and home systems, explanatory information about Energy Star ratings and unique approaches to gardening and landscaping. Get started by selecting a topic below.
Planet Green - Do It Yourself
Multiple articles on green DIY projects.
Do It Yourself Green Roof
A green roof is a roof that is covered with vegetation. Very popular in Europe, they are an excellent and economic way to reduce energy costs, insulate during the winter, and cool during the summer. Aside from receiving special tax benefits, green roofs can save the home-owner a ton of money throughout their lifetimes, sometimes up to 50% of what they would otherwise spend on energy and insulation.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Local Green News And Events
Upcoming Events - Piedmont Environmental Council
Keep Loudoun Beautiful To Host Canoe Cleanup Project, Volunteers Needed
In an enduring effort to preserve Loudoun County's environment, Keep Loudoun Beautiful is hosting its annual canoe cleanup project Saturday, Aug. 8. The outing is focused on the Potomac River and the litter that has collected in its waters. In past years, volunteers have filled garbage bags with tires, bikes and other sorts of random trash.
New Loudoun Homeless Shelter Receives Green Building Award
From more than 2,500 nominated projects, the new Loudoun County Homeless Shelter has been selected as a Green Building of America Award-winning project and will be featured in the magazine Real Estate and Construction Review - Green Success Stories Edition.
State, Local Governments Will Help Save Planet...
Like many states, Virginia confronts its share of challenges with energy and climate. Under current business-as-usual emissions projections, Virginia's greenhouse gas emissions are projected to rise about 1 percent per year by 2025. Moreover, Virginia imports approximately 20 percent of its energy, and as the state's population grows - over the next 10 years, 500,000 people are expected to move into Northern Virginia alone - Virginia will be severely challenged to stabilize, much less curb, greenhouse gas emissions.
Groundbreaking held for emergency operations center
He added the facility would also be certified as a green building with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver status.
Keep Loudoun Beautiful To Host Canoe Cleanup Project, Volunteers Needed
In an enduring effort to preserve Loudoun County's environment, Keep Loudoun Beautiful is hosting its annual canoe cleanup project Saturday, Aug. 8. The outing is focused on the Potomac River and the litter that has collected in its waters. In past years, volunteers have filled garbage bags with tires, bikes and other sorts of random trash.
New Loudoun Homeless Shelter Receives Green Building Award
From more than 2,500 nominated projects, the new Loudoun County Homeless Shelter has been selected as a Green Building of America Award-winning project and will be featured in the magazine Real Estate and Construction Review - Green Success Stories Edition.
State, Local Governments Will Help Save Planet...
Like many states, Virginia confronts its share of challenges with energy and climate. Under current business-as-usual emissions projections, Virginia's greenhouse gas emissions are projected to rise about 1 percent per year by 2025. Moreover, Virginia imports approximately 20 percent of its energy, and as the state's population grows - over the next 10 years, 500,000 people are expected to move into Northern Virginia alone - Virginia will be severely challenged to stabilize, much less curb, greenhouse gas emissions.
Groundbreaking held for emergency operations center
He added the facility would also be certified as a green building with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver status.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Alternative Energy
Scavenging Energy from Evaporation
According to NewScientist: “The researchers added metal plates to the walls of the central stem and connected them to a circuit. The charged plates and the water within the stem create a sandwich of two conducting layers separated by an insulating layer – in effect, a capacitor.”
Future Uses of Solar Energy
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy arm, there will be more breakthroughs in new materials, cell designs, and novel approaches to product development in photovoltaic research and development. Future uses of solar energy could include our mode of transportation and even clothing, which will be equipped to produce clean, safe electric power.
Ambitious green targets boost renewable energy
Fund managers say this increased commitment, together with a similar focus from the US, plus stronger moves towards clean energy from China, is welcome news for an industry that has been slow to take off – and has suffered more than others in the recent downturn.
According to NewScientist: “The researchers added metal plates to the walls of the central stem and connected them to a circuit. The charged plates and the water within the stem create a sandwich of two conducting layers separated by an insulating layer – in effect, a capacitor.”
Future Uses of Solar Energy
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy arm, there will be more breakthroughs in new materials, cell designs, and novel approaches to product development in photovoltaic research and development. Future uses of solar energy could include our mode of transportation and even clothing, which will be equipped to produce clean, safe electric power.
Ambitious green targets boost renewable energy
Fund managers say this increased commitment, together with a similar focus from the US, plus stronger moves towards clean energy from China, is welcome news for an industry that has been slow to take off – and has suffered more than others in the recent downturn.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Green Products
Prepara sprouts dirt-free garden
Thankfully, there is hope for busy and forgetful people like me. The Prepara Power Plant doesn't require any soil, planting, or high maintenance. Herbs, small vegetables, fruits, and salad greens grow quickly, as the container provides the seeds with the right amount of nutrients and water.
