Eco Choice Awards tap three green gifts

The Eco Choice Awards were announced this month at the New York International Gift Fair. Three new products were singled out:

Most Innovative: Emerson House by Brinca Dada. A dollhouse with 23 LED lights powered by solar panels.

Most Sensitive Use of Materials: On The Rocks by Sea Stones. Stone “ice” cubes keep drinks cold without diluting them, and are made of repurposed stone and FSC-certified wood.

Most Sellable: Kitchen Basics by Bambu. Kitchen tools made of renewable, certified organic bamboo.

This dollhouse features LED lights powered by solar panels.

Canadian big-box retailers to meet at eco-summit

Wal-Mart Canada has invited its competitors and other companies to a green business conclave to be held just before the Winter Olympics. Companies who have agreed to attend include Coca-Cola Canada, Colgate-Palmolive Canada, and McDonald's Canada, as well as rivals Canadian Tire and Home Depot Canada. Altogether, 300 executives from business, government, and non-profits will be there.

Here's what Wal-Mart Canada CEO David Cheesewright in a Vancouver Sun op-ed:

Wal-Mart Canada will host some of Canada's top business executives, non-profits and government leaders at the Wal-Mart Green Business Summit in Vancouver. There are two concepts driving the summit. The first is that by demonstrating the business case for more environmentally sustainable business practices, whether lower costs because of greater efficiencies or greater sales because of increased green product, we can show business that green should not be seen as a new set of restrictions: It is a world of opportunity. This will move business to change faster than any regulations can. The second concept is that collaboration is a must. The planet does not have time for all of us to work in silos, wasting time and money recreating more sustainable business practices. We must share green knowledge.

The event, timed to build on publicity from the winter games, seems to be equal parts marketing hoopla and serious summit. Check out the statement from Canadian Tire, as cited in the Environmental Leader:

Competitor Canadian Tire said it viewed its participation in the summit as a platform to discuss its “leadership position” in sustainability.

A little combative, sure. But if big companies are jockeying to be king of the green retail mountain, that's progress, right?

Explosion of expos

The local home show has long been a staple of home improvement professionals at convention centers around the country. I bought my first ladder at a home show, myself. But there is a new, eco-friendly twist to the phenomenon: the green expo. More and more of these are popping up. Consider these events, to pick a few:

• Living Green Expo, in southern New Jersey.
• Northern Green Expo, in Minneapolis. 
• Go Green Expo, in seven-plus cities, including New York.
• Idaho Green, in Boise.
• Greenbuild, in Phoenix in 2009, Chicago in 2010.

If you are thinking about exhibiting at one of these events, whether a trade show or a home show, your cred goes up if you keep your own booth as environmentally friendly as your product. To that end, here's some advice for attending green shows:

• Make sure give-aways are actually likely to be useful, and make them from recycled materials. Use canvas bags, not plastic.
• Give out information on CDs or flash drives. If you have to use paper, use recycled paper and avoid coatings that are hard to recycle.
• Design your booth components to be reusable and recyclable.

And in the Do-As-I-Say-Not-As-I-Do Department, here's a Web page with the promising title, "Green tips for exhibitors" -- but the page offers only this:

For this years show National Funeral Exhibitions will be encouraging exhibitors and suppliers to improve environmental performance. An information sheet giving simple and practical green advice will be distributed to all exhibitors.

Translation: Nope, no info online, but we have eco-tips for you printed on dead trees. Epic Fail, as the kiddies say.

Photo hat tip: Alternative Consumer.

Eco-news is good news at PCBC

Okay, sure, the housing market is still in the slumping doldrums (despite a little recent good news), and so the mood at PCBC, the West Coast builders show, may have been "gloomy" and "somber," but there were still some silver linings -- or should I say, green linings!

There was an interesting insulation product made partly of castor oil. (Hat tip to the Green Building Elements blog for that link, but note that the writer of the post could not resist snarking at the SFI booth.)

There were "Cool Products" that included recycled slate tiles, an energy efficient ventilation fan system, and a more-affordable rooftop solar power system.

There were "Smart Solutions" such as a wastewater system that filters water from the laundry, kitchen and shower and then reuses it for drip irrigation.

And in a report from HCN's Brae Canlen, with whom I work, Brae mentioned green-themed educational sessions as well as new products from Toto and GE. Toto's offerings included water-saving faucets and showerheads, including a motion-detecting faucet that used a turbine for energy, and needs no battery or connection to a power grid. GE's new Hybrid Electric Water Heater (pictured at the show above in a photo by Brae) uses half the energy of a standard heater by absorbing heat from the air and transferring it to water.

Huttig launches green workshop

Huttig Building Products is launching its first Greener Selections Workshop on 17 Feb 2009 in St. Louis at the St. Charles Convention Center. The program, which costs $20, covers "what “green” really means, summaries of key certification programs, resources you need to know, and best ways to sell green."

The full-day event will include several presentations, two keynote speakers, and giveaways and prizes.

