Interview on Urban Re:Vision

I spoke last month at the Green Cities Conference in Orlando.

It was the first times I did not speak about green building, but instead spoke about the amazing work of Urban Re:Vision, a non-profit on whose board I sit.

I was interviewed at the conference. An excerpt:

Our measurement of growth is that you continue growing, but in nature that doesn’t happen. Animals don’t keep getting fatter and fatter until they explode… and so our cities shouldn’t. They should grow to a certain size and then stop when they are sustainable. But we haven’t done that. We have presented the idea that it’s an either/or...

Read the full interview here.

The Urban Re:Vision Dallas Competition

Here is an interview I did with Chris Cheatham discussing the current design competition for Urban Re:Vision.

The competition is to design a city block next to City Hall in Dallas. The winning design is scheduled to actually be built.

Here is your chance at fame and fortune. Check out www.revision-dallas.com for the complete details.

GreenWizard

I am on the advisory board for a new startup called GreenWizard.

It bills itself as "Expedia meets Lending Tree" for green building products. Check it out:

READ THE STORY HERE

Link to GreenWizard Site

5 ways to increase area of Manhattan without tearing down old buildings

The Bigger Apple is a wonderful discussion of ways to increase the size of Manhattan Island. The author, the former chief executive of the Battery Park City Authority, gets into details of how to develop these areas.

Very clever and something we could do in every city, even in our suburbs.

Natural Home Magazine's 10th Anniversary

This is an article I wrote for Natural Home Magazine's 10th Anniversary Issue (coming out this month).

I interviewed:

Gil Friend, Natural Logic

Pliny Fisk, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems

Sarah Susanka, Architect and best-selling author, The Not So Big House series

David W. Orr, Professor of Environmental Studies, Oberlin College

Michelle Kaufmann, Architect

Sergio Palleroni, Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices, Portland State University

FULL STORY HERE

Q&A with Eric Corey Freed in the New York Times

I was interviewed in the New York Times to discuss my top things everyone should do to green their home. Rather than talk about adding solar panels, I thought it best to choose things everyone (including renters) can do to save money and our environment at the same time.

Five Beginners’ Steps to a Greener Home:
FULL STORY HERE

www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/garden/12greenhome.html

50 most loathsome people in America

I came across this great list today: 50 MOST LOATHSOME PEOPLE IN AMERICA

My favorite? The person at #43:

43. You

Charges: You think it’s your patriotic duty to spend money you don’t have on crap you don’t need. You think Hillary lost because of sexism, when it’s actually because she’s just a bad liar. You think Iraq is better off now than before we invaded, and don’t understand why they’re so ungrateful. You think Tim Russert was a great journalist. You’re hopping mad about an auto industry bailout that cost a squirt of piss compared to a Wall Street heist of galactic dimensions, due to a housing crash you somehow have blamed on minorities. It took you six years to figure out what a tool Bush is, but you think Obama will make it all better. You deem it hunky dory that we conduct national policy debates via 8-second clips from “The View.” You think God zapped humans into existence a few thousand years ago, although your appendix and wisdom teeth disagree. You like watching vicious assholes insult each other on TV. You support gun rights, because firing one gives you a chubby. You cuddle falsehoods and resent enlightenment. You think the fact that 43% of whites could stomach voting for an incredibly charismatic and eloquent light-skinned black guy who was raised by white people means racism is over. You think progressive taxation is socialism. 1 in 100 of you are in jail, and you think it should be more. You are shallow, inconsiderate, afraid, brand-conscious, sedentary, and totally self-obsessed. You are American.

The carbon footprint of orange juice

I love orange juice. I gulp down large glasses of it like it was water. So when Tropicana decided to calculate the carbon footprint of OJ, I was very interested.

the equivalent of 3.75 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted to the atmosphere for each half-gallon carton of orange juice. But the company is still debating how to use that information. Should it cite the number in its marketing, and would consumers have a clue what to make of it?

