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Asheville, N.C.
Greenway public input meeting
The County is in the process of composing a plan for the development of walking and bicycling trails throughout Buncombe County. The Commissioners are seeking public input on what citizens would like to see included in the plan.
Citizens can view the map and provide input at an informal, drop-in meeting, 4-7 p.m. tonight. The map is also available online at www.buncombecounty.org until Feb. 22.
The base map for this plan includes data from a regional greenways plan and pertinent data from the County's Parks and Recreation plan and the Land Conservation Advisory Board. Citizens can identify places where they would like to see trails/greenways and submit their comments to Linda Giltz at lindag@landofsky.org or 251-6622.
After Feb. 22, the map will be revised and presented to County Commissioners in March. The Greenways Plan will become part of the overall Buncombe County Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
JaneAnne, I just added this post to the group: Alexandria is Cool -- That's What the Sierra Club Said. It details the efforts that the City of Alexandria is taking to maintain its ranking as an environmentally friendly city.
*Bicycle Plan *The Asheville City Council will consider adoption of the bicycle plan at their regular meeting on Tuesday, February 26 in the Council Chambers on the second floor of Asheville City Hall. The meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. ...and is open to the public.
*Buncombe** County** Greenways Planning*
Linda Giltz at Land of Sky Regional Council sent out a message yesterday letting folks know that she is still collecting input for the Buncombe County Greenways Plan. A draft map based on initial input received in December is on the County's website. See http://www.buncombecounty.org/news_Detail.asp?newsID=5380 for more information and a link to the map. If you have ideas/suggestions about locations for walking/biking paths in the County, please email them to her at lindag@landofsky.org <mailto:lindag@landofsky.org>. After this week, she will incorporate the input received and produce a revised draft map. The greenways plan will be part of the overall Buncombe County Parks and Recreation Plan. You can see the draft Parks & Rec plan by clicking on the Feb. 5 "agenda packet" and selecting the presentation or report under New Business:
_THIS Saturday, February 23d_ is the date for the 2nd Annual Bike Love Party at the Wedge Gallery in the River Arts District. I've been told it is $12.00, and that the doors open at 8 p.m. Music will be by Red Dirt Floor, Count Clovis, and Pierce Eden and the Dirty Work. Thank you to Asheville on Bikes (ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com <mailto:ashevilleonbikes@gmail.com>) for arranging this event. Money supports to the Bike Locker Program.
*Bicycle Commuter Club & Lunch and Learn Sessions*
Downtown on the Move is hosting a lunch time Bike Commuter Club - encouraging folks who work downtown to use bicycles or walk or take the bus to work or to do their errands. There will be lunch & learn programs at Asheville Brewing at 77 Coxe Ave. every other Wednesday (2/27, 3/12, 3/26, 4/9 and 4/23) from 12:30 to 1:15. Lunch is available, but purchasing lunch is not required in order to participate in the learning. There is a need for skilled cyclists to be mentors to novices.
This program is presented by Healthy Buncombe Coalition.
*Strive Not to Drive* Day will be May 16 this year, and planning is underway. If you want to help with planning and activities or contribute prizes or other incentives...
What a way to go-Life at the end of Empire - Documentary showing at Rice University on behalf of CleanHouston on April 29th.
"What A Way to Go: Wednesday, April 29th A middle class white guy comes to grips with Peak Oil, Climate Change, Mass Extinction, Population Overshoot and the demise of the Culture of Empire. Featuring interviews with Daniel Quinn, Derrick Jensen, Jerry Mander, Chellis Glendinning, Richard Heinberg, Thomas Berry, William Catton, Ran Prieur and Richard Manning. What is it doing to us as thoughtful human beings as we face the overwhelming challenges of: * Peaking fossil fuel flow rates? * Critically degraded ecosystems? * A changing climate? * An exploding global population? * Teetering global economies? * An unstable political climate? And what is it doing to the rest of the life on this planet? "
Here's a promising one!...The Mountain Area Child & Family Center here in the Greater Asheville Area, an early learning program of distinction, is launching a food service program that provides healthy nutritious meals (with an emphasis on local, sustainable agriculture) to preschool children.
Paia Maui - we're trying to be the first town in Hawaii that bans the use of plastic shopping bags. The people here are for it. We even have some autographed celebrity shopping bags for sale.
