I was listening to a local radio show yesterday and heard a Sussex builder describe himself as the greenest builder in Delaware. Later, driving down Route 9, I spotted a billboard belonging to “the only green builder in Delaware”. That evening on I read another article online about a local builder who said they were selling the greenest homes in the greenest community in the “greenest state”.

This reflects the growing marketing battle over sustainability going on everywhere. It should have been expected from the industry that brought us the biggest and most luxurious home, the most inexpensive biggest home, the most luxurious small home and the smallest big home and on and on.

The truth of the matter is that this flood of comparisons is growing by the day and ends up making a really good case for not believing anyone. Unfortunately there are many really good genuine sustainable builders who are getting sucked up in this brew of greenwashing and exaggeration.

EnergyStar is an example of a third party agency that has successfully set up programs to police everything from televisions to new homes. A major newspaper reported that the Government Accountability Office (the GAO) set up fake companies that submitted nonexistent products to test approval procedures at the EnergyStar program.  "The fake companies submitted data indicating that the models consumed 20 percent less energy than even the most efficient ones on the market.” Yet those applications were mostly approved without a challenge or even questions, the report said.

Without a challenge? It gets worse. Many of the approvals were issued by an automated machine with zero human interaction. An official with the Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the program within the Energy Department, insisted that the automated system is only preliminary and that every product is also screened by a human.  However, many of the Energystar workers told different stories. Yup, the government is at it again.

Where does this leave our local consumers? When I was in my teens, I believed that I should trust no one over 18. This worked for me at the time. Conservative caution may be the route to follow with “green building” until there is more accountability in place to protect the public.

Forget the word green all together. Green is not a designation; it is a poor substitute for honestly defining a product by its features (50% lower electric bills, 25% lower water bills etc). You need to spend time doing your homework, talking with educated professionals and proceeding slowly.



Are you tired of restaurant dinners?  Try the thrill of sneaking off to eat somewhere more hush-hush. From private supper clubs in cramped apartments to alfresco dinners on organic farms, underground restaurants have become the culinary world's worst-kept secret.

Also know as a secret supper (guerilla cuisine, rogue cuisine,  bootleg banquet or a tea party) the event is an eating establishment operated out of someone's home (generally, but now always bypassing local ordinances). They are actually "paying dinner parties". They are advertised by word of mouth, guerilla advertising, on the Internet or via email, and they may require recommendations to make a reservation.

For years, these word-of-mouth eateries, attracted diners looking to sample high-concept cuisine with an exclusive group of insiders. Often started by chefs who couldn't afford the overhead costs of a legal restaurant, they were also a reaction against the commercialism of celebrity chefs.

The attraction for guests is to sample new cuisines. They may be more affordable or more adventurous than they would find in a typical restaurant. In general there is no menu and no liquor or wine served (you bring your own). For the host or the chef who loves to cook, the benefit is twofold: to make some money and to play restaurant for one night only.

If you won't go to a dinner party unless you know everyone, this is not for you. While you can bring friends, the dining is family style and the atmosphere is more likely to be outgoing, friendly and maybe a little raucous. The location may anywhere from a garage to a roof deck or on the beach.

Here is a bootleg menus from a recent supper in London cooked by two friends:
Prosecco with raspberry
Bruschetta with assorted toppings
Risotto with fresh broad beans, peas and prosciutto  or Risotto with fresh broad beans and peas Slow cooked veal with white wine and saffron, purple sprouting brocolli, lentils with fresh herbs
Aubergine Parmigiana, purple sprouting brocolli, lentils with fresh herbs
Creme caramel and a surprise extra dessert

If you are planning a secret supper, please invite me.....I will not throw food.

Apparently the Clorox Company has since September 2009, when they registered the mark "consisting of a flower with yellow petals with orange shades appearing toward the center of the flower, green center, and black shadow surrounding the green center." The company Method has been using daisies on its cleaning products for six years, but never bothered to register it, suggesting that Mother Earth held the patent on this one. Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan of Method were pioneers in the green marketing world, bringing transparency, humor, safe ingredients and good design to cleaning products.