"Green" Back to School Supplies
As July comes to a close it's time for stores to roll out "back to school" sales. This year when you're filling your cart with supplies take some time to look around at some of the greener products out there.
Supermarket small steps: new eco-friendly household products
Steep prices for natural, organic household products are fortunately becoming a thing of the past with the entry of new products on supermarket and drugstore shelves. While it’s important to support the smaller companies who have been taking environmental initiatives since well before consumers demanded it, sometimes we just have to listen to our wallets and shop the big box retailers who are staying competitive with shoppers’ green expectations.
Thankfully, there is hope for busy and forgetful people like me. The Prepara Power Plant doesn't require any soil, planting, or high maintenance. Herbs, small vegetables, fruits, and salad greens grow quickly, as the container provides the seeds with the right amount of nutrients and water.
"Green" Back to School Supplies
As July comes to a close it's time for stores to roll out "back to school" sales. This year when you're filling your cart with supplies take some time to look around at some of the greener products out there.
Supermarket small steps: new eco-friendly household products
Steep prices for natural, organic household products are fortunately becoming a thing of the past with the entry of new products on supermarket and drugstore shelves. While it’s important to support the smaller companies who have been taking environmental initiatives since well before consumers demanded it, sometimes we just have to listen to our wallets and shop the big box retailers who are staying competitive with shoppers’ green expectations.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Green Real Estate News
Priorities are key to success in real estate and mortgage industry survival
So now you are asking, what is the answer to fueling growth in real estate again? How can we get buyers to buy? How can we bring escalating value concepts instead of declining value back into a real estate transaction? It begins with a true sense of what our country was built on, a genuine care and concern for our environment and the survival of our children and citizens by designing a sustainable lifestyle. Innovation, new industries, an entrepreneurial spirit that can grow and be nurished. Tax incentives to grow your businesses.
Feds get green on mortgage financing
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan wants FHA to offer additional incentives. One of the possibilities: Give applicants credit on their qualifying incomes for a home loan in exchange for documentable savings in annual energy expenditures.
Real Estate 101: How can I go 'green' from the first day of home ownership?
Hire a green broker. When shopping for a home, hire an EcoBroker.
As a reminder, the NOVA Green Team's members are EcoBroker Certified!
So now you are asking, what is the answer to fueling growth in real estate again? How can we get buyers to buy? How can we bring escalating value concepts instead of declining value back into a real estate transaction? It begins with a true sense of what our country was built on, a genuine care and concern for our environment and the survival of our children and citizens by designing a sustainable lifestyle. Innovation, new industries, an entrepreneurial spirit that can grow and be nurished. Tax incentives to grow your businesses.
Feds get green on mortgage financing
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan wants FHA to offer additional incentives. One of the possibilities: Give applicants credit on their qualifying incomes for a home loan in exchange for documentable savings in annual energy expenditures.
Real Estate 101: How can I go 'green' from the first day of home ownership?
Hire a green broker. When shopping for a home, hire an EcoBroker.
As a reminder, the NOVA Green Team's members are EcoBroker Certified!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Passively Green
This green home will heat itself
"The Passive House approach is very techie, which I think is its Achilles Heel--it appeals to geeks but not the layman, the lay builder," Hare said standing in the half-finished home last month. "We can prove we can do this without hiring consultants and using software to do the energy modeling. We'll just use precedent and established rules of thumb."
Passive House
By achieving the Passivhaus standards, qualified buildings are able to dispense with conventional heating systems. While this is an underlying objective of the Passivhaus standard, some type of heating will still be required and most Passivhaus buildings do include a system to provide supplemental space heating. This is normally distributed through the low-volume heat recovery ventilation system that is required to maintain air quality, rather than by a conventional hydronic or high-volume forced-air heating system, as described in the space heating section below.
Passive Solar House Designs - Pictures
A collection of images of Passive Houses.
"The Passive House approach is very techie, which I think is its Achilles Heel--it appeals to geeks but not the layman, the lay builder," Hare said standing in the half-finished home last month. "We can prove we can do this without hiring consultants and using software to do the energy modeling. We'll just use precedent and established rules of thumb."
Passive House
By achieving the Passivhaus standards, qualified buildings are able to dispense with conventional heating systems. While this is an underlying objective of the Passivhaus standard, some type of heating will still be required and most Passivhaus buildings do include a system to provide supplemental space heating. This is normally distributed through the low-volume heat recovery ventilation system that is required to maintain air quality, rather than by a conventional hydronic or high-volume forced-air heating system, as described in the space heating section below.