READ THE FULL STORY: www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/business/22pepsi.html

Interview on 75 Green Businesses

I was interviewed by Glenn Croston and his 75 Green Businesses blog.

I also got to write a testimonial for the cover. It's a great book. Be sure to check it out.

Re:Vision Founder interviewed in Treehugger

Stacey Frost, founder of Urban Re:Vision was recently interviewed in Treehugger about our upcoming design competition in Dallas.

I have been working with Urban Re:Vision for several years as their advisor and helped them put together a star studded lineup of advisors, jurors and partners. I encourage everyone and anyone to submit their ideas for the upcoming Dallas competition.

Read more about the competition here.

New study shows Green Building doesn't cost more.

The following is from blog.inhabitconsulting.com/2008/12/new-study-exposes-green-building-costs.html

New Study Exposes Green Building Costs & Benefits

Recently a study was published by
Good Energies
a global energy efficiency and renewable energy investment company, that analyzed nearly 150 green-built buildings in 10 different countries to try to get a handle on the truth about the additional costs and benefits of building green. There were some surprising conclusions.

Among them:

On average, the "public" perceives the additional costs to build green at about 17%.
In reality, the median additional costs for building green proved to be less than 2%.
Over half of the buildings studied had a green building payback period of less than five years from energy and water savings alone (a five year payback is a 20% return on investment.)
Up front infrastructure development costs in "conservation developments" can be reduced by 25%, or approximately $10,000 per home.

Ecotopia

One of my favorite books, Ecotopia, is being reissued by the publisher this month and the New York Times has a nice story about the book.

The story starts with the Pacific Northwest having seceded from the United States to form its' own country named, Ecotopia. Washington, Oregon and Northern California make up the new country and base their economy on sustainable principles. The rest of the remaining US is thrust into a recession driven by partisan politics and old models of industry and energy.

Sound timely? Yes, except that it was written in 1974.

I had the prescient author, Ernest Callenbach, give a talk to a packed house at The Commonwealth Club in May 2005. He is the most charming and delightful man and lives just across the bay in Berkeley.

While you're reading it, be sure to also read the follow up prequel he wrote, entitled, Ecotopia Emerging. In many ways, I like it so much better than the first book.

There's no such thing as "clean coal"

Both political candidates mentioned exploring so-called clean coal technologies; that is to say, the capturing of the pollution as coal is being burned. Those of us in the environmentalist world always laugh when this term "clean coal" is used.

It is Orwellian and oxymoronic at the same time as there is no such thing as clean coal. There is no technology for it. It simply doesn't exist any more than a hydrogen fuel cell exists. The idea is a good one, but the only people pushing for it are the coal and gas industry.

The oil, gas and coal industries want to keep us dependent on their fuels. If they can stall another decade or three, all the better.

Are these the people we should help shape our future energy policy?

Check out this: This is Reality this is a funny and short video about clean coal that really captures the issue.

To The Next U.S. President: 100 Words for 100 Days (WorldChanging)

The brilliant minds over at WorldChanging recently called their smartest, most interesting friends they know to answer the following question:

In 100 words or less, what should the next president do in his first 100 days to address the planet's most pressing problems?

I was flattered to be included in that group. The resulting ideas for our next president are astounding. Some highlights:

from Simran Sethi:
Aggressively address climate and energy. Fossil fuel combustion accounts for 80 percent of the rise of CO2 in our atmosphere.

from Jeremy Faludi:
Appoint the following cabinet:
- Amory Lovins, Secretary of Energy
- William McDonough, Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
- Thomas Barnett, Secretary of Defense
- Vinod Khosla, Secretary of Commerce
- Wes Jackson, Secretary of Agriculture
- Bruce Schneier, Secretary of Homeland Security
- Peter Newman, Secretary of Transportation
- Stewart Brand, Secretary of State
- Frank Rijsberman, Secretary of the Interior
- Van Jones, Secretary of Labor
- Dee Hock, Secretary of the Treasury

READ FULL STORY HERE: To The Next U.S. President: 100 Words for 100 Days

My advice?

