Finally! buildings becoming greener through reuse

Posted on May 4, 2012 in Blog

The message that you don’t have to build a brand-new building to be green — is starting to gain traction.

Historic Seattle has taken the lead in fostering building reuse, rather than building razing and redevelopment.  A new study reported this week in The Seattle Times compared a number of environmental effects in building reuse vs. new construction.

• runoff impacts on waterways and algae bloom
• nonrenewable resources used
• additional energy needed to extract metal ores and other increasingly scarce resources

“The conclusion was that even the most energy-efficient new buildings have to stand as long as 80 years before their energy savings offset the negative environmental impacts of constructing them,” according to the article.

The return varies by project, but, like other consumer products, building reuse is an optimistic development!

Green consumerism – a positive trend for large companies

Posted on May 1, 2012 in Blog

An intriguing article on “Green Consumerism” recently by Tom Watson, environmental columnist, in The Seattle Times.

What is Green Consumerism?  “It simply means that individuals have the opportunity and desire to consider environmental impacts when making purchases and other everyday choices,” according to Watson.

In the article, Watson reviews the trend around the globe in environmental consumerism –  the availability of green products to consumers.

In the U.S., businesses have a huge impact on access to green products.

I particularly liked this quote:  “Currently, however, large corporations such as Home Depot, Ford and General Electric are driving the green-consumerism bus in this country. Although environmental activists still have a presence in America, their green power seems limited compared to the influence of big business. Much of that corporate influence is positive, because large companies do help make green products more available to the public.”

In America, businesses have the leverage to make a difference in the availability of environmentally sustainable products.  Way to go, sustainable business!

Innovative sign project — making walking more appealing

Posted on Apr 26, 2012 in Blog

Suppose you knew it was only a 7-minute walk to a local commercial place of business or another public space?

You might walk there instead of getting in your car to drive.

That’s the idea behind Walk Your City, an experimental project in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bright, easy to read signs indicate how many minutes it takes to walk from your location to nearby places of interest.

“People just don’t even think about walking as a choice right now,” the inventor of the program says.  “Even if you can’t walk to get your groceries, I think you can still choose to walk each day.”

I think Matt Tomasulo (the inventor) has a great idea! — and it’s a great way to beat global warming a little at a time.

Looking for a walk in your own city?  Click here!

Manufacturing making a comeback in Washington

Posted on Apr 22, 2012 in Blog

We make airplanes in the state of Washington, it’s true — but we make a lot more.

“Manufacturers are healthier and hiring,” according to a recent article in the Seattle Times. 

The state added 14,600 jobs in manufacturing in the last 12 months.

They include producers of:

• fabricated metal
• machines
• food products
• electronics
• industrial equipment

Not to mention shipbuilding in Bremerton.

Way to go, Washington!