We had a GREAT event here in Lancaster County, PA - A hands-on day with solar hot water systems! A local trade school is building a green-friendly home while using it as a teaching vehicle for their construction trade students. The system was installed this week - read my blog review:
the Repower Education Outreach REO, which launched the video challenge contest: Oil2Wind on Change.org and Wind2Wheat; to be posted on YouTube before the 22nd of April, or EarthDay 2008...will be offering our services to Jaysen Turner, of TriDynamics.com, who made an awesome exercise bike for his son; diagnosed at birth with CP/Cerebral Palsy; Jaysen, son of Jaysen can do amazing tricks on his bike, including the kite stunts that other extreme sports stars have demonstrated on video sites.
This is some great green news from Utah! The city of St. George, UT is working on passing a bill to allow Communal Solar Panels to be built. Then residents could pay to recieve a portion of their power from the panels! Very Exciting!
Shelly and I are very excited that Saddle Ridgeis progressing quite nicely as one of the countries first so intensive green, earth friendly equestrian communities. We will seek the Florida Green Building Coalition's designation for each home built AND for the Entire Development, which is a very very big deal to obtain. We are using as much recycled and reclaimed finishes and furnishings in the home as possible, hiring a green equine facility designer (one of the only in the country), as well as an green equine consultant (also one of the only in the country) to help oversee our efforts. We are creating a blog www.GreenerHorse.com, to educate the public how they can make their own barn, pastures and horse keeping practices more green.
We are very very excited to be a part of this proactive development project!
I thought you would be interested in this New Green Development for Realtors® This is the notice just sent out to Agents in our Multi Listing Service area. It took over a year but we finally got 'er done.
Green Home Certification:
In early March you will see a new field on the Residential, Multi-family and Commercial input forms allowing you to indicate or search by certified Green Homes that are certified Energy Star, EarthAdvantage or LEED built. This field will only be used for homes that have the appropriate certification, not for homes that may have some energy-efficient product.
This isn't necessarily just local to here in Florida, but I'm testing a new fuel additive which is supposed to both reduce emmissions as well as increase gas mileage (important, until I can buy my Tesla!). I'm on my first tank, but I'll update with my beta-test!
Just to update the progress of our Group: Oil2Wind on Change.org...
We are launching another energy education video challenge called Wind2Wheat video challenge, as part of the Land Stewardship and Power to the People, via video education outreach. Check out hundreds of energy videos at GreenEnergyTV.com
Seventh Generation, Method and other leading personal care and cleaning brands may soon face lawsuits if they don't remove the word "organic" from their labeling and marketing by Sept. 1.
The ultimatum comes following a recent investigation by the Organic Consumers Assn., which uncovered a potentially carcinogenic contaminant in various products.
The OCA investigated nearly 100 organic cosmetic, personal care and household cleaning formulas, and found that nearly 50% of them contain detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane, which is known to cause cancer in lab animals.
None of the manufacturers disclosed this information on their labels, even though many had levels greater than 1,000 times the acceptable level.
It was announced yesterday that Dell Computer's 2.1 million-square-foot headquarters in Round Rock, Texas is now powered entirely with renewable energy. 60% of the energy is supplied by wind power generated by Energy Future Holdings Corp.'s TXU Energy and the remaining 40% from Waste Management's landfill gas-to-energy plant. Dell, a participant in Austin Energy's GreenChoice® power program, also announced it is increasing it's renewable energy at its Austin Parmer Campus from 8 to 17%.
You can find some of the oldest and most beautiful trees in Western North Carolina in urban areas. Whether due to disease, old age, lightning, or proximity issues some of these trees eventually can become hazardous in that urvan environment.
When a tree service company removes an urban tree the most common method of disposing of that tree is mulching. Every day thousands of board feet of valuable North Carolina hardwood timber is ground into mulch.
On Friday, April 11th at 6:30pm the Asheville Treecyclers Cooperative, a group of local sawyers, tree services, woodcrafters and others whose mission is to sustainably utilize downed urban trees, to provide locally grown/manufactured sustainable wood products,.and to work cooperatively to further the awareness and practice of sustainable urban forestry in our community...will be available for conversation at GREEN DRINKS, Asheville.
