Living Green on the Front Range

provided by Katrina Pfannkuch ~ Writer, editor and owner of Buzzword Communications, LLC

In a world full of “stuff”, buying gifts for the holidays can seem as if you are contributing to an on-going cycle. Fear not! There are plenty of cool gifts for friends and family that not only reduce a carbon foot-print, but help preserve the earth's animals, population and resources. Oh, and they are pretty fun too!

provided by Katrina Pfannkuch ~ Writer, editor and owner of Buzzword Communications, LLC
 
Staying true to green principles during the holidays can be challenging, especially when juggling shopping, family obligations, preparing large meals, or sampling just one more piece of chocolate.

Here are some tips to help keep things simple, healthy and green during a stressful time of year.

Winter means more time spent inside for most people. Unfortunately it's a fact that indoor air quality is typically far worse than the air you breathe outside. And, with houses closed up to the outside air, lots of people begin to notice allergies, colds and other health issues during winter months that never seem to affect them during other times of the year.

However, you can take some simple precautions to make sure your indoor air quality is good and you feel great this winter.

There's a new opportunity to own a more sustainably built home in the Fort Collins area. This exciting new project features 10 lots in a great location just northwest of Old Town. Named Midori, Japanese for "green", the neighborhood incorporates sustainability, aesthetics and a true sense of community into a carefully crafted, pedestrian-friendly living environment. 

Lot reservations are now being taken, with the project breaking ground in summer of 2009. And, reception for the project has been fantastic so far. The developer, EcoSphere Investments, LLC, already has reservations on 50% of the lots. 

provided by Land Images, LLC

Are you thinking that this might be the year to green up your business, or push you place of employment in that direction? Land Images, a local landscape architecture firm,  is a role model for small to mid sized businesses.  They have provided the following "Tip and Tricks for Sustainable Development" to help businesses get started in greening up their facilities. Most of these tips can be applied as well if you are planning a sustainably-built house.
  
1. Integrate sustainable design features into a development early. It is the choices that we make during the design of the project that will determine whether the development will be sustainable or not.

2. Have “Life Cycle Analysis” Performed on the project. This will allow you to evaluate and determine not only the initial costs, but also the economic and environmental costs over the lifetime of the project.

3. Set your budget and goals upfront. In general, with as little as a 2% increase in budget, owners have achieved certification for their project according to the LEED green building rating system.

4. If possible, confer with professionals experienced in green building techniques before you select a site. Certain sites may qualify for better assistance, or be more conducive to certain sustainable measures. Certain aspects that can be optimized with the appropriate site include minimizing or maximizing solar heat, redeveloping a brownfield, using an in-fill strategy, or locating in an existing structure.

by James Mitchell

Stop! Before you send that old chair or television set to the landfill, Call Eco-Thrift. Eco-Thrift is one of two locally owned thrift stores in Fort Collins and the only one in the Old Town area. Founder Tony Cooper created Eco-Thrift in the summer of 2006 as a way to reduce the massive amounts of good usable items which ultimately end up in landfills.

Eco-Thrift accepts everything from furniture, quality clothing and books, to large and small appliances, sporting goods and outdoor equipment. With the help of his trusty bio-diesel truck, Tony will even pick up donated large items or loads from anywhere in town. He has been assisting the real estate community since his first day by picking up unwanted items from the homes of  individuals moving, and real estate agents doing turnovers. His services also greatly help students looking for an alternative to throwing away unwanted items when they no longer need them, particularly at the end of the school year.

All items which are not to be re-sold are disposed of in the most responsible way possible. Eco-Thrift works with an electronics recycler in Denver named GRX in order to properly dispose of items such as computers, monitors, televisions, and other items with circuit boards. Also, no clothing is ever taken to the landfill, but recycled or given to an organization which can use it.

by Dana Leavitt, City of Fort Collins Green Building Program Manager

All indications are positive: community stakeholders, City of Fort Collins staff, and survey results gathered from select cities around the United States suggest that Fort Collins has strong green building programs, even exceptional in some cases. This existing green building foundation is the basis for enhancements and improvements to make green building a cornerstone of construction and renovation in the community.

The City is striving to become a coordinated center for advancing green building in the Fort Collins community by increasing general awareness, raising the bar for what is required, helping engaged stakeholders deliver high performance green buildings, and rewarding high performers. The City also understands the importance of integrating green building programs with what is happening in neighboring communities for a seamless green built environment in northern Colorado.

Good current data on green homes is sometimes hard to find, but here are some compelling facts and data about why homes buyers (and sellers!) need to be thinking green:

• A 2007 survey by the National Association of Home Buiders  (NAHB) found that customer satisfaction is extremely high among new green homebuyers, with 85% saying they are more satisfied with their green home than their previous, more traditionally built home.
•  63% of green homeowners reported lower operating and maintenance costs as the key motivation behind buying a greener home.  Additionally, nearly 50% said they were motivated by health and environmental concerns.