Our next President must embrace the idea of an inevitable future free of fossil fuels. I propose a call to action similar to the civilian rationing programs of World War II. Back then, it was in the name of "victory" and so our next President must redefine "victory" to mean a sustainable economy free of fossil fuels. The $78 billion of taxes used to subsidize the oil industry will be reapplied to renewable sources instead. Gasoline that is rationed and adjusted for true costs is no match for abundant subsidized solar or wind power.

Video of my panel at the PSFK Conference

Back in July I had the honor of sitting on a panel for the PSFK Conference with
moderator Gareth Kay (Modernista!)
Josh Morenstein (fuseproject )
and Frank Striefler (TBWA\Chiat\Day & Media Arts Lab)
on how to take trends and ideas and actually create change.

The panel was entitled, "Does Design Matter?" and the short answer was YES!.
It was a great discussion, though I felt the odd man out being an architect on a panel of product and brand designers.

Watch the video here.

Green Your Home for Dummies

I am thrilled to announce Green Your Home for Dummies.

It is not an entirely new book, but a compilation of 7 green books in the For Dummies series. It contains several chapters of my bestselling book, "Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies", and select chapters from:
* Green Living For Dummies
* Energy Efficiency For Dummies
* Green Cleaning For Dummies
* Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies
* Organic Gardening For Dummies
* Buying and Selling Green Homes For Dummies

It will be available in January 2009, but you can pre-order it now.

FREE tradeshow floor passes for West Coast Green

I've received dozens and dozens of emails about this, and YES, I have FREE tradeshow floor passes for the upcomingWest Coast Green Conference.

Contact me directly, if interested.

You can get free FULL CONFERENCE passes by simply volunteering your time.

Cathy Comics

My mother-in-law often sends us clipped Cathy comics. They arrive without a note, as if the commentary in the strip was enough.

Here is a recent series of strips which, I think, really capture the issue with the consumerist green movement:

How I prepare for the West Coast Green Conference

I look forward to the West Coast Green Conference each year. Of all the conferences I attend, it is by far my favorite. Most of the time, I'm giving a lecture to room full of doubters and skeptics, so it's uncommonly fun to speak to the enthusiastic crowds at West Coast Green. I have been honored to be one of the advisors to the conference since it's inception, and am thrilled to contribute to the success of the event.

In preparation for the conference, I create an entirely new presentation. I throw out everything and start from scratch. It is akin to a standup comedian trashing his act to write entirely new material. And though this is incredibly time consuming, it forces me to rethink how I talk about design and sustainability.

The process of developing a new keynote speech takes an entire year of thinking and research. It starts at the previous years West Coast Green conference as I learn of new ideas and memes emerging. Topics, stories and information rattle around in my head, while I stuff notes, images and thoughts into a folder throughout the year. By letting the subject marinate, I find the gaps in my research and in the final story I will be telling.

Once the narrative is fairly complete, I can begin putting the actual slideshow together. The process of building the slides is conducted over two months before the conference. I work closely with my interns during this process we find ways to connect boring data with something relevant and memorable. Slides are shuffled, reordered and edited. Images we like are replaced with new, better images we love.

We continually try to find ways to inject humor into the talk. Ironically, this is incredibly serious business and the hardest part. How do you write something that will always come off as funny amid all of that "doom and gloom" talk? How do you balance humor with the need to make a point? I don't want the humor to allow people to ignore the bigger issue or overshadow the point... the humor is key to the success of the talk and the hardest thing to add. There are always more facts to be found; but humor is impossible to simply "dig up."

The slides are tweaked up until the start of the conference. I practice the final draft of the talk in front of my students; which might be the only chance I get to perform it in front of a real, live audience before the actual conference. I use this as a chance to test the timing and humor; often recording it for later viewing.

I've posted before about the tools I use to I create my presentations, skipping PowerPoint and using Apple's Keynote instead.

We're still working on the final version of my talk, "The Myth of Sisyphus: A plan to green our buildings and avoid extinction." In short, I discuss how our buildings are like Sisyphus, constantly pushing boulder uphill in order to survive. The talk outlines how to change this paradigm and find the hidden opportunities in green building.