Today, 125 volunteers from more than 20 states are in our nation's capital as part of iLoveMountain's 3rd Annual Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington. They're going from office to office on Capitol Hill, telling members of Congress that now is the time to take action to stop mountaintop removal coal mining.
Can you take a moment to join thousands of other iLoveMountain.org supporters who are calling their representatives today and asking them to co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (H.R. 2169), which would sharply limit mountaintop removal coal mining?
Your support right now will make a tremendous difference to our volunteers in Washington -- and it could make the difference in our efforts to stop mountaintop removal coal mining.
Please, help us light up the Congressional Switchboard today -- and let your representative know your commitment to defending our mountains:
The Southwest Wisconsin Local Foods Summit is happening on Earth Day, April 22, in Belmont, Wi. Sponsored by Local Fare, this conference will bring together people from the area to pool information to help expand our local food networks and markets.
Local Fare is a new initiative in our area. The confecrences, panel discussions and lectures are bringing together a diverse group of people - from farmers and market gardeners to chefs to consumers - who are interested in increasing the local food markets in our area.
It is tulip time again in the beautiful Skagit Valley. Well almost. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has already began but the tulips are still waiting for the real arrival of spring.
The daffodil fields are in full bloom though, bright yellow and white. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Ther fields of color are an amazing site. I would suggest you go and see them on a weekday if possible as the weekends the roads are packed.
There are display gardens are spectacular and well worth a visit. It is a short 1/2 hour drive from Bellingham and probably only an hour away from Seattle.
The are lots of art shows, bike tours even some wine tasting as part of the festival.
But the best part of the show looks to be about 2 weeks away when the are in full bloom.
janeAnne,here in Sacramento and the surrounding area there will be tons going on for Earth Day and all during the month of April. Midtown Dowtown Sacramento will be having their first Art Walk sponsored by Green on the Grid which will have all types of Art signifying ways of being GREEN. This will be held on April 12th.
On April 19th, Discovery Parkoff of Garden Hwy will be celebrating Earth Day with a Ruan and Walk starting at 8:30 am. Bring a lunch and help clean-up the river
Elk Grove, CA will celebrate Earth Day on April 19th with 7 Creek Clean-up Sites and the Lions Club will be sponsoring a free BBQ for those helping to clean up our creeks.
And lastly, Sacramento will be celebrating Earth Dayon Sunday, April 20th from 11-6 pm at Southside Park on 8th and W with bands, performers, crafts, food, organic farmers, wildlife presentations, healing, e-waste drop offs and FREE VALET BIKE PARKING!
My article will be coming out tomorrow on this very subject.
Our local high school, San Marin High School, is hosting the first annual Green School week.
This is the first Green School for all the Marin schools; there are programs for the whole week including 43 parents participating in Green Career presentation. Each parent will give two presentations at 43 minutes long (yours truly also about green homes - so, help me, please, with interesting facts, pictures, graphs for the power point presentation I am going to make).
The week will cumulate on Saturday at Novato School Fuel (www.NovatoSchoolFuel.org), a local Education Foundation 2nd annual fundraiser, Cycling for Schools. which will have participants from all Novato school students with San Marin High student volunteering.
On a community level - the Novato Disposal (the greenest waste management company in the San Francisco North Bay) will have a clean and green pick up week where the residents will be able to do a spring cleaning as well as dispose of other items such as batteries, computer equipment, etc which usually require a special drop off.
OK...one quarter of the way to meet the April CHALLENGE...we have Green NEWS from
Tehachapi, CA, Western Michigan Northern Virginia Grand Rapids Houston Lancaster Maui Utah Florida-Saddle Ridge Southern Oregon Florida-Suncoast Southwest Wisconsin Asheville Bellingham, WA Sacramento Marin County Western North Carolina
City of Houston Buildings go LEED. All new City buildings will be built to LEED Certified Silver level and they are remodeling existing buildings to LEED.
Metro Buses going Hybrid! (public transportation)
City is putting up Green Roofs and Solar Panels on a handful of buildings.
The City's first LEED Platinum Home is nearing completion. Fitted with countless solar panels, passive solar design, rain water capture system....
Discovery Green, a park across from George R Brown Convention center is now open.
The first set of lots are being released for Discovery, the 3,000 home solar community. They will be installing their first set of panels on April 22nd for the Discovery Center. How appropriate that they chose Earth Day.
