Green Homes Las Vegas Undressed

Team Earth SOS Las Vegas

Team Earth is sending out an SOS to the world.

Rainforests are critical to our survival — they regulate rainfall, preserve biodiversity and store vast amounts of carbon.

So we’re working with Sting and our friends at Prince Charles’ Rainforest Project to send a clear message: the horrendous deforestation happening right now in our rainforests needs to stop.

Be a part of the world’s biggest SOS for our rainforests. Watch this great video message from Sting and share it with your friends:

This December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen for important negotiations on climate change. Team Earth can send a loud message to those in power that the world’s citizens demand its protection.

The future of the rainforests is our future. As Sting shares with us in his video, the destruction of the rainforests isn’t a crime against a few — it’s a disaster for our planet.

Our voices are needed now. Invite your friends to listen to Sting’s message and to join Team Earth:

http://www.teamearth.com/sos

Thanks again for joining Team Earth.  Our individual actions are coming together to make a real difference in saving our planet.

Green Links Las Vegas

This weeks Green Links Las Vegas starts with a post on wind power. Susan Kraemer writing for CleanTechnica explains how an oil company is putting wind turbines on top of off-shore drilling platforms.

Jake Locker, star quarterback of the University of Washington football team, is a man with a great heart and old soul. This piece from Seattle P.I. writer Greg Jones tells a story that will warm your heart. Only love is real; I think you’ll understand as you read this article. 

Ariel Schwartz writing for inhabitat has an article about an electric charging corridor being put in place from San Francisco to Los Angeles. California always seems to be ahead of the game and green innovation is at the top of the list.

Ariel Schwartz has another post for inhabitat about that nasty E-Coli. Seems as though it can be used to clean up nuclear waste; go figure.

Zachary Shahan’s article in CleanTechnica points out that Biotechnology may have a big part in reducing CO2 emissions and building a Green Economy.

Sammy Grover’s article entitled “Big Business Wants 85% CO2 Cuts; Now Who Do We Blame?” is an encouraging sign. You can view this article from treehugger by clicking here.

Team Earth Las Vegas

Team Earth and Harrison Ford are teaming up and bringing awareness to sustainable living on our planet.

Every living organism on this planet is an energy of light in the universe. With enough energy we can bring a new light of hope to this planet. This is all about getting involved and being aware that the actions of a few can start that process moving forward.

This is not about politics it is about having a common purpose that works for everyone.

About Team Earth:   

Ensuring the sustainability of Earth’s essential resources while maintaining economic growth is the defining challenge of the 21st century. How we manage the gifts of nature – a stable climate, fresh water and abundant oceans, fertile soils for food, the right conditions for healthy lives and the ability to sustainably balance human needs – will determine the long-term health and prosperity of all people, everywhere.

Are You In?

Convened by Conservation International, Team Earth will unite businesses, non-profit organizations, scientists, educators, individuals and children in an international collective action campaign to address the most pressing environmental issues facing humanity.

Our first challenge of saving forests is just the beginning for Team Earth. The momentum builds towards November 2009 as we take our efforts to the next level.

Are you in? Here is a link to Team Earth.

Earlier this summer I wrote a post about my daughter and her husband and their experiences in giving back to the world community  “Kids Helping Kids in Africa”. Here is a link to a site that can get your kids involved.

Building Green Homes in Las Vegas

Building Green Homes in Las Vegas

On June 25th of 2007 The Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership announced that Signature Custom Homes of Las Vegas was the first home builder to sign up to participate in their program. The program was established to help builders design and construct more environmentally sensitive, or “green” new homes in metropolitan Las Vegas.

The Green Building Partnership, a program of the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association and the Green Building Initiative of Portland, Ore., will provide Signature Custom Homes, and other home building companies that sign up for the program, the technical expertise to use the program’s 10-page green building guidelines developed specifically for conditions in Southern Nevada; administer an impartial, third-party inspection and verification that the program guidelines have been met in the design and construction of the home; and issue certification that the home has been constructed to the program’s green building requirements.

“Signature Custom Homes is honored to be the first home builder to sign up for this green building program. We want to be part of this locally based effort that’s bringing green building to residential construction in our community,” said Brian Plaster, 29, president of Signature Custom Homes, and son of longtime Las Vegas home builders, Richard and Wendy Plaster, founders of the Signature Homes.