I will be speaking at West Coast Green on Thursday, September 25th at 1:30 - 2:30pm. A booksigning will be held immediately following the talk.

Be sure to do what you can to attend the conference. It is well worth the cost and time. Register for the conference here.

Re:Construct Competition Launched

The Re:Construct competition has officially launched. Submit your ideas for the city block of the future; entries are due September 15th, 2008. As you can see, I am one of the advisors for the competition (and have been from the beginning).

From the site:

What are you made of? Do you have what it takes to make a difference? Are you willing and able to rebuild a sustainable foundation for the future? It’s time for a change in the way we see things, in the way we do things. It’s time for what we build to reflect who we are and what we’re made of. It’s time to Re:Construct the ideas and realities of sustainable building.

While you're at their site, check out the winners of the past competitions:
RE:VOLT
RE:ROUTE
RE:STORE
RE:CONNECT

PSFK Conference Video Recap

I spoke at the PSFK Conference last month. The theme was on trends, inspiration and creativity and I was enjoying myself so much at the event I was already looking forward to the next conference.

Some incredible speakers and brands were represented: Starbucks, Good Magazine, Current TV, fuseproject, NASA - and that's just a handful of them...

Ken Fisher conducted interviews during the event, and the first compilation video is now available. I am in the video speaking about the need for innovation.

Watch the video here.

West Coast Green launches video section

For those of you who haven't heard of West Coast Green, it is the largest residential green building conference in the country and is held the last week of September. This years conference will be September 26, 27 & 28th in San Jose, California.

I have been on the Advisory Board of the conference since it's inception, and watched it grow in size and scope each year. Each year brought new things to the conference as well.

For this years conference, one of the new features is the video section of the website, where you can watch recorded talks by this years speakers.

You must watch the talk by Van Jones, who brought the crowd of thousands to their feet with his take on green collar jobs.

Of the 40+ conferences I speak at each year, West Coast Green is by far my favorite. I urge you to attend the conference. Some discount passes are still available, so feel free to contact me directly if you're going to attend.

Women at the front of green

The San Francisco Examiner did a profile on various women in the heart of the green movement.

One of those profiled was Jackie Barbe, one of my incredible project managers here at organicARCHITECT. The print version had a wonderful photo of her too, but you can read the online version here.

Interview in Apartment Therapy

The good folks over at Apartment Therapy interviewed me. I love these short types of interviews, they're quick and get to the point.

FULL STORY HERE

What’s Lurking in Your Countertop?

The New York Times reports on the naturally occurring phenomenon of radiation in quarried stone. But sometimes the result is more than you might expect from your granite countertop.

A routine home inspection revealed elevated levels of radon in Lynn Sugarman's home. So she called a radon technician to find the source.

“He went from room to room,” said Dr. Sugarman. But he stopped in his tracks in the kitchen. His Geiger counter indicated that the granite countertop was emitting radiation at levels 10 times higher than those he had measured elsewhere in the house...

and this frightening image:

“It’s not that all granite is dangerous,” said the lab tech who took the radiation measurements. “But I’ve seen a few that might heat up your Cheerios a little.”

But perhaps the most distasteful part, is the all-too-predictable reaction from the corporate shills:

Allegations that granite countertops may emit dangerous levels of radon and radiation have been raised periodically over the past decade... but the Marble Institute of America has said such claims are “ludicrous”.

Just once I'd love to see a trade organization actually take the side of truth over financial self-interest.

FULL STORY

PreFab in Chicago

MSNBC has this video showing Michelle Kaufman's latest prefab masterpiece at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

The best part of the video occurs in the middle with a time lapse shot showing the prefabricated modules being assembled. The entire house was installed in a week.

More on Michelle's Blog
Even more on Treehugger
Press Release
Museum of Science and Industry

NASA Scientist Warns Congress about Warming (again...)

