Decatur Library Hosting Green Remodeling Seminar Series

We learned about a very interesting series of seminars on green remodeling from the folks at Renewal Design-Build.  The three seminars will be presented by the experts at Renewal Design-Build and will be held at the Decatur Library.  Below is a detailed description of the events that we received from Kelly at Renewal Design-Build:

Topics discussed will be: The Homeowner’s Guide to Green Remodeling, Show Me the Money:Why Green makes Sense for Your Wallet, and Creating a Healthy Home.  The library is even featuring local green experts as speakers. Peter Michelson, CEO of Decatur’s Renewal Design-Build, and Joe Thomas, certified Home Performance Consultant for Renewal System Solutions, will be speaking from their extensive experience with green renovations. Renewal Design-Build is an EarthCraft Renovator of the Year and was even featured on a green remodeling show last summer. “Our hope is that this series will meet the needs of Decatur and Atlanta homeowners, who are interested in going green but may not know where to begin,” says Karen Skellie, coordinator for the Library. “By bringing in green experts who are also local residents, we feel as if the community will really benefit from the speakers’ knowledge on greening homes that are similar to their own.”

The date and description of each seminar are as follows: 

• Tuesday, September 8, 7:00PM: The Homeowner’s Guide to Green Remodeling

Thinking of going green but don’t know where to begin? This seminar will discuss the typical Decatur home’s inefficiencies, some possible solutions, and how incorporating “green” into your home will benefit your wallet, health, and peace of mind.

• Saturday, October 17, 10:00AM: Show Me the Money:Why Green Makes Sense for Your Wallet

This seminar will discuss how certain green improvements to your home will increase energy efficiency and save you money. In addition, you will learn how the most recent green tax credits and rebates will put even more money in your pocket.

• Saturday, November 14, 10:00AM: Creating a Healthy Home

Recent EPA studies have shown that the air in your home may be even more harmful than the air outside. In this seminar, you’ll learn how to improve the indoor air quality of your home and protect your family from indoor air pollutants like gases, chemicals, pests, radon, and carbon monoxide.

Renewal Design-Build, 124 S. Columbia Dr. in Decatur, an EarthCraft Renovator of the Year, provides complete solutions for renovations, additions, kitchens, baths, porches, decks, small projects and repairs.

For more information, call 404.378.6962 or visit the Decatur Library’s website at www.dekalblibrary.org/branches/decatur.html.

Peach Bites

Georgians Aren't Water Hogs - Apparently we're not guzzling as much water as you may have thought. I think that 1.8 percent is misleading though. The sprinklers in my neighborhood didn't kick in until the beginning of July. Now, I'm seeing the sprinklers on while it's raining which leads me to believe it's back to the old mentality. Georgia Public Broadcasting

Atlantans Could Save $21.2 Billion by 2020 - A McKinsey & Company report cited by Consumer Reports indicates that Americans can save $1.2 trillion by 2020 with effective investments in energy efficiency. Wow! That translates into $4000 for every man woman and child in the US. Atlantans would collectively save about $21.2 billion. That could pay for almost 10 Beltlines.. It could even come close to paying for that crazy tunnel under Atlanta that some of our wise leaders in the capitol have discussed. Consumer Reports

Atlanta Ranks Highly on Outside Magazine's Top Cities - This year's rankings of best cities ranked Atlanta #3 overall behind Colorado Springs and Seattle. Their criteria were pretty thorough so I can feel comfortable that the proper level of research was done. I would tend to agree with the ranking given the sheer volume of activities within 2-3 hours of the heart of the city. The article mentions fishing, mountain biking, cliff jumping, boating and hiking as positives for the area. Outside Magazine

Beltline Gets Bond Issuance Approval - The Atlanta City Council granted approval for the Beltline to issue $267 million in bonds to fund the project. The plan is to issue $145M - $165M in October. Developer interest will ultimately decide the amount that is issued in October. It's great to see this project moving forward. Creative Loafing

Learn About Sustainable Atlanta

Listen to Lynette Young and Mandy Mahoney from Sustainable Atlanta talk about sustainability efforts that the city of Atlanta is making on The VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network. One of the big things on the table right now is the Sustainable Building Ordinance. It is a true game changer in how sustainable Atlanta will be moving into the future. You might be surprised by all of the things the city is taking action on.
Listen Here

Peach Bites

One Of Most Endangered Rivers In Georgia
from GPB News by Edgar Treiguts

The conservation group American Rivers released their report on the 10 most endangered waterways in the U.S. There is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the Chattahoochee River is not on the list. The bad news is that the Flint River is on the list. It is actually the #2 most endangered river according to their report.