The environment for homebuilding in Las Vegas has been precarious at best and there are few brave souls out there actually building new homes. I have written articles on a couple of the companies that are involved with the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership; Signature Custom Homes and Pulte Homes are two companies that are actively creating homes that meet the guidelines of the partnership.

Pulte Homes was the first production homebuilder to join the partnership and you can view my post on their Villa Trieste Community in Summerlin by clicking here.

The primary means to achieving a green home profile include radiant heat barriers, low-flow water fixtures, dual-flush toilets, tankless hot water heaters, dual-glazed and tinted windows filled with argon gas, solar systems to produce power, A/C units with SEER rating of 17 and Energy Star appliances.

Photo of the insulation at Hacienda Verde

Much of the work that is put into a green home is not very visible upon the completion of the home. Brian Plaster’s (Signature Custom Homes) Hacienda Verde is nearing completion. I was able to work with Brian on a couple of posts that show you the construction process involved in going green. 

Click Here

Click Here  

While the costs associated with this type of construction can be higher; the savings in electricity, gas and water will even that out in 5 to 7 years.

Concordia Homes, a green home builder, shut down their operations in October of 2008 due to slack demand in the housing market. I think that it is important to get the word out about our green home builders; Pulte and Signature Custom Homes are planting the seeds of change. Building green in Las Vegas just makes so much sense; the climate and water shortages that we experience in Las Vegas should make this type of homebuilding a priority for our community.

Green Links Las Vegas

China is competing big time with the U.S. in the development of renewable energy; let’s hope that we don’t drop the ball. Susan Kreamer at CleanTechnica posts about the recovery in the Chinese economy and their efforts on renewable energy.

Here is another article about how China in moving ahead of the U.S. in the drive to go Solar. Keith Bradsher writes in the New York Times that China wants to be the dominant player in renewable energy, in particlur, solar power.

There was recently a blog site that was suggesting that we have seen enough cute cat stuff and that we should have a day when all such posts should be banned. That being said, take a look at this cute overload post.

Does polution fight global warming? Lea Bogdan writing for inhabitat suggests that plants are benefiting from global warming; click here to find out more.

Susan Kraemer is busy this week writing at for CleanTechnica. This time she explores the mining of hydrothermal vents and what it can mean for us.

Green Links Las Vegas

Green Links Las Vegas starts the week with an article by Warren McLaren writing for treehugger. This is a slide show on 20 Wild Places for Getting Back to Nature. Near the end of the post is a link to the slide show.

Here is an article about the Arctic warm up. Brian Merchant’s article in treehugger indicates that the Arctic is experiencing the warmest climate in 2000 years. Click here for the link.

You rarely see much in the way of skyscrapers in London. The character of the city just doesn’t set itself up for that type of structure. However, construction on the Shard in London has just begun. Bridgette Meinhold says that The Shard will be the tallest building in Western Europe. You can click here to see her article in inhabitat.

Zachary Shahan’s article in EcoWorldly talks about the Acacia Tree and how it might save Africa. The link can be reached by clicking here.

Green Restaurants Las Vegas

So, let’s talk a little about cooking green and where you can find it.  

On Lake Jacqueline in the community of Desert Shores you’ll find Garfield’s. I seriously don’t think you will find a better atmosphere for family dining; it’s a special place with special people. Garfield’s is a family restaurant with a French twist.

The restaurant has a nautical feel and the patio dining, on the water, is wonderful. The Las Vegas weather is so conducive to this style of dining, especially as we enter the month of September.

Garfield’s is named in honor of Sir Garfield Sobers, Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on the playing fields of Barbados in 1975. Sir Garfield is considered the greatest all-around Cricket player of all time.

Executive Chef Jean-David Groff-Daudet is on the left.

I was the guest of Executive Chef Jean-David Groff-Daudet, “Chef JD,” for an afternoon lunch. The Chef suggested their Panini Seven Hours Leg of Lamb with roasted peppers, Harissa dressing on Ciabatta Bread. The sandwich was delicious and perfect for an afternoon meal on the lake.

If you want to find out about Slow Food and cooking green click here for the full article.