Home center certified in Calif. green biz program

Friedman’s Home Improvement has been certified by the Sonoma Green Business Program for completing requirements to become a Sonoma County Green Business. The retailer's green efforts include passing audits that showed conservation of water, energy, and waste.

The photo above, courtesy of Friedman's, is from the certification ceremony. Pictured: Barry Friedman (Friedman’s Home Improvement), Ben Stone (Sonoma County Economic Development Board), and Jim Lynch (Sonoma Index-Tribune) .

USGBC lauds green homebuilders

The U.S. Green Building Council sent me an e-mail message featuring the winners of its first-ever Green Homebuilder’s Day, which was an event at the 2008 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Boston. There's a video link on this page, too. It included an awards ceremony, and while I would have linked to a list of winners, the only list I have came in the e-mail. Here they are:

Outstanding Multi-Family Project: Avesta Housing’s Pearl Place Development in Portland, Maine. Pearl Place provides 60 LEED-certified affordable housing rental units.

Innovative Project: Bazzani Associates for the innovative water efficiency efforts at its project at 4057 Ronalds Road in Dorr, Michigan.

Outstanding Custom Project (Single Family): Live Green, Live Smart's Sustainable House, built in Minnetonka, Minn. The project transformed an existing 1940s era single family home into a model of sustainability.

Outstanding Production Builder: Artistic Homes in New Mexico. The builder is committed to certifying 100 percent of its projects through LEED for Homes, and has already certified 89 projects to date.

Outstanding Affordable Project: Gish Apartments, built by First Community Housing in San Jose, Calif., a 35-unit, transit-oriented family apartment complex, with 13 of the units set aside for residents with developmental disabilities. Residents have access to a computer learning center and are provided with services tailored to support low income families, such as financial literacy training, computer literacy and after-school programs. 

Pilot Builder Award: Taggart Construction of Freeport, Maine, contributed greatly to the development of the LEED for Homes Pilot program. The firm's work included the first LEED for Homes project certified in the country. Additionally, Taggart Construction president Peter Taggart has been instrumental in promoting the LEED for Homes program, not only as a builder but also as a local advocate.

Outstanding Program Contribution: Habitat for Humanity International was recognized this year for its commitment to the LEED for Homes program. Along with its affiliates, Habitat has brought more than 40 affordable LEED certified homes to families nationwide. As of today, over 80 Habitat homes are registered for LEED certification.

Greenbuild 2008 preview

I blogged about Greenbuild 2008 two months ago, but a few more news items on the conference have crossed my desk since then.

• HVAC company Trane has signed on as a Platinum sponsor of the event.
• Exterior coatings maker TexCote is debuting its improved CoolWall system, a recycled glass product, at the event.
• Window and door maker Jeld-Wen is boasting that it will "Showcase Diverse Approach to Sustainability."

And per the event's Web page, South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate, will be the keynote speaker. The event runs Nov. 19 to 21 in Boston.

Free coffee, free tips for saving energy

Citizen group Climate Change Action Brookline will hold a Green Tools Coffee Hour involving three local hardware stores in Brookline, Mass. -- Connelly Hardware, Aborn True Value, and Economy Hardware (none of the stores have Web sites that I could find, so no links, sorry). The event, according to co-chair David Lowe, will take place Oct. 25 at Connelly Hardware, and it is intended to help consumers reduce their energy use; energy experts will be on hand to help consumers find energy efficient solutions for their homes.

West Coast Green show highlights

You might enjoy Inhabitat's post mortem. That's Al Gore giving his keynote in front of a "living wall."

Canadian recycling show set for November

The Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo will be held Nov. 5 to 6 in Toronto. It's run by the same folks who do the International Hardware Show in Cologne, Germany. I enjoyed the site's tips on how to be a green exhibitor. The seminar on "how to market compost and related products" might be interesting.

Greenbuild 2008 to take place Nov. 19-21

I've mentioned the U.S. Green Building Council from time to time here on the blog. The Council oversees the LEED certifications system, sponsors research, and is active on Capitol Hill, to name a few highlights. Well, today I learned that the Council also holds a Greenbuild Conference and Expo -- this year's event is set for Nov. 19 to 21, in Boston.

The event Web site suggests that the following kinds of people will attend: "Architects, Building Owners, Code Officials, Contractors, Developers, Educators, Engineers, Facility Managers, Financial Services Providers, Government Agencies, Green Power Providers, Home Builders, Interior Designers, Landscape Architects, Nonprofit Organizations, Product Manufacturers, Schools and Universities, and Students." Yup, kinda seems like they are not expecting any retailers or pro dealers, more's the pity. But don't let that stop you from going if you see anything interesting on the event schedule.

Throwing a green party. Or two.

The Democratic National Convention started yesterday, and it's a green party that the Dems are throwing, if not the Green Party. That is, organizers of the event are working hard to minimize the environmental impact of the convention, using solar power, carbon offsets, a biofuel bus fleet, and even an Official Recycling Provider (Coke is it, actually). For a wrap-up, check out this report from Plenty, as well as the official convention green page.