Dr. James E. Hansen is the chief climatologist at NASA and one of the leading experts on Global Warming and the Climate Crisis.

He testified to Congress twenty years ago (June 23, 1988) on the dangers of global warming. This week, he returned to testify again and shared his thoughts on the differences between those two briefings.

An excerpt:

"There are striking similarities between then and now, but one big difference...

The difference is that now we have used up all slack in the schedule for actions needed to defuse the global warming time bomb."

He goes on to write of an ominous foreshadowing for the past 20 years:

"My testimony two decades ago was greeted with skepticism. But while skepticism is the lifeblood of science, it can confuse the public...
The evidence was strong enough that I could say it was time to "stop waffling." I was sure that time would bring the scientific community to a similar consensus, as it has."

And then he proposes a clear plan, something no government official seems able or willing to do:

"The steps needed to halt carbon dioxide growth... Phase out of coal use... Solution of the climate problem requires that we move to carbon-free energy promptly."

Hansen also talks about why things have barely progressed in 20 years of threats:

"Special interests have blocked transition to our renewable energy future. Instead of moving heavily into renewable energies, fossil companies choose to spread doubt about global warming, as tobacco companies discredited the smoking-cancer link. Methods are sophisticated, including disguised funding to shape school textbook discussions.

CEOs of fossil energy companies know what they are doing... In my opinion, these CEOs should be tried for high crimes against humanity and nature."

I love that part!

read the FULL STORY here.

HowYouEco Interview

Luke at HowYouEco recently interviewed me with his patented list of 3 quick questions. Check out the site. It is beautifully done and provides some great information.

Sunset Magazine's new editor

Allison Arieff, former visionary editor at Dwell Magazine, is now editor-at-large at Sunset Magazine and writes for the New York Times. Today she posted this review of my book and our recent talk at the Sunset Celebration Weekend.

Her blog is a great resource, as is her NY TImes Column.

Keeping Chlorine Out of the Pool

There are several ways to eliminate chlorine or significantly reduce the use of it, although the pool industry remains skeptical of their effectiveness and it is often difficult to find builders to install them.

From saline, to UV lights, to ozone injectors, to natural aquifers, there are now several viable options for creating a pool that does not require harmful chemicals to stay clean.

via the NY Times

Kids in Katrina trailers may face lifelong ailments

You would think that after blundering their initial reponse to a national disaster, FEMA would work extra hard at not making things worse.

Now there is this story about the high levels of toxins in the very trailers provided to help the people of New Orleans.

Although Europe has banned formaldehyde, the US still refuses to do so. This is a great argument to follow the example of Canada and Europe.

First LEED Certified MedSpa

Our most recent project, the EpiCenter opened last week to a packed grand opening party.

You can read a review here. We worked with architect Justin Martinkovic, green consultant Zem Joaquin, and a great team of other brilliant people to build the first LEED Certified Med Spa in the country.

One odd thing that seems to get a great deal of attention is the ceiling. The initial ceiling was to be made of these gorgeous bamboo panels. When the price came in at $48,000, a cheaper product was needed. I came up with the solution, Homesote panels, cut into 2' x 4' panels and stained with AFM Safecoat Zero-VOC stains. The result is something that looks like leather, but the final cost: $1800. I painted the panels myself with help from the clients.

via Green Building Elements

Bowling 1, Health Care 0

Elizabeth Edwards wrote this wonderful piece (yes, John's wife) in the New York Times today about the election.

A snippet:

Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about Joe Biden’s health care plan? Anything at all? But let me guess, you know Barack Obama’s bowling score. We are choosing a president, the next leader of the free world.

It seems most people are fed up with the way the press handles itself, yet they continue to focus on the insignificant details.

Of the 3000 questions asked of the remaining three presidential candidates, only 8 had to do with the environment or global warming. Over a dozen were asked about Obama not wearing a flag pin in his lapel. That is the problem.

via New York Times

Bay Area designers have long had green outlook

Last month, I sat on a panel for the Luxury Marketing Council to discuss the issues of sustainability in the luxury market. The packed audience consisted of high end real estate agents, bankers, jewelers, and the like. I always love exposing these ideas to groups who do not normally come into contact with green that often.

