Green Building University

by Troy Larkin

Location, location, location! That’s what sells real estate according to the experts, right? Well, when it comes to being informed and knowledgeable concerning innovative movements, there are three other words that apply. Education, education, education! Everywhere you turn these days, it seems someone is talking about “green building” or “going green.” Everyone’s talking about it, but do they really know what they’re talking about? Of course no one wants to appear ignorant or uninformed, so they give that nod and the obligatory, “Um, yeah, I’ve heard of that, and it sounds great” response, which actually means, “I have no real clue but all of my friends do, so I don’t want to look stupid!” They know they risk being excommunicated from their circle of highly sophisticated acquaintances if they are not up to snuff when it comes to the latest and greatest and do not want to commit the proverbial faux pas of appearing behind the power curve of knowledge.

That’s exactly what’s happening these days when the topic of “green building” pops up. Everyone knows, or at least thinks they know, that it’s good for the environment because, after all, it is “green” building we’re talking about, and the environment is green – or at least it should be! Well, not everyone who wears an apron is a chef! Likewise, not everyone who talks about “green building” is a chef, either… or contains a plethora of environmentally friendly information.

Alas, poor Yoric, something needed to be done to educate the masses – the result, Green Building University (GBU), a place where those with questions could go to find answers and, upon visiting, could speak intelligently evermore.

GBU is the brainchild of Drew and Debbie Smith, both green building certifying agents. Drew knows what he’s talking about when it comes to green building. He was the first president of the Florida Green Building Coalition. The FGBC is the only certifying body recognized by the Florida Home Builders Association, which sets the green standards for builders statewide. Not only was Drew the first president; he was also the driving force behind the first set of standards adopted by the FGBC. Out of the creation of a statewide standard has come the ever-increasing need to educate builders, trades people, sales associates and the general public in the ways of green building. GBU is a place where the novice and expert alike can go to quench their thirst for the knowledge of green.

GBU offers online classes and onsite seminars that enable the student to choose which level of green they want to attain. The sales professional can achieve the certified designation of Green Building Sales Professional (GBSP), which is recognized by professional organizations throughout the country as qualified continuing education. The technical expert can choose the Green Building Technical Professional (GBTP), which is also recognized by industry leaders nationwide for continuing education credit. All of the classes can be taken à la carte for those wishing to increase their level of green awareness one step at a time as well.

The staff of GBU is a veritable fortress of knowledge employing individuals who have been involved in the green building movement since its inception. GBU’s instructors are available to corporations, municipalities, and community organizations that are looking to increase their “green-telligence” and appear regularly at functions geared to increase public awareness of the green building movement. In a nutshell, green building is an environmentally friendly, energy-conserving, healthier way of building whose time has come. Knowledge is the key to success in any endeavor we choose to undertake. If you’re looking for green building knowledge, you’ll find Green Building University is the location, location, location to receive your education, education, education!

Troy Larkin is a Green Education Specialist with Green Building University. He also hosts a weekly “Green Building” TV show, which can be seen in the Sarasota area on BLAB TV channel 21 weekly at 8:30pm on Wednesdays. He can be reached at tlarkin@ twotrails.net. To find out more about Green Building University, go to www.greenbuildinguniversity.com.

Please let us know what you think about this article by writing your comments in our Green Blog.

Florida House Update: Revitalization Underway

by Michael J. Holsinger

The Florida House Learning Center, Sarasota’s premiere demonstration education facility for resource-conserving sustainable living, is undergoing a transformation. Late last year, the entire model home was relocated to a new location on Beneva Road at the Sarasota County Technical Institute to make room for construction of a new technical high school. Before a planned reopening later this year, the learning center will be upgraded with new technology and a new landscape to demonstrate what can be done to retrofit and remodel existing homes to make them more efficient in use of energy, water, and other resources.

Since the Florida House first opened in 1994, significant strides have been made in implementing resource-conserving standards for new development. But existing homes have lagged far behind. The renewed Florida House will fill this void. Project leaders estimate that more than five million homes in Florida alone need energy and resource efficiency improvements, and if this were to take place, it would represent a potential $250 billion economic opportunity for the green building renovation industry in the state.

Support of the community is needed to finish upgrading the Florida House so it can help stimulate such positive economic activity. This includes partnerships and alliances with businesses and organizations, donations of funds, materials, and labor, as well as additional volunteers to help the effort.

The Florida House was established and operated as a joint educational venture. Key partners included Sarasota County Government, the non-profit Florida House Institute for Sustainable Development, University of Florida Extension, Sarasota County School District, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Now the intention is to broaden this base and transform the Learning Center through greater community collaboration and participation by the private sector.

If the past track record of the Florida House is any indication, this project is destined for success. Besides being the first residential demonstration education facility in the nation to portray “green” technology, it helped foster like projects in locations such as Salt Lake City, Utah; Charleston, SC; Baton Rouge, LA; and even Cairo, Egypt. It hosted 150,000 visitors in the past 13 years with a 98 percent satisfaction rate. Annual surveys showed that 63 percent implemented resource-conserving measures in their homes and landscapes.


A new 20-year lease has been negotiated with the School District for the new location, and Sarasota County Government paid for the actual move of the house. The County and the Florida House Institute for Sustainable Development have retained Kathy Keh, Principal of Fortified Consulting, LLC, to conduct interviews in the community and prepare a feasibility study for a capital campaign to secure funds to construct a state-of-the art design and display center adjacent to the Florida House, provide for periodic renovations and upgrades of the facility to stay up to date, and create an endowment for future operations. When this is completed, the Florida House will be in position to more fully engage the community in sustainability, create educational curricula for both youth and adults, and develop and deliver distance learning by satellite and internet regionally, nationally, and worldwide.

