GreenGeezer

Green Earth Fair this Sunday in Naperville, IL

The 5th Annual Green Earth Fair is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, 2008 from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM at the Green Earth Institute's organic vegetable farm at 10S404 Knoch Knolls Road, Naperville, Illinois. Bring the family: activities, entertainment and education centered on earth-friendly practices in gardening and farming, tours of the organic farm and organic vegetable seedlings and native prairie plants will be available for sale.  Plus musicians!  exhibits!  A free event. The organic farm endures due to the generous donation of  Mrs. Lenore McDonald, "the stubborn farm owner on the south side of Naperville who—in the face of suburban development on all sides—declared that her land would remain in              agriculture."  Thank God for stubborn landowners.

 

Green Building History

The Green Building website has a handy timeline of green building.  It is enlightening to see how long ago the architectural profession began considering sustainability and energy:  in 1973 the American Institute of Architects formed the AIA Committee on Energy.  We're still catching up.  Also check out Green Remodeling which  "discusses simple green renovation solutions for homeowners, focusing on key aspects of the building including foundations, framing, plumbing, windows, heating and finishes."

Green Roof Pioneer

Today's Chicago Tribune features a story by Russell Working about Dick Young, a long-time environmentalist who was an early visionary about the benefits of a green roof, and a key figure in the creation of the Kane County forest preserves. it includes a great picture of Dick by Wes Pope.  It's great that we are able to learn from Mr. Young while he is still able to share his knowledge: he is in the early stage of  Alzheimers.

Home for Sale at Ecovillage at Ithaca

There is a unit for sale at Ecovillage at Ithaca, a co-housing community.  As explained on the Cohousing Association of America website, "cohousing communities combine the advantages of private homes with the benefits of more sustainable living, including shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors." Cohousing communities also emphasize sustainability, and this one is no exception, featuring:

• an organic CSA vegetable farm and U-Pick berry farm
• office spaces for cottage industry
• a neighborhood root cellar
• community gardens and varied natural areas
• 80% planned green space

The unit for sale includes two bedrooms, full bath and large walk-in closet and half bath downstairs.  The price, at $197,000, seems moderate.  More pictures here.

National Hanging Out Day Celebrates the Clothesline

TreeHugger has the scoop on National Hanging Out Day, and the many new kinds of clotheslines that are being developed to lure people back to hanging their clothes outside.  There's Nature's Dryer, which looks like a tree. And there's Cord-O-Clip, a more high-tech solution.  Find them all at the Clothesline Shop.

I myself grew up with the classic Tee-Post, shown here.

Crocuses in Bloomington, Indiana

Arzu Rugs Connect Mothers Worldwide

I went to the Global Activism Expo last night at the Broadway Armory (boy that's a long trip on the Red Line) and was happy to see that the Arzu Rugs  people were there.  Arzu Rugs fulfill all the requirements of a "green" product, in that they are not only 100% naturally-dyed and impact the environment minimally, but they are produced in a socially responsible way.  In fact, the mission of the company is to provide income for women in Afghanistan who produce the rugs using ancient methods.  The rugs are beautiful and of the highest quality.  Arzu uses the company to address the very harsh conditions of Afghan women, including education:

"Arzu’s social contract requires that women attend education classes that cover literacy, basic numeracy and units on health, hygiene, nutrition and human rights. In 2006 we began offering similar courses to men. Arzu partners with other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to provide these services, such as Shuhada Organization in Bamyan and VUSAF (Verein zur Unterstützung von Schulen in Afghanistan) in Andkhoi.

In 2006, Arzu offered its first scholarship for a girl to continue her education beyond the Afghan equivalent of high school."

Development in Sebastopol, CA Uses Gray Water System

Florence Lofts are designed for people who work from home and want to be able to walk to all the city's amenities. The lofts are beautiful and have been rated LEED Gold for their use  of environmentally friendly materials and their solar power system.  But what really interested me (because my mind is always in the gutter?) was the fact that this is the first gray water recycling system to be approved for use in Sonoma County.   As reported in Inhabitat:

"The impressive gray water recycling system ... [uses] recycled water from bathing, washing and laundry to provide 100% of the water needed for landscape irrigation. Given water shortages in Northern California, the estimated savings of up to 150,000 gallons of water per year go along way to conservation. In addition, rainfall and storm water brought on-site are cleansed naturally through a bioremediation system, reducing the pollutants and toxins that these two sources bring to streams and rivers.....[All] paved surfaces throughout the project are permeable, recharging the natural water table in the area."

Small House Society Folded into Resources for Life

I decided to take a look at what the Small House Society was up to, and noticed they have done a very nice re-design of their website, while reorganizing themselves under the umbrella of Resources for Life.   This is all well and good, but I miss the Small House Society name, and wonder if they are going to give it as much attention as its popularity demands.

BuyGreen Website Good Source for Green Products for Home and Office

BuyGreen.com  looks like a great sourcing website for green products.  How green are they?

 "At BuyGreen, we are dedicated to developing a sustainable business.  In every aspect of our operations, from product shipment to office supplies, we look to reduce waste, conserve energy, and minimize use of resources.  After reducing our carbon footprint as much as possible through these efforts, we purchase carbon offsets to reach our goal of a zero waste footprint.  We are approved by Co-Op America, give 1% of our sales back to environmental causes through One Percent for the Planet, and support various environmental and social causes closer to home."