The Language of Green...

When I married my husband, I married into a family of doctors.  In the early years, having a meal with them was like being transported to a Martian dining room.  They spoke a language I simply didn’t understand.  But eventually I caught on.  And now, although I don’t recognize every acronym or Latin name that comes up, I feel pretty confident that I get the gist of the conversation. 

So, when I immersed myself in the sustainability world and began studying for my LEED Green Associate exam, I wasn’t surprised to find that I had catapulted myself backwards into the early years of my marriage when I was a traveler in a foreign land trying to understand the conversation. 

I’ve compiled the following list of important “green” terms and acronyms to help sustainability newcomers get up to speed.  Happy reading!

Building Envelope

Also referred to as the building shell, the building envelope comprises the exterior of a building, including walls, floors, roof, and windows.  The building envelope is the boundary between the interior conditioned spaces of a structure and the outdoors.  The most energy efficient buildings start with very tight building envelopes, which result from advanced framing techniques, high efficiency windows (with, for example, insulating argon gas between panes and low emissivity – low-E – coatings to reduce solar heat gain), and comprehensive insulation that eliminates gaps that air and moisture might infiltrate.  In the Sunset Green Home, spray foam insulation and very efficient windows are two of the strategies that will improve the tightness of our building envelope and result in greater overall energy efficiency for the project.

Resources: http://gbssmag.com/2012/08/starting-with-a-tight-building-envelope-to-reduce-first-costs/

Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is the extent of the impact of our activities on our climate, measured in terms of Greenhouse Gases (typically carbon dioxide, but also including methane and others).  A comprehensive calculation of carbon footprint would include the impact of manufacturing, shipping, storage, use and disposal.  This Wall Street Journal article calculates the carbon footprint of some basic household items.  It’s eye-opening!  Among other strategies, the Sunset Green Home project will use Energy Star appliances, generate electricity through solar photovoltaics and specify building materials sourced regionally in order to minimize our carbon footprint.

Resources: http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/

FSC

The Forest Stewardship Council’s mission is to “promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world’s forests” and it has developed a certification program that “ensures that products [labeled as FSC certified] come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.”  The LEED for Homes program states a preference for using FSC certified wood products, and has a prerequisite that any tropical hardwoods used in a project must be FSC-certified. 

Resources: https://us.fsc.org/

Greenhouse Gases (GHG)

Greenhouse gases – such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – trap heat in our earth’s atmosphere.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they “absorb energy, slowing or preventing the loss of heat to space.  In this way, GHGs act like a blanket, making Earth warmer than it would otherwise be.”  In recent years, human activity – primarily the burning of fossil fuels – has been the primary source of a rapid and significant rise in the emission of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere.  By generating most of its electricity through clean renewable solar photovoltaics, the Sunset Green Home will minimize its use of fossil fuels and, consequently, its generation of GHGs.

Resources: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html

Greenwashing

Greenwashing refers to the practice of using misinformation to promote the notion that a company, product or service is environmentally friendly.  Think of a hotel that touts itself as “green” because it offers guests the opportunity to reuse their sheets and towels, but doesn’t take any additional steps to become more environmentally friendly (such as installing energy-efficient lighting, drought-tolerant landscaping, or storm water runoff controls).

Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing and http://www.greenwashingindex.com/

Heat Island Effect

Have you ever noticed that it’s warmer at night in a city than in the countryside?  That’s an example of the heat island effect – where hardscapes (buildings, pavement, etc.) absorb the sun’s heat and then radiate it to surrounding areas.  The heat island effect results in a greater need for cooling technologies, which are responsible for higher energy costs, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and increased air pollution.  Using light colored pavement or green roofs (which are becoming increasingly popular in urban areas) are two strategies for reducing heat island effects.  The Sunset Green Home project will reduce the heat island effect of the home by foregoing asphalt in favor of a light colored pervious stone driveway.

Resources: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/

MERV

MERV, or Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, refers to the efficiency of air filters in the mechanical systems (heat and air conditioning) of a building.  MERV ratings range from a low of 1 (very low efficiency) to a high of 16 (very high efficiency).  With today’s very tight building envelopes, indoor air quality has become a concern.  Using high MERV filters increases the filtration of harmful particles out of the air we breathe indoors.  Specifying high MERV filters is a relatively inexpensive way to improve indoor environmental quality.  The Sunset Green Home project will use very high MERV filters in its HVAC systems.

VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate at room temperature.  Examples include acetone, formaldehyde, benzene and others.  Many of the products in our homes have the potential to “off-gas” VOCs, and VOC concentrations indoors are typically 2x – 5x higher than outdoors.  Health effects are based on the level of VOC concentration and the exposure time, and may include headaches, upper respiratory symptoms and eye irritation or, with long-term exposure to high levels, increased risk of cancer or central nervous system damage.  Although we often think of VOCs as smelling bad (think of a freshly painted wall), not all VOCs create an odor.  But, in today’s well-insulated and tightly sealed homes, VOCs can build up quickly and to high levels.  The Sunset Green Home project will include low-VOC or no-VOC paints, adhesives, finishes and furnishings wherever possible, and we will “flush” the home with fresh air for several days before we take occupancy.