It is all a very ambitious new undertaking. But, with the support of the community, the new Florida House will become a reality. Those interested in helping are invited to call the Florida House at 941-316-1200.

Michael Holsinger is retired director of the Sarasota County Extension and chairman of the Florida House Advisory Committee. He was a leader in the creation of the original Florida House Learning Center.

Please let us know what you think about this article by writing your comments in our Green Blog.

Walking Your Talk

Our Natural Beauty columnist, Carmen McManus, has arranged to replace her column this month with this eco-sensitive piece. The authors are local children who are passionate advocates of the environment. For more information, contact Carmen at Bloom Organics, 2065 Siesta Drive, 941-362-4194.


Do you stop and think about the effect plastic and paper bags have on the environment? It is estimated that more than 500 billion plastic bags are used globally every year… more than one million a minute! About one percent of that, or five billion plastic bags, end up as windblown litter. According to the Wall Street Journal, in the United States alone, approximately 100 billion plastic bags are used annually. Paper bags are less common, but the numbers are just as startling; Americans use approximately one million paper grocery bags every hour. Neither choice of bags is a good or a green choice in the end, and here’s why…

Introduced about 25 years ago;, plastic bags rapidly became the norm. We use them everyday – at the grocery store, the shopping mall, the bookstore, the list goes on and on. However, did you know that these bags take approximately 1,000 years to biodegrade? Did you know that only one percent are recycled every year? All the rest are thrown away and taken to landfills or become scattered throughout landscapes and waterways, where they eventually break down into toxic little pieces that poison the soil and water. Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent along the coast of Africa that the locals have begun weaving the bags into hats and other apparel.

Do you know what it feels like to get strangled by a plastic bag? The Environmental
Protection Agency, Environmental Literacy Council, the Ocean Conservancy, along with other organizations, state that plastic bags (plastic, metal, or anything that wasn’t originally part of the oceans, for that matter) pose a huge threat to all marine life. Hundreds of thousands of marine animals and countless land animals die each year. Their deaths are caused by suffocation or starvation from eating or getting tangled in plastic bags.

Did you know that there are masses of plastic bags and debris in our oceans? According to oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, there is an area roughly the size of Texas made up of plastic bags and debris in the Pacific Ocean. Google “plastic mass in Pacific Ocean,” and see for yourself what happens to ocean creatures when they injest our plastic waste!

The manufacturing and disposal of plastic bags uses large quantities of non-renewable resources, especially petroleum. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), 11 barrels of oil are saved when one ton of plastic bags are reused or recycled. One ton is equivalent to around 132,000 plastic bags. The petroleum used in 14 plastic bags can drive a car a mile. Can you imagine how many barrels of oil can be saved?

Now, let’s talk about paper bags. Yes, they are biodegradable and, yes, they are from a renewable resource. However, they are most certainly not better for the environment. Compared to plastic, making paper bags emits 70 percent more global warming gases, creates 50 times more water pollution, uses four times more raw materials, and consumes 3.5 times the energy! And about 80 percent of paper bags end up in landfills, which means that 20 percent is either recycled or ends up as litter. In landfills, paper bags do not biodegrade like they would naturally because of a lack of oxygen, water, and sunlight. According to the EPA, the United States in 1997 alone used 10 billion paper bags. That means around 14.8 million trees that could have provided oxygen for humans were cut down.

So, what are people doing with this information? Numerous governments are installing
taxes on bag usage or banning them altogether. Ireland’s PlasTax decreased consumption by 90 percent and raised over $9 million for environmental management projects. A number of countries in Africa have banned plastic bags completely (because of ocean currents, African coastlines are choked with our plastic waste). In our own country, San Francisco has banned both plastic bags and bottles. Some other cites, including Boston are considering the same bans. Some retailers are rewarding people who bring their own bags or they are introducing charges for using plastic or paper bags.

What can you do? You can recycle the plastic and paper bags you use, or better yet, you could use cloth bags instead of plastic and paper. And if you do choose to use plastic,think of ways to reduce the amount you use. For example, do you really need your laundry detergent bagged when it already has a handle? And do you ever really need to be “doublebagged”? In fact, do you even need a bag? Reduce consumption, become educated, encourage restrictions, and spread the word. Write letters to your local government or retailers asking them to consider a ban on bags or to introduce a charge or tax on them. They might even give credit to people who bring their own bags! Go green!

Help the planet for future generations by being eco-sensitive and personally responsible for your ecological footprint. Becoming educated and limiting consumption are the first steps in reducing waste. Ask yourself, “Is this purchase a want or a need?” If it is a need, select products with minimum or no packaging which are grown or produced in an environmentally sensitive manner. Be responsible. Our future is at stake!

Here are some great sites to visit for more info: www.enviroliteracy.org,
www.epa.gov, www.reusablebags.com, www.slate.com/id/2169287/?GT1=10135, www.reusablebags.com/facts.php, and www.chrisjordan.com.

Alexandra, 13, Colter, 11, and Carson, 9, became interested in this subject through a homeschooling assignment designed by their mother Leigh. As they researched the impacts, they were astounded and disgusted and wanted to take action. The family has stopped using plastic shopping bags as much as possible and encourages you to do the same.

Please let us know what you think about this article by writing your comments in our Green Blog.