Greenworks from Mega-corp Clorox launched with a bang in January, 2008. Hugely successful, they have been eating Method's lunch ever since. And now they want to eat their daisies. They have sent Method a cease and desist letter. "We have learned that your company, Method" is using a highly similar yellow daisy image in the advertisement and promotion of your cleaning product. In light of the similarity between our products we believe that the use of your daisy is likely to cause consumer confusion or deceive the public.....blah, blah blah and your use of the daisy violates Federal and State anti-dilution laws.

It's the same old story: a major corporation targets its small competition over alleged trademark infringement. McDonald's attacked McDharma's, a vegetarian fast food restaurant in Santa Cruz, California over "Mc".

After reading this in Treehugger, I immediately stopped using anything from Clorox and wrote them a letter.
Then I started thinking about this a few days later. Really how can a big company bully a little one, sue them and steal their logo and call themselves green. Green is more than the product...it is also a state of mind, and Clorox does not cut it.
So go blast them at Clorox on Facebook.

1800recycling
Last week I dropped a LED bulb in my car. I was only to aware that it had mercury in it and I had to figure out how to get rid of it. In the end I dumped the car mat and all away. And I know better...I just panicked. READ THE WHOLE STORY

This is the one website you really need
We are living in a challenging world. Much of what we use in our daily life from light bulbs to printers must be recycled properly when we are done with them...or umm when we break them.

This is my way of introducing one of the most useful, entertaining and brilliant websites I have ever tripped across: 1-800-recycling.com. It is more than resource for recycling locations. It is a smart and savvy newsletter that covers everything from water conservation to converting your car to bio-diesal. (And by the way locks of hair can help soak up the oil spill....I am not going to spill those beans so go look).

And of course if you have burnt out light bulbs, batteries etc.....you will find local business who will take care of their disposal.

Make this one of the sites you check regularly.

Garage sales rock as a way of getting rid of stuff you don't need anymore, and for finding those random little things you do need. Thrift shops are also a fantastic option. But in these tech-centric times, online is usually an even easier, fast, and effective way to trade or sell your stuff. Craigslist, eBay and Freecycle are also old staple.
The new kid on the block is NoLongerNeedIt.com - and this site brings a whole new level of professionalism to secondhand shopping.

No Longer Need It is a site dedicated to allowing people to buy, sell and trade their stuff - or even just give it away - saving money and keeping items in the consumer stream and out of landfills. It's a bit snazzier than Craigslist, while still keeping things simple and to the point. Plus, it's specialized toward connecting people with stuff to swap.

If you have stuff you want to get rid of, you can use No Longer Need It to search for people on the prowl for items like what you're trying to discard. Or you can simply post your items so people can find them. You can then set up a trade, or a purchase.

Sites like these are popping up more and more often as people look to save a little money as well as lighten their impact on the environment by either consuming less stuff, or keeping things out of landfills. But they don't stop with simply trading - renting other people's stuff is also a product service system becoming more popular. Rentalic is one that was recently started up in California's Bay Area and they're seeing booming business as people decide to rent out items they rarely use, such as workshop tools or kitchen devices. It's like a tool lending library, but you can earn some cash for stashed items you rarely need.
It's exciting to see more sites like No Longer Need It come online to help us shift to a post-consumer society.
Here are. several other local sites of interest

Yard Sale Search
Estate Sale Search

There's just something about a historic home that makes people want to buy them and bring them back to life. In fact, retaining the authentic appearance is a passion for owners who look far and wide to find genuine or replica period fixtures, doors and windows, hardware, copies of original woodwork and other interior details.

Whether it's a small cottage or a rambling Victorian, renovating old houses is one of the best things homeowners can do for the environment.  If you are going to remodel you're in a position to have the best of both worlds: a sense of history and a sensibility toward the environment. The principles of sustainable building are easily adapted to period-renovation projects.  This applies whether a structure is sixty years old or several hundred years old.

In the end, the choice to reuse an existing structure instead of demolishing and building new is at the heart of determining a structure's "sustainable" impact.  Plus you have the satisfaction of knowing that a historic home has been given both the attention and the chance to stand for another century.

Historic preservation is both one of the most inherently "green" professions and one that provides many benefits to towns. While some see efforts at historic preservation merely as exercises in nostalgia and an infringement on property rights, historic preservation can create jobs and strengthen communities.