Passive Solar House Designs - Pictures
A collection of images of Passive Houses.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Green Jobs
greenjobs
Bringing recruiters and job seekers together in the renewable engery industries
What is a green job? And how do I get one?
Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) defines green jobs as, “those that will support Maryland's growing green economy.” That isn’t especially helpful. You have to push a bit further to learn that green jobs are found in organizations focused on energy efficiency and conservation, alternative and renewable energy production, waste management administration, and environmental stewardship and service.
White House Projects Gains in Health, 'Green' Jobs
President Obama's economic team released an upbeat employment forecast yesterday that predicted robust jobs growth in the health-care and clean-energy sectors, and a recovery in manufacturing positions over the next decade.
Bringing recruiters and job seekers together in the renewable engery industries
What is a green job? And how do I get one?
Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) defines green jobs as, “those that will support Maryland's growing green economy.” That isn’t especially helpful. You have to push a bit further to learn that green jobs are found in organizations focused on energy efficiency and conservation, alternative and renewable energy production, waste management administration, and environmental stewardship and service.
White House Projects Gains in Health, 'Green' Jobs
President Obama's economic team released an upbeat employment forecast yesterday that predicted robust jobs growth in the health-care and clean-energy sectors, and a recovery in manufacturing positions over the next decade.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Growing Up Green
Welcome to BornFree - The Safe & Smart Feeding System
NewBornMom
NewBornMom is a 100% eco-friendly baby boutique where you'll find a collection of modern and organic nursery essentials, as well as some eco-hip gifts for the new mom and dad. All our products are safe for the environment and your baby, so you can enjoy some guilt-free shopping. Whether you're looking for a gift, or stocking up for your own green baby - we're sure you'll find it here!
Go Green Baby Co.
...growing up naturally
Welcome to Green Baby Products!
Welcome to The Green Baby's Baby Products! Based in the beautiful, geen state of Oregon, we are the source for earth friendly products for baby and for mom! Most of our clothing, diapers, inserts, pads, bibs, hats, socks, blankets, and wipes are made from certified organic materials. Organics will be identified with the word "organic" so you know exactly what you are buying. That means no harsh chemicals on your little ones skin and that whatever it is you buy, was made in a green, earthfriendly fashion. We care about you, your baby and the world we leave for our grandchildren. If you want something but cannot find it on our site please email us and we will check with our wholesalers right away to see if it is available.
NewBornMom
NewBornMom is a 100% eco-friendly baby boutique where you'll find a collection of modern and organic nursery essentials, as well as some eco-hip gifts for the new mom and dad. All our products are safe for the environment and your baby, so you can enjoy some guilt-free shopping. Whether you're looking for a gift, or stocking up for your own green baby - we're sure you'll find it here!
Go Green Baby Co.
...growing up naturally
Welcome to Green Baby Products!
Welcome to The Green Baby's Baby Products! Based in the beautiful, geen state of Oregon, we are the source for earth friendly products for baby and for mom! Most of our clothing, diapers, inserts, pads, bibs, hats, socks, blankets, and wipes are made from certified organic materials. Organics will be identified with the word "organic" so you know exactly what you are buying. That means no harsh chemicals on your little ones skin and that whatever it is you buy, was made in a green, earthfriendly fashion. We care about you, your baby and the world we leave for our grandchildren. If you want something but cannot find it on our site please email us and we will check with our wholesalers right away to see if it is available.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Green Moving Tips
Is there a move in your future? If so, check out some of the tips below to make your move green!
Green Moving Tips
When you hear the term “green moving,” it might conjure up images of packing your things in large bamboo leaves and hiring a team of non-CO2-emitting Sherpas to carry them across town.
Quick Tips for Green Moving
Any TreeHugger who tackles the task of moving knows there are few other activities that force you to come face to face with all of your stuff. It can be an inopportune time to consider it all, too, since you're busy with packing and organizing, deciding what goes and what stays, and it can be easy to just start pitching it instead of recycling, donating, composting or otherwise relieving yourself of stuff without sending it to the landfill.
Get Your Moving Day Green On
These days being “green” is in. You’re already part of the solution each time you take reusable canvas bags to the market, refill your water bottle with tap water and conserve energy. So why not take it one step further and be “green” while moving! It’s easier than you think and when it’s all said and done you may have actually saved money. But more importantly you’ll feel good about yourself!
Green Moving Tips
When you hear the term “green moving,” it might conjure up images of packing your things in large bamboo leaves and hiring a team of non-CO2-emitting Sherpas to carry them across town.
