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By David Popoff
The Connecticut Green Building Council, CTGBC spring newsletter 2012 is out and it is FREE. The newsletter is full of sustainable green information relating to the state of Connecticut as well as the whole nation.
This issue covers upcoming events, LEED workshops, recommended movies and books, member and sponsor spotlight, pass events such as the Metro Green tour in Stamford and much more.
Few of the highlighted items are:
- Nominations for the CTGBC 2012 Green Building Awards, anyone can submit an entry.
- GPRO ~ Green Building Skills Training for the Trades is coming to Connecticut.
- Energy Star Leader ~ Steven Winters with offices in Norwalk, Ct.
Many more articles and links to useful information in this free newsletter, click here to go to newsletter to read more.
http://www.ctgbc.org/Resources/Documents/CTGBCSpring2012Newsletter.pdf
To find out more about CTGBC events, membership, committees and more please visit their website www.ctgbc.org .
David Popoff is a licensed real estate agent in lower Fairfield County with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
by Wendy Brandt Martinenas
If the thought of having a very pleasant day and mingling with genuinely nice people peaks your interest, would you be even more interested if at the same time, you could pick up tips on how to save money and live a healthier life? You can do all this at Fairfield Earth Day coming to Fairfield Warde next Saturday April 28th. Now in its 14th year, this is a celebration of our town and earth that draws well over 1000 people each year
Eating delicious organic food, seeing the infamous Trashy Fashion Show, listening to live music and seeing an electric car are a few of the fun things you can do. Mingle with one of the 60 or so Exhibitors and pick up valuable green tips. Don’t know what to get for Mom for her upcoming day? Here you can find reasonably priced and health inspired gifts for purchase. Want to get educated on how local townsfolk are contributing our community’s green movement and the latest green trends? Listen to presentations and participate in round table discussions. There is something here for everyone!
Years ago I left Earth Day with a recycled blue jean pencil with two kids with big smiles on their faces. Today I am on the committee and an Exhibitor with a green orientation to an otherwise traditional business. Fairfield Earth Day has been a good learning ground for me and even as someone who works the event I still look forward to it as one of the most relaxing and enjoyable days of my year. I hope you will join us at Fairfield Earth Day and don’t forget to stop by and introduce yourself to Snappy Green! David and I are both going to be there and we are looking forward to meeting you.
wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com William Raveis Real Estate
Wall Street Journal, Grappling With a Garbage Glut, April 14th, 2012.
New York City carts out 12,000 tons of trash a day.
Los Angeles has constructed a garbage mountain 500 feet high.
The average American tosses out 4.4 pounds of trash per day. USA population 313,000,000+ and counting.
American communities on average spend more money on waste management than on fire protection, parks and recreation, libraries or schoolbooks, according to U.S. Census data on municipal budgets.
In Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and Denmark all send less than 4% of their trash to landfills. Recycling rates are two to three times higher than America’s along with community base utilities that burn trash to provide electricity.
To be more aware of your trash outlay take a count next week on your trash output. Last week I counted my trash, 7 bags total with:-
- 1 bag going to compost
- 2 bags bottles and can recycle
- 1 bag paper recycle
- 3 bags garbage.
We have 3 small garbage cans in the kitchen, one for garbage, a bin for bottles and cans, one for paper recycling along with a counter container for composting.
By David Popoff, Lower Fairfield County Realtor ~ Green, Darien, Ct.
by Wendy Martinenas
Snappy Green is all about green living in the home so at first I thought that writing about green living in the dorm might be off topic. Then I realized that the dorm is someone’s home too. What inspired me was green student U. This one particular article describes how the University of Virgina is displaying green dorm rooms. It’s interesting to note, that it doesn’t mention that these dorm rooms are in LEED certified buildings or anything close to being an energy saving structure. What it does do is give examples of eco friendly items that kids can bring into their rooms such as energy saving small appliances (the micro & fridge), green cleaning products, etc.
Bravo to UVA for doing this but also for pointing out that going green does not have to mean taking drastic measures like ripping out perfectly functional windows to replace them with the latest E coated kind. Being green, in Snappy Green’s view, is making a contribution on any scale that makes sense in the situation and that is comfortable for you. In addition every eco conscious choice you make, over the alternative, contributes to the collective green effort and greater good of our planet. Wow, when you put it like that, it sure makes you feel magnanimous, and rightfully so. Continue reading Green Dorm Rooms
By David Popoff.
When considering building a new home one should look at how to reduce the need for heat and cooling loads first. One of the easiest ways is to consider a better thermal envelope or if you like blanket around the whole of the house.
In general the insulation cost of a new build is under or around 1% of the total cost of construction. It would not take much more to improve your insulation barrier and thus reduce your heating and cooling loads a considerable amount. Once you reduce your heating and cooling loads this would also require smaller mechanical, HVAC system, and thus lower you construction costs a little as well.
The second major culprit in heat and cooling loss is due to air leakage or also known as air infiltration. Sealing all holes is very important. Some of the biggest culprits of this are the rim joist, sill plates and top plates in new construction along with doors, windows and holes cut for various pipes, wires and mechanicals.
The PassivHaus, Passive House, requirements are an advanced; Continue reading New Build Homes Should REALLY Consider “How to Reduce Utility Usage First”.
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