Green Lists or the Price of Environmental Hip Status
vRenovated spaces vRight-sized space DesignvGreen IntelligentvHealthy non toxic natural materials Energy Star Appliances)vEfficiency (Energy vDay-light spacesWater efficient showers heads, sinks)vfixtures (Toilets,vQuality Construction Recycled vmaterials & salvaged items from older homes vLocal Materials and landscaping utilizing local plantsvOrganic land careSouthern vorientation of the house Limited or no use of plastics (especially vPVC) asphaltvLimited or no use ofPleasing spaces gracefully integrated vwith natureWe are in process of building an online directory of Green Products. Please check back as we bring you links to the following categories of products and services.1. Alternative Building Materials 2. Architectural a. Residential b. Small Commercial c. Large Commercial, Government & Institutional 3. Building Contractorsa. Residential b. Small Commercial c. Large Commercial, Government & Institutional4. Building Control Systems 5. Building Maintenance 6. Cleaning Products 7. Commissioning 8. Consulting9. Connecticut Produced Products 10. Day Lighting11. Design Services a. Residential b. Small Commercial c. Large Commercial, Government & Institutional 12. Educational 13. Electricians 14. Energy Audit Services 15. Energy Efficiency16. Energy Efficient Products 17. Energy Modeling 18. Engineering Services a. Residential b. Small Commercial c. Large Commercial, Government & Institutional 19. Environmental Remediation 20. Financial Services 21. Flooring 22. Furniture 23. Governmental 24. Green Electricity25. Green Retailers26. Healthy Products 27. Home Inspections 28. Indoor Air Quality29. HVAC30. Interior Design 31. Insulation 32. Land Use33. Landscape Architecture 34. Landscape Design/Construction 35. Landscape Plants & Materials 36. Legal 37. LEED™ Accreditation/Consulting 38. Lighting Design 39. Lighting Products 40. Lumber 41. Natural Gas 42. Not-for-Profit 43. Office Equipment 44. Organic Land Care45. Organic Products 46. Paints & Coatings 47. Plumbers 48. Real Estate Services 49. Recycling & Waste Management 50. Recycled Materials & Products 51. Renewable Energy 52. Remodeling 53. Research 54. Retailers 55. Roofing Materials56. Site Planning 57. Solid Waste 58. Solar 59. Transportation 60. Wall Coverings 61. Wastewater 62. Water Heating 63. Water Management 64. Water Conservation 65. Wind 66. Windows67. Wood Products I put this list together off of the Connecticut Green Building Association site. These elements were all listed as being key to building green. So, I would love folks to chime in, item by item, as to what they think it would cost EXTRA (above and beyond normal construction costs without a "green" agenda} per square foot, say to add these elements properly. There are, of course, multiple elements within elements, and I am sure there are folks out there who know exactly what all of the water management costs of going green are, but haven't a clue about environmentally friendly flooring. That's fine. Just chime in on what it is you do know. That would be extremely helpful.I realize I have set this up like I have a bet on it. "Hey, Bud, I think it will cost only x dollars/ square foot to go whole hog green." "No, f'in' way! It'll cost twice that if a penny." "Wanna bet?"No, that isn't the impetus for this, but it sure as shootin' could be. Just navigating through the particutlars about a topic I blogged earlier about Green being the province of the spoiled rich when it should be directed toward the affordable housing set instead. Anyway, let's see what we come up with and go from there.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Avalence II
After I met with Tom, the Chief Technical Officer, I went to see Debbie Moss and Steve Nagy, the principals in Avalence. Actually, Debbie came to find me, because Tom and I had been talking for an hour and forty-five minutes and folks were wondering what exactly happened to us for so long. We were back in the lunch room sitting down, both of us with pads of paper madly scribbling down figures to calculate the energy benefits for us, BIOs Building Tech. Actually, the benefits are rather limited. But, after talking with Steve and Debbie about the nature of technological development, we at BIOs are still going to get one installed in our lobby.The questions is: why?The answer is not, believe it or not, to show what innovative thinkers BIOS leaders are. Instead, it is the planting of a seed. One of the most significant acts we can accomplish as a company is to show the public what is possible. If we somehow can influence one or two folks to use a Hydrofiller for their own use, more funds will flow toward Avalence, either in the form of outright sales or development funds from private investors or governmental programs. Eventually, Avalence will develop something not in the Beta stage. Eventually, they will make a machine that turns water into fuel and fits in your basement and runs your house's entire energy needs from a fuel cell.One might wonder why this machine then must sit in our show room. Good question. But I think we suffer from a syndrome called "the Jetsons syndrome." I just made that up, but it helps illustrate what I mean. The Jetsons syndrome is the popular belief that if we can imagine a new technology and someone can make a new technology, (household robots, for instance) then, poof, it will appear on our doorstep in ten years. Unfortunately, life and technology do not work like that. The missing ingredient in that equation is MONEY! Unless, Avalence gets sufficiently funded, they will no longer develop Hydrofillers. If they don't develop more Hydrofillers, and ones that are more efficient than the ones they have already developed, gas stations won't install Hydrofillers, because they will be too expensive. With no place to refuel, no one in their right mind would buy a hydrogen car, would they? (As an aside, in CA there are a nested bunch of hydrogen filling stations, and, guess what, more hydrogen cars are bought and sold in CA than anywhere else in the US.)The point is public opinion about a technology makes or breaks a technology. Do you remember thirty five years ago, when computers were these huge boxes that spit out reams upon reams of paper will holes punched out? No one in their right mind would want one of those things in their house. It would be stupid, expensive, messy, and pointless. Today, almost everybody reading this has a home computer. Computers are now reasonably priced and an integral part of our culture. But back then, computer companies, such as IBM and Mac received funds and support from vague and mysterious sources, and it wasn't until many years down the line that they started to make money and Bill Gates became a household name.However, between the time that those paper dots were all over the computer lab floor and now, someone had to say to someone else, "Check this out! We have this amazing machine that can take this data I'm punching in here," click, click, click, "and then it computes it all by itself and puts it out the answer over there. Just think, eventually every household will have one of these things!" I admit, I was one of those guys that looked at the computer geeky enthusiast and longed for the less intrusive slide rule version of geekdom. Time has shown me the error of my thinking.So, the answer to the question above, "Why?," seems a lot clearer to me now. Someone has to be the geek enthusiast. Someone has to jump up and down with excitement over something others cannot yet see. This time around that may as well be me.
