Just came across an interesting article at CNNMoney.com. Apparently Ted Turner’s daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, and her husband have built the largest eco-home in the U.S. - it will be the first home over 5000 sq ft to receive LEED certification.
She and her husband, Rutherford, an environmental lawyer, spent $1.5 million to construct EcoManor - some 10 percent extra for going green, estimates architect Bill Harrison. But he predicts that the Seydels’ energy costs will be 80 to 90 percent below average for a like-sized Atlanta home.
EcoManor was born four years ago when Laura - who serves on more than a dozen nonprofit environmental boards - and Rutherford bought a shabby two-bedroom cottage behind their sprawling hilltop home. They had planned to turn it into a guesthouse.
But a few weeks after their purchase, a magnificent 200-year-old oak, whipped by a storm, fell and crushed the tiny house. Ted Turner is the one who, after touring the devastation with Rutherford, prodded the Seydels to tear it down and rebuild. “And when they started from scratch, they decided to go eco-friendly,” Ted recalls.
Or more like eco-obsessive. Self-proclaimed environmental activists, the Seydels collect rainwater to fill their toilets - low-flush, dual-flow units from Japanese manufacturer Toto. (”Press button No. 1 when you go No. 1, and No. 2 when you go No. 2,” instructs Laura, 45, as we tour the master bathroom, which is naturally lit via four solar tubes.) Meanwhile, used “gray” water from the Seydels’ sinks and showers passes through filters and irrigates the lawn - which is drought-tolerant, of course.
Throughout the five-bedroom house (the Seydels have three children, 9, 11 and 14), the doors are wheat-core - yes, composed of wheat, and formaldehyde-free. In the first-floor study the wallpaper is recycled newspaper, though you’d never know it: It’s an elegant-looking linen white.
Be sure to check out the full article (includes a video tour): The first certifiably green mansion
The way I see it, even if the lifestyles of the rich and famous do tend to be a tad excessive (yes that’s an understatement), it’s at least nice to see someone making a real effort to lessen their impact (while many more will do absolutely nothing to change their ways).
By the way, you can also check out the Seydel’s website: www.EcoManor.com for more info.
Technorati Tags: ecomanor, ted turner, green home, green construction, rainwater recycling, solar power, solar panels, greywater, LEED
Written by Bentley on March 15th, 2007 with no comments.
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This sounds interesting:
VANCOUVER — Prime Minister Stephen Harper brought his environmental campaign to Vancouver yesterday, giving British Columbia nearly $200 million for projects aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouses gases, including a “hydrogen highway” demonstration project between Vancouver and Whistler with a network of hydrogen fuelling stations for fuel-cell-powered cars and buses.
“Over the past decade, engineers based right here in Vancouver have made important contributions to the development of increasingly efficient and economically viable hydrogen fuel cell,” Harper said during a news conference at the University of B.C.
However, he said further development of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles has been stymied by a lack of fueling infrastructure, and the hydrogen highway project will show how such a system can work.
“This initiative will showcase the technology for the world, and for the visionaries here at [the Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation], it will be just the first stage of the world’s first international hydrogen highway stretching all the way from B.C. to California.”
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, who attended the announcement, said he will be meeting California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week to discuss the project.
Read the full article >>HERE<<
You may also want to check out: The National Research Council of Canada’s Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation
Technorati Tags: fuel cell, hydrogen, stephen harper, hydrogen highway, alternative energy, green fuel
Written by Bentley on March 15th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Green Energy and News.
Just came across these:
Green Roof Training in Toronto
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Education & Research
Roofing
Sustainable Design
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (the North American trade association for the green roof industry) is bringing the following courses to Room 304, Metro Hall, 55 John Street in Toronto on the following dates:
March 29th, 2007: Green Roof Design 101 Introductory Course (2nd Ed.) from 8:30am-5:00pm
March 30th, 2007: Green Roof Infrastructure Design & Installation 201 from 8:30am-5:00pm
Learn More Here
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Green Roof Policy Development Workshops
This half-day workshop will be held in Room 207 of Ottonobee College at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, on March 22nd, 2007, and in Room 303 of Metro Hall in Toronto Ontario, on March 26th, 2007. Both workshops run from 9:00am-1:00pm, and will examine what kind of incentives currently exist in other jurisdictions, how the incentives are tied to performance standards and how policy makers can assess what types of incentive programs will work best in their areas. It will also provide a framework for planners and governmental agencies to gain an understanding of the multi-faceted impacts of green roofs and areas of consideration for implementing green roof policy. Tuition is $95 or $45 for NGOs and students.
Learn More Here
Technorati Tags: green roof, greenroof, green construction, toronto, sustainable, sustainability
Written by Bentley on March 15th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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