Southern California Green Real Estate Blog

HOW GREEN IS YOUR GOOGLE?

HOW GREEN IS YOUR GOOGLE?

When was the last time you considered the environmental impact of Google searches Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research.

While millions of people tap into Google without considering the environment, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2; boiling a kettle generates about 15g. “Google operates huge data centers around the world that consume a great deal of power,” said Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist who did the research on the environmental impact of computing. “A Google search has a definite environmental impact.”

Google is secretive about its energy consumption and carbon footprint. It also refuses to divulge the locations of its data centers. However, with more than 200m internet searches estimated globally daily, the electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions caused by computers and the internet is provoking concern. A recent report by Gartner, the industry analysts, said the global IT industry generated as much greenhouse gas as the world’s airlines - about 2% of global CO2 emissions. “Data centers are among the most energy-intensive facilities imaginable,” said Evan Mills, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. Banks of servers storing billions of web pages require power.

Though Google says it is in the forefront of green computing, its search engine generates high levels of CO2 because of the way it operates. When you type in a Google search for, say, “energy saving tips”, your request doesn’t go to just one server. It goes to several competing against each other.

It may even be sent to servers thousands of miles apart. Google’s infrastructure sends you data from whichever produces the answer fastest. The system minimizes delays but raises energy consumption. Google has servers in the US, Europe, Japan and China.

Wissner-Gross has submitted his research for publication by the US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and has also set up a website www.CO2stats.com. “Google are very efficient but their primary concern is to make searches fast and that means they have a lot of extra capacity that burns energy,” he said.

Get the whole story @ http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5489134.ece

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

by Jodi Summers

Green is still good. The latest government motivation is toward green roof installations.

Among the benefits of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S.320) introduced by Sen. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) is to provide financial incentives for homeowners or commercial building owners which chose to install green roofs on their buildings.

A green (or sod) roof features of vegetation-usually drought-tolerant plants, or shrubs-that is planted in a growth medium. The roof generally involves a multilayer system of waterproof and root-repellent membranes, a drainage system, filter cloth, and lightweight soil.

Sedums are a suggest plant, as the 400+ varieties range from annuals and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves.

Green roofs have been around for thousands of years. One of the first notable appearances of green roofs occurred in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon around 500 BC. The site is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The thrust of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 is to create green-collar jobs and revitalize the economy through clean energy investments.

Section 506 of the bill, offers property owners a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof expenses. The tax credit applies to both new and retrofit projects, but it requires that at least 50 percent of the roof area be covered with vegetation.

“This is a watershed moment for the green roof industry,” observes Steven W. Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which worked with the American Society of Landscape Architects to help Sen. Cantwell’s office draft the section of the bill that is focused on the green roof incentive. “This bill will deliver an enormous number of green collar jobs, not just today, but also in five years from now, while also saving energy, improving stormwater management, cooling cities, cleansing the air, and

beautifying our rooftops.”

Modern green roofs trends began in Germany in the 1960s; today, it is estimated that about 10% of all German roofs have been “greened.” Several European Countries have very active associations promoting green roofs including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and the UK. The City of Linz in Austria has been paying developers to install green roofs since 1983 and in Switzerland it has been a Federal law since the late 1990s. In the UK their up-take has been slow but a number of cities have developed policies to encourage their use, notably in London and Sheffield.

Green roof advocates note a variety of benefits for property owners, including added insulation and cooling. It has been found that they can retain up to 75% of rainwater, gradually releasing it back into the atmosphere via condensation and transpiration, while retaining pollutants in their soil.

“If you install enough in an area, it cools the area, which saves money in energy costs and limits greenhouse gas,” offers Peck.

Cities like Los Angeles can truly benefit from the cooling effect, as green roofs reduce the “heat island effect,” a situation in which traditional building materials such as asphalt roofs in a city-absorb sunlight and radiate it back into the atmosphere as heat, making cities at least 4 degrees Celsius (7 °F) hotter than surrounding areas.

The new California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has a green roof that provides 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of native vegetation designed as a habitat for indigenous species, including the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly. According to the Academy’s fact sheet on the building, the building consumes 30-35% less energy than required by code.

Green roofs have also been found to dramatically improve a roof’s insulation value. A study conducted by Environment Canada found a 26% reduction in summer cooling needs and a 26% reduction in winter heat losses when a green roof is used. In addition, greening a roof is expected to lengthen a roof’s lifespan by two or three times, according to Penn State University’s Green Roof Research Center.

Another upside of green roofs is added local employment, as green roof installations tend to be local projects. “For every dollar spent, the $2 or $3 generated goes toward creating jobs where the roof is installed,” he boasts.

Sen. Cantwell noted this benefit as well in a statement introducing the bill. “In these times of economic uncertainty, growing the green economy and investing in clean energy technologies is the key to job growth and breaking the United States’ debilitating dependence on foreign oil,” she said. “While installing a green roof may seem like a small step, these upgrades save energy, filter and absorb pollution, and store carbon. As individuals and businesses continue to look for ways to combat high energy costs and improve the health of their neighborhoods and environment, providing green roof incentives just makes sense.”

Builder magazine reports that, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has launched a new, multi-disciplinary Green Roof Professional (GRP) program–much like U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Professional Accreditation-and will administer the first exam at its annual conference this June in Atlanta. Under the program, an individual can become GRP-accredited to provide green roof design, products, and installation services to meet the new demands that potentially could be generated from this bill.

American landscape architects and a Canadian nonprofit green roof industry association says that the United States could see a surge in green roof installations if a provision in a recently introduced Senate stimulus bill becomes law.

