LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third-party certification program, founded and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It's a voluntary program that was launched in 1998, just five years after the founding of the USGBC itself. The goal of LEED is to:
    LEED'S mission is to drive building trades toward the construction and renovation of buildings that are more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, thus providing healthier environments for its occupants.
Five Keys of Green Design:
1. Sustainable site plan
2. Safeguarding water and water efficiency
3. Energy efficiency and renewable energy
4. Conservation of materials and resources
5. Indoor environmental quality
The savings of green buildings adds up to 30-50% energy use, 35% carbon emissions, 40% water use, and 70% solid waste.
LEED is a rapidly growing, international, voluntary set of building guidelines that is based on energy saving and sustainable design and maintenance.

Wear three layers of clothing.

Change into dry clothes. If any part of your body gets wet, immediately remove the clothing and replace with dry clothing. Always have an extra change of clothes in the truck.

Shivering, blue lips, fatigue, drowsiness, and euphoria are some of the symptoms of cold stress. Call 911 immediately if you or someone else is experiencing any of these symptoms.

Frost bite. If the skin on your fingers, hands, toes, feet, ears, or nose tingles, turns waxy white, hard, or numb seek immediate medical attention. Do not try to warm yourself, you might just make it worse and cause more damage.

Eye Protection. Blowing snow or salting can irritate your eyes and impair your vision which can lead to accidents. Protective gear, such as ski goggles or sun glasses help stop your eyes from tearing and allows you to focus on the road.

   Today we have equipment that can tell a system just how much water to dispense based on its weather reading. However, even with state-of-the-art sprinkler and drip systems,  billions of gallons of water are being wasted. These billions of gallons of potable water sprayed onto lawns, runs off of lawns and into rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes, taking pesticides, fertilizers, and other harsh unwanted chemicals with it. "The U.S. EPA estimates that more than 50% of all landscape water is wasted."
   The problem does not lie with technology; it's with the lack of knowledge and care in designing and installing irrigation systems, and maintaining them regularly. The systems are only as smart as the people who install and care for them.
Suggestions for Smarter Water Use:
1. Asking suppliers for help- Many suppliers provide technical instruction about all types of equipment, not just their own.
2. Education for alternative resources- Using alternative water sources for irrigation such as, rainwater harvesting, graywater use, and reclaimed water is beneficial.
3. Include irrigation in your landscape design- Have your landscape incorporate rain gardens and other run-off capturing features where appropriate.
Water Conserving Irrigation Strategies
  Here are some basic irrigation rules that apply:
  ·   Water trees first- Without trees the surrounding area is hotter. Trees are also expensive to replace. Trees provide shade for plants that would otherwise not survive the harsh sun.
·   Mulch all flower and soil beds- Mulch helps keep water in the soil. Gravel and rocks add heat to the soil        causing the moisture to evaporate much faster.
·   Aerate the lawn- Fill the holes with compost so the water can infiltrate deeper.  
·   Start watering early- Finish your watering by 9 a.m.
·   Consider a smart controller- Smart controllers monitor the weather and can turn off when it rains.
·   Soil may appear dry- The soil may look like it needs to be watered, but if a 6 inch screwdriver goes easily into the soil then you should wait to water.
·   Mow lawns higher and less often- When mowing you should not take off more than 25% of the lawn.
·   Check for leaks-repair immediately when found.
·   Turn on each sprinkler zone- Watch each zone and see how long it takes for each to generate runoff. Then round sprinkler time down to the nearest minute and set that time as your maximum run time for each zone.
.   Adjust Sprinkler Heads-Debris gets trapped and can cause water to spray where you don't want it. Clean out the heads and manually adjust where the water is spraying.
   Water is precious and continues to be wasted despite the large advances in irrigation systems. Get educated and see what works well with your landscape.