They Company Car...A hybrid

The old Subaru was on the verge, our second child was on the way, and it was clear that it was time for a new car. Being in the Green business it is imperative that we “walk our talk” and live to the utmost greenness, especially if we are going to slap our company car magnet on a petrol fed automobile touting “Green Solutions.”

After taking Kim Wheel’s Low Carbon Diet seminar about ways to minimize our carbon foot print, I learned that no matter how well you recycle, use canvas grocery bags, or have the right light bulbs in your house…. if you drive a car or especially fly in an airplane, you end up ranking gluttonous and obese on the carbon diet. So, when it came to buying the company car, we decided that the next best thing we could do was to use a hybrid vehicle.

We rolled away with the latest in automobile technology, the Toyota Hybrid Highlander, on a 2 year lease, with the thought, that after two years, better technology will inevitably be available and we would trade it in for an even more efficient car. As part-time local filmmaker, Chris Paine, uncovered in his documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” advanced alternative fuel technology already exists but was squashed in order yield to those still profiting off of big oil. So, we are forced to wait patiently for politics, gas prices, and global warming to get severe enough in order for this ready alternative technology to reemerge.

The hybrid motor is designed to reduce air pollution and considerably improve fuel economy. Batteries in hybrid vehicles are recharged partly by the gas engines and partly by regenerative braking; a third of the energy from slowing the car is turned into electricity. I like this feature when my gas light is blinking, and I can glide from town down Keystone on battery power alone to get to the Saw Pit mercantile, my loyal-independent, non-multinational corporate conglomerate, local gas fill up station.

Practically speaking, our Hybrid is a good car, very safe, rather reliable, and has no problem passing sports cars on Dallas Divide. At best, our 4 wheel drive hybrid SUV, gets 28 miles to the gallon on the open road, 24 mpg pulling our pop up trailer to secluded camping spots, and 23 mpg in winter wearing four studded tires while running the heater. This is nothing to feel “green” about, really. Politicians are saying, it is a small step in the right direction. But actually, I feel that this is a pathetic advance in the potential and the urgency for lower carbon emitting vehicles. When your house is burning down (or your earth is burning up) you don’t take small steps towards safety, you run fast, taking big steps to get out of the inferno. At this rate, we will never meet even the most insignificant goals made at the Copenhagen Climate Summit to reduce the global temperatures by two degrees. Remember, that in preparation for world war II President Roosevelt mobilized our country to ramp up for war, rapidly building air crafts, machinery, military gear, not to mention the a-bomb in order to effectively end a war and change the world forever. We face this type of urgency for change right now.

We wait to see if the Obama administration, the economic crisis, the global warming threats, the war in the middle east now in its 9^th year over oil, and the tumbling banks and automotive industry might heed way to propel alternative energy and fuel efficiency to the next level quickly. I have read that there are some new compact hybrids that are celebrating getting max 40 mpg. Remember, however, there were automobiles made twenty years ago (before the trend of over sized gas guzzling vehicles) that got close to that same mileage It seems like competitive products like smart phones, prosthetic, and even head lamps have advanced their cutting edge technology greatly in this time, but our cutting edge car has been stuck dead in its design. Come April, when our lease runs out, three years later, we will not be turning it in for a higher tech vehicle as we thought, because still no such thing exists.

Joanna Kanow is owner of EcoSpaces: Green Building Solutions: a green building materials design/supply showroom and distribution center. EcoSpaces is located at 162A Society Turn in Lawson Hill. 970-728-1973 www.EcoSpaces.net and is Telluride;s source to Green Building Materials.