Quick Tips for Green Moving
Any TreeHugger who tackles the task of moving knows there are few other activities that force you to come face to face with all of your stuff. It can be an inopportune time to consider it all, too, since you're busy with packing and organizing, deciding what goes and what stays, and it can be easy to just start pitching it instead of recycling, donating, composting or otherwise relieving yourself of stuff without sending it to the landfill.
Get Your Moving Day Green On
These days being “green” is in. You’re already part of the solution each time you take reusable canvas bags to the market, refill your water bottle with tap water and conserve energy. So why not take it one step further and be “green” while moving! It’s easier than you think and when it’s all said and done you may have actually saved money. But more importantly you’ll feel good about yourself!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Green News And Links
Wal-Mart to label products with eco ratings
The retail giant plans to announce on Thursday that it will ask its suppliers to provide environmental information on all products carried in its stores. Wal-Mart Stores will use that information to label each item with an eco rating, designed to measure its environmental friendliness.
ExxonMobil goes green -- and slimy
If creating biofuel algae sounds right up your alley, Synthetic Genomics is totally hiring. They're looking for a genomics director and a senior photosynthesis scientist, which sounds like you might be making ExxonMobil's algae.
Make the Green Leap
"If it says 'earth-safe,' 'cruelty-free,' or 'natural,' you should be skeptical until you read the ingredients," says Diane MacEachern, author of Big Green Purse. "These terms aren't verified, so any company can use them." Look for products that have a label that proves the claim is certified by a third-party organization: Common ones include Energy Star for appliances, the Leaping Bunny for cosmetics and personal-care products, and USDA/Organic for foods. If the product isn't certified, check its ingredients. Products that contain ingredients with recognizable names (instead of hard-to-pronounce chemical compounds) are probably better for the earth than their counterparts, suggests MacEachern.
Britain gives gives green light to four new "eco-towns"
The four sites chosen, all in southern or eastern England, are: Whitehill-Borden in Hampshire, China Clay Community at St Austell in Cornwall, Rackheath in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire.
Elevation Burger - $5 Organic Burger - $5 Million Dollar View
Elevation Burger has received recognition in prestigious publications such as Washingtonian magazine and The Washington Post as “best shake” and “best burger” nominees. Founder Hans Hess received the “Green Business Visionary” award in 2008 from the Washington Business Journal, and the 2009 Green Business Award from Washingtonian Magazine in May of 2009. Elevation Burger was also recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article about Twitter.
Control4 Secures $17.3 Million to Fund Smart Grid Product Initiatives, Drive New Market Development
Control4, a leader in affordable, IP-based home control and entertainment systems, today announced it has secured an additional $17.3 million in equity financing. Best Buy Capital, Mercato Partners and University Venture Fund join current investors Foundation Capital, Frazier Technology Ventures, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners and vSpring Capital, to accelerate Control4’s development in energy management systems and home energy displays for the company’s emerging Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) product initiatives. A portion of the financing will be used to extend Control4’s sales channels.
The retail giant plans to announce on Thursday that it will ask its suppliers to provide environmental information on all products carried in its stores. Wal-Mart Stores will use that information to label each item with an eco rating, designed to measure its environmental friendliness.
ExxonMobil goes green -- and slimy
If creating biofuel algae sounds right up your alley, Synthetic Genomics is totally hiring. They're looking for a genomics director and a senior photosynthesis scientist, which sounds like you might be making ExxonMobil's algae.
Make the Green Leap
"If it says 'earth-safe,' 'cruelty-free,' or 'natural,' you should be skeptical until you read the ingredients," says Diane MacEachern, author of Big Green Purse. "These terms aren't verified, so any company can use them." Look for products that have a label that proves the claim is certified by a third-party organization: Common ones include Energy Star for appliances, the Leaping Bunny for cosmetics and personal-care products, and USDA/Organic for foods. If the product isn't certified, check its ingredients. Products that contain ingredients with recognizable names (instead of hard-to-pronounce chemical compounds) are probably better for the earth than their counterparts, suggests MacEachern.
Britain gives gives green light to four new "eco-towns"
The four sites chosen, all in southern or eastern England, are: Whitehill-Borden in Hampshire, China Clay Community at St Austell in Cornwall, Rackheath in Norfolk and North West Bicester in Oxfordshire.
Elevation Burger - $5 Organic Burger - $5 Million Dollar View
Elevation Burger has received recognition in prestigious publications such as Washingtonian magazine and The Washington Post as “best shake” and “best burger” nominees. Founder Hans Hess received the “Green Business Visionary” award in 2008 from the Washington Business Journal, and the 2009 Green Business Award from Washingtonian Magazine in May of 2009. Elevation Burger was also recently featured in a Wall Street Journal article about Twitter.
