Green Building and Real Estate Blog

July 23. DOE launched the EnergySmart Hospitals initiative on July 23, with the aim to increase the use of energy efficient technologies in hospitals across the United States. The EnergySmart Hospital initiative will provide hospitals with design strategies, advanced energy design guides, technology assessments, case studies, training sessions, and an interactive Web site to help hospitals increase their energy efficiency. The initiative intends to improve energy efficiency in existing hospitals by 20% and to help develop new hospitals that are 30% more efficient than the current building standards. It will also support hospitals in meeting the challenge of lowering costs while delivering quality patient care and maintaining healthy healing and work environments.

Read DOE Press release.

LAKE CITY, Ga. (AP) -- More than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team demolish a family's decrepit home and replace it with a sparkling, four-bedroom mini-mansion in 2005.

Three years later, the reality TV show's most ambitious project at the time has become the latest victim of the foreclosure crisis.

Read the article.

This article is yet another proof that there is more to homeownership than purchase. And a deeper problem of people being incosiderate...

updated 3:47 a.m. CT, Sat., July. 26, 2008

CARSON CITY, Nev. - The 28 branches of 1st National Bank of Nevada and First Heritage Bank, operating in Nevada, Arizona and California, were closed Friday by federal regulators.

Read the article.

Important aspects: National Security, Economic Development. Many people may not care about environment now and environment that will be left for our children and grandchildren. However, everybody will care about national security, jobs and economy.

100% in 10 years - is a goal, not a mandate. When stakes are high, objectives and goals should be just as high.

CNN Money. The annual list of best small towns to live, work and play is based on many aspects: affordability, crime rates, quality of life. Quality of life these days also includes walkability. With Mayor Rosenthal committed to expanding sidewalks and bike routes, we will be improving in this area even further.

Read the article, and see which other towns are on the list.

updated 5:28 p.m. CT, Tues., July. 1, 2008

WASHINGTON - High gasoline prices have dramatically changed Americans' views on energy and the environment, with more people now viewing oil drilling and new power plants as a greater priority than energy conservation, according to a new survey.

My take: Concerted effort was put in place by Bush administration to persuade public that drilling is the only option out of high oil prices. Even with a "disclaimer" from oil companies, saying that drilling now will not effect oil prices for at least few years, constant drum beat is finally having planned impact.

Conservation is positioned as a sacrifice Americans have to make. An average person is given a choice between clean environment and high oil prices on one side, and drilling offshore and in national parks on the other side. In reality, we just need to cut the waste and maintain consumption levels on reasonable level.

We are not consuming too much. We are wasting too much. Cutting the waste in our buildings can easily save 20-30%. Using widely available products and technologies, we can easily lower waste on other areas...