Telluride Locals attend GreenBuild 2009

Once again, a small delegation of Telluride's green building advocates converged on the world's largest Green Building conference and Expo that happened this year in Phoenix, Arizona.  After all, the town of Telluride, Mountain Village and San Miguel County governments have recently adopted Green Building codes for new construction slated to be erected any were in the vicinity of this world class ski resort. Currently, any new commercial construction in Mountain Village now needs to be built according to LEED standards.  "LEED is the internationally recognized green building certification which provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance in energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental air quality, stewardship of natural resources and sensitivity to their impacts." So it is imperative that some of us living, building, and working towards sustainability in this region,  stay abreast to the innovation of this movement.

The National Greenbuild conference takes place every year in a different US city. This year, 27,373 people attended from 78 countries featuring three days of great educational sessions, stirring speeches, inspiring networking, and an Expo hall filled with hundreds of new green products to see.  It literally took me two full days to visit over 1,8000 booths touting the latest in green building materials.  Of the most impressive products I found this year was a new architectural software called AutoDesk, which enables architects and designers to perform whole building analysis to optimize energy efficiency before the building is even built.  There were several advances in photo voltaic technologies including solar panels as thin as a wax paper, cylindrical tubing panels that allow the sun to hit them from any, and full roof systems imbedded with solar panels that come ready to install as  one unit.  I was impressed with tiles made from recycled airplane metal, and roofing tiles made from recycled rubber tubing used in automobile parts and plastic from baby diapers, and countertops made from recycled glass that are now taking the place of quarried granite. I met the programmers from www.GreenKonnect.com,  a new Green Building social network that connects architects, builders and contractors to discuss their opinions after using green building materials new to the industry.   This year, we had to beware of a few green-washing manufacturers who were there primarily to take advantage of the economic boom in the green building industries trying to get a piece of the pie.   Based on a 2009 study by the USGBC and Booz Allen Hamilton it is projected that green building will pump $554 billion into the American economy over the next four years.

 

The event included addresses by the Assistant to President Obama for Energy and Climate Change Carol Browner, as well as the keynote speaker, Al Gore.  He was preaching to the choir but stated it quite eloquently, "We still have a climate crisis, an economic crisis and a national security crisis ... they are united by the thread of dependence on carbon-based fuel, you pull that thread and the crises unravel."

 

Anyone I turned to in the Convention Center shared his or her passion for their work in this field.   I met with architects who are rebuilding the lower 9^th Ward in New Orleans, with green affordable housing for the original tenants. Rani Guram, an architect and designer also working with EcoSpaces, attended workshops on green affordable housing and came out feeling, "That there is an overall movement to make green building affordable to all."  I spoke with an engineer from the Coast Guard who was in charge of greening military bases, a mandate now from the Federal government. I discussed the topic of "socially conscious business" with companies who make this a transparent value of their overall business plan. I met a man who specialized in "Green Relief Housing" which are units that can be shipped on a pallet to any disaster or refugee site in need of housing.  Sansy Franklin, EcoSpace's showroom manager, was inspired by the Cradle to Cradle manufacturers like FLOR carpet tiles, who she said, "Are being thoughtful about what more they can do (in terms of being an environmentally conscious manufacturing plant) while still putting out quality products while being cost effective."   It was enlightening to be exposed to so many people dedicated to this environmental cause.

 (If you are interested in taking part in next year's GreenBuild conference taking place in Chicago in November 2010, please contact EcoSpaces who will donate a free pass to attend the Expo to anyone interested in being part of this Telluride delegation for Green Building.)

Green Real Estate

Green Real Estate
By Joanna Kanow
Executive Director, EcoSpaces LLC

You are shopping around for a new house to call home for your family. You are about to take out the hugest loan of your life and invest the biggest chunk of change into a piece of real estate that you will be paying off for the majority of your adult life.

Your real estate agent presents you with one house where you would never have a utility bill, you rarely would need to run the heater or air conditioner, the air quality would be pure due to the care put into building the home with non-toxic and sustainable materials. Furthermore, many of the recycled materials used for decking, flooring, roofing etc. need not be replaced during the lifetime of the house because of their outstanding durability. You would actually be saving money due to the efficiency of the home, and could qualify for more on the purchasing price for a Green Home like this. The other house is conventionally constructed, and cannot guarantee these things. Which would you choose?

