Detroit – also referred to as “the city in ruins,” is shrinking.  Vast areas of land have remained unused and unwanted, and no one seems to be too interested in taking over – besides nature, that is.

New projects, however, have sprung up around the prospective ghost-town.  Taking advantage of vacant space, urban farming and organic gardening began to spread within the city.  As of August 2009, there were an estimated 875 urban gardens throughout the city.

Could Detrit become a self sustaining, green city?

More information on Detroit’s potential as a green city can be found at the following links:

• The Detroit Zen Center Turns Green Building into Green Jobs
• Green City Guide: Detroit
• Detroit’s Green Task Force

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From the Ground up, by a Single Mom

This is a great video from a single mom who built her own straw bale home for $50,000 while working still full time and living on the land.  She gives some excellent advice here for anyone who is considering building their own straw bale home, from labor, to coding, to construction.

She also has a great website, HouseOfStraw.com, which I definitely recommend to anyone who is considering straw bale construction for their home, or sustainable green building in general.  You will find great information, from someone who has been through it all.

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The following are related sites that you might find interesting and useful. If you have a related website or blog which you think would provide useful information to our readers, please contact us and let us know if you’d like to exchange links.

Frugal Zeitgeist – Frugal and resourceful living.

Environmental Blogs - Blogs at Action Spark provide comprehensive information on environmental sustainable development.

Effective Survival – Homesteading, self sufficiency, emergency preparedness, and natural living.

Source and Resource – Green and sustainable living with optimum uses of existing resources.

Green Gadget – News and information on the latest in green and eco-friendly gadgets and equipment.

The Green Bean Blog – Green and nontoxic living for the home and family.

Nontoxic Living – Chemical-free and healthy lifestyles, for a better future.

San Diego Solar Installer – Solaria Energy Systems helps reduce or even eliminate the need for outside energy resources for people in San Diego and all over Southern California using its Solar installations.

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Splinter Free Living

Wooden decks and railings are hard to maintain, not to mention being splinter territory. What’s more, they’re not usually environmentally sustainable due to their use of premium forest products.   For this reason alone Recycled composite decking is by far the best and coolest alternative to wood.   This stuff looks like wood but feels like heaven.  Manufactured from old plastic bottles makes it durable and resilient.

Many manufacturers use a dense mixture of reclaimed plastic and wood fibers.  One of the big companies in the industry, Trex, estimates that it prevents over 300,000 tons of plastic each year from ending up in the landfill.  Billions of plastic bags from grocery stores are transformed into decking material instead of littering our streets and parks.  Some companies, like Trex, take sustainability to the next level by operating their facilities with renewable energy and fueling their trucking fleets with biodiesel.  Recycled Composite Decking is made of all sorts scrap wood and plastic, from sawdust to polyethylene (styrofoam) to  milk cartons.   In addition to decking, municipalities and businesses have discovered the benefits of using recycled composite material for park benches and picnic tables.  Composites have certainly made their mark on college campuses across the country, as schools are embarking on reducing their environmental footprints.

This material has a long life span, and won’t warp, rot, or crack.  The days of restaining, refinishing, and seasounal repairs are gone.  If you want a deck that is resistent to the elements yet promotes the integrity of the planet, then recycled composite is probably right for you.

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Hemp is the all-purpose material long-championed by Thomas Jefferson and 1960s American counterculture alike.  Food, textiles, paper, and fuel—there is a growing trend to cultivate this miracle crop and turn it into more eco-friendly versions of common products.  Why is it so sustainable?  Hemp can be grown rapidly and easily, like bamboo, without any herbicides or intensive labor. It regenerates, it regrows.

So how on earth can we utilize the plant for home construction?  A handful of companies are now specializing in building walls, floors, and other structural components of houses out of chopped up hemp (it looks like mulch) combined with lime.  Like the soybean insulation, the mixture of hemp and lime is sprayed on to a plywood base.  It is easy and incredibly durable.  A thick earthen wall made of hemp is also great for heat insulation.

Europe is ahead of the hemp game, with a growing industry in this type of eco-building, especially in Ireland and the UK.  There is reason to believe that the U.S. will be catching on very soon.   Perhaps some U.S. representatives will be attending the 1st International Hemp Building Symposium in September, taking place in Kenmare, Ireland.

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Proper landscaping is as important to energy and water efficiency in a home as anything else.  And eco-friendly mulch is the easiest way to keep that landscape healthy. Using mulch in flower beds, around sidewalks, and around trees is great for controlling erosion, keeping in the moisture, and making your plants look fabulous.

