thelifesimple

One Year Walk Though China - Wow

Again, wow.

Simply,

Tim

City of Morro Bay To Implement a Green Building Incentive Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Christine Rogers, LEED®AP
Housing Programs Coordinator, City of Morro Bay
P: (805) 772-6262

City of Morro Bay To Implement a Green Building Incentive Program

The Morro Bay City Council voted last week to implement a Green Building Incentive Program that will reimburse portions of building plan check and inspection fee’s for LEED and GreenPoint Rated certified projects within the City limits. The program will reward community members and businesses that make a commitment to implementing sustainable designs, and will encourage green building across a broad range of project types. 

"The City of Morro Bay staff and advisory members have taken active roles with local chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council and Build it Green. As a SLO Green Build Municipal Partner, we strive to promote and provide education regarding the benefits of green building,” explained Christine Rogers, Housing Programs Coordinator at the City of Morro Bay.  “We believe that providing fee reimbursements is one way that the City can incentivize sustainable building practices.”

The current program concept proposes reimbursement of building plan check and inspection fees, including:  $3,000 for LEED Certified new homes; $2,000 for GreenPoint Rated Certified new homes or remodels; and 40% reduction for GreenPoint Rated or LEED certified multi-family, commercial, or industrial projects (new or major renovation). Staff will return to the City Council with a formal resolution in the near future.

Projects that satisfy LEED and GreenPoint Rated certification requirements will be reimbursed a portion of building and plan check fees when the project is built, completes final inspection, and provides proper certification documents. Anyone with questions regarding the LEED and GreenPoint Rated program can contact the City.

For more information and local resources:

City of Morro Bay:  (www.morro-bay.ca.us)

LEED:  (http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222)
California Central Coast Chapter (C4): (www.usgbcc4.org)

GreenPoint Rating:  (http://www.builditgreen.org/greenpoint-rated)
SLO Green Build: (www.slogreenbuild.com).
SLO Green Build also offers complimentary Peer Review services to assist applicants in sustainable design decisions.

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The City of Morro Bay: The City is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the quality of life. The City is committed to this purpose and provides a level of municipal service and safety consistent with and responsive to the needs of the public.

The Greening of Southie

This looks like a really cool movie on Green Building!

Check it out if you get a chance - you can go to the website to find screenings: http://www.greeningofsouthie.com

There are local green building advocates all over the U.S. - my local group is SLO Green Build.  You can find them on the web, on twitter and on facebook. 

Simply,

Tim

Earth Day Activities on Kaboose.com

Kaboose is a fun family site and for Earth Day, they've got some fun and creative activities for your kids.  check it out at: http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/

"Kaboose was founded in 1999 and is now one of the largest family-focused online media companies in the world with a leading position in three of the largest English-speaking markets in the world - the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. From pregnancy to parenting and entertainment to education, Kaboose has the content and applications to help parents plan and share their family life."

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Simply,

Tim

(check out my grandson, Grant Carson, over at Enklings.com - his first "Bearthday" is today!)

Green Retrofit Sweepstakes - SLO County Residents

I thought you might be interested in this Green Retrofit Sweepstakes being offered by SLO Green Build. Please feel free to pass this along to every home owner you know in the County.

If you’re interested in participating, just fill out this form or go online to http://slogreenbuild.org/Join/Sweepstakes.php

Simply,

Tim

Green Week on BrightTALK

Next week is Green Week on BrightTalk, a webcasting network that allows you to upload webcasts to  their site and promote them on your site - for free.

Next week there will be some really great, green webcasts available on sustainability, water, green building, green IT and green marketing just to name a few of the categories.  I think there are 30 webcasts you can sign up for and attend - truly and on-line green convention without the travel, chicken dinners and cheesy convention centers!

Check it out and sign up for a few.

simply,

Tim

The Voyage of the Plastiki

Very cool website and even cooler project to sail from San Francisco to Sydney this summer in a "Kontiki" like craft made out of recycled materials.  Keep your eye on this!

simply,

Tim

ECOpreneuring

This book just earned a Gold Medal from Axiom Business Book Awards, and reveals how a growing number of workers are discovering the financial and lifestyle benefits of owning their own enterprise, especially one that thrives in the emerging restoration economy.

Order the Book.

Visit the Inn Serendipity Website.

simply,

Tim

Shout out to HARO for the heads up!  @skydiver

SLO Green Build Extends Deadline for Green Retrofit Sweepstakes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact:       Lana Adams

                    SLO Green Build

                    (805) 286-0072

  [email protected] 
  www.slogreenbuild.org

 

SLO Green Build Extends Deadline for Green Retrofit Sweepstakes

 

San Luis Obispo- Thanks to a generous grant from Pacific Gas and Electric Company, SLO Green Build  is proud to offer the first ever Green Retrofit Sweepstakes for residents of older homes in San Luis Obispo County.  The sweepstakes entry deadline has been extended to June 15, 2009.

 

One winner will be selected from each incorporated city in San Luis Obispo County and one from the unincorporated area of the county.  Winners will receive free professional energy audits of their homes ($350 value) to identify opportunities for improving energy-efficiency.  In addition, winners will receive $500 to begin making their home more energy- and water-efficient.  They will also receive consulting services from a local green building professional ($500 value) to help interpret the energy audit and determine the most cost-effective opportunities for making their homes more energy-efficient.

 

SLO Green Build’s Green Retrofit Sweepstakes is open to all homes in San Luis Obispo County that meet the following criteria:
1. The home must be a free-standing single-structure.
2. The home must have been constructed prior to 1990.
3. The home must have utility bills that exceed any of the following:
        a. Average PG&E bill of $200 per month
        b. Average gas (natural gas or propane) bill of $100 per month
        c. Average water bill of $100 per month
4. The home’s owner and/or tenant must have an interest in improving the home’s energy efficiency.
5. Tenants must have the building owner’s permission to implement home improvements.

 

The Sweepstakes Entry Form can be found on SLO Green Build’s website, www.slogreenbuild.org.

 

By participating in the Green Retrofit Sweepstakes, selected winners agree to provide past and future utility data to SLO Green Build for cost/benefit analyses of identified improvements made to their homes.

 

SLO Green Build will utilize the data gathered in the energy audits to improve the energy-efficiency of the winning homes. The data will also be used in case studies and educational materials shared with the general public, building professionals, and local governments for the purpose of making every building a green building.

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About SLO Green Build

SLO Green Build is a local non-profit committed to encouraging the use of the most sustainable development methods and greenest building materials possible. Formed in 2004, this grass-roots group of professionals from the design and construction industries shares a vision: “Every building a green building.” SLO Green Build promotes sustainable building techniques that minimize construction waste, build healthier indoor environments and reduce energy use while conserving natural resources; provides architects, engineers, contractors, developers and other building professionals with the proper tools to build sustainable projects; and supports and helps develop public policy which advocates for sustainable architectural, social and building practices.

Greener By Design 2009

 

Would love to go to the Greener By Design 2009 Conference.  Can't make it this year, but perhaps next time around!  Here a synopsis from the website:

Greener Products for Leaner Times

In today’s challenging economy, companies that can align environmental innovation with affordability to bring green products to the mainstream have a clear competitive advantage. How are successful companies designing greener products with little or no price premium? Join us at Greener By Design 2009 to see who's innovating, who's succeeding, how they're producing products that aren't just greener, but better — and how you can put these strategies to work in your company.

If you can make it and are interested in Green Design, you should definitely take it in.

http://www.greenerdesign.com/greenerbydesign

simply,

Tim