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 Principal's Word
Foreclosure
hit an all time high in the month of September and California has realized a
loss in property tax collections of nearly 3 billion just in the year of 2008.
What does this mean for the Green Building Industry? Fundamentally,
it is time to re-evaluate our current development strategies and adopt a more
"green" approach.
New Urbanism
is a design movement which promotes walkable neighborhoods that contain a range
of housing and job types. It supports regional planning for open spaces,
context appropriate architecture and planning. This movement is our opportunity
to minimize urban sprawl and to reinvest in our cities growth that will lead to
more sustainable future use of land and natural resources. In these very
turbulent economic down times it's very easy to get consumed by our everyday
grind, trying to meet our financial obligation. We as a society must take a minute
and start planning to take our cities development in a new direction. Simply
being conscious of our surrounding will lead to this realization; it can be as
easy as stopping and smelling the roses.
October 20, 2009
Joseph Blanco and De'Aundri Abbott
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New Urbanism
By: Michelle Villagra
RESCUE Green Blog
Globalization is driven by technology and innovation; it has increased the spatial reach of communication, and extended the scope of international trade, finance, and investment. These advancements have brought several societies great prosperity but has simultaneously fueled social inequalities by leading others into deeper poverty.
Globalization along with unmanaged population growth, have placed surmounting stress on existing infrastructures. For instance, there are over 20 cities with a population of well over 10 million inhabitants. Lured by the wealth of globalization many governments failed to prepare for urban population growth and the subsequent demand for social and human resources. Uncontrolled growth presents an array of problems; from traffic congestion to air pollution and unemployment. Aside from the countless abuse on ecological systems, megacities are far from attractive or clean places to live.
Why do people continue to migrate to highly dense urban centers, knowing the conditions they will find? For obvious reasons, cities offer more economic and educational opportunities. Unfortunately, the quality of life expected in these global cities is often a disappointment.
New Urbanism is just the development strategy equipped to deal with the overwhelming growth of cities and urban spaces. Influenced by urban design standards before the rise of the automobile, it is intended to reform real estate development. It rejects our current system of congested, intolerable cities, and instead aims to rebuild and restructure urban centers.
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Making Suburbia More Livable
By: Glenn Ruffenach
Source: Wall Street Journal
The nation's sprawling suburbs may have been a good place to grow up, but they're a tough place to grow old. Here's how towns are beginning to 'retrofit' their neighborhoods-and what your community might look like in the future.
"Every small community has the same problem," says Mr. Steele, age 69. "We want residents to be able to age in place, to meet their needs...here, without having to move away."
To that end, he indicates on the map how a new street grid could reduce traffic in the center of town and help Fayetteville become a "walking community"; how new town homes and condominiums, in an area where single-family homes have long been the norm, could give residents of all ages more housing options; and how new greenways and parks could promote social interaction.
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Free Parking Isn't Free
By: Seth Zeren
Source: WorldChanging
When does a Prius have the same environmental impact as a Hummer? The 95 percent of the time it's parked.
Most people don't spend time thinking about parking spaces unless they're looking for one. But these 9' by 18' rectangles of urban real estate have a vast impact on North American communities. They affect the economy, land use patterns, the design of cities and even individual lifestyles.
A small group of urban planners, economists, and community advocates are committed to changing the way Americans think about and plan for parking. Their claim is bold and powerful: minimum parking requirements should be considered one of the foremost contributors to suburban sprawl and the hollowing out of urban cores in the United States (in addition to the usual culprits of white flight, FHA mortgage redlining, and the interstate highway system).
For the full article click here
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The Green Funny Bone!
What is your Ecological Footprint?
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Social Media Completes Buying Cycle - Doesn't Compete With Search
By: Jim Gibson
Lately, I've been reading a ton of articles that discuss how social media is impacting search. The most common question is whether social networking is changing the way people search for information online? Or more importantly, does the word of mouth (WOM) nature of social media pose a real threat to search in general?This question is addressed at a high level by Chris Crum on the WebProNews blog in an article titled: "Social Media Will Not Replace Search" however the article stops short of addressing the real value of social media for people searching for the right information. More specifically, for those in the Green Building industry, how does social media impact the ability to target your message to the right audience? Let's put aside for a moment the notion of using social media to build general awareness of Green Building initiatives (a whole new topic) as well as engaging in paid search (i.e., Google AdWords) and instead focus on how these growing communications platforms can become an effective (and inexpensive) medium for delivering the eyeballs of people who are actively seeking (and willing to pay for) your services.
