The locavore trend, reductio ad absurdum edition

It may be the ultimate in vertical green retailing: a grocery store that grows its own produce on site. That's the idea behind a Danish proposal, reported in Discovery News:

The do-it-yourself grocery store concept called Agropolis combines hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic farming to grow vegetables without soil ... Shoppers will come in and see all the produce growing on-site and point to what they want. Nutrients from fish in aquaculture tanks goes to feed the plants, and the whole place becomes an ecosystem.

And you can eat the food where it is grown, at a restaurant at the store — talk about a start-to-finish concept!

The DIY Spirit lives on

Reusing parts, making do with materials on hand, and can-do ingenuity -- surely these are the hallmarks of the true green home improvement spirit! In that vein, please enjoy this link to a blog devoted to fixing it yourself: There, I Fixed It.

Cave for sale

In this economy -- and by the way, news stories with the phrase "in this economy" now outnumber news stories that lack it -- more and more people are being forced out of their homes. Even if you live in a three-bedroom cave that was once a concert venue.

But if you are in the market and looking for a unique green home in Festus, Mo., note that, per the listing,

Geothermal and passive solar keep the home comfortable year-round without a furnace or air conditioning. In spite of the vast size of the home, our energy costs here run about the same as they did in our 800 square-foot starter home. The home naturally stays a little cooler than the average above-ground home, but we found that we acclimated quickly and easily.

If I were in Missouri, I'd ask them to show me.

You know you've hit the mainstream when ...

... they come out with a "For Dummies" book for you. You can buy "Green Business Practices For Dummies" from Amazon for $14.95, or, if you really are a dummy, from the publisher for $21.99.

Amazon also recommends to me "Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies."

This blog in a nutshell. Or a word cloud.

It's a little self-indulgent, I know, but I plugged this blog's URL through the Wordle Web site and created the graphic above. It's a neat way to capture an essence of a Web site, or any block of text, for that matter. Click on the image for a closer look.

How will the recession hit the home channel?

Well, seems that we are officially in a recession -- and have been for about a year -- something that's not news to us in the home channel, from retail mom-and-pop hardware stores to large tract builders. But where do we go from here?

Leanne Tobias of GreenBiz.com thinks that the government can spend us out of the recession, and if the Feds are going shopping, might as well get them to buy green. I think that may be a help, sure, but compared to the billions and trillions of greenbacks being juggled and dropped all over Wall Street, I have to wonder if requiring the government to put Energy Star fridges and air conditioners in office buildings is really going to solve our problems.

Besides, what about housing?

If money is short and you always wanted to live in a hobbit-hole, there's a $5,000 option for you (photo, above right). This earth-sheltered house, designed by an artist in Wales, England, "was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature." All for about "1000-1500 man hours and £3000."

If you do not want to build-it-yourself, the optimism of the folks behind the $100K house is refreshing. This is an effort to create affordable green housing in urban Philadephia, and the brains behind the work, Nic Darling, sees reason to keep hope alive:

I may be crazy, overly optimistic or both, but I don’t think we are screwed. In fact, I think we are in one of the best positions possible at this time and place. The real estate market in Philly, while down, has remained fairly strong compared to the smoking craters that have replaced housing markets in many other parts of the country. It has been particularly good for houses selling under $300,000 and that is right in our wheelhouse. ... In addition, we have seen an increase in consumer knowledge regarding the real costs of home ownership. Maintenance, taxes and utilities have finally (we hope) become a part of a home buyer’s consideration. Rather than simply looking at the monthly payment, people are starting to consider the total expense of home ownership, and this bodes well for homes like ours. Our houses will require less maintenance, use half of the utilities (compared to a code built home) and offer a ten year tax abatement (can you say $75 a year in taxes?). They are simply less expensive homes to own. ... People also seem more and more willing to pay for green.

The 100K house may not be as elfin and fey as the 5K earth-sheltered house, but the former is LEED Platinum rated, and it features indoor plumbing and a bathroom, so it has that going for it. Which is nice.

But what about that recession? The conventional wisdom holds that luxury properties will still do well -- and my cousin, who sells and installs very high-end millwork in upstate New York, says he's doing okay. That seems to give anecdotal weight to what the conventionally wise think. To the extent that the wealthy also are looking for green products, there may well be a sweet spot there.

