Article Title: Bamboo's twofold appeal: It's ecofriendly and stylish

Excerpt: Bamboo has long been popular with the ecoconscious set (because, unlike a clear-cut forest, a well-managed bamboo crop replaces itself in a few years). Recently it has also acquired a chic factor that something like, say, hemp, never quite attained. As Susanne Lucas, chairwoman of the board of the World Bamboo Organization (a nonprofit group that promotes bamboo as a material and as an economic development tool), puts it, the grass has become "fashionable."

Excerpt: Bergman has a particular interest in what he calls transparent green, meaning design that's ecologically sound but doesn't show off that fact -- avoiding the "granola look," as he has put it. So while you can tell that bamboo floors aren't teak, you might not know at a glance that there's anything "green" about them. "It doesn't have to scream that it's an ecomaterial," he says.

Excerpt: Finally, overseas bamboo harvesting is often opaque, with little information available about working conditions or how crops are being. TreeHugger, an environmental-lifestyle website, has even argued that sometimes a maple floor made from locally harvested wood under a forest-management certification program can be a more environmentally sound choice.

Article Title: Wasting Not

Excerpt: Steel, copper and aluminum are already sorted and sold for reuse, he said, but these other hard-to-recycle items could soon be recirculated as well. That would raise Tankersley's recycling rate from its current 25 to 30 percent to about 80 percent.

Excerpt: "Everything we make so far is made out of wood and plastic,'' said Chadwick, who joined the Casa Grande-based company a couple of years ago. The block is named after its originator, Curt Beyer. Chadwick said she has invited people to try to break a Beyer Block with a hammer, and so far it's been indestructible. But that doesn't mean it's difficult to use, she said.

Excerpt: He is also looking to a process developed by former University of Arizona professor Donald White as a way to make biofuel out of the green waste — brush, grass clippings, tree trimmings — that's trucked in daily.

Excerpt: To help with his goal of recycling more, Tankersley recently purchased a $300,000 sorting line. The new line enabled him to hire 10 more people. Tankersley said he is pleased to provide more jobs here and hates to see so many manufacturing jobs going overseas. "Using these technologies, we can be fully self-reliant,'' he said. "I don't see energy prices going down and I don't think anyone in this country wants to be beholden to the Middle East.''

Article Title: Citrus Plant eye-sore gets new life

Excerpt: Cleanup has already begun on the site, headed by Insulated Concrete Form Installers (ICFI), which plans to not only complete the project in about a year but do so in an environmentally friendly way, said Bernd Haferkamp of ICFI.

Excerpt: 15 tons of metal came from that, which was separated from the concrete and will be recycled. The money generated from the recycling will be donated to the Fallbrook Land Conservancy.

Excerpt: estimated 18 tons of brick and concrete left will be crushed into small particles to be safely used as part of the grading and support for the future parking lot

Article Title: Starwood Capital to Develop 'Green' Luxury Hotels

Excerpt: Greenwhich, CT -- Starwood Capital Group today announced plans to develop a chain of luxury hotels that will adhere to state-of-the-art standards for environmentally friendly construction, thus giving a big boost to what is known as the green building movement.

Excerpt: Each new "1" will be built to standards set forth by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The LEED standards were created by the U.S. Green Building Council and is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings.

Excerpt: Each property will donate one percent of its revenue to local environmental organizations, guided by a steering committee that will include representatives of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). A leading environmental organization, the NRDC is also serving as an advisor to "1".

Article Title: Deconstruction and Rebirth

Excerpt: Terry Hill wasn't satisfied with demolishing his home; he wanted to deconstruct it. Piece by piece, the structure that was once his Rosemont house is being taken apart to be reused or recycled - a process he expects to last two weeks. In its place, Hill plans to replace it with one that is architecturally similar to the others on East Walnut Street but radically different in its use of solar energy and rainwater reuse.

Excerpt: Ripping apart the house has proven to be an enriching and enlightening process for Hill, a retired budget officer with the International Monetary Fund. He gets the benefit of knowing that his hardwood floors will be reused and the shingles on his roof will be recycled. And he has learned a few things about the 1918 house in the process.

Excerpt: The old house, which he called "an eyesore", has been in disrepair since he bought it in 1981 for $89,900. Instead of throwing money at renovating it, though, Hill has spent the past few years planning a technological marvel that may be the most environmentally friendly house in Alexandria. Meanwhile, house values in Rosemont have skyrocketed. Back in 2000, for example, the property's land was assessed at $70,200. This year, it was valued at $257,800. When the $600,000 project is finished, Hill estimates that the house and property will be assessed at $1.2 million.

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Excerpt: Recycling, reusing and renovating have converged with conscious environmental protection, economic good sense and social policy. The green building movement will continue to expand, and more contractors are realizing that green building practices represent good building practices.

Excerpt: Green building is not a phase we will pass through; it is not a specialty market. Human population and standards of living continue to rise; natural resources, air and water quality continue to decline. Whether we like it or not, change is afoot. Sustainability and green building represent a new way to approach the design and development of our built environment that is, hopefully, less harmful to our environment and ourselves.

Excerpt: A good green contractor stays abreast of new green products entering the market and is able to evaluate their appropriateness for a given project. Issues to consider include:

* Applicability: Does this product meet the goals of a green project?

* Availability: What is the lead time? Where is it shipped from? How available are replacement parts? Is the supplier reputable/Do they have a proven track record? What external factors could affect availability? For example, if there is only one FSC plywood mill in the region, what is their production capability? What is their history for consistently meeting demand and quality standards?

* Cost impacts: Is the green product more or less expensive than a similar conventional product and why? Can you work with your existing suppliers to get prices down or find acceptable alternatives? What is the long-term maintenance for this product? How does that affect the long-term cost of this product?

* Constructability: Is it durable? Can it be installed in a practical manner? How available are replacement parts? Can you talk with someone who has actually installed it? How does this product affect other areas of work? What are the unknowns?

* Code impacts: Is this product or process allowed by code? Are special permits required? How will this affect the project schedule?