The following are several sustainable reasons (other than wanting to retain beautiful buildings) for being a supporter of historic preservation.

*            Front and rear porches served dual heat-related purposes for homeowners before the introduction of air conditioning.

In addition, porches provided a sheltered space to sit out of the sun while enjoying the breezes.

*            Windows in older homes were always operable to allow cooling air to enter the home.

*            Screen doors were installed on all exterior doors, again to capture breezes into enter the home.

*            Most doors typically had covered overhangs when not already sheltered by a porch, protecting from rain as well as sheltering the house from the sun.

These methods are still effective since they take advantage of the inherent good design found in our historic homes.

Central to the discussion of older and historic buildings is the subject of weatherization Since most historic homes need needed some restoration, care must be taken protect the integrity of the historic building while updating aspects of the structure that will provide a comfortable and healthy living space for occupants.

Increasing your home's energy efficiency does not have to break the bank. There have been a variety of federal- and state-level options available to the owners of older and historic homes and buildings who are looking for financial incentives to undertake larger weatherization and/or rehabilitation projects. Unfortunately in early February, President Obama released his FY 2011 budget request to eliminate funding for Save America's Treasures and Preserve America, and cut funding for National Heritage Areas by 50%.  Assistance continues to be part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program. Every state is now administering over $5 billion in stimulus funds for this program, which was created in 1976 in response to the nation's first energy emergency.

Many Delaware cities and towns have guidelines in place for renovating older homes located their historic district and Lewes and Milton are two good examples. To address these requirements, homeowners can employ the expertise of local artisans, builders, historians and designers who have extensive experience with remodeling, restoring and adding onto historic properties.

It takes a unique person to appreciate life in an old house since it means entering into a partnership with both the house and the community. It does, however, offer a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy an irreplaceable piece of history, a home that has long been part of the fabric of a town.

 www.thegreenroadhsow.com

We have started a new chapter of Green Drinks for the Southern Delaware Peninsula. We had our first event at the Buttery in Lewes and they couldn't have been nicer. We had about 60 excited ecofriendly people and professionals.

Next green drinks is on the 7th of July at Dogfish Head in Rehoboth at 330 Rehoboth Avenue. It is from 5-8, you buy your own drinks and make lots of new friends.

We have no charge but are collecting for the Food Bank (money or food).  Susan

See you there-Susan 

The Green Roadshow came about when three of us (a green realtor, a green builder and an energy auditor) decided to put on a series of free seminars to help people save energy in their existing homes and build or remodel green. This is synergy at it's best.

We then started up a Green Drinks in Southern Delaware at the suggestion of friends from GREEN TV.

The first one was in Lewes, DE at the Buttery Restaurant and we had a great time and an excellent turnout.
Plus there were some great networking benefits for some people
Our next GreenDrinks is at Dogfish Head Restaurant on July 7 from 5 to 8....Buy your drink and join the fun.

The Green Roashow is now working on a joint venture style website. It will be here soon.

Forf those of you who enjoy obscure lists....here is one I made of movies costarring food...amny of which I actually saw....actually this cound be scream cuisine.