Green Real Estate is another niche market that is popping up during this green revolution where certain brokerages are dedicated to showing clients the health benefits and financial rewards of a green built home. Green brokers focus on selling houses that have cared to include eco-friendly features and efficient technologies, are certified as Energy Star Rated or LEED Certified, and that are designed to be healthy for the home owner and the environment. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Eco Homes are the hot sell right now even when the real estate market is slow. Christian Thomas, owner of Green Door Living Green Real Estate Firm based out of Denver, Colorado reflects that in this market, homes that integrate green features are more of a premium, have creative marketing points, and seem to move faster in this sluggish real estate economy. Jill Masters is Telluride’s only certified Eco Broker, which entails taking a course and a test to earn this title. Although she admits that there has only been one LEED certified home for sale thus far in Telluride, she hopes that future building begins to trend towards the green and has put her self in position. She notes that the town of Telluride has already started building Green Affordable Housing units that cost local owners merely nothing to heat in the winter. The Telluride Association of Realtors has also just recently added a line to their MLS listings that gives buyers the option to state if their property is Eco Friendly.

Although there are not yet any stringent certifications or regulated criteria that validates that a home is truly green, beyond the U.S. Green Building Council’s stringent and voluntary LEED certification, there are some characteristics of a home that do help the value and the sale of a Green Home. If you are shopping for a home ask if the home was built using non-toxic, recycled content and/or renewable resources. Inquire if it is Energy efficient, built with a tight envelope, includes energy efficient appliances and windows. Homes that derive most of their space and water heating from the sun using Solar Power are very desirable as well, as these features diminish utility bills altogether. Also note which way the home is oriented to understand what kind of passive gain the house may have in each season. You may also ask if the home includes HVAC, ventilation and filtration systems that are designed for optimum indoor air quality. Inquire about the insulation and ask for past heating bills. Homes that incorporate some of these features can drastically reduce operational costs as well as possibly qualify you for a special Eco Mortgage.

Energy-efficient mortgages are one of the most beneficial and under-utilized programs the consumer can find and capitalize upon in today's real estate market. An energy-efficient mortgage can add an additional 15% of a home's appraised value to the principal of a new loan or a refinance, often at no additional cost, no compromise in the loan-to-value ratio for the borrower, and sometimes at a better rate. The first steps to qualifying for an energy efficient mortgage is to have a certified energy rater come and conduct the analysis of your property. Energy raters, such as Lotus Energy Solutions based out of Telluride, can also run a blow door test to find areas that need to be resealed and a they use an infrared camera to take pictures that show heat loss in hard-to-detect areas. Taking these steps not only alerts the home owner of how energy efficient their house is overall, but also could afford the buyer more purchasing power on a loan, as well as savings in the future.

Once again, being Green can save you some green, and help save the planet at the same time. Buying green in finally economically advantageous, as well as healthy for you, your home, and the environment.

Refrigerator Down

Was there a rotting dead skunk sitting in its own vomit in my dishwasher?  When I walked into my kitchen I was enveloped with a putrid cloud of odor that smelled worse than rancid hard boiled eggs.  It did not take me long to open the freezer door to discover the bacon was warmer than my leather  car seat in the summer with windows rolled up. The ice cream was blue with something not meant to be a topping, and the ice tray could have housed tropical fish.  Our Refrigerator/ Freezer has been a solid member of our household for the past 15 years living with our family as a loyal  member.   I have interacted with it on a daily bases for longer than I have my own two daughters.  I rely on my fridge just like I do my own heartbeat, expecting it to work for me on a continual, round-the-clock basis.  Yes, I may be co-dependent, for the moment it stops working for me, disaster sets in.