These days shredded tires, peanut shells, and pine bark and other recycled materials are all being used for sustainable landscaping projects instead of the traditional composition.  Of course, your environmental footprint will most likely be greater in the long run if you have to buy an eco-friendly mulch that’s been shipped halfway around the world, but there are easy ways to create mulch with your own recycled materials.

Old newspapers make great mulch. Just shred them into small strips and spread the strips around your flower bed.  Due to their tendency to clump when wet, however, its often recommended to apply them as a bottom layer, and then add different mulch on top.   They will biodegrade over time and add nutrients to the soil.

Peanut shells, if you have enough of them, also work.  They make a great mulch due to their chemical composition.  You can mix them with leaves or compost to make a nice-looking finish.  However, according to gardeners, they’re not good food for worms and therefore the natural nutrient cycling is not as effective.  What’s more, there is often a risk of mold accumulation with peanut shells that can spread to your plants and harm them.  Therefore, nut shells are not necessarily the best bet for your mulch, but they definitely work.

What about recycled rubber? Old tires are filling up landfills across the US—what better way to give them new purpose than to add them to your home’s landscaping?  You can buy preshredded rubber at your nearest garden center or you can make it yourself.  It is insect-resistant and aesthetically appealing.  Rubber mulch applications are particularly common on playgrounds, but they are just as good for your sophisticated landscape bedding.

Pine bark and pine needles are the best tree materials for mulch. They have a high moisture retaining capacity and keep away insects.  The substances’ high acidity contributes well to plants that require increased acid in the soil.   Pine bark also retains its color longer than most other tree barks, meaning that it needs to be replaced less often.

While pine makes a great mulch, other tree products that have the same characteristics might be slightly more sustainable.  Eucalyptis, for example, grows rapidly like bamboo and is highly abundant, allowing it to be harvested and regenerated in a more predictable manner than pine.  But remember, it is usually more sustainable and simple to use whatever product grows nearest you.

Unfortunately, however, mulch can never beat the advantages of the compost pile. You can create a compost bin with food waste and yard clippings, then spread it throughout your flower beds.  This is by far the most nutrient-enhancing mulch option for plants.

When in doubt, you can mix together most organic substances to create a fine looking and eco-friendly mulch.

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A green kitchen begins with the most eco-friendly countertop. You want something that is as durable or beautiful as Corian or granite, but measures up to the highest standards for your family’s health and the environment. Luckily, many  products you thought were not “green” may actually surprise you, as more countertop companies are now making their entire manufacturing operations sustainable.

However, out of the slew of options out there, there are a few that are not so eco-friendly. Granite, marble, quartz, engineered stone, and laminates are usually not the most sustainable. The use of raw materials is the biggest factor here. Granite, for example, requires lots of energy and disruption of land to be mined. Engineered stone, comprised of quartz, shares this negative impact on the environment, and additionally uses some harsh pigments in its production. Most of your traditional options use sealants with VOCs and other environmental contaminants. Another issue with granite is the risk of radon radiation into your home.

So what options are out there for the health and eco-conscious? The coolest alternatives are surfaces made from recycled materials, most notably glass. Companies like IceStone and Vetrazzo have paved the way for extremely durable, beautiful countertops made from at least 75% recycled glass with a concrete composite. IceStone is particularly committed to green design; it has been awarded the coveted MBDC Cradle to Cradle award for the thoroughness of its sustainable practices.

In addition to glass, other recycled products can be transformed into your kitchen surface. One company, called Paperstone, uses compressed recycled paper and petroleum-free resins made from cashew nuts! You wouldn’t think paper would act as a very resilient countertop, but this product is actually incredibly durable and has received great ratings.

What about wood and concrete? Concrete is a bit less expensive, very heat resistant and can be morphed into any shape you desire. It is also considered to be “green” by many sources, as recycled aggregate is often used. Its also much easier to chose your own sealer: low VOC-emitting sealants are easy to find. Wood surfaces are generally durable and easy to clean; they are also available with forest products certified by FSC, making them just as green as the recycled glass.

The key to finding an eco-friendly surface is to be prepared for the maze of impressive sounding eco-labels. To be competitive, all top-of-the-line countertop companies are saying they’re “green” in some way. This is particularly true with the granite, quartz and marble countertop manufacturers, who may have made some green steps in their operations, but at the end of the day, mining is still incredibly environmentally unfriendly. Make sure you do the research on all of the eco certifications before you are greenwashed into thinking a product is completely sustainable.

