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.

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."

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

A Green Future

The Future is Green
Thoughts on the coming of a society that is in balance with nature and the magnitude of the problems in the way; facing the reality that the present world's population has moved beyond the earth's carrying capacity, the looming peak in world oil production, green alternatives, and the least painful paths to a sustainable society.

Architecture 2030
Architecture 2030, a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization, was established in response to the global-warming crisis by architect Edward Mazria in 2002. 2030’s mission is to rapidly transform the US and global Building Sector from the major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions to a central part of the solution to the global-warming crisis. Our goal is straightforward: to achieve a dramatic reduction in the global-warming-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Building Sector by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed and constructed.

15 (More) Future Wonders of Green Technology: From Spinning Towers to Seawater Greenhouses
As the world increasingly focuses on sustainable initiatives, green architecture is a booming industry. Everything from single-family residences to giant 1.2-million-square-foot complexes complete with giant skyscrapers is getting the green treatment, and the innovation that iss going into these plans is more complex than ever.

Green Your Future
Mapping a Green career path

Green Tech News From CNet

A round-up of some recent Green Tech articles on CNet:

Transparent plastic solar cells fitted into windows
"It is energy-efficient and transparent with superior vertical performance and a subtle red, blue or green aesthetic. With these features, BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics) will no longer need to be confined to spandrel or overhead applications," Arch CEO Leon Silverstein said in a statement.

Green news harvest: IM for air conditioners
Talk about convergence of energy, communications and IT: EnerNoc is using an instant-messaging protocol to update the energy consumption status of building equipment.

Possible smog solution: Air-powered motorcycle
Sure, it only goes 11 mph now, but as a proof-of-concept vehicle it's pretty cool. I could imagine a smaller vehicle (bike? moped?) with the same gear that could go much faster as a final product, if it gets that far.

Q&A: What really goes into that carbon footprint?
Without widespread standards, companies are struggling with how to properly calculate and disclose their carbon footprint to the public. And many don't have the financial resources to address environmental resource concerns.

Energy Smackdown

My Year As A Green-Living Beta Tester
Almost a year ago, I signed my household up for the Energy Smackdown, a combination of a community-outreach program, contest, and cable TV show.
Teams from three neighboring Boston-area cities were formed and competed to lower their energy use. About 60 households measured their energy use every month, along with how many miles they drove, flew, and how much trash they generated.

Demand Remains High For Green Real Estate

RREEF Report: Recession Fails to Diminish Demand for Green Real Estate
Green building is benefitting from other conditions too, RREEF noted, such as sustainable real estate development mandates in cities and states, and cost premiums that are much less than were once thought.

'Green' Energy Plant Proposed for Loudoun

'Green' Energy Plant Proposed for Loudoun
Andrews said the hybrid facility would be "the lowest emitting plant in the state of Virginia."

Green News And Links

Bamboo-zled: Eco Veneers Storm the Design World
Bamboo is catching the attention of product designers in much the same way as titanium or fruit-colored translucent plastics did a few years ago. Bamboo is an easy way to send a message about the green credentials of a product, say industrial designers. It also appeals to people who want a very visible way to show they swing green — a visible complement to their Anya Hindmarch "I am not a plastic bag" bag and their Priuses.

Green building products used as a lure for homebuyers
The tide toward green building that has taken hold in recent years remained unabated as the industry looks forward to better days, convinced that energy-efficient homes outfitted with sustainable materials will be coveted by future homebuyers.

Green Investing in the Troubled Real Estate Market
Mr. Fairchild foresees a day when real estate agents pitch an inefficient house as an “energy fixer” and property values improve commensurately with energy upgrades. That’s why the firm plans to carefully document its properties’ energy audits, upgrades and resulting decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.

Recycling Arrives at Three Loudoun County Parks
Temporary recycling bins for special events and summer sporting activities have been used for several years, and now, due to funding from the Virginia Litter Prevention and Recycling Grant Program, the parks are able to install permanent recycling bins that may be used throughout the year.

Green News And Links

Grab the 'green' real-estate boom
On average, green buildings save 10% of utility costs each year -- and sometimes much more.

Rebuild clean, not just "green" expert says
Another part of indoor air quality involves using materials that do not emit volatile organic compounds such as formaldehyde, Selber said.
"You can buy products that don't contain VOCs, such as VOC-free paint, carpet, insulation and it's really not that much more expensive," she added.

Charlottesville's Green City Vision
"It isn't just a very liberal, tree-hugging perspective. It's something that applies to everybody because we all have an interest in living comfortable and having resources available," said Kristel Riddervold, Charlottesville environmental administrator.

Going green saves green in tough economic times
But Lamm said that there are also other programs that help with “going green.” The National Association of Homebuilder’s “Green Building Program” is even more stringent than Energy Star. Energy Star is a part of this program. Lamm is a builder under this program as well. “It takes a lot of time, effort and planning to do a green building, but it’s well worth it. Every piece that goes into your house can be bought in a 'green format,'” he said.