Control4 Secures $17.3 Million to Fund Smart Grid Product Initiatives, Drive New Market Development
Control4, a leader in affordable, IP-based home control and entertainment systems, today announced it has secured an additional $17.3 million in equity financing. Best Buy Capital, Mercato Partners and University Venture Fund join current investors Foundation Capital, Frazier Technology Ventures, Thomas Weisel Venture Partners and vSpring Capital, to accelerate Control4’s development in energy management systems and home energy displays for the company’s emerging Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) product initiatives. A portion of the financing will be used to extend Control4’s sales channels.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Smart Grid
FAQ: What the smart grid means to you
The smart grid follows the footsteps of the Internet and the interstate highway system--they are giant investments in infrastructure. It's not so much a single thing as it is a goal to give the electricity system a digital makeover to make it more efficient and reliable.
Utilities stay the course on smart grid
Large public and private electric utilities are continuing with long-term capital investment programs including smart grid development, despite economic setbacks, a June study by Baltimore, Md.-based Newton-Evans Research Company reports, reflecting a conservative but upbeat attitude toward infrastructure development.
'Smart' meters help electrical grids get connected
In the past, the only way Detroit's largest utility company knew of a power failure was if a customer called -- a method that's long proved a hassle for DTE and homeowners alike. But the new devices -- smart meters -- will change all that as they soon make their way into millions of homes across Michigan.
The smart grid follows the footsteps of the Internet and the interstate highway system--they are giant investments in infrastructure. It's not so much a single thing as it is a goal to give the electricity system a digital makeover to make it more efficient and reliable.
Utilities stay the course on smart grid
Large public and private electric utilities are continuing with long-term capital investment programs including smart grid development, despite economic setbacks, a June study by Baltimore, Md.-based Newton-Evans Research Company reports, reflecting a conservative but upbeat attitude toward infrastructure development.
'Smart' meters help electrical grids get connected
In the past, the only way Detroit's largest utility company knew of a power failure was if a customer called -- a method that's long proved a hassle for DTE and homeowners alike. But the new devices -- smart meters -- will change all that as they soon make their way into millions of homes across Michigan.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Green Cityscapes
Iconic skyscrapers find new luster in green tech
Buildings that define city skylines across the country, some national icons, are catching up to the sleek, new structures designed with efficiency in mind, as property owners and managers become convinced that a greener building now makes financial sense.
Uber-Eco-Towers: The Top Ten Green Skyscrapers
Green skyscrapers offer so much for the average EcoGeek to drool over. Each one can contain hundreds of innovations that make the world a cleaner place, they build up, rather than out, and many of them are frikkin gorgeous.
5 Amazing Green Cities
In the 1990s, industrialized countries around the world joined together to make progress against global warming and climate change. Together they drafted and approved the Kyoto Protocol. The agreement aims to reduce the effects of climate change through the reduction of six recognized greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
Buildings that define city skylines across the country, some national icons, are catching up to the sleek, new structures designed with efficiency in mind, as property owners and managers become convinced that a greener building now makes financial sense.
Uber-Eco-Towers: The Top Ten Green Skyscrapers
Green skyscrapers offer so much for the average EcoGeek to drool over. Each one can contain hundreds of innovations that make the world a cleaner place, they build up, rather than out, and many of them are frikkin gorgeous.
5 Amazing Green Cities
In the 1990s, industrialized countries around the world joined together to make progress against global warming and climate change. Together they drafted and approved the Kyoto Protocol. The agreement aims to reduce the effects of climate change through the reduction of six recognized greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Red, White, And Blue...And Green!
Green solutions for 4th of July tabletops
Looking for last minute, easy and eco-friendly solutions for your 4th of July decor and tabletops? Check out these ideas from Lynn and Corey at Celebrate Green!
New eco-friendly “green” fireworks may brighten our future Fourth of July celebrations
Some of these new environmentally friendlier fireworks have already been put into use at concerts and events, but unfortunately, none have been used at large outdoor events as of yet. The reason for this is probably that these new fireworks are more expensive than the traditional ones and harder to find.
Green Your 4th of July Celebration
My favorite traditions for the 4th of July involve eating outdoors. Picnics, BBQs, coolers at the beach, nothing says summer holiday like the smell of sunscreen mixed with the salty goodness of a crispy hot dog.
NOVA Green Living and the NOVA Green Team wish everyone a fun, safe, happy - and green - 4th of July!
Looking for last minute, easy and eco-friendly solutions for your 4th of July decor and tabletops? Check out these ideas from Lynn and Corey at Celebrate Green!