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MIT is world-renowned for its pioneering role in sustainable technology, and boasts some of the best architecture and planning programs in the nation, and has a handful of LEED-certified buildings on its campus.

The Brain and Cognitive Science Center, completed in 2008, was awarded a LEED Silver rating; unlike the Sloan and Koch buildings that were planned from stage 1 to be green, it was an old building that was retrofitted to meet the highest standards in green design.  One of the project’s highlights is the conservation of water throughout the building.

The retrofit features a collection system that recycles rainwater that can be used in various applications throughout the building and landscaping.   Additionally, low-flow water fixtures were installed in all bathrooms and laboratories.  The Center also took a step outside of its own surroundings to address the preservation of the larger ecosystem by installing a comprehensive storm water management system to reduce the University’s impact on the Charles River.

Since 2007, M.I.T. has undertaken three more LEED-certified building projects.  Two of their buildings, the Stata Center and Simmons Hall, were green even before the LEED standard came about.  And the University started a Green Building Policy in 2001, before most schools were on board with the green movement.

Still, the Sustainable Endowments Institute “Green Report Card” gives the school an overall sustainability rating of B+.  In comparison, Harvard has achieved an A-.

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Thinking of the sprawling, materialistic metropolis of Las Vegas can send shivers up the spine of any environmental advocate: excessive water use, unsustainable urban planning, and unnatural buildings in the middle of a desert.  Over 50 green, manicured golf courses in an area that shouldn’t have one.  The ostentatious display of water flowing in monumental fountains, combined with a car-dependent population and enormous energy inefficient buildings, will leave anyone doubtful of sustainable developments in the building sector any time soon.

Yet new legislation is being considered in Las Vegas that will jumpstart the green building movement.  At least we hope.  As of March 2009, the debate continues over increasing tax credits for sustainable buildings throughout the state.  The outcome looks good, as stimulus funding is flowing from the federal government to jumpstart the green economy.    What’s more, the National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 was held in Las Vegas this past Monday, August 10th, a sign that things might be changing in this desert oasis.

Meanwhile, some developers have decided to take matters into their own hands by creating a 62- acre “eco-development.”   Spearheaded by MGM, the city’s new CityCenter is expected to be complete by the end of this year and perhaps become the nation’s largest LEED-certified project.  There is talk of other developers following suit.

The developers hope to reduce utility bills, decrease energy use, and foster a healthier environment for guests and employees.

The increased attention being paid to Las Vegas as a potential center for environmental leadership will help make green building mainstream.  While Nevada may lack water, it certainly does not lack sun.   As the National Clean Energy Summit leaders remarked, “Nevada has abundant clean energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and efficiency technologies that could be developed to meet its future energy needs. The question is whether Nevadans—and all Americans—will shift to a clean energy economy.”

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So you’re building a new home, or adding an addition, and you want to pursue the most sustainable options available.   Surprisingly, soy and bio-based materials have recently been spotlighted by the green building industry as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional insulation like fiberglass.   Home and Garden TV recently featured a home being sprayed with white goop in between the 2-by-4s of the new walls that expands as it dries.  Soy insulation is apparently safer for human health and for the environment.  It might even cut back on the amount of wood needed for construction, as the substance’s insulating properties are so great.  And, as a biopolymer, soy won’t support the growth of mold or attract hungry critters living in your basement.

With bio-based building products, there is no risk of coming into contact with formaldehydes or VOCs (volatile organic compounds).  It has proven very effective for people with severe allergies. As far as energy efficiency, it has a high thermal insulation capacity to keep heating bills down and fewer resources used for energy generation.

The United Soybean Board is working hard to promote the application of soy in industrial and building projects.  Currently, BioBased Insulation is one of the leading manufacturers of the soy foam insulation that is used in new construction projects.  The product is sprayed on in liquid form, dries and expands up to 100 times its original size, completely filling in all holes and giving your home air-tight protection.

If you’re looking to build up LEED credits, the soy-foam insulation can count significantly towards your certification.  Apply it towards a number of different LEED categories: Energy Efficiency, Low-Emitting Materials, Rapidly Renewable Materials, or Innovation in Design.

Another word about safety—bio-based insulation is virtually fireproof.  It has a class I rating according to the National Fire Protection Association, meaning that it won’t go up in flames.

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