Technology Snapshot & Benefits:  (From EcoBroker.com)
Radiant floor heating can be extremely cost-effective and comfortable. There are three types of radiant floor heat: radiant air floors, electric radiant floors, and hot water radiant floors. Hot water radiant floors, or hydronic systems, are the most cost-effective systems for homes or buildings in heating-dominated climates. Hydronic systems heat water in a boiler and pump the heated water through tubing underneath floors. Most find radiant floor heat to be one of the most comfortable types of heating, because heat is evenly distributed from the floor, warming up the feet and body first. The benefits to radiant floor heating are numerous and include increased levels of comfort due to the silent operation of the system. Radiant floor heat eliminates drafts and dust problems associated with forced air systems. Additionally, radiant floor systems are invisible. There are no heat registers or radiators.

Chance Parker, The Green Team

Now that old man winter is tightening his grasp it’s a good time for you to tighten up your older home. While time and finances often present obstacles for owners of older home to retrofit these timeless and classical homes in our area, there are an endless number of cost effective improvement options an older home can benefit from. These treatments can increase the efficiency and comfort of an older home. And most of these can be done easily and also fairly inexpensively. And you will feel great because your improvements not only help your monthly utility bill but also help cut your contribution to green house gases!

Add Attic Insulation
The roof is the major heat loss element in your home.  So, you should look at addressing your attic insulation levels. You'll increase comfort, reduce noise and save energy. For those who enjoy the experience of “knowing your home” more intimately, blowers and hampers can be rented, or might even be free for use after purchasing a minimal amount of 85% cellulose insulation. Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newsprint. EPA recommends at least R-38 for ceilings. Otherwise contact a local trained professional for a free estimate.

by Bill Combs, landadesignstudio.com

Based on the combination of the Greek word xeros meaning dry and scape from landscape, Xeriscape seeks to provide beautiful and aesthetically pleasing spaces to enjoy, relax and revel. To have a successful Xeriscape experience it is necessary to understand its seven guiding principles:

1. Plan. As with anything a good plan goes far in achieving the desired result. What do you like? Where are the high use areas? Where is the sun? Where is the shade? Can I plan seating areas away from the structure? Do I want to provide wildlife habitat? What texture, color and form do I want? Will it complement the architectural style of my project? Keep a notebook with your ideas. Talk with your landscape architect or designer.

By Kate Hawthorne, Northern Colorado Business Report, 11/25/2007

FORT COLLINS - It could be any business after-hours gathering. Professionals arrive from their offices, slap on their nametags and grab a drink and some snacks. They meet and greet, and the networking begins.

But this is a group unlike any other in Northern Colorado. This is the monthly session of Green Drinks, a loose affiliation of individuals who share an interest in doing business in an environmentally responsible manner.

Click here to view the full Energy Audit Report.

My husband and I have been planning to do a fairly extensive remodel of our home, which would include some serious ugrades to the house's energy efficiency. Before we started any project, we decided we would have an energy audit done to provide a benchmark for the home's energy efficiency, and provide useful recommendations for improvements we could make.  We learned so much in the process about the opportunities available to tighten our home up and make it perform better. While some of the recommendations are going to cost some serious money, like replacing all of our 1950s single paned windows, not all of the recommendations are highly expensive. For those who are curious as to what an eneryg audit is about and what you can learn from it, here is our report: 

Fort Collins Utilities offers incentives and services to help you save energy and save money in your home or in your business.

by Jessica Jensen for Low Impact Living 

You may not know it, but your kitchen is one of the biggest resource hogs in your house. You use electricity and natural gas for your appliances. You use water in your sink and dish washer. Your fridge is stocked with foods grown and transported from all over the world that require chemicals, water and fuel to be produced and transported. And then there’s the non-recyclable packaging that goes straight to a landfill.

by Jason Pelletier, Low Impact Living

Prefabricated, or modular, home construction is enjoying a renaissance in the booming green building market. Some people may think that prefab or modular building connotes cold uniformity, but in this newsletter we’ll introduce you to companies that are making this new breed of homes beautiful, comfortable, and most importantly very light on the planet!

by Jessica Jensen for Low Impact Living

Energy use and global warming get a lot of attention these days (and they should!), but water conservation is an equally important environmental issue. Significant portions of the United States are facing serious water constraints and we all need to do our part to save water. Did you know that the average American household with three members uses over 300 gallons of water per day, both inside and outside? 

by Carey Okrand for Low Impact Living

You are not new to recycling. You’ve been doing it for years and it’s a big part of your daily routine. You’ve become at an expert at identifying what plastics you can and cannot recycle. Now focus on another important part of eco-friendly living: reduce your use of plastic.

by www.greenerbuildings.com

NEW YORK CITY, Sept. 17, 2007 -- Several major mortgage companies -- including Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase -- have begun rewarding homebuyers for making energy-efficiency improvements to their houses.