I see that you don't have a post from Virginia yet...here is one from Virginia Beach! I am the newest (and only) EcoBroker in Hampton Roads.
Hampton roads Real Estate Professional Certified to Address and encourage the Benefits of Energy Efficiency and Green Features in Homes
Virginia Beach, VA - April 9, 2008 - Angel Boord, of RE/MAX Allegiance in Virginia Beach has earned the EcoBroker Certified® designation, having successfully completed a unique and informative training program on the energy and environmental issues that affect real estate transactions. Angel Boord joins the movement of professionals pushing the real estate market toward energy-efficient, sustainable, and healthier design/features in homes and buildings. The "performance home" movement is getting a boost thanks to this type of high quality real estate professional earning the EcoBroker designation. EcoBrokers®, like Angel Boord, throughout the country are forging this market and creating competitive advantages for their customers. With national surveys indicating that 80% of consumers consider themselves "green-minded," real estate professionals with the EcoBroker designation are in a better position to serve the real estate consumer. "I'm always looking for the best ways to offer my clients the best value. My EcoBroker training helps me ensure customer satisfaction, my number one priority," Angel explains. "From windows to moisture control to energy savings, I now have more resources at my disposal to help my buyers and sellers make better real estate decisions. The EcoBroker designation doesn't make me an energy and environmental expert, but it allows me to better understand the issues and to convey this understanding to my buyers and sellers."
EcoBroker International's education and designation program is designed exclusively for real estate professionals who care about the environment and want to help their clients benefit from the energy-efficiency, "green," and healthier features of homes and buildings. EcoBroker provides a complete curriculum of energy and environmental training to licensed real estate agents. Real estate professionals must complete the extensive EcoBroker curriculum and training and fulfill additional program requirements to become Certified EcoBrokers®. "Angel Boord, is an example of the quality real estate professional the EcoBroker designation continues to attract," explains EcoBroker International's CEO, Dr. John Beldock. "These real estate professionals are not only distinguishing themselves in a competitive market place, but they are really giving back to the community in very constructive and meaningful ways. Hampton Roads needs more contributors like Angel. The planet and our grandchildren need them too," Dr. Beldock said.
Angel explains, "With EcoBrokerÒ training, I have broadened the range of real estate opportunities I offer my clients. Whether the transaction involves environmental assessment and mitigation (mold, radon, etc.) or the opportunity to reduce utility bills, I'm in a position to help. The real estate industry is changing, and to best serve my clients I need to understand the newest designs, technologies, and environmental issues. My EcoBroker designation helps me stay ahead of the game."
Angel Boord earned her EcoBroker Certified® designation in April and is wasting no time in putting the tools and additional expertise to work. Angel has already found that being a Certified EcoBroker® creates added value and customer satisfaction that sets her apart from other agents. For example, at a recent listing presentation, Angel Boord was able to show the prospective sellers how she can highlight the benefits of their Energy Star rated appliances, the low VOC paint used throughout the house, as well as the recently installed Energy Star rated windows. She also suggested an inexpensive radon test. Her innovative energy and environmental perspective gave her an edge in winning the listing. Angel says She's looking forward to continuing to positively impacting the quality, durability, comfort, safety, and cost-effectiveness of homes and commercial buildings.
For additional information please contact: Angel Boord
Phone: (757) 217-1900
Cell: (757) 705-0202
Home4U@AngelBoord.com
EcoBroker International provides a unique energy and environmental curriculum to licensed real estate professionals, leading to the EcoBroker Designation. EcoBroker's mission is to broaden and improve the base of training and continuing education for real estate professionals and in doing so, encourage improvements to the quality of buildings, while reducing their impact on natural resources and the environment. EcoBroker is a BuildingÒ America and Built GreenÒ Colorado Education Partner; the most successful green-building program in the United States. EcoBroker provides state-approved continuing education courses to licensed real estate professionals in states throughout the U.S. EcoBroker can be reached by phone at 1-800-706-4321, online at http://www.ecobroker.com/, and by email at customerservice@ecobroker.com.
SO MUCH GREEN you would think we are all IRISH up here! This is a very strong GREEN Community that our agency is proud to be part of...