They usually become incredibly excited at these ideas, a testament to the logic and need for sustainability.

On the panel with me was Mike Freed, owner of Passport Resorts the company that developed various Eco Resorts: such as Post Ranch Inn and Cavallo Point .


BTW, The Post Ranch Inn was designed by a mentor of mine, and fellow organic architect, Mickey Muennig .

Zahid Sardar, Architecture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote an article today about the success of Passports resorts as luxurious architecture.

Also on the panel with Mike and myself were:
* Kimberley Gardiner
Marketing manager for Lexus Hybrid

* Helge Hellberg
Marketing director of Marin Organic
(who, by the way, charmed everyone with his enthusiasm and personality!)


Full Story via SFGate.com

Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’

Interesting news story about the health dangers of plastics in food packaging, specifically containing a chemical called bisphenol-a. Canada is officially labeling this chemical as toxic. The US Government has been absent on this issue. Of course, the plastics industry is a multi-trillion dollar business.

Full Story via New York Times

...bisphenol-a, or B.P.A is widely used to make polycarbonate plastics, which are rigid and transparent like glass. Because animal tests have shown that even small amounts of the chemical may cause changes in the body, however, researchers have focused on food- and drink-related applications of B.P.A.

The most disturbing part of the article:

...Warren G. Foster, director of the center for reproductive care and reproductive biology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, is more skeptical.

“If I was a fish and there was bisphenol-a in the water, I’d be concerned,” he said.

Follow the Leaders: 7x7 Magazine Names Environmental Leaders in San Francisco

I am honored to be named one of the environmental leaders in San Francisco by 7x7 Magazine for their April (Earth Day) issue.

The article begins:

You already know the elders of the green tribe–Gore, Waters, McDonough. Now, meet SF's next wave.

It is also great to see my friend, Matt Golden, from Sustainable Spaces as one of the honorees. San Francisco is a wonderful place filled with so many great people doing amazing things, and Matt is a perfect example of that.

Full Profile via 7x7 Magazine
All of the profiles for the issue

MetHome: How Green is my Renovation?

I participated in a round table discussion with some of the leaders in green building for an article in Metropolitan Home with:
Fellow Architect Rob Harrison
Planner Steven Lenard
Interior Designer Denise Shaw
Executive Director of Build It Green, Brian Gitt

My favorite part:

Freed: Some of my work is helping other architects “green up” their projects. But it’s ridiculous when someone unveils a 14,000-square-foot house and asks me, “What can we do to make it greener?” My usual answer is, “Why don’t we take off the second floor?”

via Metropolitan Home

Article in Metropolitan Home Magazine

I wrote an article for MetHome Magazine on fellow San Francisco architect Anne Fougeron. Fougeron is a wonderful modernist and her loft in the San Francisco South of Market (SoMa) district is an exploration of green adaptive reuse. The three main elements: folded steel stair, interior courtyard and penthouse addition, are a clever and unique approach to converting an old factory into a home.

Read the full story: Urban Ecotecture at MetHome

Lecture in Santa Cruz

I am speaking to the US Green Building Council chapter in Santa Cruz, California on Wednesday March 5th at 5:30pm.

This is a late addition to the ongoing array of speaking events I am giving around the country. If you're in the area, please come by!

Details here

The Eliphante Art House

The Eliphante Art House

The Eliphante Art House is the home of artist Michael Kahn and his wife Leda Livant built from found materials. Located in Cornville, Arizona, it represents a fine example of folk art home building.

An excerpt:

ANY fool can hire an architect to draw up a plan for a house, but it takes a truly inspired fool — which is to say, an artist — to start building and see where the earth and driftwood and shards of broken pottery take him, and an equally impassioned fool — say, a woman in love — to go along and carry the rocks on her back.

The Eliphante Art House Website

NYT: The Greener Side of Recession

In the New York Times is this item as to whether the environment suffers during hard ecomonic times.