New eco-friendly “green” fireworks may brighten our future Fourth of July celebrations
Some of these new environmentally friendlier fireworks have already been put into use at concerts and events, but unfortunately, none have been used at large outdoor events as of yet. The reason for this is probably that these new fireworks are more expensive than the traditional ones and harder to find.
Green Your 4th of July Celebration
My favorite traditions for the 4th of July involve eating outdoors. Picnics, BBQs, coolers at the beach, nothing says summer holiday like the smell of sunscreen mixed with the salty goodness of a crispy hot dog.
NOVA Green Living and the NOVA Green Team wish everyone a fun, safe, happy - and green - 4th of July!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Building Green
Building Green is pioneering and entertaining television with an eco-friendly twist, on a mission is to inspire viewers to discover just how easy, cost-effective and healthy it can be to go green, and to dispel myths about environmentally-conscious lifestyles. Host Kevin Contreras leads an interactive exploration of green building techniques and alternatives, from the eye-popping extreme to the green mainstream, all while demonstrating that healthy choices donÕt mean sacrificing style or comfort.
See more complete episodes here.
See more complete episodes here.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Green Social Networking
Social networks that support a green lifestyle
Going "green" is quickly becoming an important part of our lives, and Web entrepreneurs have taken notice. A variety of green social networks have cropped up that help us live more sustainably. From reducing your carbon footprint to raising money for environmental causes, these social networks will back up your efforts.
TreeHugger Picks: Green Social Networking
Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have exploded in popularity and changed the way that people everywhere use the internet to stay in touch and meet new people -- heck, even TreeHugger has a MySpace page. This idea hasn't been lost on other TreeHuggers and greenies, as a handful of sites have popped up that use the power of social networking on the 'net for good.
It's Easy Being Green: Social Networking: A New Frontier in Climate Change Research
Are you plugged in to the Internet? Are you an amateur hiker? Photographer? Gardener? Birdwatcher? Frog aficionado? Nature lover? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then with the click of a button you can also make a serious contribution to the study of climate change.
Hey there! EQTV is using Twitter.
NOVA Green Team Facebook Page
Become a fan and be part of the NOVA Green Living social network!
Going "green" is quickly becoming an important part of our lives, and Web entrepreneurs have taken notice. A variety of green social networks have cropped up that help us live more sustainably. From reducing your carbon footprint to raising money for environmental causes, these social networks will back up your efforts.
TreeHugger Picks: Green Social Networking
Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook have exploded in popularity and changed the way that people everywhere use the internet to stay in touch and meet new people -- heck, even TreeHugger has a MySpace page. This idea hasn't been lost on other TreeHuggers and greenies, as a handful of sites have popped up that use the power of social networking on the 'net for good.
It's Easy Being Green: Social Networking: A New Frontier in Climate Change Research
Are you plugged in to the Internet? Are you an amateur hiker? Photographer? Gardener? Birdwatcher? Frog aficionado? Nature lover? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes," then with the click of a button you can also make a serious contribution to the study of climate change.
Hey there! EQTV is using Twitter.
NOVA Green Team Facebook Page
Become a fan and be part of the NOVA Green Living social network!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Green Giveaways
Ecobunga!
Your guide to green giveaways & deals
The Green Parent
...your kid friendly guide to earth friendly living!
Four green give-aways! Eco-friendly dish soap, a $50 gift certificate, and 2 bikes!
The Dirty Work, is hosting 2 green give-aways this month. The first is for three boxes of Method Smarty Dish, a phosphate and bleach-free dishwasher detergent tab. To enter, go here and tell her your favorite thing to eat and leave youre e-mail address.
Go Green
As more and more people become aware of the importance of protecting our environment, eco-friendly and recycled products are in ever greater demand. Likewise, companies' marketing tools and techniques are adapting to ths widespread development in environmental consciousness and planning their strategies accordingly.
How Green Are Your Giveaways?
The promotional-products industry provides endless opportunities to get on the Green bandwagon. From recycled-plastic pens to organic-cotton apparel, the list of eco-friendly options is long and getting longer. Most promotional-product companies offer some Green choices, while other companies such as Ecobranders and Econscious devote themselves entirely to keeping it Green.
Your guide to green giveaways & deals
The Green Parent
...your kid friendly guide to earth friendly living!
Four green give-aways! Eco-friendly dish soap, a $50 gift certificate, and 2 bikes!
The Dirty Work, is hosting 2 green give-aways this month. The first is for three boxes of Method Smarty Dish, a phosphate and bleach-free dishwasher detergent tab. To enter, go here and tell her your favorite thing to eat and leave youre e-mail address.