The 9th Annual Valley Pride Day Event is a time when the 30 towns that make up the Mt. Washington Valley region of the White Mountains all get together to clean up the roads and neighborhoods of trash and debris. What started just as a North Conway event grew town by town with literally ONE THOUSAND area volunteers cleaning up the region. The local businesses get involved and provide a huge BBQ with giveaways after the event to thank the volunteers. Our office is once again directly involved and is the Conway Coordinator to assign streets and manage the pick up of the trash.
The Appalachian Mountain Club is offering a series of lectures and presentations that all deal with "Green" issues but one film showing in particular is of major importance in dealing with GMO foods and the risk we face in our food supply chain."The Future of Food" offers an in-depth exploration into unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have stocked U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico, this film gives a voice to farmers whose lives have been impacted by large-scale monoculture farming and biotechnology. The provocative film examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations gain more control of the world's food system. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why many people are alarmed by the introduction of genetically altered crops into the food supply. Most importantly, the film highlights alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farming issues of today.
Join us next week for the Three Day Designing a Green Home class. Click here to register today:
Green Building 101: Three Day Designing a Green Home:
WHERE: NC Arboretum: 100 Frederick Law Olmstead Way Asheville, NC 28806
WHEN: Wednesday thru Friday, April 16th-18th from 9:00 to 5:00 each day
AGENDA: This three-day course will familiarize attendees with the nuts and bolts of designing a green home. Over the three days, participants will go through the entire process of construction including siting a home to minimize environmental impact, making decisions about structural materials, HVAC equipment, landscaping, finish materials and much more while learning to take into account the financial implications of green building upgrades. The goal of the class is for participants to walk away with the knowledge of how to make educated decisions on benefits and trade-offs of different green building techniques and technologies. Participatory activities while working in groups will be a significant aspect to the class.
Instructor Marcus Renner is owner of Appropriate Building Solutions, Inc. and has taught classes relating to sustainable construction on the university, community college and public level.
COST: $225 for members, $300 for non-members. Pre-registration required. Lunch included.
CEU CREDITS: 16 AIA HSW, 4 ECO Agent credits
Please pass this along to anyone who may be interested.
Month of April the Denver Public Library will be promoting a whole raft of green activities for Denverites to participate in, under their Fresh Life program. There’ll be movies, presentation, workshops on the likes of global warming, renewable energy and sustainability. Big names like L. Hunter Lovins will be explaining how business can thrive, while still responding to the impact of global warming. They’ll be workshops on low-water xeriscaping methods, natural gardening pesticide solutions, composting, hiking without a trace, how to make your soap, as well as pillows from old T-shirts. On May 3 to round out the program Laurie David, (producer of An Inconvenient Truth) and author of The Solution is You: Stop Global Warming - An Activist's Guide will host an evening alongside Denver’s Mayor, John Hickenlooper, who promoted the month’s events resplendent in a green suit!
It must be Spring. All of the green postings are making me want to travel. I can't express how happy it makes me to know that awareness about the valuable resources our Earth offers is rising.
Kudos to all of the great cities which are continuing to promote awarness.
janeAnne, this is merely a quite update on the greater Lake Norman area:
The Town of Mooresville is now planning to institute curb recycling
Lake Norman has very strict rules now regarding shoreline lots and development all focused to protect the water and the environment. They have identified certain areas that can not have adock or even housing to protect specific natural habitat and have provided guidelines for "creating a Lake-Friendly buffer including which trees, wildflowers, shrubs and even ferns to plant or protect. Website: http://waterquality.charmeck.org/
One interesting project in Charlotte: The dismantling of the 1835 Old Crow Distillery included harvesting its vintage heart pine, brick, limestone to name a few...reclycling at its best!
Finally, about my home town of Pasadena CA. Their retrofit of the Pasadena City Hall was LEED certified!
This week the City of Chicago in conjunction with Index Publishing at the Chicago Hilton held the Building Green Chicago conference. Click on the link below and you will see many resources for building green in the City of Chicago that can be applied nationwide.
Today in Nashville was: 'Get Your Greenways On!' Event
Nashville's Team Green and The Village Real Estate CityLiving Team have partnered to support Greenways for Nashville by sponsoring a walk along the Downtown Greenway! Along with the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Environmental Committee, we walked along the Downtown Greenway leaving from the Farmers Market in Germantown. We walked to the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge (about a mile along the riverfront) and returned back to the Farmers Market for lunch and more socializing. To learn more about Nashville's Greenways, visit their website.
