Green Builders Blog

khaozkitten asked:


This all started when I decided I wanted to build a green house, I’ve realised that my hometown could use more eco-friendly influence. I’ve seen ideas for subdivisions to develope the town going around alot latley because, due to finding oil around here, the town has suddenly boomed. Now more then ever, I think it would be good to have a green community…a subdivision of LEED certified sustainable houses, a community greenspace, and anything else I can think of for a strong eco-friendly community. I dont want or need it to be one of those places where you cant drive a gas car or eat meat…I’m happy to take this one little step at a time. Where would I get started? I know i need to draw up plans and present it to the town, but how do I do that in a convincing and proffesional manner? I dont have much money, influence, or traditional education, so I cant imagine that helps. Help please!

Sol

Nancy Pelosi asked:


(CNN) — On Monday, Congressional Republican leaders put out a list of what they call wasteful provisions in the Senate version of the nearly $900 billion stimulus bill that is being debated:
The Senate is currently the nearly $900 billion economic stimulus bill.

The Senate is currently the nearly $900 billion economic stimulus bill.

• $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.

• A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.

• $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.

• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).

• $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.

• $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.

• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.

• $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD’s.

• $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
Don’t Miss

* GOP senators draft stimulus alternative

• $125 million for the Washington sewer system.

• $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.

• $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.

• $75 million for “smoking cessation activities.”

• $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.

• $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.

• $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.

• $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.

• $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.

• $6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings.

• $500 million for state and local fire stations.

• $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.

• $1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs.

• $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.

• $412 million for CDC buildings and property.

• $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.

• $160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

• $5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.

• $850 million for Amtrak.

• $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.

• $75 million to construct a “security training” facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.

• $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.

• $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.

Roseann

Rick asked:


http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/gop.stimulus.worries/index.html

$2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.

• A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.

• $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.

• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).

• $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.

• $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.

• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.

• $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD’s.

• $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.

Don’t Miss
GOP senators draft stimulus alternative
• $125 million for the Washington sewer system.

• $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.

• $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.

• $75 million for “smoking cessation activities.”

• $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.

• $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.

• $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.

• $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.

• $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.

• $6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings.

• $500 million for state and local fire stations.

• $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.

• $1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs.

• $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.

• $412 million for CDC buildings and property.

• $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.

• $160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

• $5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.

• $850 million for Amtrak.

• $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.

• $75 million to construct a “security training” facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.

• $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.

• $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.

Monty

Ally asked:


Have had tea with milk when dining out and like it but never done it at home. Would lemon green tea with added honey be gross with milk added too?

Pamela

ragingclown asked:


Mom bought a house with a huge pond about 35×60′. This thing has loads of problems. It sits in a swampy area with a high water table. It’s a rectangular ditch with a circular tree island in the middle of it. It’s fed by a natural stream that dries out in dry months and drains from a single overflow pipe that can’t handle heavy rains and overflows the land bridge draining into another creek. The sides are eroding and it’s relatively shallow due to the erosion and presumably the stuff washed down by the stream. The mud within the pond acts like quicksand; it’s about 2-4′ deep. A slip or fall could end with a person drowning. There are serious issues with algae blooms and in the winter it freezes solid. While there are loads of animals in here and almost appears to be self sufficient I want to know what I can do to fix the above problems. Filling it in is not an option as it’s natural swamp land and in the path of 2 connecting creeks. I want a sustainable koi pond. Thanks!

Mel

Phatmaus asked:


Where can I find individuals or groups who are building rammed earth / straw bale / cal-earth / recycled material buildings (residential or community) and are looking for volunteers to help? Or web resources where I can find listings of projects that need labor.

Carmelo

CamsMom asked:


I am purchasing a new home that has dark green ceramic tile and I want to paint my walls looking for any and all color types that will compliment the floor or go well with it. Thanks!

Keisha

Lexi asked:


I am designing a 20×8 completely sustainable house and right now we have budgeted out for a large book shelf kitchen wood blinds and a bed unit. I just realized that we have a lot of wood work and I was wondering if it would be cheaper for us to just hire a carpenter to build book shelves kitchen cabinets and wood blinds? right now this bookshelf/ kitchen/ bed unit wall is 20 ft and the cost for all 4 pieces is about 1400

Would it be cheaper to hire a carpenter for this work? or just buy the individual pieces?

here are the specifications of the pieces

kitchen 4 feet X 10 ft
book shelf 3 feet X 10 ft
lofted twin bed
wood blinds
http://blog.michellekaufmann.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/sun_shades.jpg

Thanks so much!

Louella

charly asked:


you?

It is being tried atop some commercial buildings in some major cities, with good results.

Bertie

fineDayguy asked:


…What will happen to the USA if this Budget is passed?

The Obama budget:
Increases net taxes by $1.35 trillion over the next 10 years.

How big is that number, you ask? it is over a Thousand Billions 1,350 Billions or over a million millions. 1,350,000 millions. His budget for one year, 2010, is almost as much money as America spent to prepare for AND fight WW II. The largest war in history.

Obama talks about sustainability in the environment. He Criticized the Bush Administration during the campaign for large deficits. Yet he is spending more than Bush, in just one year he is spending more than Bush did his entire 8 years in office. This is NOT SUSTAINABLE!!! What happens when budgets are not sustainable?

Enacts a $646 billion “Global Warming Tax” they call “cap-and-trade.” But the White House has already admitted the real cost could be “two-to-three” times higher. These new costs will be passed along to all of us in the form of higher prices on home energy, gasoline and food.
Raises taxes on Americans when they give to a charity! At a time when American non-profits are really hurting President Obama wants to increase taxes on charitable giving. Washington elites want our dollars going to government not private charities and that’s outrageous.
Increases the Death Tax back to the devastating 45 percent rate.
The budget lays the foundation for a government take over of health care, including hundreds of billions of dollars in higher taxes, a huge new bureaucracy, and possibly Canadian-style rationing of health care.
The budget sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars for more Wall Street bailouts!
Every program that has been on the big government wish list for the past decade is crammed into the Obama budget.

The Obama budget for 2010 creates a $1.3 trillion deficit, the largest in history. Think about this for a moment — from 1940 to 1944 we ran a total budget deficit of $1.65 trillion dollars (in today’s dollars) — while preparing to fight and actually fighting the largest war in history. Yet, President Obama runs a deficit almost that big in one year.

And, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the Obama budget for the next decade will pile up approximately $10 trillion in debt. That figure is probably much less debt than it actually will be if this budget is passed.

Call your Senators and Rep’s Now.
musicman
I appreciate you correcting the figures. You have the Obama budget as about 2.5 times larger than I stated, so the situation is even more dire than what I point out.

Ollie