And if Nic Darling is on to something, there's another opportunity for affordable green housing, in addition to the high-end projects. I hope he's right.

The product you've all been waiting for

Sure, you're a gardener and a dog lover. And of course, an environmentalist. And you've been waiting for such a long time. Now, at last, you can have the perfect match-up for your two loves: the doghouse with a planter on top! Sure, you've seen the other guy's offering. But the makers of this one also have a real concern for the environment -- the "carbon pawprint," as they say, LOL! It's a little more than somewhat expensive -- but aren't your pets and plants worth it?

Think locally, laugh globally

A few links to eco-humor on the Web:

• About.com's Environment Humor site
• 5 Jokes About the Environment
• Ten funny green videos -- I like the "Save the Animal Crackers" one!

Lists of links

Here are two recent posts -- and an older one from June -- from other blogs with lists of green links for you to enjoy. This one has tons of green links relating to Minnesota. And the second has a handful of green home improvement links. Finally, here are a series of links to green e-newsletters, if you prefer to get your green news through your in-box.

"You kids get off my green lawn!"

Charles, Prince of Wales, rolled his eyes, shook his cane, and yelled at the young whippersnappers of the high-tech green movement yesterday, condemning architects who add geegaws and gadgets like wind turbines and solar panels to modern buildings instead of making better use of traditional building materials. According to the Prince ...

Why, I must ask, does being 'green' mean building with glass and steel and concrete and then adding wind turbines, solar panels, water heaters, glass atria -- all the paraphernalia of a new "green building industry" -- to offset buildings that are inefficient in the first place?

That many of these add-ons are mere gestures, at best, is now clear, as their impacts on home energy consumption can now be measured and usually offer scant justification for the radical nature of the design.

We must act now by using traditional methods and materials to work with Nature rather than against Her.

In related news, Shamu, Prince of Killer Whales, yesterday called for the Navy to stop using its newfangled sonar technology.

Turn that noisy racket down! I don't even see how they can call it music these days!

Bloggers think highly of Home Depot's eco-initiatives

When a blogger reports on what researchers say about bloggers, are we dropping just a bit too deep into our own naval-gazing? Nonetheless, I have to mention that according to J.D. Power, bloggers and Web commenters have been giving online props to, first of all, organic supermarket Whole Foods and, following right after, Home Depot. From these stats, the research report summary goes on to conclude that "consumers expect retailers to not only stock eco-friendly products, but also to follow policies and procedures that support environmental sustainability."

Well, I'm not all that surprised, myself, that the random typing of an infinite number of bloggers eventually came up with something nice about Home Depot. :-)

Your dream "green" vacation (redux)

One of the first posts I put up on this blog was for a green vacation hub that offered a chance to win a trip to a Mexican eco-tourism resort.

In my first post, I teased that jetting off to Mexico is not very eco-friendly, given the jet fuel used, no matter how many carbon offsets paid the way. But the good folk at RezHub.com didn't seem to mind (or more likely, didn't read the blog), since they just sent me another press release announcing a new "Dream Green Giveaway." Who says you cannot care about the environment of the Yucatan peninsula while enjoying the luxury spa, Tai Chi sessions, in-room Jacuzzi, and free mini-bar?

Party platforms built of eco-friendly materials

While we're on the topic of politics, I thought I would follow up yesterday's post on political conventions with a couple links on where the candidates stand.

The Boston Globe asks if there will be A green gold rush under Obama? The Democratic candidate himself has this and this to say. Not too much on the green retailing front, but this position was interesting:

Weatherize One Million Homes Annually: Obama will make a national commitment to weatherize at least one million low-income homes each year for the next decade, which can reduce energy usage across the economy and help moderate energy prices for all.

That might be a retailing opportunity for whoever sells those weatherizing products.

Meanwhile, John McCain is also getting the word out on the environment. Here's an article on his policy, and here is the official word from his campaign site. Nothing directly relevant to green retailing or construction, I would say, although the Republican's emphasis on "market solutions" suggests a very business-friendly orientation.

