 Letter from the Director |
Built Green Goes Carbon Neutral
Even an environmental nonprofit like Built Green has inevitable environmental impacts due to the operations and travel of the organization. Energy to light and heat the offices, local travel to meetings and air travel to national conferences all contribute to our carbon footprint, and play a role in climate change. In order to be true to the environmental ethic we so ardently espouse - to walk the talk if you will - we have chosen to purchase greenhouse gas offsets for Built Green's operations, estimated to be 18 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, from The Climate Trust. The calculations and purchase of the offsets were done with the help of Built Green member NetGreen.
Climate Trust is a nonprofit organization that implements greenhouse reduction projects and advances sound offset policy. Based on the funds generated from selling carbon offsets, Climate Trust helps to facilitate new alternative energy projects and the delivery of renewable energy to the market.
Climate change is not something we need to address in the future; it is something we need to address now. The impacts of human-caused warming are already being felt worldwide, and the sound science indicates that we are on a slippery slope. Because of reduction in available natural gas, the U.S. is actually transitioning back to a coal powered energy economy faster than one powered by renewables. Reducing the use of fossil fuels and energy consumption are the first order of business in mitigating the levels of carbon entering the atmosphere, but for the energy and fuels we do need to use to operate our businesses and our lives, we need to find ways to support alternative energy whenever possible.
Built Green tirelessly advocates for the building energy efficient homes in the Puget Sound. Now, we are proud to be able to make an impact on these same issues in our business operations as well.
- Aaron Adelstein
| Member News |
 News Service Helps Green Builders Connect to FSC Wood Market
Green building professionals have a new resource to stay informed about the quickly evolving market for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products. Northwest Certified Wood Source is a quarterly e-mail news service designed for professionals that covers market news, profiles FSC certified companies in the Northwest and analyzes issues in wood specification and procurement. The publication is a service of Northwest Natural Resource Group, a conservation and rural economic development organization that builds the FSC market in the Northwest. Readers can sign up for this free service at www.nnrg.org and view content from previous issues in the News & Events section. For more information, contact Ian Hanna at (360) 379-9421 or by email.
Healthy People, Healthy Places, Healthy Planet:
Growth Management Strategies for Air and Climate Friendly Communities
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is the air quality planning and management resource for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties and the cities within them. A series of workshops put on by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency will focus on the impact the agency has on local policy, how you can use them, and your feedback on what resources will help meet your needs. See the schedule below for a workshop in your area.
Thursday, June 14, Everett
9 a.m. to noon, Snohomish County Council Chambers
Friday, June 15, Bremerton
9 a.m. to noon, Norm Dicks Government Center
For more information and to register visit: www.pscleanair.org/workshops
| Classes |
Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.
Visit the Built Green Washington website for green home building courses and events across the state of Washington.
Friday, June 15, Everett
Creating Places for People with Low Impact Development
More people in the Puget Sound region mean more rooftops, parking lots and driveways - impervious surfaces that change our local streams and watersheds. Join a team of experts to explore ways to create sustainable communities that accommodate people, protect natural resources and make economic sense.
Topics Include:
- Low impact design for sustainable communities
- Can new commercial design be green?
- What are the rules and how do you get through the permit process?
- Bioretention: the workhorse of LID
- Myths and reality & risks and rewards
- And More!
For more information and a full conference program, visit www.streamkeeper.org
When: Friday, June 15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Northwest Stream Center, Everett, WA
Cost: $75 (includes lunch) Partial scholarships available for city, county, tribal council and planning commission members. Call for details.
To register: call (425) 316-8592
Tuesday, June 26, Everett
Low Impact Development in Snohomish County: Practical Applications in Residential Projects
The Sustainable Development Task Force is sponsoring this half-day seminar designed for developers, engineers, planners, architects, project managers, public works and utilities staff, contractors, surveyors, property owners and managers and environmental professionals.
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 26, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Registration: 9 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Location: Holiday Inn - Downtown Everett, 3105 Pine Street, Everett WA
More Info: Cate O'dahl, (206) 999-0124
Registration: online, click on Event Registration, or contact Terri Hooper, by email or (425) 783-8275 or Cate O'dahl, (206) 999-0124.
Cost: $75 each or only $60 each for two or more from the same company.
The Benefits For You
At this half-day seminar, a diverse range of professionals working in the field of Low Impact Development (LID) will discuss their insights on the current state of LID in Snohomish County. The County's new LID ordinance will be introduced, and county officials will speak to how developers can work with the county to implement the ordinance most effectively. Instead of a theoretical discussion, expect a balanced and realistic analysis of using LID techniques in residential communities. Key questions still remain about his evolving field and its value to consumers, the environment and especially the bottom line. Our distinguished faculty will enhance your understanding of low impact development and help you address the current benefits and challenges of using LID techniques in Snohomish County and the Puget Sound Region.
The Benefits From Experienced Professionals:
- Incorporating lessons learned from local LID projects in each presentation
- Evaluating opportunities and road blocks at the county and city levels
- Identifying the benefits and trade-offs to developers, home buyers, home associations and local jurisdictions
- Determining the feasibility of LID projects in Snohomish County and Puget Sound
- Discussing the pros and cons of different LID techniques
Agenda/Speakers:
- Overview: Low Impact Development in Snohomish County – Robin Rogers, Otak
- A Regional Perspective on LID – Randy Sleight, P.E., P.L.S., Snohomish County Planning & Development Services
- Site Planning and Low Impact Techniques – Jeff Cox, ASLA, Vice-President, Triad Associates
- An Engineering Perspective – Dean Franz, P.E., Perteet, Inc.
- Box Lunch included – Rolling presentation of LID projects and product information during lunch
- The Reality of On-Site Infiltration – Jenny Saltonstall, P.G., P. Hg., Associated Earth Sciences, Inc.
- Concluding Remarks – George Newman of Triad Associates
Register online. Sponsored by:
 
 
Wednesday, June 27, Seattle
Why do Deconstruction?
Part of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild's fourth Wednesday workshop series, this workshop will focus on building deconstruction and how to be more efficient with jobsite waste. Make your projects more efficient and environmentally friendly by learning how to effectively use and dispose of the waste coming off your jobsite.
When: Wednesday, June 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Phinney Neighborhood Association, 6532 Phinney Ave. N, Seattle
For more information, please visit the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild website.
Tuesday, July 10, Bellevue
Introduction to Built Green™
This seminar provides an introduction to the Built Green program from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 10 at the Master Builders Association Housing Center in Bellevue. Learn how to certify a project and use the checklist, how to join, how the program works and other resources. The seminar presents examples of projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. To register, contact the MBA University registrar at education@mbaks.com or go online.
| Events |
Visit the Built Green Washington website for green home building courses and events across the state of Washington.
| Call for Entries/Awards |
Seattle Homes & Lifestyles Call for Kitchen, Bath, and Home of the Year Entries!!! It's contest time at Seattle Homes & Lifestyles! And what a great way to earn feature editorial in our magazine!
If you are a homeowner, luxury builder, remodeler, architect, designer or sell the fixtures, lighting, tile, stoneware, flooring, hardwoods or any other element that contributes to a great home, kitchen or bath... you'll want to read the attached, as an opportunity to gain worthy editorial coverage of your best project(s).
Submission Deadlines:
SHL Project of the Year: June 15, 2007
| 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
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Builders Association Calendar of Events
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