Perhaps you heard about a report by Environment & Human Health, Inc., which was published earlier this year, LEED Certification: Where Energy Efficiency Collides with Human Health. In it, to summarize, the authors suggest that the USGBC creates a false impression that buildings are "healthy" when the LEED system doesn't really do much to remove harmful chemicals from products and buildings. The report started a media frenzy on the topic.
The folks at Plant Solutions installed this vibrant living wall in a conference room of their Scottsdale office. The TerraScreen Living Wall is made with two 4'x4' panels, which are made with a black, powder-coated, galvanized steel wire, and brackets that attach to the wall. The panels protrude a little less than five inches from the wall.
When it comes to green building, indoor air quality is something you can't neglect. One of ways to build and renovate with a focus on indoor air quality is to use a no- or low-VOC interior paint. Going with a VOC-free paint color (both the paint and the tint) is the only way to do things these days.
After seeing these in Dwell, I’ve noticed Woolly Pockets popping up all over, including on Flora Grubb Garden as a do-it-yourself vertical garden. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out how a flexible, breathable, modular gardening container made from recycled plastic bottles would work without gushing water all over the place. But it does (watch the video below), only if you do things right. Woolly Pocket Gardening Company has various options available from $29 - $350.
I am very excited to let you all know that Benjamin Moore's newest line of eco-friendly paint, Natura, offers no volatile organic compounds (VOC's). Volatile organic compounds are the chemicals, usually found in paint, that toxify your indoor air quality. I've been waiting for this day because while other no-VOC paints are available on the market, I don't think that you can beat the quality of Benjamin Moore.
I have to admit, I was very skeptical when I first heard about Home Depot's new, green paint, The Freshaire Choice. I associate large corporations like this, who are not generally known for being environmentally or socially responsible, with a concern for their bottom line, not the earth. Whether or not this is true, Home Depot has made an impressive eco-friendly step with this line of paint.
You'd think bamboo floor is pretty cut and dry, but EcoTimber, a leader in the push towards environmentally-friendly flooring options, has found a way to innovate in this area. They've just released a new, prefinished, strand-woven bamboo flooring that doesn't look like your regular bamboo. The top image is a blown-up version of the amber color (view others below). Looks like a regular hardwood, doesn't it? It actually acts like a hardwood, too. It took about two years to develop and can be sanded and refinished just like regular hardwoods. With a suggested retail price of $5.99 sf, there's no reason to stick with the old growth products. Seriously.
Here are a few green reasons to like this new EcoTimber Bamboo offering:
Milk Paint has been around for thousands of years, with the roots as far back as 6,000 years ago when it was used for cave paintings. It is now gaining recognition as a biodegradable, green product. Milk paint is made from milk and crushed, natural pigments, and it is used for walls, furniture, and even art. It is very durable, as it hardens with age. But, beware, there are companies who market "milk paints" which are not natural and contain harmful chemicals.
Green buildings, with their natural light and excellent indoor air quality, have the potential to make a big difference in the healthcare industry. At some point, there's going to be the world's first LEED Platinum healthcare facility in the world and Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas just might be the location to do it. The 32-acre, $200 M project is on schedule to take LEED Platinum, if everything goes as planned. The pictures are magnificent and we here at Jetson Green think it would be great if no one ever had to go inside! TBG Partners was kind enough to provide photos of the work they're doing on the project, which includes site planning, sustainable design, and landscape architectural services.
Amenity is a wonderful green home company, especially for all you eco-parents out there. Amenity offers a hip line of eco fabrics, bedding, nursery furniture, pillows, wall art, and even totes. Their fabrics are all made from organic and sustainable materials and printed using water-based, environmentally-friendly inks.