After I met with Tom, the Chief Technical Officer, I went to see Debbie Moss and Steve Nagy, the principals in Avalence. Actually, Debbie came to find me, because Tom and I had been talking for an hour and forty-five minutes and folks were wondering what exactly happened to us for so long. We were back in the lunch room sitting down, both of us with pads of paper madly scribbling down figures to calculate the energy benefits for us, BIOs Building Tech. Actually, the benefits are rather limited. But, after talking with Steve and Debbie about the nature of technological development, we at BIOs are still going to get one installed in our lobby.The questions is: why?The answer is not, believe it or not, to show what innovative thinkers BIOS leaders are. Instead, it is the planting of a seed. One of the most significant acts we can accomplish as a company is to show the public what is possible. If we somehow can influence one or two folks to use a Hydrofiller for their own use, more funds will flow toward Avalence, either in the form of outright sales or development funds from private investors or governmental programs. Eventually, Avalence will develop something not in the Beta stage. Eventually, they will make a machine that turns water into fuel and fits in your basement and runs your house's entire energy needs from a fuel cell.One might wonder why this machine then must sit in our show room. Good question. But I think we suffer from a syndrome called "the Jetsons syndrome." I just made that up, but it helps illustrate what I mean. The Jetsons syndrome is the popular belief that if we can imagine a new technology and someone can make a new technology, (household robots, for instance) then, poof, it will appear on our doorstep in ten years. Unfortunately, life and technology do not work like that. The missing ingredient in that equation is MONEY! Unless, Avalence gets sufficiently funded, they will no longer develop Hydrofillers. If they don't develop more Hydrofillers, and ones that are more efficient than the ones they have already developed, gas stations won't install Hydrofillers, because they will be too expensive. With no place to refuel, no one in their right mind would buy a hydrogen car, would they? (As an aside, in CA there are a nested bunch of hydrogen filling stations, and, guess what, more hydrogen cars are bought and sold in CA than anywhere else in the US.)The point is public opinion about a technology makes or breaks a technology. Do you remember thirty five years ago, when computers were these huge boxes that spit out reams upon reams of paper will holes punched out? No one in their right mind would want one of those things in their house. It would be stupid, expensive, messy, and pointless. Today, almost everybody reading this has a home computer. Computers are now reasonably priced and an integral part of our culture. But back then, computer companies, such as IBM and Mac received funds and support from vague and mysterious sources, and it wasn't until many years down the line that they started to make money and Bill Gates became a household name.However, between the time that those paper dots were all over the computer lab floor and now, someone had to say to someone else, "Check this out! We have this amazing machine that can take this data I'm punching in here," click, click, click, "and then it computes it all by itself and puts it out the answer over there. Just think, eventually every household will have one of these things!" I admit, I was one of those guys that looked at the computer geeky enthusiast and longed for the less intrusive slide rule version of geekdom. Time has shown me the error of my thinking.So, the answer to the question above, "Why?," seems a lot clearer to me now. Someone has to be the geek enthusiast. Someone has to jump up and down with excitement over something others cannot yet see. This time around that may as well be me.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Innovators
I went to this building in Milford, CT, a grey industrial looking thing with tired blue trim. I'd heard about Avalence from my partner, Steve, and he had come back from meeting with them hopping up and down with excitement. "These guys," bounce, bounce, "make fuel from water."Debbie Moss, a principal in the company, she seemed extrememly pleasant and accomodating, so I honored my appointment which, as it turns out, was not to be with Debbie, but with Tom, the Chief Technical Officer. I walked in, introduced myself, "Miles Shapiro with BIOS Buildings Technologies," and I was shown to a metal chair and a random set of old magazines. I was told Tom would be with me shortly, and so he was. He took me through a room that had one of those lunch tables used in elementary schools in the South during the 1960's. The walls were grey. There was a water dispenser without water. We meandered through a brief hallway and headed left into what can only be described as a very large garage. There were these huge boxes, about the size of those boxes you used to see on "Let's Make a Deal," you know, the one's "behind where Carol Merrill is standing." Big. And each one of these boxes, some with an outside covering in blue plastic and others with grey metal coverings, had a regularly positioned cluster of metal cylinders, four feet long and no more than 4-5 inches in diameter. Out of the top end of each of the cylinders (it turns out the machine I was looking at had 24) two metal tubes, maybe 1/4 inch in diameter, poked out and led to black hoses that snaked in an arc somewhere into the machine. From below, one of those black tubes ran into the cylinder. Then it all goes into this big box like on the game show, and in the box are these scuba-looking tanks, only twice as long and thicker round and black. Of course there were a slew of buttons and electrical connections with color-coded wires and panels which opened up to stuff I wouldn't even bother trying to describe. Needless to add, I was in water a tad too deep for me to know what was really going on, but Tom was an extremely patient man, and more importantly, he liked to talk about what it was he was doing.He explained to me that in those cylinders were essentially two compartments separated by a thin membrane. In one compartment went the anode and in the other went the diode-- as an aside, I don't exactly know what those things are-- and from the bottom in comes water. Simple H2O, but rather pure or else all the other junk that might be in the water would sit on the bottom of the cylinder and build up and eventually short the entire thing out. So in short, you run two ends of energy through the water, which they refer to as electrolysis, which is not the removal of unsightly hair, but can be translated into shocking the crap out of the water, and the water molecules break into Hydrogen and Oxygen. So one of those tubes heading out of the top of the cylinder is the Hydrogen line and the other one is the Oxygen line. The big aqua lung containers in the machine store the Hydrogen. You then tap into the hydrogen and use it as fuel, just like you do when you use propane gas. Sounds fundamentally simple. Shock water, catch the two resultant gases. Use one as fuel. Sell the other to hospitals that need pure oxygen. I get it. However, the truly compelling element was more along my line of thinking, and that is the cost of the thing. Each little coupling on top of the cylinder, so there were two per cylinder and twenty four cylinders, each one of those was five dollars. Each one of the black hoses, carbon filtered tubing, cost 50 dollars. So you have 240 dollars in couplings, 2400 in tubes, and you haven't even gotten to the idea of welding the metal stuff together and correctly situating the anode and cathode and membrane for each cylinder. No wonder those things cost $200,000. Thus, the remainder of my discussion with Tom was about honing the designs of these machines for maximum production of hydrogen and then being able to reproduce each design without all of the difficulties in building a prototype. The idea of mass production of these things was beyond the ken. Tom was hoping to make maybe thirty to fifty of these machines of various sizes and capacities in a single year, because now they can only produce around ten, and each one is a one off.But the truth is, the one missing component is money... funding. And although these Avalence guys are amazingly innovative and perhaps have the final answer to the global warming crisis, they don't have sufficient funds to move forward quickly enough to warrant switching over to hydrogen fuel instead of petroleum. Car companies have designed prototypes for hydrogen run fuel cell cars, and in California, New York City, Washington, D.C. and a few other random outposts, some variant of Tom's machine sits in a gas station for hydrogen fueled cars to fill 'er up. But until enough people have enough of these cars, it won't be cost effective for gas stations to pay $200,000 for one of Tom's machines to only sell 3 pounds of hydrogen at 5000 pounds/square inch per car fill up. Now these cars with those three pounds will travel for 150 to 200 miles, probably as much as one would with a normal tank of gas, but the cost is no bonanza for the driver or the gas station owner, and therein lies the problem.It is about money folks! That is what it will always be about. And we can sit around and rub our hands together in worry until we make them chapped and bloody, but the global warming issue is not going to go away until somebody makes green=greed. I understand that sounds surgical and without conscience or feeling, but that is the real world. And the real world is going to get warmer and warmer until we find a way to make that hydrogen gas car a bargain for John Q. Public and me and you. But, you know what? After meeting Tom, and to a similar extent Debbie and Steve Nagy, another principal in this company of innovators, I believe they are going to sit in that ugly garage building and tinker and adapt and change and fix and fuss and finally, they are going to make it cheaper to be green. So there is hope.