Resources: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/voc/ and https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/voc.htm

And now that we’ve provided some “green” terms, what about LEED?  What is all this “LEED” stuff about anyway?

LEED

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED “is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.”  LEED is a flexible rating system that can be used to certify buildings ranging from single family homes to commercial office buildings.  There’s even a LEED rating system to certify the operations and maintenance of existing buildings.  Each LEED rating system has its own prerequisites and optional credits for obtaining certification levels of Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.  The Sunset Green Home is registered under the LEED for Homes green building program and will seek Platinum certification – the highest level – upon completion.

Resources: http://www.usgbc.org/leed

LEED Accreditation vs. LEED Certification

Simply put, BUILDINGS are certified and PEOPLE are accredited.  LEED certification is described above.  LEED accreditation recognizes individual levels of understanding and experience with green building.  There are three levels of LEED accreditation: LEED Green Associate, LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and LEED Fellow.  Credentialing is overseen by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), which also oversees LEED project certification.

Resources: http://www.usgbc.org/leed/credentials

USGBC

According to its web site, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) “is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.  USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities.”

Resources: http://www.usgbc.org/

Passivhaus or “Passive House”

LEED isn’t the only green building standard.  In fact there are several.  Developed in the early 1990s, the Passivhaus standard is one of the world’s leading green building standards.  Passivhaus is based on the principle of creating an exceptionally tight and well-insulated building envelope with mechanical ventilation to cut down on – or eliminate altogether – the need for conventional forms of heating and cooling.

Resources: http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseInfo.html and http://passiv.de/en/index.php

Now that you know green, go green!

Deconstruction 101: It’s all in the Details

If breaking ground on the Sunset Green Home project is considered “getting out of the starting gate” then removing the house that was substantially damaged by Hurricane Sandy is akin to getting into the starting gate.  And we’re almost there…

Today was Day Four of our Whole House Deconstruction effort, and the house is about halfway down.  So what is deconstruction and why are we doing it?  Deconstruction is NOT demolition.  A typical demolition job would take a fraction of the time that is required for deconstruction, and would cost about half as much.  But 100% of the house would be bulldozed and dumped into a landfill. 

By contrast, whole house deconstruction refers to the careful dismantling of a structure to preserve materials that can be reused elsewhere and to recycle materials that cannot be reused in their current form.  Deconstruction is done by hand.  Workers trained in deconstruction strip the inside of the house, salvaging any fixtures, fittings and materials that can be reused, and setting them aside to be donated to non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity or Build It Green! NYC.

Once the inside of the house has been disassembled, the house is taken apart shingle-by-shingle and stud-by-stud from the roof to the foundation.  Again, any materials that can be salvaged – such as windows and flooring – are carefully removed and earmarked for donation.  Whatever can’t be salvaged is taken by a waste hauler who is focused on recycling and is able to divert a significant portion of the waste away from the landfill.

The Sunset Green home is being deconstructed by Details, a division of Humanim, a Baltimore-based non-profit organization whose mission includes workforce development programs.  Details teaches green building practices and provides entry level employment to members of its crews. 

And in fulfilling its mission, Details keeps thousands of tons of waste from entering our nation’s over-stressed landfills (one estimate by the Deconstruction Institute, funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, estimates a 2,000 square foot house would, if demolished, generate 127 tons of debris). 

The Sunset Green Home project hopes to earn one point toward LEED certification by diverting over 70% of our demolition waste through the deconstruction process.

Our crew is hard at work deconstructing the house on the Sunset Green Home site.  Like I said, it's all in the Details...

Grow Green! Start with Raised Planting Beds

Some sustainable practices are easily incorporated into your life and will bear fruit right away.  Pun intended!  It’s cold and snowy here in NYC, but I’m already thinking about the inevitable arrival of spring…and for me that means gardening.

Sunset Green Home garden in midsummer bloom.

Raised bed gardening is an easy, space efficient, and healthful way to go green.  By growing your food yourself, you'll know that you aren't ingesting any harmful pesticides and that no fossil fuels were burned to get the food to your doorstep.  And growing your own produce also contributes to biodiversity; you can pick from the many heirloom varieties that cannot be grown by commercial growers whose crops are often limited to ones that have been engineered to hold up to handling and transportation.  If that’s not enough to convince you, just wait until you taste a fresh asparagus spear straight out of the ground – it’s better than the best you’ll find in your local grocery store!

Now that you’re convinced, how can you make your garden a reality? 

To build our raised garden beds, we used untreated cedar for its natural pest-resistant properties (redwood would have been fine, too). Consider using wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which has been sustainably grown and harvested.  There’s been a lot of debate about using untreated vs. pressure treated wood for garden beds. Pressure treated wood will last longer than untreated wood, but doesn’t meet organic gardening standards. However, the National Gardening Association says that new ACQ pressure treated lumber is safe to use for garden beds.