Go Green
As more and more people become aware of the importance of protecting our environment, eco-friendly and recycled products are in ever greater demand. Likewise, companies' marketing tools and techniques are adapting to ths widespread development in environmental consciousness and planning their strategies accordingly.
How Green Are Your Giveaways?
The promotional-products industry provides endless opportunities to get on the Green bandwagon. From recycled-plastic pens to organic-cotton apparel, the list of eco-friendly options is long and getting longer. Most promotional-product companies offer some Green choices, while other companies such as Ecobranders and Econscious devote themselves entirely to keeping it Green.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Investing In Green
Quick Green Investing Tips for 2009
According to the LA Times, it looks like everyone's favorite overused word of 2008 might be your in to an underused investment sector.
Report: The State of Green Investing 2009
In 2008, many green mutual funds, ETFs and individual stocks sunk 50-80%, while the Dow shed about 40%. But green investors can also expect their portfolios to rise higher than the overall market as it recovers.
Green Mutual Funds Could Beat Market
The poor relative performance of the past year is no reason to give up on the strategy. Most of the stocks in the green space are those of industrial or technology companies. While those sectors lose more value than most industries during slowdowns, they can lead economic expansions. In some ways, it's reassuring that the shares have acted predictably in the past year.
According to the LA Times, it looks like everyone's favorite overused word of 2008 might be your in to an underused investment sector.
Report: The State of Green Investing 2009
In 2008, many green mutual funds, ETFs and individual stocks sunk 50-80%, while the Dow shed about 40%. But green investors can also expect their portfolios to rise higher than the overall market as it recovers.
Green Mutual Funds Could Beat Market
The poor relative performance of the past year is no reason to give up on the strategy. Most of the stocks in the green space are those of industrial or technology companies. While those sectors lose more value than most industries during slowdowns, they can lead economic expansions. In some ways, it's reassuring that the shares have acted predictably in the past year.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Green Innovation
Green Innovation and Product Safety
Ultimately, the key for designing greener products is the same as it is for designing safer products: It begins with innovation.
Flip burgers with Mother Nature: Going green at the grill
One such innovation is the FlameDisk – a charcoal alternative made from solid ethanol, a renewable biofuel. Food grilled on the FlameDisk tastes as if it were grilled over charcoal, but this eco-friendly grill fuel emits 99 percent less carbon monoxide and 91 percent fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than grilling with charcoal. Plus, the byproducts created when ethanol is burned include only water and a modest amount of carbon dioxide. Unlike lighter fluid and propane gas, the FlameDisk is not derived from nonrenewable petroleum.
Greener by Design: Big Ideas from Small Companies
Whether turning a damaged Patagonia wetsuit into beer cozies or discarded bicycle tubes into wallets, Ecologic Designs is following a path charted by Terracycle to take trash and turn it into treasure.
Ultimately, the key for designing greener products is the same as it is for designing safer products: It begins with innovation.
Flip burgers with Mother Nature: Going green at the grill
One such innovation is the FlameDisk – a charcoal alternative made from solid ethanol, a renewable biofuel. Food grilled on the FlameDisk tastes as if it were grilled over charcoal, but this eco-friendly grill fuel emits 99 percent less carbon monoxide and 91 percent fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than grilling with charcoal. Plus, the byproducts created when ethanol is burned include only water and a modest amount of carbon dioxide. Unlike lighter fluid and propane gas, the FlameDisk is not derived from nonrenewable petroleum.
Greener by Design: Big Ideas from Small Companies
Whether turning a damaged Patagonia wetsuit into beer cozies or discarded bicycle tubes into wallets, Ecologic Designs is following a path charted by Terracycle to take trash and turn it into treasure.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Local Green News
Piedmont Environmental Council, Loudoun County
PEC stands with citizens to build excellent communities, relieve taxes and traffic, and protect open space in Loudoun County. We work to maintain a balance between the towns, the suburbs and the country so residents can enjoy them all.
First Solar Project Complete, Loudoun Valley Students Look For Support To Expand Green Effort On Campus
"We wanted to demonstrate that solar power is a real viable alternative energy source, and to inspire the school system that we could actually think about converting energy grids to produce power, save money, and use [the savings] on educational programs," Roos said.
Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour
Shop local and buy Loudoun artwork!
For this community, green living is a way of life
The homes are all constructed with an eye toward sustainability. An abundance of windows capture the maximum amount of natural light, and geothermal heating systems are common in most basements. It's environmentalism as practicality.
Green-collar employment
“The idea is to use a lot less natural resources and still achieve the goal of having a good piece of shelter overhead,” said Grigsby, who consults local homeowners and building professionals on how to create sustainable construction.
