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Architects, developers, land planners and landscape designers from around the country will explore design and development trends at the Designing the New West conference. Attendees will learn more about green development and sustainable urban design.
(Photo of Bozeman provided by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Services)
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy dedicated to improving energy efficiency.
Their site has a wealth of information on products & tactics for home improvement. It also outlines federal tax credits available for existing homes and new construction. People can save up to a third of the cost to update or build green homes. Tax credits are also available for commercial buildings and alternative-energy powered cars.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), is a non-profit organization that recognizes builders, remodelers, and other industry professionals in their Certified Green Professionals (CGP) program. CGPs incorporate green building practices into home construction cost-effectively. The NAHB also provides training and supplies to anyone who wants to build or renovate their home sustainably.
Washington's Innovation Summit will take place this year on Thursday, April 9 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash. Hundreds of green development innovators will be on hand along with keynote speakers including Senator Maria Cantwell. Urban sustainability, innovative materials and manufacturing, and sustainable energy are among the main topics.
(Photo provided by the Washington Technology Center)
National Geographic has created a series of green makeover videos with ideas to make each room in the house more energy efficient.
(Photo of the Threshold Building in Gig Harbor by pnwra)
For individual room buidling and renovation ideas visit:
Living Room
Kitchen
Bedroom
Bathroom
Laundry Room
Our series on alternative energy features Dave Sjoding, Renewables and Engineering Division Manager for WSU’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, along with correpondent Mary Hawkins.
Alternative Energy, Part One: Biofuels. Most people associate biofuel with the corn industry of the Midwest. But biofuel crops are now emerging in the dry interior climates of the inland Northwest. Next time you go to the pump, your gas may contain ethanol or biodiesel grown here in the Northwest.
Alternative Energy, Part Two: Co-Generation or Combined Heat & Power. New operational systems in dairies and other historically wasteful industries are creating less pollution and more energy in the Northwest. Co-Generation is not just about energy efficiency. It's also about turning waste into revenue.
Alternative Energy, Part Three: Hydrogen Fuel Cells. Its been more than 8 decades since the Hindenburg disaster, but most people still think of that massive explosion when they think of hydrogen fuel. Dave Sjoding dispels hydrogen myths in this interview. We also learn how the new generation of fuel cell vehicles is achieving important milestones.
Alternative Energy, Part Four: Geothermal. The Northwest sits over many pockets of warm and hot geothermal energy which is now being harnessed for heat and which will soon generate power. We can also optimize shallow, underground cool water for heating and cooling our homes and schools.
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You can listen to the audio of this report from the Northwest News Network here. OLYMPIA, WA - The Washington State Senate has dealt a blow to a plan to cap global warming pollution on a regional basis. On Wednesday, the Democratically-controlled Senate passed a so-called “cap-and-trade” system lacking the strict enforcement that advocates had proposed. Correspondent Tom Banse reports. Seven Western States and some Canadian provinces drew up a regional plan to cap and then gradually reduce carbon emissions. But the proposed pollution allowance and trading scheme needs legislative buy-in. In Olympia, the Washington State Senate disappointed environmental groups by making the pollution regulations voluntary. Association of Washington Business lobbyist Grant Nelson says senators didn’t want to risk raising the cost of electricity or gasoline. Grant Nelson: “The legislature realized just what the significant ramifications and costs were to the citizens of the state – to the business community of the state -- especially given the economic crisis that we are all facing.” In Oregon, legislators gave the climate pollution controls a public hearing at the beginning of February. Since then, Salem has let the measure lie. Copyright 2009 KUOW On the web: |
We picked up this item from Biodiesel Magazine.
According to correspondent, Kris Bevill, there are plans to use biodiesel and co-generation systems in a multi-purpose building being constructed in Independence, Oregon. The building will be complete in 2010. It is being built by a company called AldeiaLLC.