Georgia ranks No. 25 in nation for energy costs
Atlanta Business Chronicle

We're right smack in the middle of the pack. Unfortunately, we don't have more renewable energy.Georgia’s energy cost ranks in the middle of the country, according to a new study released by The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council. The lowest cost states are 1) Wyoming; 2) Idaho; 3) Utah; 4) Kentucky; and 5) West Virginia. The highest cost states are 46) Massachusetts; 47) Rhode Island; 48) Alaska; 49) Connecticut — tied with New York — and 50) Hawaii.


Adult workshops in Atlanta - an engaging and educational schedule for spring
from Atlanta Green Parenting Examiner

The Chattahoochee Nature Center is a great place to visit and learn about wildlife and environmental issues in our area. They are offering adult classes on topics including birding, rafting, photography and fishing. Additionally, the new Chatthoochee Nature Center Discovery Center and pavilion is scheduled to open in June.

Study: Spammers scourge to inbox and environment
from AP

A study was released today detailing the overall impacts of Spam email. Unfortunately, the impact is not limited to cyberspace. McAfee Inc's study estimates that the total amount of power wasted each year that can be attributed to Spam email is enough to power 2.4 million US homes for a year. WOW! Spam has one heck of a carbon footprint.

Peach Bites

Mother Nature becomes a dot-com
Atlanta Journal Constitution

We have a new big-time entrant into the green themed website arena. The Atlanta based Mother Nature Network (www.mnn.com) launched recently and it is a very robust offering. The website has eight main sections ranging from business to lifestyle and each section comes complete with its own blogger. The site also has a number of green themed videos and infographics that ou will find interesting.

Atlanta's Greenspaces Inadequate for a Growing Population | Planetizen
Planetizen.com

Not that we didn't already know this but Atlanta has the lowest percentage of green space amongst major American cities. The median amount for the nation's largest cities is 13.6 acres of parks for every 1000 residents. Atlanta is at 7.7. We are working on increasing that with the Beltline. The article also points to Gwinnett as a great example. Since 1997, Gwinnett has raised over half a billion dollars for parks and greenspace development.

Georgia K-12 Schools, Apply to Win a Free Energy Audit
MarketWatch (press release) - USA

Southeast Rebuild Collaborative, a five state energy office initiative to improve energy efficiency by at least 10% in the upcoming year, Southface Energy Institute and the Division of Energy Resources of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) are offering a free energy audit to one K-12 school in Georgia. Anything that our schools can do to save money that doesn't need to be spend is fine with me. We look forward to seeing what school wins.

Serenbe in the News Again
Chicago Tribune

We recently highlighted an article from the NY Times that featured Serenbe and it's local, sustainable living model. It looks like the community is making news again but this time in Chicago which is home to the community that inspired Serenbe, Prairie Crossing in Grayslake.

Fees to Rise at Georgia State Parks
Peach Pundit

Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources is suggesting state park fees be raised from $3 to $5. Additionally, they are planning to raise the fees for annual passes to $50 from $30. I'm just curious whether they are raising the fee out of necessity or out of opportunity. It is no secret that during recessions, families look for cheaper alternatives to entertainment and the parks have historically been one of those cheaper forms.

