Greensburg GreenTown Home

Greensburg, Kansas, is continuing their hard work of rebuilding after the 2007 tornado, destroying almost ninety-five percent of the town. The most recent efforts is focused on the Meadowlark House, designed by Steven Learner Studio.

Led by the nonprofit Greensburg GreenTown, the eco-friendly house is made of wood blocks and filled gravel, 100 percent toxin-free. It is very durable, tested by the German team from HIB, it should withstand winds over 180 mph and 8.0 earthquake. The wood block walls started going up on June 24, 2011 and they are continuing with great progress.

Follow the progress on Greensburg GreenTown Blog. After the home is completed later this year it will serve as a second home in the town to be a 'living laboratory' to show off sustainable technologies.

Clean Coalition Announces Local CLEAN Program Guide

The nonprofit Clean Coalition has released a Local CLEAN Program Guide to encourage more effective policies for the timely and practical development of clean local energy.

The first of seven modules of Clean Local Energy Accessible Now (CLEAN) Guide gives an overview of the programs and key considerations in assessing what a CLEAN program can do for communities and local utilities across the United States. Starting in Gainesville, Florida CLEAN programs have been implemented at the local, state and national level around the world to stimulate renewable energy deployments.  

To download the first module and more information on the Local CLEAN Program, please visit the Clean Coalition website.

Portland Green Homes Outperform Non-Certified Homes For Fourth Straight Year

June 22, 2011 - Press Release
Green Building Elements
Matter Network

The desire for homes that conform to the green building standards of organizations such as Earth Advantage, ENERGY STAR, or LEEDS is growing throughout the world, and nowhere is that more evident than Portland, Oregon. For the fourth straight year in a row, green certified homes have outperformed non-certified homes in the Portland metro region, according to a study by the Earth Advantage Institute.

The annual study found that existing homes with a sustainable certification sold for 30 percent more than homes without one, according to sales data provided by the Portland Regional Multiple Listing Service. This finding is based on the sales of existing homes between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2011 in Multnomah, Clackamas, Columbia, and Washington Counties in Oregon and Clark County in Washington.