Innovators
I went to this building in Milford, CT, a grey industrial looking thing with tired blue trim. I'd heard about Avalence from my partner, Steve, and he had come back from meeting with them hopping up and down with excitement. "These guys," bounce, bounce, "make fuel from water."Debbie Moss, a principal in the company, she seemed extrememly pleasant and accomodating, so I honored my appointment which, as it turns out, was not to be with Debbie, but with Tom, the Chief Technical Officer. I walked in, introduced myself, "Miles Shapiro with BIOS Buildings Technologies," and I was shown to a metal chair and a random set of old magazines. I was told Tom would be with me shortly, and so he was. He took me through a room that had one of those lunch tables used in elementary schools in the South during the 1960's. The walls were grey. There was a water dispenser without water. We meandered through a brief hallway and headed left into what can only be described as a very large garage. There were these huge boxes, about the size of those boxes you used to see on "Let's Make a Deal," you know, the one's "behind where Carol Merrill is standing." Big. And each one of these boxes, some with an outside covering in blue plastic and others with grey metal coverings, had a regularly positioned cluster of metal cylinders, four feet long and no more than 4-5 inches in diameter. Out of the top end of each of the cylinders (it turns out the machine I was looking at had 24) two metal tubes, maybe 1/4 inch in diameter, poked out and led to black hoses that snaked in an arc somewhere into the machine. From below, one of those black tubes ran into the cylinder. Then it all goes into this big box like on the game show, and in the box are these scuba-looking tanks, only twice as long and thicker round and black. Of course there were a slew of buttons and electrical connections with color-coded wires and panels which opened up to stuff I wouldn't even bother trying to describe. Needless to add, I was in water a tad too deep for me to know what was really going on, but Tom was an extremely patient man, and more importantly, he liked to talk about what it was he was doing.He explained to me that in those cylinders were essentially two compartments separated by a thin membrane. In one compartment went the anode and in the other went the diode-- as an aside, I don't exactly know what those things are-- and from the bottom in comes water. Simple H2O, but rather pure or else all the other junk that might be in the water would sit on the bottom of the cylinder and build up and eventually short the entire thing out. So in short, you run two ends of energy through the water, which they refer to as electrolysis, which is not the removal of unsightly hair, but can be translated into shocking the crap out of the water, and the water molecules break into Hydrogen and Oxygen. So one of those tubes heading out of the top of the cylinder is the Hydrogen line and the other one is the Oxygen line. The big aqua lung containers in the machine store the Hydrogen. You then tap into the hydrogen and use it as fuel, just like you do when you use propane gas. Sounds fundamentally simple. Shock water, catch the two resultant gases. Use one as fuel. Sell the other to hospitals that need pure oxygen. I get it. However, the truly compelling element was more along my line of thinking, and that is the cost of the thing. Each little coupling on top of the cylinder, so there were two per cylinder and twenty four cylinders, each one of those was five dollars. Each one of the black hoses, carbon filtered tubing, cost 50 dollars. So you have 240 dollars in couplings, 2400 in tubes, and you haven't even gotten to the idea of welding the metal stuff together and correctly situating the anode and cathode and membrane for each cylinder. No wonder those things cost $200,000. Thus, the remainder of my discussion with Tom was about honing the designs of these machines for maximum production of hydrogen and then being able to reproduce each design without all of the difficulties in building a prototype. The idea of mass production of these things was beyond the ken. Tom was hoping to make maybe thirty to fifty of these machines of various sizes and capacities in a single year, because now they can only produce around ten, and each one is a one off.But the truth is, the one missing component is money... funding. And although these Avalence guys are amazingly innovative and perhaps have the final answer to the global warming crisis, they don't have sufficient funds to move forward quickly enough to warrant switching over to hydrogen fuel instead of petroleum. Car companies have designed prototypes for hydrogen run fuel cell cars, and in California, New York City, Washington, D.C. and a few other random outposts, some variant of Tom's machine sits in a gas station for hydrogen fueled cars to fill 'er up. But until enough people have enough of these cars, it won't be cost effective for gas stations to pay $200,000 for one of Tom's machines to only sell 3 pounds of hydrogen at 5000 pounds/square inch per