I had to toss out hundreds of dollars of groceries: the poor chicken breasts, dead for no cause.  The bottle of ketchup that chilled in the door for at least half a year had to go, too. Those frozen bananas for smoothies now brown sticky warm soup. Learning that you need to purchase a new fridge is like the clutch going out in your truck:  an unexpected expense that needs to be addressed rather promptly in order to regain normality back into your life.  So, time for a new fridge, what to do?

When faced with the reality of having to buy a new refrigerator, only consider appliances that are certified Energy Star. Since there is not a moment in the day that your refrigerator is not drawing energy, it is best to find one that has a low annual energy use.  Top mounted freezer use less energy than similarly sized side-by-side models, even if they are both rated energy star. 
Refrigerators fewer than 25 cubic feet should meet the needs of most households and obviously over sized refrigerators will use more energy.  Know that some new model refrigerators are eligible for rebates through San Miguel power. 
When sending your no longer loyal appliance to the land of dead appliances, be sure you dispose of your old refrigerator properly. Cooling equipment, such as refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers and room air conditioners involve refrigerants and insulating foams that release ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases once in a landfill. Older appliances may also contain PCBs, Freon or mercury. Federal law requires the removal and proper disposal of refrigerants but not foam products.  Thankfully, there is a once a year town Spring clean up put on by the New Community Coalition that accepts old refrigerators for a small charge.  If you are unable to hold on to your now hazardous piece of waste, you can call Best Appliances in Montrose who, for $45, will remove the freon in your refrigerator and then deliver it to Recla metals to be recycled.  A pick up fee may apply.
When my loyal fridge went down, I immediately called the appliance Doctor to see if he could resuscitate it.  He shop vacuumed 15 years of shmutz out of the coils and vents and prescribed rest, and then a restart in 24 hours.  Luckily, our fridge   did come back to life and I was able to swiftly avoid replacement. Though, now that I am over educated in the world of refrigerators, I know that my fridge, built 20 years ago uses 70% more energy than today's energy-efficient model.  The dilemma, dump it for a newer energy efficient one or let it keep wasting energy but avoid the repercussions of the hazardous waste it contains and those effects on the environment. Every green-minded environmental consumer is always faced with these lesser of two evil decisions.   None the less, give your fridge the respect it deserves, as we hope it will live with your family for many decades to come.  

EcoSpaces Green Film Series

EcoSpaces Green Film Series

As our effort to get the message of sustainability and green living
out to our community, we have been hosting a monthly FREE GREEN FILM
SERIES at the Wilkinson Public Library. We have been very thrilled
with the turn out and the engaging discussions to follow the films.
We have screened: "The Eleventh Hour", "Addicted to Plastic", and a
short montage focusing on "Solutions to Global Warming". This week's
free film in the Program Room is "Recipe for Disaster". We plan to
continue to bring you thought provoking, innovative and
environmentally conscious films as part of our mission to educate our
community about the need for environmental awareness.

We all know what we should be doing for the environment, but do we
always do it? It is finally widely accepted that the burning of
fossil fuels and the excess of carbon emissions is causing an
environmental crisis. It is honorable is you carry your own canvas
bag home full of groceries, or opt to fill your reusable thermos mug
for your daily latte as your personal effort to curb the global
warming crisis. These things are all good and we appreciate your
efforts, which are essential for becoming part of the change. Though,
filmmaker, John Webster, feeling a moral obligation to personally take
responsibility for their family's contribution to climate change,
convinces his wife and two young sons to rid themselves of all oil
based products for a year.

"Recipe for Disaster" is this weeks free Film at Wilkinson Public
Library. It is a fantastic film for the whole family, or anyone who
is trying to live lighter on the planet. During this year-long
oil-fast, the family remains in mainstream society, continuing their
suburban lives in Finland, while attempting to have a net zero gain of
carbon emissions, a feat that consists of a commitment to the
environment far beyond canvas shopping bags and re-usable mugs. In
this comedy of errors, the Webster family find themselves testing
their values, will power and happiness, while changing their
comfortable life style in the name of the earth.

