 Letter from the Director |
Carbon Footprints
Many of us have done at least some thinking about our carbon footprint, in other words, the amount of greenhouse gases we're responsible for individually based on the decisions we make in our day to day lives. We usually consider factors like the number of automobile trips and the distance, the amount of energy it takes to heat and light our homes and work spaces, and the transportation required to bring our food and goods to us, and even the number of flights we take in a year. These are important metrics to consider when evaluating the impact we have as individuals on our planet, and if you haven't evaluated how you stack up to the rest of the world, click here.
Now, there is a new website to evaluate carbon footprints beyond the way we live, to the way we build. The Construction Calculator at www.buildcarbonneutral.org takes into account the ecological footprint of the actual construction process and determines in metric tons the net embodied CO2 for the project.
The calculator takes into account the size of house, size of lot, stories above and below ground, type of landscaping, and building region in order to give some semblance of the impact level for the project. Behind the input metrics, the calculator is evaluating the imbedded energy in creating concrete, steel, or harvesting wood, complex ecological systems like the carbon sequestration of a healthy forest, and the amount and type of fuel used in machinery on a typical project of similar size. While the tool is rudimentary and one-size-fits-all, it is a great way to examine and reduce the levels of emissions generated in building.
Carbon emissions as a byproduct of the building process are inevitable, but once you've mitigated your carbon emissions as much as you can, the calculator will help you determine the metric tons to buy offsets for to make the project carbon neutral.
While some accuse buying carbon offsets as providing a mechanism to "pay to be bad", they are actually a powerful tool if used after reduction efforts are exhausted. Depending on the offset provider carbon offsets help create markets for renewable energy, or provide easements for intact forest land to remain a carbon sink, and sometimes an intact ecosystem or corridor in perpetuity. So figure out your carbon footprint, both for building and for living, and start taking steps to reduce your contribution to climate change.
- Aaron Adelstein
| Events |
Visit the Built Green Washington website for green home building courses and events across the state of Washington.
 July 14 - August 19, Snohomish
The Seattle Street of Dreams (Insert Logo)
The Seattle Street of Dreams™ is proud to continue its tradition of being the most popular and highest attended single site luxury home and garden tour in the U.S. The show is located at Quinn's Crossing in Snohomish and each of the homes will be certified as Built Green. For more information see the Seattle Street of Dreams website: www.seattlestreetofdreams.com.
September 1- Sepember 31, Kirkland and Redmond
Sustainable September
Sustainable September is a month-long green learning opportunity, sustainable practices promotion, and earth-friendly celebration. With support from the Eastside's business, government, and education communities, residents will directly connect with green business practices, products and services. This brand new event will include education for the public and professional communities as well as an expo featuring products from a full range of progressive markets including food, transportation, and building. For more information, see www.sustainableseptember.org.
 Friday, September 21, Seattle
Green building! 10 projects X 10 slides each X 10 minutes each
The Seattle chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is holding its annual fundraiser on Friday, September 21st, Downstairs at Town Hall; doors open at 6:30 pm.
Join us for this high-energy fundraiser and get excited about sustainable building projects that our members are working on in the Seattle area. You'll have the opportunity to enjoy Cameron Catering's zero-waste service and find out more about our sponsors. There's more---There will be a silent auction of Guild member services and the possibility to meet other people interested in sustainable design and construction.
Tickets are $20 each in advance at Brown Paper Tickets, or $25 each cash/check only at the door.
More information is available here.
The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is an association of builders, designers, homeowners, tradespeople, manufacturers, suppliers and others interested in ecologically sustainable building. A vital organization, its mission is to function as an educational forum to facilitate building practices that: protect human health, encourage sustainable resource usage, foster long-term economic vitality.
September 20-22, San Francisco
America's Largest Residential Green Building Conference Returns To San Francisco
West Coast Green 2007, scheduled for September 20 through 22, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, will host presentations delivered by over 250 political leaders, industry analysts, green building experts and national celebrities. The list includes some of the building trades' most sought after experts including Sarah Susanka, Michelle Kaufmann, Bob Berkebile, Cameron Sinclair, David Eisenberg, Tom Paladino, Eric Corey Freed, Ed Mazria and many others.
September 20-21, Professional Trade Conference:
With homebuilding leveling out across the nation, tens of thousands of traditional home building professionals are now exploring the only significant area of growth in the residential market: green building. To serve this diverse audience, the first two days' of West Coast Green's program stretches beyond typical workshop and presentation settings to inspire supportive collaboration and meaningful dialogue amongst building professionals.
September 22,
Professional Trade Conference + Homeowner Day:
Also celebrated for its unique "Homeowner Day", when the conference opens its doors on the final day to the general public, West Coast Green will host community leaders and visionaries, such as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Hollywood actor Ed Begly Jr., environmental/civil rights leader Van Jones and many others. Homeowners looking to design and build a new, energy-efficient green home, or those looking to upgrade the efficiency of their existing homes, will benefit from walking the tradeshow floor, abounding with hundreds of products and services to build, remodel, power, insulate, clean, furnish and finance their green homes.
What: West Coast Green 2007
Where: Bill Graham Auditorium, 99 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
When: Thursday-Saturday, September 20-22, 2007
Register: westcoastgreen.com or (800) 724-4880
 December 11 and 12, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue
2007 Northwest Builders Show: Learn.See.Network.Build
The 2007 Northwest Builder Show will offer extensive
opportunities for our building and remodeling community to
explore what is new in the marketplace. Register now for
one of our many classes on topics such as: EEBA Built Green, Risk Management and Home Warranties, Team Building, Business Theft and 90-Minute Law.
The 2007 Northwest Builders Show will feature a General Membership/Officer Installation Dinner, national speakers and much more. Visit our website for more information and registration.
| Call for Papers |
2008 Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards & Trade Show
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is accepting submissions for papers and posters to be presented at the Sixth Annual International Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards and Trade Show April 30, May 1 & 2, 2008, in Baltimore, MD.
Abstract submissions are due by September 30th, 2007
Submission requirements:
Completion of the call for papers submission form, which includes a 300-word abstract and 50-word biography, submitted by September 30, 2007.
For more information or to download the submission form, please click here.
| Job Postings |
King County Green Building Project Manager
King County's GreenTools program is hiring a Green Building project manager to design and implement innovative programs supporting green building within county departments, cities, and the general public and private sectors. The job description and application instructions are posted on the county's web site.
| Contact
Built Green |
 Master
Builders Association
335 - 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
P:
(425) 460-8238
F: (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com
www.builtgreen.net
Master
Builders Association Calendar of Events
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Built
Green | Phone
(425) 460-8238 | BuiltGreen,
335 116th Avenue SE, Bellevue WA 98004