car fill up. Now these cars with those three pounds will travel for 150 to 200 miles, probably as much as one would with a normal tank of gas, but the cost is no bonanza for the driver or the gas station owner, and therein lies the problem.It is about money folks! That is what it will always be about. And we can sit around and rub our hands together in worry until we make them chapped and bloody, but the global warming issue is not going to go away until somebody makes green=greed. I understand that sounds surgical and without conscience or feeling, but that is the real world. And the real world is going to get warmer and warmer until we find a way to make that hydrogen gas car a bargain for John Q. Public and me and you. But, you know what? After meeting Tom, and to a similar extent Debbie and Steve Nagy, another principal in this company of innovators, I believe they are going to sit in that ugly garage building and tinker and adapt and change and fix and fuss and finally, they are going to make it cheaper to be green. So there is hope.
Cheaters and Prospering
I didn't think about it until the New England Patriots got into the Superbowl and every sports columnist with 100 words at his disposal spouted about how the Patriots were proof that cheaters DO prosper. The quick response to that idea is "yeh, they probably do, and more than we know, because the good cheaters don't get caught," but there is more to it than that. When you look at the Bush administration, when you look at their manipulation of the elections, their rejiggering of the courts and district attorney offices around the country, their lying about foreign policy... need I go on? When you look at all that crapola, one could readily conclude, cheaters do prosper. But I think there is another way of looking at it which is perhaps too Pollyanna-ish a response, but one which need be looked at with critical eyes. When I think of the Bush administration in abstracted form, I see the United States in its purest form. Bush is to American politics what Las Vegas is to America. There ain't nothing more American than Vegas; it's like Kansas with 'roid rage. When you go there, you might have had a great time, but you leave and thank your lucky stars you don't live there all the time. Not just that, you come to realize you can't live the high life constantly or you will go broke and die a drunkard.Bush policies are just like. Once we have had the advantage of a little perspective, we will come to realize this grotesque cheating is not a good thing. More to the point, American greed, while part of the American character for certain, when unchecked, greed is toxic. Bush's policies, domestic and abroad, have proven toxic. We are in a recession, despite the government's loud protestations. The dollar can buy penny candy in Europe and not much else. Our foreign policy leaves death and poverty in its wake. Sensibly minded folk are getting the picture.So, yeh, Bush and his cronies are making money hand over fist, but what is left when they are gone? I think what's left is a wiser US. We will look at the the cheating, the lying, the manipulation, and we will decide, just like we did after our Vegas trip, that we don't want to continue living in this way. The clearest indication of this is the explosion in "green" everything. Green buiding, green energy, green you-name-it. The public, and that is the only opinion that has ever mattered, thinks it is time to cut back. Prius cars are the rage. Solar energy is the rage. Wind power is the rage. Hydrogen cars are about to explode. Organic produce. Chemical free farming, chickens, beef, vegetables... and so on. The country is coming to the conclusion it wishes to be toxic no more. This is not to say the American character is changed for the better as a result of the Bush over-indulgences. No, it is a political pendulum swing, just like other swings that have happened over the last two hundred and thirty some odd years. Americans will remain greedy. Americans will continue to over-indulge. Americans will forever be self-righteous in their foreign policy. What we need to do is somehow link in the minds of Americans the idea that it is greedy to be green. I think that is possible. There is a long discussion about how this can be so, but for brevity sake, I will skip it. Suffice to say, it makes economic sense to buy green. And I don't mean it makes sense for the country overall or in the long run or anything like that. I mean, if Joe Blow goes green, he will have more money in his pocket than if he didn't go green. Bush and his Patriot co-horts have awakened the American conscience. Americans have had their fill of being the bad guy. More importantly, it isn't working for the average Joe. He's in foreclosure or just hanging on by his fingertips or feeling the financial pinch in some way, most likely at the gas pump. So, if you can be a good guy and get money to do it, hell, that's the most American notion in the world. I think it is an idea we can sell to the American public. The fact we might save the planet as a result is merely a happy by-product.