But don't feel left out, red-staters! Turns out the Republicans are tree-huggers, too! Here's a letter at the Republican National Convention site that mentions the convention's green efforts (scroll down) -- also note this GOP press release and this news report from the Tennessee Journalist.

Al Gore to keynote the West Coast Green show

Former Vice President and Nobel-prize winner Al Gore will deliver the keynote at the West Coast Green Show, a California-based event that focuses on residential green building topics. The show will take place at the San Jose Convention Center, Sept. 25 to 27.

Plumbing show to feature green seminar track

ISH North America 2008 is a trade show for kitchen, bath, plumbing, and HVAC professionals, coming up Oct. 1 to 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The event will include several green-centered seminars:

• “The Research Required for Successful Implementation of New Water Efficient Technologies” -- upgrading plumbing systems for improved efficiency.
• “Water Reuse and Water Reclamation” -- moving toward a “greener” plumbing design.
• “An Introduction to the GreenPlumbers Program” -- helping plumbers use green strategies in their work.
• “Why Hydronic Distribution Systems are a Deep Shade of Green Technology” -- on the use of hydronic heating.

Here's a list of all the seminars being held at the event.

Free e-conference on energy issues

The Virtual Energy Forum takes place June 10 to 11 in cyberspace. It's a series of online seminars and virtual booths, just like a trade show. I have to say, kudos on the concept. What's the carbon footprint on sitting in your chair at work instead of flying to Las Vegas or Chicago for a trade show! (We won't talk about the folks with laptops sitting on their sofas at home in pajamas -- though I guess they save gas by not driving in to the office!)

The topics, though, are not particularly retail or home-improvement focussed. The keynote by Newt Gingrich might be interesting, on the other hand, and if you deal much with the Man, some of it may be valuable to you -- a number of speakers come from government.

And since registration is free, your cost to attend, including airfare and accommodations, is zero! But remember, what happens on the Web does NOT stay on the Web! Hmmm ... maybe Las Vegas has a few advantages left.

Report on green retail from Housewares Show

Here's an interesting report on green retailing from a blogger who went to the International Home & Housewares Association Show in Chicago.

We have created through supply and demand, the experience of walking into a store and expecting to see new seasonal products. We anticipate seasonal colors, products, and innovation. This experience has resulted in a lot of new products developed in haste and without much regard for environmental responsibility. The question is, how can retailers maintain the “new” experience while being a sustainability leader.

International Council of Shopping Centers to hold first RetailGreen Conference

The ICSC's event will focus on issues of sustainability in retail settings, on reuse and reduction of environmental footprint, and on indoor environmental quality. It will be held Sept. 15-16, 2008, in Dallas, at the InterContinental Dallas Hotel, Addison.

On the scene at the Green Building Conference

[Here's a first-person report from HCN's Kate Fazzini.]


Wow, I am really busy. Sorry for the late blog entry. I thought this was supposed to be the "big easy"?!

I'm down in New Orleans for the National Association of Home Builders Green Building Conference, the 10th year for the show. It's hot, the weather's great and I'm learning a lot -– a LOT -– about green building. The highlight of my day yesterday was a tour of several storm-damaged areas, some that saw homes marinating in more than eight feet of water for days after Hurricane Katrina. Toni Wendel, owner of Olde World Builders in New Orleans, served as my spitfire guide. Wendel is in the process of rebuilding two homes under recently adopted Crescent City Green guidelines. I'll be writing about her and several others in the next issue of Home Channel News.

But for now, some of the most striking images from our trip around the city yesterday were the homes in need of repair. To say houses are in "various states" of rebuilding is a vast understatement. Homes, shiny and new and remodeled, sit next to homes in the middle of complete demolition and rebuilding. And those both sit next to homes that look as though they haven't been visited since the storm, except by vandals –- and some haven't been.

There is definitely a deep rebuilding movement here, and a long way to go. The main thing, though, is the builders here love their city and are working overtime to make the rebuilding effort happen. I've included some photos of our trip and hope to have more up here before the end of the conference.

News from the Green Building Conference

The NAHB's Green Building Conference is going on in New Orleans, and HCN has a reporter at the event. Associate editor Kate Fazzini's report (free registration required) covered an educational session on how remodelers can best “sell green” to consumers who might be overwhelmed with information. She also reported on a tour of a number of green homes recently built or remodeled in the New Orleans area.

We'll hear more from Kate once we get some technical problems cleared up.

Elsewhere on the Web, check out blog posts by Smart HomeOwner magazine's Tony Napolitano, who is also at the show. He writes about the large amount of work still needed to restore New Orleans, and he has some interesting thoughts on how building professionals have to do a better job of making themselves sources of green info for customers.

Also at the show, the National Association of Home Builders gave Mountain Ranch LLC its "Mixed Use Development of the Year" award in recognition of the green aspects of its new Del Sur community in San Diego, Calif.