Sunset.com has a great tutorial on building raised garden beds.  We used their plans with a couple of modifications to build our first 18” high raised beds (most notably, Sunset's plans are for 12" high beds; we added a row of 2 x 6 boards to increase the height). They’re beautiful and have withstood the test of time.  Working together with my father and my sons, we were able to build and install three 4 x 8 foot beds in one day (it helped that the lumber yard pre-cut the boards to the lengths we needed). 

For clients and friends (and for my own garden expansion), I have relied on raised bed corners and connectors from Gardeners.com to assemble raised beds in a jiffy. 

Regardless of which design you choose for the boxes, make sure you incorporate these elements into your plan:

1.       Keep your beds to a maximum of four feet wide.  Three to four feet is ideal.  It’s hard to reach the produce in the middle of a bed that is more than four feet wide without stepping on or leaning into the soil and causing it to become compacted. 

2.       Lay down ¼” metal mesh Hardware Cloth in the bottom of your planting boxes to prevent tunneling pests (moles come to mind!) from reaching your produce

3.       Staple Landscape Fabric to the inside faces (but not the bottom!) of your planters to keep your soil from leaking through the cracks between your boards when you water, and to protect the wood from excess moisture

4.       Install drip irrigation on a timer with a separate manual cut off valve if you have multiple beds.  Some fruits – notably watermelons – don’t want to be watered at all once their fruit has set…but you may not want to set up separate watering zones for each bed.  A manual cut off will easily solve the problem.

5.       Once you have prepared your beds, fill them with a good quality mix of organic topsoil, compost and peat. 

In my Plant Hardiness Zone, I can start planting some of my early crops as soon as next month.  SproutRobot has a neat tool for determining when you can start planting outdoors where you live.  Make sure you get your raised beds built in time to be ready to start planting.  And bookmark my Garden Journal so you can check back throughout the spring as I add tips for crop selection and low maintenance growing.

Happy gardening!

Salt the Sidewalks?

It’s snowing again!

The 50+ degree weather of the Super Bowl was a one-day gift to Sea Hawks fans, Broncos fans and everyone in the New York City area.  But now we’re back to this winter’s “normal.”  With over 34” of snow so far this winter, NYC already has a significant surplus versus average annual accumulation at this point in the season.  And between this storm and the one that is predicted to hit over the weekend, we could be looking at another six to eight inches.

So what’s a New Yorker to do?  Salt the sidewalks, that’s what!

My dog and other NYC canines would definitely say no!  My dog isn't one of those overly pampered pets.  She doesn't wear sweaters or raincoats or jackets.  Her fur coat seems just fine for warmth.  But every time it snows, I painstakingly insert her four little paws into rubber balloon-like booties for the sole purpose of protecting her feet from chemical salts.  Those little white pellets that cause the snow to melt can also cause chemical burns on our pets’ feet.  I roll up a newspaper and bop myself on the nose every time my dog limps through a patch of chemical salt because I forgot to put her booties on.

If chemical salts can cause such harm to my pet’s paws, what are they doing to the environment?  And are there any reasonable alternatives?  It turns out that there is no holy grail for sidewalk deicing.  Road Salt is the least expensive option, and is generally used, as you’d imagine, on roads.  Its large crystals and ability to lower the freezing point of water, make it the most popular municipal deicer.  But it has the potential to make trouble for plants, animals and humans (through its effect on the water supply).  Alternative products exist, and in New York City we often see little white pellets of Calcium Chloride (the culprit with respect to our dogs’ paws) – but Calcium Chloride is costly, may cause skin irritation, is corrosive to concrete and metal, and can damage carpets if tracked indoors. Magnesium Chloride is the least environmentally harmful of the chemical salts, but it, too, is corrosive to metal and is a more expensive option.  “Natural” products, like sand and sawdust, won’t melt the ice, but do have their place as anti-slip agents.  

Perhaps, instead of using pounds of chemicals, we should think about using an ounce of prevention.  Why not try to keep the sidewalks free of ice buildup during the storm so that you don't need to use deicing products at all?  I spoke with my building's superintendent this morning as he was using a wire brush to clear the freshly shoveled sidewalks; he says that our building tries not to use any deicers.

So here are some practical tips for dealing with icy sidewalks:

1.  Keep the sidewalks clear during the storm.  Doing so may eliminate the need for deicing chemicals. 

2.  If you must use a deicer, apply it with a mechanical spreader.  You’ll use less deicing product while spreading it out more evenly.

3.  Include an equal part of sand in your deicing mix (this is a sensible suggestion by the NYC Landmarks Commission).  It’ll give your sidewalk some traction without harming the environment.

4.  Clean up the salt and deicing pellets that remain on the ground when the snow is gone.  Sweep them up and dispose of them properly to reduce the likelihood that they end up in our water supply.

Our environment will thank you…and so will our dogs!