I didn't think about it until the New England Patriots got into the Superbowl and every sports columnist with 100 words at his disposal spouted about how the Patriots were proof that cheaters DO prosper. The quick response to that idea is "yeh, they probably do, and more than we know, because the good cheaters don't get caught," but there is more to it than that. When you look at the Bush administration, when you look at their manipulation of the elections, their rejiggering of the courts and district attorney offices around the country, their lying about foreign policy... need I go on? When you look at all that crapola, one could readily conclude, cheaters do prosper. But I think there is another way of looking at it which is perhaps too Pollyanna-ish a response, but one which need be looked at with critical eyes. When I think of the Bush administration in abstracted form, I see the United States in its purest form. Bush is to American politics what Las Vegas is to America. There ain't nothing more American than Vegas; it's like Kansas with 'roid rage. When you go there, you might have had a great time, but you leave and thank your lucky stars you don't live there all the time. Not just that, you come to realize you can't live the high life constantly or you will go broke and die a drunkard.Bush policies are just like. Once we have had the advantage of a little perspective, we will come to realize this grotesque cheating is not a good thing. More to the point, American greed, while part of the American character for certain, when unchecked, greed is toxic. Bush's policies, domestic and abroad, have proven toxic. We are in a recession, despite the government's loud protestations. The dollar can buy penny candy in Europe and not much else. Our foreign policy leaves death and poverty in its wake. Sensibly minded folk are getting the picture.So, yeh, Bush and his cronies are making money hand over fist, but what is left when they are gone? I think what's left is a wiser US. We will look at the the cheating, the lying, the manipulation, and we will decide, just like we did after our Vegas trip, that we don't want to continue living in this way. The clearest indication of this is the explosion in "green" everything. Green buiding, green energy, green you-name-it. The public, and that is the only opinion that has ever mattered, thinks it is time to cut back. Prius cars are the rage. Solar energy is the rage. Wind power is the rage. Hydrogen cars are about to explode. Organic produce. Chemical free farming, chickens, beef, vegetables... and so on. The country is coming to the conclusion it wishes to be toxic no more. This is not to say the American character is changed for the better as a result of the Bush over-indulgences. No, it is a political pendulum swing, just like other swings that have happened over the last two hundred and thirty some odd years. Americans will remain greedy. Americans will continue to over-indulge. Americans will forever be self-righteous in their foreign policy. What we need to do is somehow link in the minds of Americans the idea that it is greedy to be green. I think that is possible. There is a long discussion about how this can be so, but for brevity sake, I will skip it. Suffice to say, it makes economic sense to buy green. And I don't mean it makes sense for the country overall or in the long run or anything like that. I mean, if Joe Blow goes green, he will have more money in his pocket than if he didn't go green. Bush and his Patriot co-horts have awakened the American conscience. Americans have had their fill of being the bad guy. More importantly, it isn't working for the average Joe. He's in foreclosure or just hanging on by his fingertips or feeling the financial pinch in some way, most likely at the gas pump. So, if you can be a good guy and get money to do it, hell, that's the most American notion in the world. I think it is an idea we can sell to the American public. The fact we might save the planet as a result is merely a happy by-product.