Information from:

http://www.builderonline.com/green-building/financial-incentives-in-stimulus

http://egrfaculty.villanova.edu/public/Civil_Environmental/WREE/VUSP_Web_Folder/GR_web_folder/GR_paper_files/image002.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/iruss001/architecture/green_roof.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_roof

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/calroof3.jpg

http://www.localecology.org/images/deyoung_casgreenroof.jpg

http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/green_roof.jpg

http://www.lotuslive.org/buildings/files/norwaygreenroof.png

WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STIMULUS PACKAGE DOES FOR REAL ESTATE

WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STIMULUS PACKAGE DOES FOR REAL ESTATE

by Jodi Summers

Well, yeah, now we have a stimulus package to kick start our sagging economy. Bet you want to know what it does for real estate - well, according to the National Association of Realtors - this is what has been So here’s what we have achieved:

1. The loan limits will be raised to $729,750 in high cost areas, like Los Angeles.

2. A true credit - the tax credit will be raised to $8,000 with NO payback!

3. Interest rates have come down 125-150 basis points.

4. The bill offers more than $50 billion in it for foreclosure mitigation, with Geitner’s Treasury plan signaling that the second half of TARP and TALF to be used to mitigate foreclosures through a government guarantee, drive down interest rates by buying another $200-300 billion of mortgage paper from the GSES’s thereby freeing them up to do the same with new mortgages.

5. Fannie has just agreed to lift the cap of 4 investment properties eligible for loans and raise it to 10.

ENJOY SANTA MONICA’S GREEN OFFICE BUYING GUIDE

ENJOY SANTA MONICA’S GREEN OFFICE BUYING GUIDE

By Jodi Summers

Find it @ http://www01.smgov.net/epd/SP/greenoffice/main/index.html

Have to love Santa Monica – the city is out there, oftentimes so far ahead of the curve that they make their own rules. In an effort to stay a nationally recognized leader in “green” purchasing and sustainable city programs, the City of Santa Monica invites you to explore our virtual tour of a “green” workplace. See for yourself the exciting opportunities that are available to create a healthier, more sustainable work environment.

http://www01.smgov.net/epd/SP/greenoffice/main/index.html

This site will assist anyone interested in purchasing products designed to use water and energy efficiently, preserve trees and natural resources, be less toxic and less polluting, and not threaten air quality. This site is the most current and comprehensive resource you’ll need to make smart, sustainable procurement decisions.

You now have the tools. Please go out and make the world a better place.

CHINA IS GREENISH

CHINA IS GREENISH

by Jodi Summers

China has a green policy in place. Surprised? Don’t be. The Chinese government is renowned for its ability to spread news propaganda, so the Chinese are acutely aware of their industrial and environmental troubles, and they’ve already started dealing with the issues.

The Chinese have had basic energy conservation practices in place for years. In Shanghai back in 1994 you would find solar water heaters crowding the rooftops of practically every apartment block. Energy-saving fluorescent lamps have become the rule rather than the exception in China, not only in commercial and industrial buildings, but in residences as well. Even more efficient LED lighting is widely used in traffic signals, street lighting, and many other applications.

While China’s streets are regrettably teeming with more cars than ever, they’re also well populated with electric bicycles, scooters and utility vehicles. Granted, since these are recharged by being plugged into the nation’s largely coal-generated electrical grid, their environmental friendliness is debatable.

China’s green bend should not excuse weaknesses in other areas of environmental policy. The country’s tolerance for industrial polluters, in particular, is a disgrace. Yet this is a calculated economic decision focused at attracting foreign investment has succeeded tremendously. Lax restrictions on polluters is a major reason so many American corporations have moved factories to China. Yet this current lassitude will also come to an end when the Chinese government’s environmental priorities inevitably supersede those of economic growth. Whenever that might be.

In the United States, gross industrial pollution continued virtually unhampered for a century. At China’s current rate of progress, and the world’s rate of decline, Chinese industrial polluters may well be brought up to Western standards within the next decade.

When the Chinese decide they’re ready to tackle their environmental problems, they’ll move quickly, as the people are far more amenable to sweeping change being imposed from the top down — a cultural trait that stems from nearly 3,500 years of dynastic rule.

Get it all @

http://www.inman.com/buyers-sellers/columnists/arrolgellner/china-forefront-environmentalism

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/photos/photo_china_china.html

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/images/country/china-flag.jpg

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/01/china_468×312.jpg

http://www.wellesley.edu/Polisci/wj/ChinaLinks-New/Images-ChinaLinks1-07/china-map.jpg

http://www.asnevents.com.au/sb08/images/stories/events/china%20green%20building.jpg

http://www.jetsongreen.com/images/2008/08/08/nationalindoorstadium.jpg

HOUSEPLANTS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE HEALTHIER

HOUSEPLANTS TO MAKE YOUR LIFE HEALTHIER

Here’s a fabulous tidbit you can share with your friends about greening your environment. According to a recently completed two-year study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, the following houseplants help get rid of common household toxins like benzene (solvent found in detergents, rubber, inks, and paints), formaldehyde (used in particle board and grocery bags), and trichloroethylene (used in varnishes, adhesives, and paints):

1. Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

2. Lady palm (Rhapis spp.)

3. Bamboo palm or reed palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

4. Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)

5. ‘Janet Craig’ dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’)

6. English ivy (Hedera helix)

7. Dwarf date palm (Phoenix roebelenii), xylene

8. ‘Alii’ ficus (Ficus macleilandii ‘Alii’)

9. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’)

10. Peace lily (Spathiphyllum spp.)

11. Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’)

12. Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

13. Kimberley Queen fern (Nephrolepis obliterata)

14. Florist’s mums (Chrysanthemum morifolium)

15. Gerbera daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)

All the details @ http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2007/ps_3.html