by jboullion | Dec 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
An event in Eau Claire:
Thinking of remodeling or building a new home or business? Want to make your office, a single room, or your whole house more comfortable and attractive while minimizing the harmful effects on you and the environment? Find out about the amazing options now available to you, from energy efficient lighting and natural, sustainable flooring materials to countertops made of recycled materials. Learn about New Urbanism, LEED, USGBC – and what exactly is a VOC? Get inspired by ideas for interior finishes and materials that help create beautiful and healthy places to live and work. Touch and feel samples of today’s eco-friendly materials. Discover how cost-effective it is to be green!
Saturday, January 10
1:30 p.m.
Eau Claire Room
L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library
400 Eau Claire Street, Eau Claire
by jboullion | Dec 5, 2008 | Uncategorized
“Pragmatic Construction is building two sustainable homes in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee. These homes are targeting LEED-H Platinum certification,” including passaive solar design and options of solar hotwater and solar electricity, according to its Web site which calls the company a “green design-build firm specializing in the integration of multiple green principles and technologies.”
by jboullion | Dec 2, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a post on the Greener Milwaukee blog:
I conducted a short interview on a local business owner, Adam Borut and his partner’s start-up called, Eco-hatchery. Their focus is on Green gift packs that could come in handy this holiday season… what do you think?
0. Who are you?
Eco Hatchery is a Milwaukee based company dedicated to helping homeowners reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
1. How did you get started with this Hatchery business?
My business partner and I were discussing the challenge of moving from environmental consciousness to action. In talking with friends and family, we found most were environmentally conscious, but had done little in their personal lives to take action. They were overwhelmed by information, and short on time. We sought to develop a collection of tools that would enable homeowners to have the greatest impact in a single weekend. Along the way, we realized this was not enough. People needed to see in economic and environmental terms the size of opportunities, and the impact of their actions. They also wanted a clear and personalized roadmap for moving forward. We therefore married our Eco Starter Kit with on-line programs we developed to identify, prioritize and track impact of opportunities.
by jboullion | Dec 2, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Paris Henne in the UW-La Crosse Raquet:
Legislation has been passed in La Crosse that endorses the “Natural Step model for Eco-Municipalities” and authorizes the City Planning Department to prepare a proposal for “developing a sustainable community plan.”
According to “The Ecomunicipality Model for Sustainable Community Change” by Torbjörn Lahti and Sarah James, “An ecomunicipality aspires to develop an ecologically, economically, and socially healthy community for the long term, using the Natural Step framework for sustainability as a guide.”
According to the City of La Crosse Council, the purpose of the plan is “safeguarding and improving environmental features as a means of promoting neighborhood revitalization, community image and quality of life.”
Also included are guidelines developed by the American Planning Association to help implement the plan. The city should:
1. Reduce dependence upon fossil fuels, and extracted underground metals and minerals.
2. Reduce dependence on chemicals and other manufactured substances that can accumulate in Nature.
3. Reduce dependence on activities that harm life-sustaining ecosystems.
4. Meet the hierarchy of present and future human needs fairly and efficiently.
The city budget for the plan is $25,000 for planning consultant(s) and $5,000 for City staff. The source of the funds is “$15,000 from 2006 Community Development Block Grant and $l5,000 from the 2007 Community Development Block Grant sustainable plan funds,” according to the city plan.
The Eco-Municipality model is different from others because it uses a “systems approach.” Many communities in the US implement changes on a “project-by-project” basis. According to Lahti and James, “the key ingredients of a systems approach are widespread community awareness, raising an integrated municipal involvement, and using a common ‘sustainability language’ based upon the Natural Step framework.” Therefore, the likelihood of conflict is minimized.
by jboullion | Dec 1, 2008 | Uncategorized
The draft of Eau Claire’s comprehensive plan on sustainability lists these key issues:
1. Energy: What should the City do to foster improved local energy production,
efficiency, conservation, and diversification by using more alternative fuels?
2. Local Food: What should the City do to promote area food production and
consumption while reducing the amount of waste the food industry creates?
3. Environmental Conservation: What should the City do to safeguard our ecosystems,
trees, soil, and water resources?
4. Atmosphere: What should the City do to reduce our contribution to global
warming and minimize air pollution?
5. Managing Waste: What should the City do to promote consumer product
awareness, increase recycling rates, and reduce the amount of substances entering
into landfills?
6. Strong and Healthy Community: How should the City continue to protect its
citizens from disease, and promote healthy living, civic engagement, cultural and
ethnic diversity, while partnering with others to provide these activities?
7. Sustainable Development: How should the City guide and promote development
so that buildings and neighborhoods incorporate sustainable features?
8. Balanced Transportation: How can the City increase mobility choices by
enhancing other forms of transportation besides that for automobiles? How can
transportation infrastructure be designed efficiently, safely, with the environment in
mind, and connect to other local and regional networks?
9. Greener Economy: How can the City bolster the local economy by attracting
green-collar jobs, supporting our small businesses, and increasing sustainable
purchasing?
10. Sustainable Government: What should the City do to provide good government,
cost-effective services, cooperation with other governments, and meet the needs of
our citizens while not compromising the needs of future generations?