Cheaters and Prospering
I didn't think about it until the New England Patriots got into the Superbowl and every sports columnist with 100 words at his disposal spouted about how the Patriots were proof that cheaters DO prosper. The quick response to that idea is "yeh, they probably do, and more than we know, because the good cheaters don't get caught," but there is more to it than that. When you look at the Bush administration, when you look at their manipulation of the elections, their rejiggering of the courts and district attorney offices around the country, their lying about foreign policy... need I go on? When you look at all that crapola, one could readily conclude, cheaters do prosper. But I think there is another way of looking at it which is perhaps too Pollyanna-ish a response, but one which need be looked at with critical eyes. When I think of the Bush administration in abstracted form, I see the United States in its purest form. Bush is to American politics what Las Vegas is to America. There ain't nothing more American than Vegas; it's like Kansas with 'roid rage. When you go there, you might have had a great time, but you leave and thank your lucky stars you don't live there all the time. Not just that, you come to realize you can't live the high life constantly or you will go broke and die a drunkard.Bush policies are just like. Once we have had the advantage of a little perspective, we will come to realize this grotesque cheating is not a good thing. More to the point, American greed, while part of the American character for certain, when unchecked, greed is toxic. Bush's policies, domestic and abroad, have proven toxic. We are in a recession, despite the government's loud protestations. The dollar can buy penny candy in Europe and not much else. Our foreign policy leaves death and poverty in its wake. Sensibly minded folk are getting the picture.So, yeh, Bush and his cronies are making money hand over fist, but what is left when they are gone? I think what's left is a wiser US. We will look at the the cheating, the lying, the manipulation, and we will decide, just like we did after our Vegas trip, that we don't want to continue living in this way. The clearest indication of this is the explosion in "green" everything. Green buiding, green energy, green you-name-it. The public, and that is the only opinion that has ever mattered, thinks it is time to cut back. Prius cars are the rage. Solar energy is the rage. Wind power is the rage. Hydrogen cars are about to explode. Organic produce. Chemical free farming, chickens, beef, vegetables... and so on. The country is coming to the conclusion it wishes to be toxic no more. This is not to say the American character is changed for the better as a result of the Bush over-indulgences. No, it is a political pendulum swing, just like other swings that have happened over the last two hundred and thirty some odd years. Americans will remain greedy. Americans will continue to over-indulge. Americans will forever be self-righteous in their foreign policy. What we need to do is somehow link in the minds of Americans the idea that it is greedy to be green. I think that is possible. There is a long discussion about how this can be so, but for brevity sake, I will skip it. Suffice to say, it makes economic sense to buy green. And I don't mean it makes sense for the country overall or in the long run or anything like that. I mean, if Joe Blow goes green, he will have more money in his pocket than if he didn't go green. Bush and his Patriot co-horts have awakened the American conscience. Americans have had their fill of being the bad guy. More importantly, it isn't working for the average Joe. He's in foreclosure or just hanging on by his fingertips or feeling the financial pinch in some way, most likely at the gas pump. So, if you can be a good guy and get money to do it, hell, that's the most American notion in the world. I think it is an idea we can sell to the American public. The fact we might save the planet as a result is merely a happy by-product.
I didn't think about it until the New England Patriots got into the Superbowl and every sports columnist with 100 words at his disposal spouted about how the Patriots were proof that cheaters DO prosper. The quick response to that idea is "yeh, they probably do, and more than we know, because the good cheaters don't get caught," but there is more to it than that. When you look at the Bush administration, when you look at their manipulation of the elections, their rejiggering of the courts and district attorney offices around the country, their lying about foreign policy... need I go on? When you look at all that crapola, one could readily conclude, cheaters do prosper. But I think there is another way of looking at it which is perhaps too Pollyanna-ish a response, but one which need be looked at with critical eyes. When I think of the Bush administration in abstracted form, I see the United States in its purest form. Bush is to American politics what Las Vegas is to America. There ain't nothing more American than Vegas; it's like Kansas with 'roid rage. When you go there, you might have had a great time, but you leave and thank your lucky stars you don't live there all the time. Not just that, you come to realize you can't live the high life constantly or you will go broke and die a drunkard.Bush policies are just like. Once we have had the advantage of a little perspective, we will come to realize this grotesque cheating is not a good thing. More to the point, American greed, while part of the American character for certain, when unchecked, greed is toxic. Bush's policies, domestic and abroad, have proven toxic. We are in a recession, despite the government's loud protestations. The dollar can buy penny candy in Europe and not much else. Our foreign policy leaves death and poverty in its wake. Sensibly minded folk are getting the picture.So, yeh, Bush and his cronies are making money hand over fist, but what is left when they are gone? I think what's left is a wiser US. We will look at the the cheating, the lying, the manipulation, and we will decide, just like we did after our Vegas trip, that we don't want to continue living in this way. The clearest indication of this is the explosion in "green" everything. Green buiding, green energy, green you-name-it. The public, and that is the only opinion that has ever mattered, thinks it is time to cut back. Prius cars are the rage. Solar energy is the rage. Wind power is the rage. Hydrogen cars are about to explode. Organic produce. Chemical free farming, chickens, beef, vegetables... and so on. The country is coming to the conclusion it wishes to be toxic no more. This is not to say the American character is changed for the better as a result of the Bush over-indulgences. No, it is a political pendulum swing, just like other swings that have happened over the last two hundred and thirty some odd years. Americans will remain greedy. Americans will continue to over-indulge. Americans will forever be self-righteous in their foreign policy. What we need to do is somehow link in the minds of Americans the idea that it is greedy to be green. I think that is possible. There is a long discussion about how this can be so, but for brevity sake, I will skip it. Suffice to say, it makes economic sense to buy green. And I don't mean it makes sense for the country overall or in the long run or anything like that. I mean, if Joe Blow goes green, he will have more money in his pocket than if he didn't go green. Bush and his Patriot co-horts have awakened the American conscience. Americans have had their fill of being the bad guy. More importantly, it isn't working for the average Joe. He's in foreclosure or just hanging on by his fingertips or feeling the financial pinch in some way, most likely at the gas pump. So, if you can be a good guy and get money to do it, hell, that's the most American notion in the world. I think it is an idea we can sell to the American public. The fact we might save the planet as a result is merely a happy by-product.
