Green Building Council ( US)

US Green Building Council (these guys are the US owners of the LEED concept)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization devoted to shifting the building industry towards sustainability, targeting how buildings are designed, built and operated.

The North Texas ChapterThe USGBC is best known for the development of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and Greenbuild, a green building conference.

USGBC has more than 10,000 member organizations from every sector of the building industry and is considered the foremost green building organization in the United States.

It works to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable, and healthy places to live and work. To achieve this it has:

• Developed a variety of programs and services
• Forged strategic alliances with key industry and research organizations and federal, state, and local government agencies.

Council programs are committee-based, member-driven, and consensus-focused.

Source -Wikipedia

-Lee

Local government is key in Green Building Incentives

As of November 2007, more than 8,000 projects, representing more than 1.5 billion square feet of space had registered under the LEED system and more than 1,100 projects had received certification. Local government green builder incentives are an important part of that process.
The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties Published this and other information in a White Paper.

Here is the rest @ The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties

American Society of Landscape Architects Makes 6 Sustaintable Recommendations

The American Society of Landscape Architects published a sustainability report on 15 February 2008 makes the following recommendations:

• Encourage sustainable site planning for new communities and buildings of all types.
• Require open space and parkland preservation as a component of all public and private development, from small site-specific projects to regional land use plans.
• Encourage the research and use of native and adapted vegetation in the built environment to take full advantage of the most appropriate plants to increase air quality, conserve water resources, and sequester carbon dioxide.
• Encourage the use of sustainable stormwater management practices that enhance the treatment and increase the infiltration of stormwater.
• Encourage the use of green roofs on public and private buildings of all types.
  Require comprehensive transportation and utility planning as a component of land use planning, matching infrastructure capacity with current and proposed land uses.
• Encourage the development of smart growth communities.
  Enact policies that support design of safe transportation routes for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and those who use wheelchairs.
  

The Rest @ ASLA

A Review of NAHB Green Building Certification

The NAHB National Green Building Program, an education, verification and certification program, allows builders anywhere in the U.S. to certify a green home to bronze, silver or gold levels, using third-party verifiers furnished by the NAHB Research Center. The NAHB rating system features an online scoring tool, which shows builders how to accumulate points in seven categories: water, energy and resource efficiency; lot and site development; indoor environmental quality; global impact and homeowner education. To be eligible for certification, the NAHB program requires a builder to achieve a minimum score in each category.

The Rest @ Yudelson Associates

Paradigm Engineering Moves into Green Building

Paradigm Engineering just completed a recapitalization. This will allow Paradigm to expands its work in Industiral and Residential, Commercial, and Big Box Stormwater services. It already has a national presence, but will now also be providing Green Building services as well.

The Rest @ Paradigm Emgineering

NAHB Green Building Conferece

NAHB has announced its 2008 Green Building Conference to be held in New Orleans, May 11-13 2008.

"Builders large and small have realized that it’s possible to build homes
that are good for the environment and make good business sense.
This conference is slated to attract over 1,000 developers,
land planners, builders, architects, designers, energy raters and
planning officials.

The 2008 National Green Building Conference, NAHB’s 10th
Anniversary event, will will feature high-profile speakers, the latest
product developments, high-quality educational sessions and
unlimited networking opportunities."

-Sponsorship Opportunities

Green Building webcast-Videos

LEED
A Presentation about the New LEED Home Certification (50 minutes- I'd fastforward past the first 20 minutes)

• California Green Buidling Program (2 Minute Video)
• Greening A New York Brownstone (5 Minutes)
• A Builder CEO discussed Green Builder (7 Minutes)
• Martha Rose Construction - a Green Builder (7 Minutes)
• Building Green Part 1 (7 Minutes)
• Building Green Part 2 (17 Minutes)
• Info-mercial from a firm that provides green services to builders (30 Minutes)

Polymer Solutions

GERALDINE P. WALKER/DION GENTHER Ph: 2698774243 Fax: 269/792-4293URL: E-mail:

• DAVID MERKEL, PRES. Ph: 2697440663 Fax: 269/694-4159URL: www.polymer-solutions.com E-mail: dmerkel@polymer-solutions.com

Michigan Green Building

I found a great set of construction recycling resources for Michigan.
@ Michigan DEQ Contstruction Recycling Page

The most uselfu information to us may be:

• Michigan Map with a Construction Recycler Directory by County
  
  
  • Survey for Construction and Demolition Web Site
  • Construction Resources
  • Construction Waste Recycling
  • Construction Waste Recyclers
  • FAQ - Green Building Frequently Asked Questions
  • FAQ - Demolition, Deconstruction, and Decommissioning Frequently Asked Questions
  • Introduction to Green Building - Dept. of Energy
  • Making the Case for Green Building
  • Construction Related Environmental Publications
  • Green and Sustainable Buildings in Michigan