|
|
 |
Vol.4/No.3 |
|
Sales: VAST Pavers; 10% off BambooCountertops
Customer Spotlight: The Wear Family: Concrete Vanity and Safecoat Paints
Product Spotlight: Low Flush Toilets Are Not Low Performing
Green Tip: Take Some Time To See Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Fest
INDIGOgreen Blog Link: INDIGOGreen and Barrels Of Hope At This Year's Home Show
Links Of The Week Events |
Welcome to our now-weekly e-newsletter DIG (Do It Green). We hope that this minor intrusion on your inbox a few more times a month will not be too much of an imposition but rather, an inspriation to your green home projects and ideas. Thanks to all our customers for allowing us to spotlight your remodels and publish your words on how it was working with these materials. I think everyone will find it very helpful.
Also note our new store hours- we are now happy to have our weekends off and have gone mainstream with the rest of the working world and are open Mondays 10AM-3PM and Tuesday- Friday 10AM-5PM.
Please visit www.indigogreenstore.com for more updates.
BEWARE SOME PAGES ARE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
| |
|
VAST Paver
100% recycled, permeable, and availabe in a variety of colors and depths, VAST pavers are unique and easy to install. Enjoy 10% off through March.
| |
10% Off All Bamboo Countertops!
16% harder thBamboo countertops are all that and more. Rapidly renewable bamboo is layered into an amazing countertop that is beautiful and enduring. Great for kitchens, we have sizes especially made for islands.
|
|
|
|
CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT.
The Wear Family
Thanks to Stephanie, Brian and of course young Parker for choosing to work with INDIGOGreen for their bathroom remodel. Stephanie was pleased to share her comments with us:
"Our new concrete counters are beautiful and working with INDIGOGreen was easy. They helped us pick colors and work with their Safecoat paints that not only look amazing, but did not smell in our home for days and covered our walls great. Thank you INDIGO." |
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT.
Low Flush Toilets Are Not Low Performing
From Greenbuildingadvisor.com
A lot of people still point to products like early water-saving toilets, compact-fluorescent lamps, and recycled-plastic-lumber decking as evidence that new-fangled green products don't work very well. Clearly, there were some poorly performing products out there as manufacturers scrambled to respond to consumer demand and new regulations. But, for the most part, we've climbed up that learning curve, and current-generation products work very well.
Let's take a look at the history of a few of these product categories.
Low-flush toilets
The Energy Policy Act was signed into law in 1992 with a requirement that all toilets sold in the U.S. had to use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) by January, 1994. That wasn't much time for the plumbing industry to redesign their toilets, and many of those early 1.6-gpf toilets were indeed pretty unsatisfactory, requiring double flushing and frequent cleaning.
The problem was that those first low-flush toilets weren't designed from-the-ground-up to use 1.6 gallons for a flush; they were older toilets with bowls and trapways that had been designed to use 3.5 gallons or more; the only change was a modified flush valve that reduced the flush volume. Industry got the message loud and clear, and later models were designed to flush very well with 1.6 gpf-and some with even less. A new test procedure for toilet performance (Maximum Performance or MaP testing), introduced in 2003, helped manufacturers design better toilets by more accurately measuring flush performance.
The bottom line is that complaints about new 1.6 gpf toilets have largely disappeared and, in fact, a new generation of "high-efficiency toilets" (HETs) that use even less water (HETs are defined as using at least 20% less water than the federal standard, or a maximum of 1.28 gpf) often actually outperform those 3.5 gpf toilets that were on the market in 1990. We're using far less water today and getting better performance.
|
GREEN TIP.
|
Go See The Gainesville Environmental Film and Arts Festival
A most spectacular Film and Arts festivall called the Gainesville Environemtal Film and Arts Festival is starting this weekend and everyone should make it a point to go to at least one film. As far as I know, there is nothing like this around the country. A tremendous effort has been made by gogreennation.org and the Hippodrome State Theatre to bring 12 films to Gainesville over 9 days punctuated by an Eco Fest on Saturday the 27th, as well as art gallery exhibits, panel discussions and various learning opportunities.
Our heart at INDIGOGreen is with the documentary The Greening of Southie which follows the building of a LEED certified commercial building in the heart of South Boston:
What happens when you're asked to build the city of tomorrow...today? Set on the rugged streets of South Boston, The Greening of Southie is the story of a revolutionary Green Building, and the union teams who bring it to life. From wheatboard cabinetry to recycled steel, bamboo flooring to dual-flush toilets, The Macallen Building is something different- a leader in the emerging field of environmentally friendly design. But building green has its challenges, and the job-site has its skeptics. And when things on the building start to go wrong, the young development team has to keep the project from unraveling. Funny and poignant, The Greening of Southie is a story of bold ideas, new environmentalists, and the future of the way we live.
To me, this movie gets to the real background of what all the hub-bub on green is all about. Yes sustainable material is eco-friendly, yes it performs well, much of the material is even better looking and designed well. But there is so much more behind the green movement when it comes to putting sustainability into practice. And I'm sorry I have to end the post this way, but it sometimes ain't easy being green. See you at the movies! Oh check out the trailer here.
| |
|
INDIGOgreen BLOGreen.
