YPAL - Green Team

Cards go Clean and Green this Week

Bryan Baker — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:20:57 +0000

The University of Louisville is holding a Sustainability Week this upcoming week with ideas for not only the campus but the communities surrounding it. Here’s three events they are hosting.

A Campus Clean Up event occurs on the main campus Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Crews will meet at 11,12, and 1 at Elkstrom Library to gather litter on the campus. Prizes will be offered to those collecting the most litter.

Want to find an alternative way to get around town or to campus? Tuesday from 11-1 at the Humanities Quad will have transportation alternatives fair. Booths featuring bike tune-ups, bike maps, and carpooling ideas are among those expected at the event.

And for speakers, Ben Evans will be featured in the Green Careers Speaker Series Kickoff. His speech is in the Basement Auditorium of the Elkstrom Library on Thursday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Mid October Update

Bryan Baker — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:33:34 +0000

Here’s the latest events upcoming….

On Tuesday, October 12^th at 7 pm, an Eating Locally event at the Louisville Nature Center on 3745 Illinois Avenue. Phyillis Fitzgerald will speak on how and the benefits of eating locally. The event is free to LNC Members, while only two bucks for non members.

Friday is 15^th day of the month, and the 15thDay occurs then at Fresh Start Growers’ Supply on 1007 E Jefferson Street. The meeting is from 6-8 p.m. Heine Brothers will provide the coffee!!

Saturday brings the weekly Fresh Start Growers’ Supply Community Food Swap also their Growers’ Supply location. Bring homegrown produce and exchange and swap with others with a locally grown mind. All extra food helps will be donated to the Salvation Army. The swap begins in full at 10 a.m.

Green Team September 20th

Bryan Baker — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:17:51 +0000

Here are Louisville’s green events for Sept. 20^th to Sept. 26th

The Greater Louisville Sierra Club’s General Meeting will focus on initiatives for using local food in the school system. The two speakers at the meeting will be Sarah Fritschner, former Courier Journal Food Editor and Jill Costin of Jefferson County Public Schools Nutrition Initiatives Coordinator. The meeting on Tuesday, September 21st, 7:00 p.m. at the Clifton Center on 2117 Payne Street.

A field to Fork fundraiser will be held to benefit the Food Literacy Project at Park Place on 401 East Main Street. Food Literacy Project gives Louisville youth to see a farm where sustainable food is grown and meet people involved in sustainable practices.

On the cleanup front, a Beargrass Creek Greenway cleanup will begin at 9am Saturday near Lexington Road at Grinstead Drive. The event is part of National Public Lands Day. Metro Parks, The Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, and Metro Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh are assiting with the event.

Mid Month Update

Bryan Baker — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:41:01 +0000

Here’s the latest on Green themed events for 9-13 to 9-19:

The US Green Building Council Louisville Chapter is hosting a Lunch and Learn Series Tuesday. Three people from the CPA firm Mountjoy Chilton Medley will talk about the financial benefits of sustainable ideas. The event is from 12-1 at the Office Environment Company and the five dollar admission fee includes lunch.

The Green Convene has an open community meeting at the Clifton Center Tuesday night. Their meetings are to inform of their latest efforts on the sustainable front in Louisville. 7:30 to 9 PM is their meeting time, but feel free to enjoy Heine Brothers coffee at the meeting.

more details» copy to my calendar

And as we hit the middle of the month, it’s time for the 15^th Day event on Wednesday at Fresh Start Growers Supply on 1007 East Jefferson Street. Their goal is to continue a sustainable life for the community mixed with fun. An educational talk will begin at 6:30, but the event is from 6 to 8 pm

A Look Inside

Abby Shue — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:37:45 +0000

Sherwin Williams ProGreen 200 paint was used on the interior of the house. It meets LEED performance standards and has the GreenGuard certification for air quality. ProGreen 200 covers and touches up well. Sherwin Williams Resilience was used on the exterior. It is a new coating that provides early moisture resistance making it possible to paint up to two hours before rain.

Interface FLOR is providing carpet tile that utilizes more than 40% recycled content. In addition to the recycled content there is less waste with the carpet tile product and the ability to replace a damaged square in the future without replacing an entire room.

LG Hausys’ new Eden Plus line of solid surface materials is environmentally very friendly with 41% recycled content. Most solid surfaces achieve only 10 -12%. The solid surface will provide a seamless, easy to clean countertop.

Louisville Tile is providing ceramic floor tile for the kitchens and bathrooms with more than 50% recycled content. The tile is manufactured very close to Louisville which also continues to the points for the home. Ceramic tile is easy to clean and has a long life compared to vinyl when properly maintained.

Behind the Scenes with the Green Team

Abby Shue — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:38:42 +0000

The Green Team Committee had our latest meeting this past week at the Heine Bros off of Chenoweth. It was a small crowd, but we managed to get a lot accomplished. With the Habitat build scheduled to finish up by early October, all that was left to talk about was the interior finishing and the wrap up events. From what I heard from Laura (one of the lead build volunteers), most all of the interior materials have been donated. She had quite a list of donations including paint, countertops, trip, carpet, etc. Cash reported on the build schedule, which has remained relatively on schedule despite a few cancelled work days due to the excessive heat and rain. It seems like that is normal on a home project in Louisville though.

With the house almost ready for its debut, the PR subcommittee is ready to end this construction journey with a bang. Cash submitted the home for a tour with the AIA as an example of affordable green living in the city. We were granted the honor to be a part of this tour along with many other homes in Louisville. This open house will serve as the home’s first public tour. We are also looking forward to an excellent dedication of the home and house warming party for Wendy and her little boy. More details on that as they become firm.