An excerpt:

The environment is actually hurt in hard economic times. Companies will reduce their investments into research and development and green programs...

The Greener Side of Recession

HuffPo: Why Economic Stimulus Should Be Green

Why Economic Stimulus Should Be Green

James Boyce has a thought-provoking piece in the Huffington Post on what the government should be doing to protect our environment:

There are hundreds, nay thousands, of examples of politicians talking the talk about the environment, how we need to create green jobs, and green industries, encourage green living, blah, blah, blah, alternative energy is my energy, blah, blah, blah...

Part of the problem with our current economic woes is massive short-term overconsumption.

Part of our environmental problem is massive short-term consumption.

The Onion: Plot of Greenspace

A little humor for a chnage:

Onion: 3-By-4 Plot Of Green Space Rejuvenates Neighborhood

An Excerpt:

Notorious for its abandoned buildings, industrial warehouses, and gray, dilapidated roads, Detroit's Warrendale neighborhood was miraculously revitalized this week by the installation of a single, three-by-four-foot plot of green space.

LA Times Review of the Book

The LA Times has a wonderful review of my book, alongside the new book from my friend, Jerry Yudelson entitled, Green Building A to Z.

The best part:

This isn't a goofy book for goofy people, despite the "Dummies" title. Author and architect Eric Corey Freed, like Yudelson, has a high profile in the green-building industry and obviously broad knowledge of the subject.

This is an easy and engaging book to read with lots of lists, tips and checks and subheads in an informal handwriting script that explains things such as what engineered lumber is, the pros and cons of insulated concrete forms and planning your site to incorporate outdoor rooms.

Los Angeles Times Book Review

Alternate Link

My interview with CalFinder

CalFinder is a site where you can find contractors to help you with a building project. They interviewed me to talk about the perceptions of green building and what is waiting for us in the future.

An excerpt:

The act of renovating your building is expensive, whether you’re green or not. Being green doesn’t cost you any more, in fact it’s an opportunity to save money.

via CalFinder

HousingZone interview with Urban Re:Vision

HousingZone has a wonderful interview with Urban Re:Vision founder Stacey Frost. An excerpt:

When we started Urban Re:Vision, we created a very basic platform from which to pursue our goals. We asked ourselves the question, “What If?” What if we could live in an environment that is toxin-free, works sustainably and provides a direct connection between residents and their community? We are posing that question to both design professionals and concerned citizens through our six-part international competition that deals with a variety of key issues facing our urban communities. We have been rewarded with consistently innovative, intelligent and inspiring proposals.

The design competitions from Urban Re:Vision have already generated some incredible ideas and innovations. Enter your own ideas at Urban Re:Vision.

via HousingZone

Review of the book from Michelle Kaufmann

Visionary architect and prefab queen (and friend) Michelle Kaufmann wrote a lovely mini-review of the book.

Michelle Kaufmann's Blog

Interview on the John Adam Show

I was interviewed for the John Adam Show, the topic was "Green Business is the Place to Be..."

I talked about the book and a plan for completely getting us off of Saudi Arabian oil imports.

Listen to the broadcast here
Episode Synopsis
Episode Information Page

Grist: Eban Goodstein's article on Choose Your Future

Eban Goodstein, professor of economics at Lewis & Clark College and director of Focus the Nation, has a wonderful piece today in Grist on global warming and what YOU can do about it.

It is clear that we are standing at a critical moment in human history. Unless we begin to cut global-warming pollution within a few short years, a window for our children and the creatures of this earth will close. Forever...

Choose Your Future is a program from his group that allows people to take part in saving our planet.

Full story via Grist

NYT: Carbon Offsets

This story on carbon offsets is a great intro into understanding something I find myseterious.

Corporations spent more than $54 million last year on carbon credits toward tree planting, wind farms, solar plants and other projects to balance the emissions created by their work.

But where exactly is that money going?

F.T.C. Asks if Carbon-Offset Money Is Well Spent