Green Inequality
Green Inequality
Green InequalityRacism, ageism, classism-- these are truths. They exist in all forms of our society. And if the last seven political years have taught us any one thing, it is we cannot look to government to correct societal wrongs. When we have a government that snatches up people off the streets because they have a mode of worship and dress unfamiliar to most in the US and a skin color a few shades darker; when we have a government that robs Peter to pay Paul, but only when Peter is old enough to qualify for social security, and Paul is a well-connected corporation; when oil prices hit $100/barrel and the government's idea of alternative energy sources is to crank up the old coal mines: well, it is time we take matters into our own hands. These societal wrongs exist in an environmental context as well. If one were to map out where the primary Brownsfield sites in large metropolises are and then were to overlay first, where people of color lived, next, were the aged live, and finally where the impoverished live, I'm sure it would come as no surprise that people of color, older people, and poor people come in contact with more pollution than the average American. Our government will not correct this unfairness. The question remains, who will?The "green" construction industry has failed to address this issue of environmental racism/ageism/classism. How do we, as obviously concerned citizens, point our compasses toward not just a cleaner planet, but a fairer planet as well?Part of our mission as "green" builders is to develop means of limiting "green" construction costs. Further, developments designed for the elderly, for affordable and workforce housing, cannot simply be cheap. This is unfair thinking. This is wrong thinking. This is short sighted thinking. We cannot allow "green" construction to remain the pet boutique industry of the wealthy. This means that the wealthy will be the only beneficiaries of the newest environmentally friendly developments. More importantly, if this is the sole sphere in which "green" thrives, then "green" dies. Until "green" becomes the building mode of the masses, "green" has only minimal impact-- except, of course, on the lucky few who can afford renewable energy sources and those builders who can build for clients without need of a budget. But will this narrow scope of change have any significant change on the environment? I doubt it. Simultaneously, "green" construction, particularly renewable energy sources shouldn't be financially structured as too expensive. With public and private financing intervention, renewable energy sources could be viewed as just the opposite-- it would be too expensive to not use renewable energy sources. How do we do this? Well, it is no more than torquing one's perspective as both a consumer and a vendor. As a consumer, one must be forward thinking and understand that to not invest in sustainable energy sources is to incur significant financial burden for fossil fuel costs. As a vendor, to sell systems which imbue value into a project, be it single family home, a multi-family dwelling, or a commercial building, is a means of creating more value for your product, thus making that product easier to sell. Perhaps the perspective which needs most changing is that of the banking community and, dare I suggest it, the government-- municipal, state, and federal. The banking community needs to jump on board and conclude that green construction is more valuable construction. If banks adopt this perspective, then value-added green components should then allow a consumer to borrow more money. After all, 80% of 120 thousand dollars is more than 80% of 100 thousand dollars. However, banks thus far have failed to adopt any form of value conversion, and this has slowed the development of green alternatives. As for our government, well, until we have someone in the White House who does not directly benefit financially from the burning of fossil fuels, we will not have a national plan for renewable energy sources, period.For a more academically formal investigation on this topic, please go to www.hinkleycenter.com/publications/poverty_pollution_siting_94-8.pdf.
Green InequalityRacism, ageism, classism-- these are truths. They exist in all forms of our society. And if the last seven political years have taught us any one thing, it is we cannot look to government to correct societal wrongs. When we have a government that snatches up people off the streets because they have a mode of worship and dress unfamiliar to most in the US and a skin color a few shades darker; when we have a government that robs Peter to pay Paul, but only when Peter is old enough to qualify for social security, and Paul is a well-connected corporation; when oil prices hit $100/barrel and the government's idea of alternative energy sources is to crank up the old coal mines: well, it is time we take matters into our own hands. These societal wrongs exist in an environmental context as well. If one were to map out where the primary Brownsfield sites in large metropolises are and then were to overlay first, where people of color lived, next, were the aged live, and finally where the impoverished live, I'm sure it would come as no surprise that people of color, older people, and poor people come in contact with more pollution than the average American. Our government will not correct this unfairness. The question remains, who will?The "green" construction industry has failed to address this issue of environmental racism/ageism/classism. How do we, as obviously concerned citizens, point our compasses toward not just a cleaner planet, but a fairer planet as well?Part of our mission as "green" builders is to develop means of limiting "green" construction costs. Further, developments designed for the elderly, for affordable and workforce housing, cannot simply be cheap. This is unfair thinking. This is wrong thinking. This is short sighted thinking. We cannot allow "green" construction to remain the pet boutique industry of the wealthy. This means that the wealthy will be the only beneficiaries of the newest environmentally friendly developments. More importantly, if this is the sole sphere in which "green" thrives, then "green" dies. Until "green" becomes the building mode of the masses, "green" has only minimal impact-- except, of course, on the lucky few who can afford renewable energy sources and those builders who can build for clients without need of a budget. But will this narrow scope of change have any significant change on the environment? I doubt it. Simultaneously, "green" construction, particularly renewable energy sources shouldn't be financially structured as too expensive. With public and private financing intervention, renewable energy sources could be viewed as just the opposite-- it would be too expensive to not use renewable energy sources. How do we do this? Well, it is no more than torquing one's perspective as both a consumer and a vendor. As a consumer, one must be forward thinking and understand