I also saw this article on Joe Biden's environmental record, and as soon as McCain picks a veep candidate, I'll see what I can dig up on him or her.

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.

Join the pod people -- the eco-pod people!

Ever wish you lived in a tree-house, like an Elf or an Ewok? Well, here's your chance! These sphere-shaped tree pods are part of a eco-friendly hotel project in which Web visitors can invest for just $30 a share; or you can own your own pod, which is kind of like a time share, in that you can stay in your pod up to 70 percent of the year -- for $2,500. It's a bargain for those of you who want to wake up each day and hug a tree before you have your cup of ecologically sustainable coffee.

Hat tip and thanks -- Inhabitant.

Making accommodations

The planet-friendly chain of "Gaia Hotels," is expanding. The first was built in California's Napa Valley. The second opened last year in Anderson, Calif. And a third is under construction in Merced, Calif. According to a company press release, developer Wen Chang plans to create the first chain of all-green hotels in the United States -- with each one certified at the LEED Gold level. Per the release, the hotels' green features cover a wide range of areas:

• Wood Based Materials. All lumber used for the hotel is FSC certified.
• Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants. Low VOC paint, sealants and adhesives were used throughout the hotel.
• Carpet. The carpets contain post-consumer recycled material in the backing, fiber and pad.
  
• Water. All toilets produce 1 gallon per flush. Guestrooms are equipped with low-flow showerheads. The Koi pond uses recycled water from the site, which is then filtered and cleaned prior to entering the pond.
• Environmental Quality. Appropriately sized and efficient HVAC units are used throughout. These units are quieter and more efficient than standard HVAC systems and use a more environmentally friendly refrigerant than is standard. Aluminum exterior grates were used in all entrances of the property to minimize dust and particulates entering the building, improving air quality.
• Energy. All windows are efficient, low energy transmittable and reduce glare. Solatube tubular skylights are used throughout the hotel including conference rooms, lobby, and hallways. Solar panels provide 10 percent of the site's electricity. A cool reflective roof reflects heat.
• Recycling. Recycling bins in rooms and around property. Newspapers are located in the lobby, not delivered to each room. Bulk soap and shower dispensers cut packaging waste. Only recycled paper products are used.
• Landscaping. All of the fertilizers used for landscaping are all natural and chemical free. Native and climate-adaptive plants were planted, so less water is used for irrigating.
• Cleaning. Environmentally friendly cleaning products are used to clean the property.

UPDATE 1 Aug 08: For more LEED-certified hotel news, check out this.

Beazer Homes uses green car to motivate sales force

Beazer Homes' Charleston-Savannah Division won this custom-detailed Smart Car as the prize in a recent internal sales contest. Salespeople in the division will get to drive it, saving gas while boosting Beazer's eSmart program to sell energy-efficient homes.

Next step in the arcology

In his column in today's New York Times, Paul Krugman extols the virtues of renting over home-ownership. Certainly, when you look at land-use issues, commute-distances, and eco-impact, multi-family housing is a greener choice than single-family buildings. With that in mind, maybe it is time to revisit our old dream of the arcology. And what could be better than a building that's home to many, generates its own energy, and feeds its inhabitants? Obviously, a floating building that's home to many, generates its own energy, and feeds its inhabitants!


The Lilypad is a design for housing climate change refugees in offshore floating towns that would offer homes to 50,000 people. The design is entirely theoretical for now, but if I'm lucky, when New York finally sinks and I move into my new Lilypad, at last all those hours of my youth spent playing Frogger will finally pay off.

Hat tip: Inhabitat.

Building Green in Greensburg

The new Planet Green cable TV channel has a series on the town of Greensburg, Kan., which was hit by a record-strength tornado in May 2007. The folks there are reconstructing the community to green building standards, with some help from Habitat for Humanity and several corporate donations. Here's an episode schedule.

Bed of greens

JC Penney will soon be offering a line of eco-friendly beds made by Simmins. The mattresses feature "natural, biodegradable and renewable components such as natural rubber tree based latex and a layer of base foam enhanced with soy."

Reminds me of the night I dreamed I ate a 10-pound block of tofu ... and when I woke up, my pillow was gone!