PEC stands with citizens to build excellent communities, relieve taxes and traffic, and protect open space in Loudoun County. We work to maintain a balance between the towns, the suburbs and the country so residents can enjoy them all.
First Solar Project Complete, Loudoun Valley Students Look For Support To Expand Green Effort On Campus
"We wanted to demonstrate that solar power is a real viable alternative energy source, and to inspire the school system that we could actually think about converting energy grids to produce power, save money, and use [the savings] on educational programs," Roos said.
Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour
Shop local and buy Loudoun artwork!
For this community, green living is a way of life
The homes are all constructed with an eye toward sustainability. An abundance of windows capture the maximum amount of natural light, and geothermal heating systems are common in most basements. It's environmentalism as practicality.
Green-collar employment
“The idea is to use a lot less natural resources and still achieve the goal of having a good piece of shelter overhead,” said Grigsby, who consults local homeowners and building professionals on how to create sustainable construction.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Green In The News
Hybrid trucks strut on Capitol Hill
We often fret over our own gas mileage and that of our neighbors' cars, but how often do we stop to think about the commercial trucking industry's impact on the environment?
In with Green Packaging, Out with Convenience, Consumers Say
Green food packaging has landed in the headlines in recent weeks. Marks & Spencer said in its latest corporate social responsibility report that it reduced food packaging 18 percent and uses salad containers made from recycled PET bottles.
Green vs. Green: Homeowners Worry About Costs of Eco-Makeovers
Homeowners also cited concerns about potential inconvenience (22%) and lack of time (17%); these result echoes previous polls which found consumers consider "green" practices, at both the personal and national levels, as economic tradeoffs that costs them more. On the other hand, 18% said they were prevented from going green by lack of knowledge, indicating there's still an audience for information on eco-friendly practices.
Why 'smart' homes are 'green' with envy: green homebuilding set to expand by $38 billion by 2010
Talk to experts with a birds-eye view on the market and you quickly become aware of a budding new trend: Green. “Green” is the new “Smart” in real estate, with a high-end market and awe-inspiring amenities and gadgetry once attributed to “Smart.” “Green” is that hippie classmate you once thought you knew – but didn’t. It’s taking on surprising new growth and according to industry experts this is only the beginning.
Clorox is leading the green charge
That means that people are finding and buying Green Works dishwashing soap, all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner and others, which are all made with natural surfactants and other natural ingredients. And it no doubt helps that this line has been affordably priced and carried by many of your usual retail haunts, like Wal-Mart.
Where Should the Feds Draw the Line on Green Marketing Claims?
Depending on how new rules are structured, the changes could also provide a boost for startups that fall on the greener end of the spectrum in these sectors, as well as those working on tools for informing consumers or monitoring and measuring the environmental impact of companies’ operations.
We often fret over our own gas mileage and that of our neighbors' cars, but how often do we stop to think about the commercial trucking industry's impact on the environment?
In with Green Packaging, Out with Convenience, Consumers Say
Green food packaging has landed in the headlines in recent weeks. Marks & Spencer said in its latest corporate social responsibility report that it reduced food packaging 18 percent and uses salad containers made from recycled PET bottles.
Green vs. Green: Homeowners Worry About Costs of Eco-Makeovers
Homeowners also cited concerns about potential inconvenience (22%) and lack of time (17%); these result echoes previous polls which found consumers consider "green" practices, at both the personal and national levels, as economic tradeoffs that costs them more. On the other hand, 18% said they were prevented from going green by lack of knowledge, indicating there's still an audience for information on eco-friendly practices.
Why 'smart' homes are 'green' with envy: green homebuilding set to expand by $38 billion by 2010
Talk to experts with a birds-eye view on the market and you quickly become aware of a budding new trend: Green. “Green” is the new “Smart” in real estate, with a high-end market and awe-inspiring amenities and gadgetry once attributed to “Smart.” “Green” is that hippie classmate you once thought you knew – but didn’t. It’s taking on surprising new growth and according to industry experts this is only the beginning.
Clorox is leading the green charge
That means that people are finding and buying Green Works dishwashing soap, all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner and others, which are all made with natural surfactants and other natural ingredients. And it no doubt helps that this line has been affordably priced and carried by many of your usual retail haunts, like Wal-Mart.
Where Should the Feds Draw the Line on Green Marketing Claims?
Depending on how new rules are structured, the changes could also provide a boost for startups that fall on the greener end of the spectrum in these sectors, as well as those working on tools for informing consumers or monitoring and measuring the environmental impact of companies’ operations.
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