that to not invest in sustainable energy sources is to incur significant financial burden for fossil fuel costs. As a vendor, to sell systems which imbue value into a project, be it single family home, a multi-family dwelling, or a commercial building, is a means of creating more value for your product, thus making that product easier to sell. Perhaps the perspective which needs most changing is that of the banking community and, dare I suggest it, the government-- municipal, state, and federal. The banking community needs to jump on board and conclude that green construction is more valuable construction. If banks adopt this perspective, then value-added green components should then allow a consumer to borrow more money. After all, 80% of 120 thousand dollars is more than 80% of 100 thousand dollars. However, banks thus far have failed to adopt any form of value conversion, and this has slowed the development of green alternatives. As for our government, well, until we have someone in the White House who does not directly benefit financially from the burning of fossil fuels, we will not have a national plan for renewable energy sources, period.For a more academically formal investigation on this topic, please go to www.hinkleycenter.com/publications/poverty_pollution_siting_94-8.pdf.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Green for Grandma
7/12/07. For Immediate Release: Green for Grandma and Grandpa
Steve Schappert, the CEO of Connecticut Real Estate and Construction, is at it again. The Brookfield Wetlands Commission were wowwed when they saw what Schappert plans to do with his latest “green” innovation, an elderly congregate housing structure at 533 Federal Road. This building will use photo-voltaic solar panels and a geothermal heating and cooling system, just as Schappert did on his Button Factory project in New Milford. However, the newest kicker is Schappert plans to use pervious concrete pavement instead of asphalt on what he calls his “Still Brook” property, a 30 unit congregate living facility designed to allow less active seniors, those in the 80’s and above, to enjoy a rich, socially stimulating environment.
What is pervious pavement?
Pervious concrete pavement is a unique and effective means to address important environmental issues and support sustainable growth. By capturing stormwater and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous concrete is instrumental in recharging groundwater, reducing stormwater runoff, and meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stormwater regulations. This pavement technology creates more efficient land use by eliminating the need for retention ponds, swales, and other stormwater management devices.
What does that mean to Brookfield?
Actually, it means a lot. Firstly, the town will be home to the first congregate facility in the state and perhaps the entire country which does not have to charge residents for gas and electric. Tenants’ costs will be fixed, a great comfort to seniors who generally operate on a fixed income. Further, because of the financial structure of the facility, elderly can purchase their units and utilize the equity in the property to pay for many of their care needs through a reverse mortgage. This provides the senior with security for his present situation and a legacy for his family and loved-ones.
Additionally, Brookfield will enjoy the position of being home to the most environmentally innovative commercial building in the state, maybe the entire country. Powered by the sun and heated by the earth, “Still Brook” will also prove gentler to the ground it sits on than any other commercial building in CT. Residents even will have solar golf carts with which to get to local shopping areas or the senior center.
Why does Schappert do it like this?
Schappert says, “Our company motto is ‘Doing well by doing good.’ It isn’t enough to simply make money. We need to change the way people treat the planet, and part of that mission involves spreading the word that you can make plenty of money and be environmentally responsible.” When asked what else he has up his sleeve, Schappert offers just a slight smile and says, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Steve Schappert, the CEO of Connecticut Real Estate and Construction, is at it again. The Brookfield Wetlands Commission were wowwed when they saw what Schappert plans to do with his latest “green” innovation, an elderly congregate housing structure at 533 Federal Road. This building will use photo-voltaic solar panels and a geothermal heating and cooling system, just as Schappert did on his Button Factory project in New Milford. However, the newest kicker is Schappert plans to use pervious concrete pavement instead of asphalt on what he calls his “Still Brook” property, a 30 unit congregate living facility designed to allow less active seniors, those in the 80’s and above, to enjoy a rich, socially stimulating environment.
What is pervious pavement?
Pervious concrete pavement is a unique and effective means to address important environmental issues and support sustainable growth. By capturing stormwater and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous concrete is instrumental in recharging groundwater, reducing stormwater runoff, and meeting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stormwater regulations. This pavement technology creates more efficient land use by eliminating the need for retention ponds, swales, and other stormwater management devices.
What does that mean to Brookfield?
Actually, it means a lot. Firstly, the town will be home to the first congregate facility in the state and perhaps the entire country which does not have to charge residents for gas and electric. Tenants’ costs will be fixed, a great comfort to seniors who generally operate on a fixed income. Further, because of the financial structure of the facility, elderly can purchase their units and utilize the equity in the property to pay for many of their care needs through a reverse mortgage. This provides the senior with security for his present situation and a legacy for his family and loved-ones.
Additionally, Brookfield will enjoy the position of being home to the most environmentally innovative commercial building in the state, maybe the entire country. Powered by the sun and heated by the earth, “Still Brook” will also prove gentler to the ground it sits on than any other commercial building in CT. Residents even will have solar golf carts with which to get to local shopping areas or the senior center.
Why does Schappert do it like this?
Schappert says, “Our company motto is ‘Doing well by doing good.’ It isn’t enough to simply make money. We need to change the way people treat the planet, and part of that mission involves spreading the word that you can make plenty of money and be environmentally responsible.” When asked what else he has up his sleeve, Schappert offers just a slight smile and says, “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
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