Loving Where You Live- Protecting Our Beloved Springs of Florida I have been thinking lately about loving the place you live. Doing upgrades on a home be them green or otherwise, we seem most motivated when we are connected with that place and are not constantly thinking about where we would rather live or where we would buld our dream house. Your dream house can be the one you have. Besides, truly green homes are based on renovated and re-inventing what you have instead of building from scratch. Then I saw this video of John Moran speaking at the Springs of Florida rally at Tallahasse last month. Read on... |
|
|
COMMUNITY
First Annual Gainesville Environmental Film Fest
Hipppodrome State Theatre, Gainesville
March 19-28, 2010
The festival will present ten days of the best in environmental feature films and documentaries, film and environmental workshops, and culminate in an Environmental Fair and free family film at the Bo Diddley Downtown Plaza. Please let us know how you'd like to help make this festival the best it can be for our community.
Please contact Trish Riley regarding sponsorships and donations: ecofilmfest@gmail.com
Trish Riley-Film Festival Co-Director; Publisher, GoGreenNation.org: 954-384-9466
Shirley Lasseter-Film Festival Co-Director; Director, Hippodrome Cinema: 352-215-9918
Email link ecofilmfest@gmail.com
http://gefaf.org/
Spring ACCESS Classes
March 22nd
The public is invited to participate in the annual Alachua County Civic Education SerieS (ACCESS) classes, which will begin this spring. Alachua County Government invites you to learn about local government issues and gain access to County operations that most citizens never see. Each ACCESS graduating class will produce a group of citizens equipped to engage in ways that help Alachua County become more representative of its citizenry's needs.
County Manager Randall H. Reid said of ACCESS, "Thomas Jefferson believed an informed citizenry was democracy's greatest safeguard and we agree. Where do you go if you want to make a difference in your community ... ACCESS is the key."
ACCESS begins March 22, and runs for seven sessions. ACCESS is free but space is limited. For a complete schedule of classes, visit www.alachuacounty.us/ACCESS.
To reserve your seat, or for more information, call 352-374-5219.
Barrels Of Hope: Earth Bag Demonstration Project for Haitian Relief
Saturday, March 27
Sun Center, Gainesville
here will be an Earth Bag shelter demonstration project at the Sun Center during the Gainesville Environmental Film Fests' Environmental Fair to raise awareness and funding for this unique relief effort for the survivors of the Haitian earthquake disaster. Many people are left without potable water and shelter- this effort combines the potential to supply both. A 8'x10' earth bag shelter will be constructed and deconstructed in one day to demonstrate the promise of this amazingly simple concept and the entire house's contents will be shipped to Haiti in a 55-gallon food grade barrel converted to capture, store and dispense rain water.
Sponsored by INDIGOGreen, The Sustainable Design Group and The U.S. Green Building Council Heart of Florida Chapter.
http://www.barrelsofhope.org
Earthbag Dome Workshop
Apr 3 - 4, 2010 Welcome to a weekend of hands-on building with the most abundant, renewable material around: Earth. Jeff Bousquet will lead participants in the 2-day construction and plastering of a dome to be built in the greater Gainesville area, using local soil and ready-made plasters. Want to be a part of this lasting project and gain relevant knowledge for building durable structures? If you're a kinesthetic and/or visual learner interested in sustainable living, this one-time workshop will be a premium experience. Cost will be a sliding free scale $35-$100 which will indclude lunch. Contact educationdept@indigogreenstore.com for sign-up and inquiries. Biography: Jeff grew up in Gainesville as a student of the sustainable movement. He has spent the past 2 years creating Earthbag buldings and living a life dedicated to finding natural remedies for common ailments like poor water management and unsustainable systems. He helped design and build two code approved homes: one each in California and Kentucky. He is a certified permaculture designer. He also has experience with rain capture, water filtration, composting toilets, natural plaster, and solar energy.
National Rebuilding Day
Saturday, April 24, 2010
National Rebuilding Day is the culmination of months of planning, evaluating, training, organizing, and mobilizing of volunteers. It is embraced by faith-based groups, civic organizations and corporate sponsors as a way of bringing an immediate impact to our community in a single day. The purpose of that one incredible day is to improve the homes and lives of homeowners in need.
Last year, we had five remarkable project sponsors (corporations, groups or individuals who paid for the projects). This April, we need ten sponsors. If you can't be a sponsor, help us get one. Tell your employer - tell your church - tell your club or organization that we will come and explain the mission of Rebuilding Together. Last year, we had over a hundred tireless volunteers. This April, we need two hundred volunteers. Start spreading the word in every way you can think of.
What are you doing on April 24th, 2010? Join us as we make a difference in a day!
8th Annual Business Conference of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE): Lighting the Way to a New Economy
May 21-23, 2010
Charleston, South Carolina.
BALLE is North America's fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 75 community networks with more than 20,000 independent business members. BALLE networks are creating local living economies in their hometowns and cities by connecting the dots between independent retail, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, green building, local manufacturing, and community capital. Join hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners, BALLE network leaders, economic developers, local government representatives and community connectors, as we explore innovative best practices in growing community wealth and advancing the new economy. Learn more and register at Living Economies.org. | |
|
BE OUR FRIEND PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!
|
A special THANK YOU to all of the teachers and businesses who have donated to the cause of community education! We will no longer be having workshops at INDIGOGreen but please check our calendar or Sustainable Alachua County's website for workshop updates at www.sustainablealachua.org
Hours: Mon 10am-3pm; Tues-Fri 10am-5pm CLOSED Saturday and Sunday
322 SW 4th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 352.378.2285 Store 352.378.2289 Fax
www.indigogreenstore.com
| |
|