SCREEN CUISINE
Sometimes, the use of food in films is marginal, little more than a prop or set piece. The meal depicted simply as an ordered social ritual set the stage for the real story line. In others, it plays a more hidden role, subtly illustrating a particular age or social gathering. Alternatively, food can become ‘the star of the show' like Big Night or La Grande Bouffe.
Some of my favorites include:
A Big Swallow
Made in 1901 this film shows a gentleman infuriated to find himself being photographed, who advances on the camera, opens his mouth as wide as the screen and swallows both camera and operator whole.
Babette's Feast
On the desolate coast of Denmark, two elderly, religious women take in a young woman to be their housekeeper and cook, not knowing she is a superb French chef. When the chef, Babette, wins a large sum of money, she decides to spend it all creating a magnificent meal for the simple villagers.
Big Night
Directed by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott.
The story of two brothers whose Italian restaurant is on the brink of bankruptcy. Their only chance for success is to risk everything they own on an extravagant feast for bandleader Louis Prima.
Chocolat
A lovely story set in a quiet little village in the French countryside where a single mother and her six-year-old daughter move to rural France and open a chocolate shop and shock the neighbors.
Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
An all-star French cast assembles for an elegant dinner party, but whenever they try to eat, something happens to interrupt them. A satire directed by Luis Bunuel
Eating Raoul
Paul and Mary Bland dream of owning a restaurant but can't pony up the $20,000 down payment that will make it a reality. The couple decides to lure sex-seekers to their home via a classified ad, kill them and take their money. Plus, the "tasty" cadavers enliven some of the sauces featured on the menu!
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Senior Master Chef Chu lives in a large house in Taipei with his three unmarried daughters,. Life in the house revolves around the ritual of an elaborate dinner each Sunday, and the love lives of all the family members.
The Exterminating Angel
The guests at a dinner party are held prisoner for several days without food, water or other essentials in a room in their host's house. Directed by Luis Bunuel.
Like Water for Chocolate
Taken from the novel, this story blends food, sex, mysticism and history into a compelling yarn and retains many of the magical realist elements found in the book. It keeps the food motif central with many truly mouth-watering dishes, incredible feasts and inspiring cooking.
Le Grande Bouffe
Four world-weary middle-aged men decide to gorge themselves to death in one final orgiastic weekend full of gourmet food and sex.
Mostly Martha
A film about a woman who could cook but never enjoyed eating. The food scenes reveal her failure to communicate with both her staff and her family." Martha is the chef who fusses and obsesses over each dish before it leaves the kitchen. The demands of her job and her natural shyness keep her from meeting new people.
Tampopo
A celebration of the role of food in Japanese culture, acclaimed director dubbed the first "noodle western" for its delightful parody of American Westerns and Japanese samurai films.
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
Food, sex, murder, torture and cannibalism are the exotic fare in this beautifully filmed but brutally uncompromising modern fable.
The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush features one of the most memorable food scenes in movie history: "Inside the cabin meanwhile, hungry and desperate, the Tramp and Big Jim celebrate "Thanksgiving Dinner," in a famous, classic feast/meal scene.
The Last Supper
A group of West Coast sophisticates decide to better the world by passing judgment on their influential dinner guests. Say the wrong thing and you wind up as compost for the tomatoes. While very little is shown of food preparation this is definitely a food film.
The Wedding Banquet
To satisfy his nagging parents, a gay landlord and a female tenant agree to a marriage of convenience, but his parents arrive to visit and things get out of hand when they insist upon an elaborate banquet, resulting in several complications.
Tortilla Soup
A heartwarming comedy that's all about food, family and a certain kind of magic that only happens at the dinner table. Martin is the culinary genius behind a successful restaurant and the widowed father of three daughters.
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
A fast-food tycoon, his ex-wife and a gourmet magazine publisher are involved in a fast and funny murder mystery.
What's Cooking?
Rather than limit herself to one family's deluge of dysfunctional dialogue at Thanksgiving we are introduced to the Jewish family with the lesbian daughter and her lover, the Hispanic family with the philandering husband and newly liberated wife, the cross-generational Vietnamese family's struggle with old traditions vs. new realities, and the successful yet fractured African American family.

DOCUMENTARIES
Fast Food Nation
Richard Linklater's critique of the junk-food juggernaut that's arguably responsible for America's alarming obesity rates.
The Future of Food
Before compiling your next grocery list, you might want to watch this eye-opening documentary, which sheds light on a shadowy relationship between agriculture, big business and government.
The Meaning of Food So many cultural and religious celebrations center on food, but how did this come to be? Discover the rich and varied history of American dining in this three-episode series that has filmmakers raving.
Bad Seed
The truth about our food. Sixty percent of the food Americans eat has been genetically altered or engineered, and the jury is out on whether this could harm the population.
An Inconvenient Truth
Director-producer Davis Guggenheim captures former Vice President Al Gore in the midst of waging a passionate campaign -- not for the White House, but for the environment. Laying out the facts of global warming without getting political, Gore makes a sobering impression on the audiences who hear his message, urging them to act "boldly, quickly and wisely" ... before it's too late to act at all. Plus it won an Academy Award for the best documentary!