MiddletownJournal.com

Green building conference planned for 9/11 in Cinci

By Matt Cunningham | Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 09:39 AM

I received the following press release, regarding a half-day program on green building and LEED certification to be held in Cincinnati tomorrow, Sept. 11. Read on, and share your thoughts here if you get a chance to attend.

Here’s the release:

“Some of the biggest names in the business of building throughout Greater Cincinnati will be turning out in force this Thursday to break down the big picture - and sweat the small stuff - at a first-of-its-kind local symposium dedicated to providing answers to the question: Can’t I just build using sustainable practices and save money on LEED certification?

“The big thing you’re always going to hear about with Green is ‘What’s the cost? Where’s the ROI?’ My typical response is look at the hard facts and economics of an approach to building Green,” said the keynote speaker Alan Whitson, president of Corporate Realty Design & Management Institute, based in Portland, Oregon.

The co-presenters of the mini-conference are the Greater Cincinnati chapters of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). It’s the largest event focusing strictly on the Green vs. LEED debate that the two leading professional organizations have organized as a collaborative effort.

From Whitson’s perspective, there have been “levels of acceptance” of the Green life. “I have seen who’s really into it, and who’s not. I can tell you who is, and who should be: the legal community, the insurance community, and the investment community,” he continued.

“The gut feeling that I get, in talking to people from the Greater Cincinnati market, is some people feel Green building and the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) system are things that we ought to look at. Then there are the tree-hugging people who say we HAVE to do something, and those who have a very ambivalent, yukky feeling about the whole thing,” Whitson said. “In the major marketplaces, the big boys are taking a more pragmatic approach. They want to know where the money is in Green, and how to get it.”

Whitson is a national authority on the Green movement, which he addresses with his trademarked “Turning Green into Gold” program at www.SquareFootage.net. He’s also an officially certified Education Provider of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Whitson will be joined by a virtual Who’s Who lineup of local professionals from the commercial real estate, development, construction, leasing and property management, architecture, environmental and engineering fields.

Other speakers include opening comments from Norwood Mayor Thomas Williams and Jim Neyer, president of the local NAIOP chapter and an executive from Al. Neyer Inc., followed by presentations from Tom Stapleton from Eagle Realty Group, Nadja Turek from Woolpert Inc. , and Ken Kreider and Dave Meyer, two attorneys from Keating Muething Klekamp’s Green Team. Later, Tom Kennedy from the USGBC will present an overview of the new LEED Core and Shell training followed by a cocktail reception and trade show.”

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Why should you recycle your old computer?

By Matt Cunningham | Saturday, September 6, 2008, 08:30 AM

Today I wanted to throw one more bit of info at you to encourage you to recycle your computer or TV:

Those devices are full of nasty stuff.

This link leads to well-written blog about the lead, arsenic and other toxic chemicals in a computer, and why it makes environmental sense to recycle them with care.

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Computer recycling drop-off tomorrow in Hamilton

By Matt Cunningham | Friday, September 5, 2008, 03:43 PM

If you’re like me, you have at least one or two half-junked computers collecting dust under the bed in the guest room. And if you’re like me, you’ve been looking for a safe, environmentally sound way to get rid of them for a while.

Tomorrow’s your chance to free up some space.

The Butler County Department of Environmental Services is offering a computer and television recycling collection site from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 6, at 1715 Fairgrove Avenue, next to the Butler County Fairgrounds.

BCDES holds recycling days for these items the first and third Saturday of this month, then will stop the program for the winter.

Residents can bring five computers and two TVs per household to the drop. If you have more than that or are a business looking to get rid of old electronics, contact the BCDES at their website, linked above.

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Hybrid to race in ALMS series

By Matt Cunningham | Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 09:55 AM

It’s no secret. Despite my deep interest in environmental and sustainable-living topics, i have a guilty pleasure…

I like watching cars go really fast. I spent part of my Labor Day watching the televised finals at the NHRA Mac Tools Nationals in Indianapolis. Not the most eco-friendly of sports by a long shot, even though one occasionally sees funny cars running on corn-based ethanol.

But now I’ve found a sign that conflicted gearheads may be able to spectate with less guilt in the future. The American LeMans Series announced earlier this week that professional race team Corsa Motorsports intends to race an ethanol/electric hybrid in the series’ LMP1 class. Corsa Motorsports’ website has more information about the car, as well as pictures of the sleek silver bullet. ALMS is trying to green up its series as well, with a category that factors cars’ emissions and efficiency into the final standings. Read more about that here, then come back and share your thoughts about this: is it good news for conflicted gearheads? An attempt to put a green spin on a highly consumptive activity? Something in-between? Share your thoughts.

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A “lo-car” weekend

By Matt Cunningham | Tuesday, September 2, 2008, 08:47 AM

My parents came into town this weekend, and, as usually happens when company’s around, we spent a lot of time out of the house.

But unlike many other visits past, this time the car only played a minor role in our plans. It’s refreshing to see that become a possibility around West Chester Twp.

My folks arrived in time for dinner Friday evening. After meeting them at the Marriott off Union Centre Boulevard, my wife an I suggested we eat at a nearby restaurant. We were able to walk from the hotel to restaurant thanks to ample sidewalks and crosswalks, and the storm that hit during dinner just meant more time to savor dessert and the conversation. After dinner, we wandered through the area by the Square @ Union Centre, where I pointed out the various amenities under construction and my parents picked up a nifty renewable-source wood serving dish from The Learning Kitchen. The only gas we directly used that evening was used on the drive to and from the hotel.

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Mill Creek getting back to work

By Matt Cunningham | Friday, August 29, 2008, 12:36 PM

If you live in West Chester Twp., stop by the township’s city services building on West Chester Road, and take a look at what’s going on in the low area across the parking lot. Workers are restoring the flood plain around the Mill Creek, which runs through the area. This is part of work funded in part by grants from the Clean Ohio fund.

When the work is complete, it will mean more for the area than just a pretty green space within sight of the courthouse. The space will play a role in cleaning the creek, and in turn, making water quality between here and Cincinnati a little bit better.

To learn more about the role the creek (and creeks in general) play in regional water systems, take a look at this page produced by the USDA.

And if you’re outside this weekend, make sure to take some time to enjoy a local park, forest, lake or stream.

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VOA Museum considering renewable energy plans

By Matt Cunningham | Thursday, August 28, 2008, 10:59 AM

One of the more visible community projects in West Chester Township is the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting. If you’re not from the area, you may not know that VOA’s Bethany Station on Tylersville Road was once one of the most powerful transmitters on the planet, broadcasting Voice of America programming across the globe during WWII and the years that followed.

The township is working on restoration of the building with the eventual plan of creating a museum of broadcasting. An interesting aspect of the initial plans is that they include a heavy dose of renewable energy to provide power while keeping costs reasonable.

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