Learn more about SEO and Social Media for your organization at GibSem and hear more about the outstanding group of Southern California Green Building professionals, the San Fernando Valley Green Building Task Force
For additional information or to contact Jim, please email: jgibson@onlinemediatoday.com
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This comprehensive green glossary helps you breakdown green building terms and jargon.
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Upcoming Events |
FUTURE BUILD LA CONFERENCE Tues Oct 20, 2009 8am-3:30pm, Los Angeles, CA
FutureBuildLA 2009 is the first in what will be an annual conference and exposition bringing together developers, financiers, builders, law professionals, policy makers, planners, politicians, product innovators, building owners and operators, utilities, and other land use and real estate professionals, to explore sustainability from concept to execution.
Event website
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WATER AND LAND FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE SOUTHWEST
Thurs Oct 22 8:00am - Oct 23 Noon,Tuscon, AR
Renewable energy is coming to the Southwest. How will it impact our natural resources? Topics include: - Issues and opportunities for renewable energy in the Southwest - Incentives and barriers to renewable development - Federal, state, and utility roles - Land and water requirements - The permitting process - Costs and benefits of various technologies
Event website______________________________
TAKE THE MYSTERY OUT OF SOLAR!
Sun Oct 25 9am-2pm, Mar Vista, CA
Solar energy consultant Patricia Tabachnik of California Green Designs joins us to answer common questions people ask about going solar. Learn what the cost is for a typical single family home and what the regulations and rebates are as well as the technical aspects that are involved.
_______________________________ SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONAL 2009
Oct 27-29, Anaheim, CA
Solar Power International (SPI), previously called Solar Power Conference and Expo, was created in 2004 when the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) joined together in partnership to fill an obvious void: the US was missing a business-to-business solar conference and expo. With an industry growth rate of more than 40% per year, there was a need for a single event where industry could come together with potential customers, policymakers, investors, and other parties necessary for continued rapid growth.
Event website
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FOR MORE GREEN EVENTS VISIT OUR CALENDAR
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Featured Green Product
EcoUrban
Collection is a line of environmentally responsible, American-made, Eurostyle
cabinetry for kitchen, bath and office.
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EcoAire, utilizes low VOC processes and domestic,
cellulose fiber-based EcoVeneer.
- EcoSteel, our premium tier, all stainless
steel system featuring our proprietary, weldless assembly.
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Plant of the Month
Combining the best traits of its parents (the Pink Fairy Duster and the Baja Fairy Duster) the Red Hybrid Fairy Duster is a low-growing, feathery evergreen plant with intermittent bloom. It does not require significant amount of water, and is best in full sun. Click Here For More Info |
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Green Home Tips
Insulate the attic, basement, and crawl space. About 20% of energy costs come from heat loss in those areas.
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Get Trained: Green Building in 2009
RESCUE Green has invested substantial resources in developing training programs that are relevant, as well as rigorous.
NOW AVAILABLE! Green Building for Real Estate Professionals!
Sign up today for our next class and earn continuing education credits.
Next class: November 17th Space is limited.
If you are interested in up to date Green Building training, email us your information to and receive a list of training classes in your area. |
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Quote of the Month
"In 1970, Los
Angeles became the first place where the total acreage
used for roads and parking exceeded the amount of space given over to
habitation."
-Victor Papanek |
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Join RESCUE Green Today!
Receive important green building updates, news, discussions, and more!
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| RESCUE Green Services |
We offer an array of green services from project managing, comissioning, and charrettes to educational seminars and environmental auditing. Go to GREEN SERVICES on our website to collaborate with RESCUE Green on your next project.
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| Contact Information |
RESCUE Green
(888) 543.9205
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