Here in Kansas City, the biggest new thing, and really just about the only "eco-friendly" thing that some people are talking about are rain gardens. There is much talk about returning the prairies that used to be here and using native grasses which require less water.
Other than that, Kansas City began a city-wide recycling program two or three years ago which has surpassed all expectations. That is a beginning, unfortunately, its use has been lagging behind what we "need" to be doing. I notice all the time how my neighbors have AT LEAST FOUR TIMES the amount of trash as my wife and myself.
17 - Thursday - Organic Certification Workshop: Is it Worth Considering for Your Farm? , Buncombe County Extension Center, Asheville, NC. Organic Growers' School and Cooperative Extension host organic farmers and a certification inspector who will guide you through the certification process and discuss benefits and barriers. Also see follow-up workshop on 4/24. Contact Jean Harrison to sign up, 255-5202.
24 - Thursday Making Jams and Preserves on a Larger Scale, Asheville, NC. Dr. John Rushing will train participants in adapting homemade jam/preserve recipes to do larger batches and get consistent results. Readily-available scientific testing methods and food safety will be emphasized. $10. Held at Blue Ridge Food Ventures. See website or email Mary Lou Surgi to register.
23-26 - Wednesday - Saturday - Polk County Ramp and Tramp Festival, Greasy Creek, Tennessee 423-338-4503
28 - Monday - 5th Annual Flower and Garden Show Grove Arcade, Asheville, NC. Contact 828-252-7799
N.C. State team wins national green building contest!!
Three teams across the US took first place in the U.S. Green Building Council's Natural Talent Design Competition held last month in Denver. And one of those teams was from our very own NC State. Attention to Green Building is becoming more common in the academic fields, including architecture and building design.
The members of the North Carolina's winning team were Andrew Darab, Frank Giordano, Eric Jabaley, K.C. Kurtz and Susan Ungerleider. They represented the state in the national competition after winning the N.C. Sustainable Building Design Competition coordinated by Advanced Energy and theTriangle chapter of Emerging Green Builders. The team was guided by Tom Barrie, director of the School of Architecture at N.C. State, and Randy Lanou of the Durham-based firm BuildSense.
The winning design is currently being constructed by N.C. Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Catawba Valley, Chatham County and Orange County. It integrates sustainable design strategies including passive-solar and energy-efficient elements while preserving affordability, with materials costing $46 per square foot.
This does not include any labor costs, overhead, financing costs, land, real estate commissions, or other costs, but is a good move in the direction of Green Building.
BEATING THE BOUNDS-ASHEVILLE A bicycle ride around the city 9 AM Sunday, APRIL 20
"Beating the bounds is an ancient tradition to bless fields and crops, to emphasize village boundaries, and simply to bring the people of a community together."
THIS ride is a great way to celebrate community. =) It's open to all experienced bicyclists (it's an urban ride), begins and ends at Vance Monument in the heart of the city, and travels to the four boundaries of Asheville lying east, south, west and north. "
At each boundary, riders will gather and raise a ruckus," says Robbie Sweetser, the event's organizer.
The ride traverses many of Asheville's neighborhoods: Downtown, Haw Creek, Oteen, Beverly Hills, Blue "Ridge Parkway, Skyland, Biltmore Park, Biltmore Forest, Biltmore Village, Pisgah View, West Asheville, Malvern Hills, Sand Hill, Deaver View Park, Emma, Richmond Hill, Woodfin, Lakeview Park, Beaverdam, Grace, and Town Mountain.
There will be a special observance in Biltmore Village as the parishioners bless the passing bicyclists in the front of the historic Cathedral of All Souls in celebration of the beating the bounds tradition and the opening of the Cathedral's Earth Day events, including a Bike Rodeo for the younger set.
Public metered parking spaces near Pack Square are free on Sundays. There is no ride fee or registration required. All riders are encouraged to bring noisemakers and wear bike-safe festive costumes for the festivities.
If you are in NC... you can register for Sustainable Site Development class that will count toward your ECO Certified Consultant real estate professional designation!