Sustainable Atlanta Releases its First Sustainability Report

Last month, Sustainable Atlanta released its first report on the state of sustainability in the city of Atlanta. The mission of Sustainable Atlanta is the following; "Sustainable Atlanta leads Atlanta's quest toward sustainability by developing strategies and policy recommendations with partners from Atlanta's business, non-profit, academic, community and government leadership. I would highly suggest downloading and reading the .pdf. It is very insightful and will give you hope that the city is moving in the right direction. The report is broken up into 5 categories and each is broken down by statistics with briefs on partnerships and what is planned for the future. Below are the areas that Sustainable Atlanta is focusing on along witha notable quote from each:

• Water -"Atlanta - Which depends on the Chattahoochee River as its water source - is the buggest U.S. city not built on a large body of water."
• Energy & Climate Change - "For nearly 10 percent of all the days in 2008, our air reached unhealthy levels."
• Parks & Green Space - "Among the nation's 25 largest cities, Atlanta has the least amount of land dedicated to parks."
• Recycling & Materials Management - "Together, paper and pastic account for over half the materials that go into our waste stream. But organic material makes up almost a quarter."
• Leadership - "It's about changing the way we behave. It's about choosing to preserve more and throw away less. It's about finding healthier ways to commute. It's about designing and building better so that we live and work in more efficient and healthier buildings. it's about changing what you do - and convincing your colleagues and neighbors to do the same"

The city is ranked 19 out of the top 50 most populous metro areas in the U.S. We currently lead the southeast and are number three nationally in the number of environmentally friendly buildings. You can find more rankings broken out by category at SustainLane.

Last Reminder

Last reminder. Earth Hour is almost here. Don't forget to turn off all non essential lighting for one hour beginning at 830 tonight. The city of Atlanta is a flagship city this year and we can all help make a statement tonight. Last year we cut power usage by about four percent during earth hour. I bet we will do better this year.

Energy Star and WaterSense Tax Free Weekend

Today marks the beginning of the 4th annual tax free weekend here in Georgia for Energy Star products.  They have also expanded the program to include WaterSense products as well.  It began today and will end on Sunday night.  Most products priced $1500 or less that have one of these labels qualify.

So, if you have been in the market for an energy efficient fridge or another appliance, this might be your lucky weekend.  Check with your local retailer to see if they are offering additional incentives as you may be able to get an additional 10% off on top of the sales tax discount.

An added bonus for Atlantans is that Energy Star has selected Atlanta as the site of one of its six Change the World: Start with Energy Star  exhibits.  It will be at the Lowe's Edgewood location on Saturday & Sunday.  You will be able to walk through a custom built house that showcases Energy Star products and educates on how those products can save money and help preserve the environment.

If you are interested in what qualifies for the holiday, here are details from the GA Department of Revenue website:

The energy efficient products eligible for the exemption are as follows:

air conditioners	ceiling fans
fluorescent light bulbs	clothes washers
dishwashers	windows (including skylights)
refrigerators	programmable thermostats
dehumidifiers	doors

The water efficient products eligible for the exemption are as follows:

bathroom sink faucets	faucet accessories (such as aerators)
showerheads	high-efficiency toilets
high-efficiency urinals	weather or sensor-based irrigation controllers

Tip Thursday: Save by Washing Cold

So, this is our first installment of Tip Thursday where we will spotlight a tip or factiod that will help you save energy, money, and the environment.  Today's deals with your washer.

You can save a lot of money by just cutting the hot water out of your clothing washes.  When using a washer, about 90% of the total energy used goes into heating the water. While about 10% goes into powering the actual washer.  You should use cold water and cold water detergents whenever you can.

Energy Efficient Mortgages

If you are in the market for a new home, you might want to consider an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM).  Many lenders are now offering EEMs which will lend buyers extra money in order to make efficiency upgrades when making a home purchase.  Whether you are retrofitting an older home with efficient upgrades or putting the newest technology into a new home, efficiency upgrades will often save you more over the long run than they will cost up front.  If you amortize out the cost of a new furnace or AC system over the course of 30 years, you may be paying an extra $20/month and your savings could amount to double that.  It is almost a no brainer.

In order to qualify, a home typically needs a certified energy audit.  The audit will point out cost effective areas of improvement that will provide a positive return over time.  In the case of a home that is already efficient, the audit will prove that the home is already efficient and this will potentially enable the lender to stretch the debt to income qualifying ratio. 

References

US DOE -- Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy - Financing an Energy Efficient Home

Mother Earth Living - Energy Efficient Mortages Make Home Improvement Affordable