Healthy and Green Living » Materials & Architecture

Safe Alternative to Paint Strippers

Annie B. Bond — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:00:22 +0000

Working on a restoration project doesn't need to mean poisoning yourself and the environment. Paint strippers are one of the product categories to top the list of those likely to contain high levels of persistent organochlorine chemicals (POPs) and volatile organic chemicals. Protect yourself by trying this safer alternative for stripping old paint.

Living Buildings

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:00:58 +0000

A few years ago I, and a large team of scientists, engineers, and educators were hired to develop a prototype building for the twenty-first century.

Is Your Home Greener Than You Think?

Kelly Magill — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:46 +0000

The common misconception about green building is that it is either ultra-contemporary, built with inferior materials, or it is extreme in design like an underground dwelling. In fact, green building does not have to be that exotic. You probably even have materials and appliances that would be considered green in your home today, regardless of [...]

Granite Countertops Don’t Rock

Jana Ballinger — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:16 +0000

Recently I had a Realtor into my house to talk about what kinds of changes we’d need to make if we wanted to sell it. Our house was built in the ’50s and it has all original just about everything: Wood floors, plumbing, electrical, and kitchen and bathroom tile. My husband and I happen to [...]

Greenandsave.com: Shades of Green

Carl Frankel — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:31:12 +0000

Greening your home is the ultimate no-brainer&#151sort of. We all know it's the right thing to do, and that it'll save money, too. Doing it can be intimidating, though. What do the various options cost? What are the payback times? What about environmental impacts? What other considerations are there? How do we sort through the welter of information that's out there? Where do we begin?

Bay Area builders make green pledge

Annie B. Bond — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:36:03 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO, JANUARY 15, 2008—Bay Area builders are vowing to curb the energy they use building homes in half by 2020.

The pledge halves energy consumption compared with 1990 levels, said Joseph Perkins, president of the Home Builders Association of Northern California.

It doesn't stop there. The group also plans to cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 30 percent during the same time frame.

"We wanted to be a part of this emerging green economy. We didn't want to wait," Perkins told the San Francisco Chronicle. "We want to give the residents of this region what they want, and they want green homes."

In addition to reducing energy and carbon emissions, the group says it will use more efficient building materials, power tools and possibly solar panels.

Further, the group called for an adoption of mandatory green building standards in Bay Area communities.

"HBANC believes that making sustainable green building standards mandatory is not only good for the environment and our planet, but it's good for business, good for consumers, good for our growing clean tech economy and the right thing to do," Perkins said.

HBANC is partnering with Build It Green, a Berkeley-based organization, that provides the standards, known as the Green Point Rated program. HBANC hopes the program will become mandatory in all Bay Area cities and counties.

"We are very excited to be partnering with HBANC in expanding the Green Point Rated program," said Brian Gitt, executive director of Build It Green. "Together, we can help the Bay Area and California reach the broader goals of dramatically reducing our energy consumption, lowering our carbon emissions and growing our clean tech economy."

HBANC decided to make the pledge after extensive research into growing consumer demand for green-building practices.

"Consumers want new homes that reduce energy costs, provide a healthy living environment and still feature the amenities they need at a price that is affordable," Perkins said.

Renovation Plans: What Makes Building Materials Green?

Annie B. Bond — Tue, 25 Jan 2000 09:12:59 +0000

Many of us begin thinking about renovating our nest (along with the birds!) as Spring nears. But how to renovate in ways that will have the least impact on the environment?

Check out these standards for green building products that can help you make the best and most eco-friendly choices as you start your spring projects.

Solar on Schools

Annie B. Bond — Fri, 11 Jun 1999 06:02:19 +0000

Schools are natural centers for learning and community activity and thus make ideal sites for photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Passive-Solar, Straw-Bale School

Annie B. Bond — Thu, 10 Jun 1999 10:11:51 +0000

For the Waldorf School students in the Roaring Fork Valley of western Colorado, first through eight graders there are learning their reading, writing, and arithmetic (along with drama, drawing, and cultural studies) in the cozy confines of a solar-heated, naturally lit school built from bales of straw.

Healthy Homemade Grout

Annie B. Bond — Tue, 18 May 1999 06:38:35 +0000

Try this age-old tiling technique. It is easy to do, can be a really fun family project, the results looks beautiful and leaves no noxious odor. The additives in commercial, ready-made tile settings can outgas for years. Additives found in these premixed settings include quick drying materials, petroleum, epoxy and fungicides.