Obviously, the first thing to go is the family car, that has been
essential for transporting kids to school, parents to work, groceries
and larger items back home. They take to public transportation, with
kids in tow, as many as six times a day. The must grow accustom to
walking the last leg home during the icy dark winter nights while
pushing a stroller filled with their rations.

Since all plastics are derived from oil, all food wrapped in plastics,
products packaged in plastics, and materials made of plastics are also
off limits in the Webster's home. The first dilemma: getting
un-packaged toilet paper. At every hurdle, Jon's wife seems ready to
abort this crazy and inconvenient experiment. Though, when she
encounters an industrial office supply store, she purchases 3 bicycle
wheel size rolls of toilet paper and carts them home victoriously.
The kids adapt to: brushing their teeth with home-made tooth paste,
eating fresher unpackaged foods, and accepting modestly wrapped
Christmas presents, since scotch tape is no longer accepted in this
family.

The filmmaker is constantly crunching the numbers to come up with the
calculations on how successful they are in reducing their carbon
footprint. They are clearly making less of an impact on the global
condition, but despite their complete life style changes on this
strict carbon diet, the numbers indicate that they still need to
tighten their belts. That is when dad declares that the heater must
go too!

"This well paced and humorous film documents the comedy of errors
that result from a do-gooder's well-intentioned plans that at times
seem impossible to implement and at other times stretch the patience
of his family to a breaking point. Yet, the film gives a surprising
demonstration of what the individual can do to avert a climatic
catastrophe." Reviews say.

Bring the whole family and come see this free movie Monday night at
6:00 PM at the Wilkinson Public Library. Sponsored by EcoSpaces Green
Building Solutions and The New Community Coalition, together:
Empowering Sustainable Choices. 85 minutes long with some English
subtitles.

--
Be Well,

Daniel Kanow
EcoSpaces "Green Building Solutions"
Telluride, CO USA
(O) 970-728-1973 (F) 970-728-8007

Green Building Materials
Green Building Design Consulting

"Be involved in a Movement"

"The Three Little Pigs" thinking about Green Building

"Three Little Pigs" thinking about Green Building

The "Three Little Pigs" have taught countless generations about the concept of green building.    When we re-tell this story to our children we are also planting lessons on long term investing, sustainable consumer choices, conservation of natural resources and healthy living. The theories of straw bale, stick frame and adobe construction are introduced to each generations this way.

 

The piggy that built his house out of straw chose the quick, cheap and easy way to put up his home, which may not have cost him an arm and a leg but ultimately did cost him his arm and his leg.    If only he sought council from his more business savvy brother who built out of brick, he could have greatly improved his quality of his life.  For, the Piggy who built with brick measured his long-term return on investment.  He spent more in upfront costs for quality materials in order to assure energy efficient and maintenance free structure for the future.  He also was keen to the trends in real estate sales, sensing that green built homes would be more marketable for resale. The moral to the story is: build a durable house with renewable materials, build it well, invest in quality products, and live a healthy life.

 

The catch is, sometimes you have to spend more on your initial investment for materials in order to insure savings in future operational costs. Unfortunately, there is a "consistent disconnect" in peoples' minds between the higher up-front costs of building green and the ensuing savings in operating costs. Overcoming this is fundamental to understanding the value of green building.  Building with Green Materials generally costs 1-5% more up front for buildings complying with LEED certified standards. So, why choose the green sustainable building product and spend a bit more now?  Because you will be richer for it in the long run with a healthy home, healthy family, and healthy wallet for the duration of each subsequent year you live in that house.