It's on April 30th:
WHERE: NC Arboretum: 100 Frederick Law Olmstead Way Asheville, NC 28806
WHEN: Wednesday, April 30th from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
AGENDA: The course will cover the basic principles of conservation planning and include the approaches and techniques for creating ecologically sensitive residential developments.
This course will help participants understand the types of natural resources, such as plant communities, wildlife habitats, and water resources (streams and wetlands), that are significant features of a property. It will also discuss the methods used to protect these resources through appropriate design and the use of conservation easements.
The following topics will also be addressed: minimizing construction impacts, controlling sediment and erosion, managing stormwater, utilizing native plants, and restoring habitat. The course will be beneficial to design professionals such as engineers, landscape architects, and architects as well as private land owners, developers, and REALTORS
. The course will include a site visit to see how these techniques are implemented.
Instructor David Tuch is Vice-president of Equinox Environmental, a local sustainable land planning and design company.
COST: $40 for members; $50 for non-members, Pre-registration required.
Interested in eco-innovation? North Carolina State University Water Quality Group/ French Broad Training Center has this event that might work for ya'...you can watch as a 1,930 square foot vegetated roof is installed on UNC-Asheville's LEED Sliver Certified Facilities Management Complex.
Date and Time: EARTH DAY...Tuesday, April 22nd from 12:30-1:00pm
Location: UNC- Asheville Sam Millar Management Complex (Follow Campus Drive off Broadway)-Meet outside in the lower quad. http://www.unca.edu/campusmap/
Ecowidget ... available for free use on all platforms. Download it onto your desktop and out of the corner of your eye, you have instant access to the latest environmental news, eco-friendly tips, local green grocers and more!
Add your GREEN NEWS in the comment section HERE...we are aiming for 100 comments by THIS Wednesday , Apri l 30th. Please leave a link to your BLOG post (good for localism) ..or simply add a comment... TELL US what is happening in your neighborhood...eco-innovation is the theme...
This one isn't in New Hampshire, but as a Certified EcoBroker®, I plan on attending. There will be one in September in Maine.
Going Green Vermont Host Sponsor: groSolar May 10 & 11, 2008 University of Vermont - Gutterson Athletic Center Admission: $5.00 Children under 12 free May 10, 2008: 10 am - 7pm
May 11, 2008: 10am - 4pm Mother's Day! Kids Bring Your Mom and She Gets in Free!
Fran Sanderson, Franklin, NH, REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®,
The April Challenge is complete...but plese do continue to add your GREEN NEWS here ..I love to see what's happening..and hear the "red-hot" GREEN NEWS from your neighborhood.
Add your GREEN NEWS in the COMMENT SECTION below....
Seventh Generation, Method and other leading personal care and cleaning brands may soon face lawsuits if they don't remove the word "organic" from their labeling and marketing by Sept. 1. 
It was announced yesterday that Dell Computer's 2.1 million-square-foot headquarters in Round Rock, Texas is now powered entirely with renewable energy. 60% of the energy is supplied by wind power generated by Energy Future Holdings Corp.'s TXU Energy and the remaining 40% from Waste Management's landfill gas-to-energy plant. Dell, a participant in Austin Energy's GreenChoice® power program, also announced it is increasing it's renewable energy at its Austin Parmer Campus from 8 to 17%. 
The daffodil fields are in full bloom though, bright yellow and white. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the 
are in full bloom.
Our local high school, San Marin High School, is hosting the first annual Green School week. 
The 
LAGUNA BEACH, CA | eWaste Drive | Saturday, April 12th, 2008 | 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Host Sponsor:
Asheville, N.C.
Greenway public input meeting
The County is in the process of composing a plan for the development of walking and bicycling trails throughout Buncombe County. The Commissioners are seeking public input on what citizens would like to see included in the plan.
Citizens can view the map and provide input at an informal, drop-in meeting, 4-7 p.m. tonight. The map is also available online at www.buncombecounty.org until Feb. 22.
The base map for this plan includes data from a regional greenways plan and pertinent data from the County's Parks and Recreation plan and the Land Conservation Advisory Board. Citizens can identify places where they would like to see trails/greenways and submit their comments to Linda Giltz at lindag@landofsky.org or 251-6622.
After Feb. 22, the map will be revised and presented to County Commissioners in March. The Greenways Plan will become part of the overall Buncombe County Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080207/LOCAL/80206041