We were only there for an hour, but we managed to get many items accomplished on our agenda. It wasn’t all talk about the project though. I am personal friends with some of the Green Team committee and have even known some since high school. So we caught up on things like how the kids are doing or who has bought a home recently or who just got back from a trip to Denver/etc. at the meetings, too. I actually got a great recommendation for an energy efficient lawn mower from Laura at the meeting.

The Green Team house project has been so much fun and it’s hard to see it nearing an end. It is very impressive to look back on all that has been accomplished by YPAL, Habitat for Humanity and the volunteers.

By Liz Griffin, sales and marketing specialist, Parallel Products

Liz Griffin is the Communications Coordinator for YPAL’s Green Team.

Being a Green Homeowner

Tracy Keller — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:13:42 +0000

There are some who say the best green home is the one you buy … not build. Every home on the market right now is a green home because it’s being recycled. Think about it, no more trees need to be cut down for framing. There are no truck loads of construction debris going to the landfill when you buy a new home. You could even say a realtor is one of the oldest green jobs in the U.S.

I am feeling very “green” myself these days. Not only do I recycle but I just bought a previously existing home. For the most part, buying a home instead of building is a really good way to be a green ambassador. There are a few exceptions though. YPAL’s Green Team build with Habitat for Humanity is one of those exceptions. Recyclable materials, energy efficient HVAC, windows, insulation and washer/dryer units are just a few things that make this home a top notch green home. This house will have one more feather in its cap when YPAL submits the home for certification as a LEED house.

The house that YPAL is building with Habitat for Humanity exemplifies creative ways current and future Louisville home owners can be green. If every home owner picked just one of the sustainable elements of this house, it would make a big difference. Take a 3D tour of it on YPAL’s website or come by and see it for yourself on September 19th during the AIA tour.

By Liz Griffin, sales and marketing specialist, Parallel Products

Liz Griffin is the Communications Coordinator for YPAL’s Green Team.

Eating Good in a Green Neighborhood

Bryan Baker — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:36:53 +0000

This week features a few farmers markets, but first a green alert on environmental crime!

Terry D. Edwards, Associate Professor, Department of Justice Administration/Southern Police Institute at UofL, will make a presentation on environmental crime at the Barn behind Passionist Monastery at 1924 Newburg Road. He’ll discuss trends and topics related to “green” crimes.

For the Farmer’s Markets:

The Gray Street Farmers Market is open on Thursday from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm. on the 400 block of East Gray Street. More information on the event at http://louisville.edu/sphis/gsfm

Friday marks Foxhollow Farms Farm Fresh Friday features local produce with cooking demonstrations and samples to boot. The “earth friendly farm” invites people out to their Crestwood location with more details and information on their foxhollow.com website about their operations.

A two day native plant sale will occur in nearby Goshen, , zip code 40026 location. All of the plants available are native to the Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio area.

YPAL’s Cash Moter Has a Passion to LEED

Tracy Keller — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:55:53 +0000

Cash Moter, an architect for Joseph & Joseph Architects, is a YPAL veteran having served five years on the board of directors. He’s been with the organization through many of its milestones including an organizational rebranding project, playing host to 2007’s YP Summit, the initiation of Brightside’s Green Tie Bash and the organization’s 10th anniversary celebration.

“YPAL has grown tremendously as an organization during these past five years,” said Cash. “We’ve accomplished a lot not only for this organization and its members but for the Louisville community.”

Perhaps it is fitting then that Cash spearheaded YPAL’s Green Initiative – the organization’s largest project to date. Armed with member support for organizational advocacy of green issues, Cash purposed YPAL partner with the Louisville chapter of Habitat for Humanity on their 50th anniversary year to build the city’s first LEED certified Habitat for Humanity house.

“It was going to be a big undertaking for the organization, but I was confident our members would be behind it.”

And the support has been overwhelming. Through corporate sponsorships to member manpower, the LEED certified Habitat for Humanity house is well on its way with the house dedication scheduled for Saturday, October 9.

Take a look at Cash in action and learn more about the Habitat project by visiting YPAL’s YouTube Channel. And be sure to check out the 3D video rendering of the house located on Clay Street while on the site.

By Tracy Keller, project manager, ProMoter Inc. Marketing Communications.

Tracy Keller currently serves as the VP of Administration on the 2010-2011 YPAL Board of Directors.

YPAL’s Weekly Update a Resource for Green Initiative

Tracy Keller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:55:21 +0000

So YPAL’s LEED Certified Habitat for Humanity house is quickly nearing completion with just over a month left on construction. After many months of tireless efforts on the part of YPAL’s Green Team members, volunteers and sponsors, the keys to the house will soon be handed over to the welcoming hands of Wendy, the homeowner. However, as this house nears completion and YPAL’s Green Initiative seeks a close, our green efforts and eco-friendly focus should not wane. Hopefully YPAL’s Green Initiative sparked an interest not only among organization members but within the community who witnessed this feat take shape. While we all may not be able to afford to “green” our houses, there are simple things we can do every day that will make a noteworthy impact. Each week, YPAL provides green tips in our Weekly Update thanks to Net Impact Solutions. Additionally, we try to provide a listing of green events and volunteer opportunities in this section. Make time each week to scroll to the bottom of the Weekly Update to see the latest tip and ways you can get involved with the green movement at the local level. No amount of effort is too small in this ongoing green movement.

By Tracy Keller, project manager, ProMoter Inc. Marketing Communications.
Tracy Keller currently serves as the VP of Administration on the 2010-2011 YPAL Board of Directors.