Improving insulation is one of the first places homeowners can start greening.  Creating a tight building envelope by retaining the heat in winter and cool air in summer will save you considerable money over time.  In choosing insulation make sure to select formaldehyde free to assure healthy indoor air quality.  Consider the cotton insulation that is made from post-industrial waste from blue jeans.  Roll in this bat insulation yourself (no gloves or full boy protective suit needed.) This soft blue jean material is soaked in borax, which is pest and fire retardant. Also, Tax Credits are now available for those who buy the indicated type of insulation.

Doors and Windows are the next place to spend and save.  Fix those unwelcome frigid drafts in your house that refreeze you after stepping out of a warm shower.  Once again, you can reduce your energy bill by 15% when using Energy Star qualified materials for windows with a U-Factor of .35 or less. Clawson Windows make energy efficient windows as well, they are made with sustainable harvested woods from Montana to match floors or trim. Tax rebates of up to 30% are available for Energy Star windows that have a U factor of .30 or less. 

If it is time to replace your roof there are many green choices that you should know about.  Firstly, you should be mostly thinking about color! Light colored shingles will prevent increased heat transfer in the attic.  A lighter shade roof could save your between 20- 40% in summer energy costs. EcoStar roofing tiles are made from 95% recycled plasticfrom the automotive industry and are molded to look exactly like shake or slate tiles.  This roof comes with an unheard of 50-year warranty, as the recycled rubber tiles are practically invincible to wind, ice, and snow.  Some roofs also qualify for a discount of up to 35% on your homeowners insurance.

It is clear that the repeated annual savings and the payback returns are what are most enticing about choosing green building materials.  We all may want to help save the environment, but if we can do it by saving our money, then the decision is just a lot easier.  Green building is no longer just an added expense for environmental die hards.  Now it makes practical economic sense to be choosing materials that are durable, sustainable, maintenance free, non-toxic that will continue to make a return on your initial investment.  And of course, you can live happily every after like the Piggy who built green. 

Addicted to Plastics

On April 20, 6 p.m., Telluride's Wilkinson Public Library in collaboration with The New Community Coalition and Joanna and Daniel Kanow's EcoSpaces continues its Green Film Series with "Addicted to Plastic: The Rise and Demise of a Modern Miracle." The program opens with a trailer of "Bag It," another look at the shrink-wrapped world we live in, a work-in-progress by local Suzan Beraza.

From styrofoam cups and boxes to tote take-out to artificial organs and the credit cards we use to buy them (often referred to simply as "plastic"), the demand for plastic in our culture is so great, my tortoise-framed sunglasses could become an endangered species. For better and for worse, no invention in the past century has had more influence than these synthetics, affecting nearly every ecosystem and invading nearly every nook and corner of human society, including our dinner table, where the toxic chemical compounds on land and in our oceans travel up the food chain and wind up in our food.

In 85 minutes, the documentary details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity, and biodegradability. Not just another eco-horror film, however, "Addicted" also offers hope in many forms, such as plant-based renewable bioplastics.

In the mid-1990s, Joanna Measer Kanow and husband Daniel were teaching in a one-room, off-the-grid schoolhouse powered by solar and hydropower in the little town of Whale Gulch, California, while living in a solar-powered cabin overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The couple were green crusaders long before "green" became fashionable.

In August 2007, the Kanows opened EcoSpaces, a green building design and supply showroom selling everything from roofing tiles made from recycled rubber to look exactly like slate or shingle to insulation made from recycled denim from blue jeans and so much more. Now EcoSpaces has also morphed into a nexus for change in the region, working with the TNCC to help educate our community about ways to live sustainably by offering workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and films such as "Addicted."

To learn more, click the "play" button and listen to Joanna speak about her business, this film and other EcoSpaces events and projects. (Also check out TNCC's website for ways to recycle plastic, especially yogurt containers.)

For more info and to hear a live recoded interview with Joanna Kanow about this topic please go to

http://www.tellurideinside.com/2009/04/wilkinson-public-library-green-film-series.html

Thank you to www.TellurideInside.com for their interest in our business and what we are trying to do here in the world of living green!