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Small Home, Large Building, Energy Star Awards

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Zero Energy HouseOn the small end of the scale, a new “Zero-Energy House” debuted in Tucson, Arizona on Earth Day – it produces all the energy it needs. The house includes passive solar methodology like solid masonry construction for thermal mass, and active solar: 4-kilowatts of solar panels for electricity, solar thermal for hot water and space heating. Tankless water heaters provide backup energy. The house has a high-efficiency central air conditioning system and other appliances, efficient lighting, insulation, and windows. The Zero Energy House was developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center and architects, John Wesley Miller Companies. The Department of Energy (DOE) is subsidizing construction of a number of similar buildings around the country. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) awarded a grant of $75,613 for six homes in Atlantic City.More information: [sorry this link is no longer available]Toyota’s LEED-certified BuildingToyota Motor Sales USA is home to the largest green building complex in the U.S. It too opened its doors on Earth Day. The complex is the largest to date to receive a gold LEED certification rating from the US Green Building Council. The building has 624,000 square feet of office […]

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Making Trade Fair

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Fair Trade is a growing international approach to trade aimed at tilting the balance in favor of the poor. Fair Trade ensures the way we import or export goods is based firmly on the principles of economic and social justice – it provides a way to guarantee our purchases help, rather than harm, those involved in the production cycle. Says Jonathan Rosenthal, co-founder of the fair trade coffee company Equal Exchange, “Fair Trade businesses are here to explore what it means to be of service. Business in our society has lost the notion that it should do more than create wealth and move goods back and forth. It should be of service to the greater society.”“For thousands of artisans and farmers around the world, Fair Trade means the difference between being able to send their children to school or not, being able to afford to buy eyeglasses, or get immunization shots, being able to access clean drinking water – and so many basic necessities we take for granted,” says Chris O’Brien, Co-op America Business Network managing director. The Fair Trade Federation estimates that to date, people around the world have spent around $500 million on fair trade products. What is […]

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