Many small businesses contact us, and ask what they can do to ‘green up’ their business. Community Greenhouse Foundation has developed a program to help you reduce electric and water usage, to encourage recycling and use of recycled materials, and to reduce the amount of solid waste your organization produces. And to launch their efforts, they announce the Greening America Business Challenge.

More than just green-washing, they’ve partnered with Energy Star (the US Department of Energy) and WasteWise (US Environmental Protection Agency) programs. Using nationally recognized third party tools and criteria, CGF helps you understand what your organization is doing, individually, and then prescribes a variety of efforts you can undertake to reduce your impact.

Program takes undersold homes, renovates them to be energy efficient, and works with municipalities for workforce housing.

The Community Greenhouse Foundation has been working for months on a program which is targeted to assist in the rehabilitation and sale of the “glut” of houses being dumped into the market resulting from foreclosures. The “Greening of America’s House Stock” program is a pro-active economic stimulus program that has been developed due to the current economic position of America. Never in our countries history has energy, housing and the environment been seen as critical issues at the same time.

The Community Greenhouse Foundation is proud to announce a new Strategic Partner serving the South Florida communities to delivery it’s “Greening Residential America” program. The program helps to provides communities with the resources to bring “green attainable housing” to their communities. New and renovated energy efficient green homes can be offered to City, County, governmental employees and the public through the program along with the opportunity for local “community” builders to tap into products and training to build greener and more energy efficient.

With Memorial Day and the summer travel season approaching, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) encourages Florida residents and guests to travel close, clean and green with the launch of a new green travel Web site and Florida Green Lodging Program locator map. The newly launched green travel Web site offers resources for families and travelers looking to get away without depleting their wallets, gas tanks or the environment.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced the 2008 Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change. The conference will be held June 25-26, 2008, at the Intercontinental Miami. Building on the foundation for Florida’s energy future began at last year’s summit, the 2008 summit will focus on stimulating economic development in clean technologies as well as “greening” Florida’s business community.

“Florida’s businesses continue to demonstrate that there is gold in green, and climate-friendly energy sources – like ethanol and solar energy – are bringing new prospects for our state,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “Encouraging companies to do business the green way as well as building a strong market in renewable energy technologies in the Sunshine State will strengthen our energy and economic future and protect our natural environment for generations to come.”

City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor, Jim Naugle, pushed “it” by displaying his wife’s neighborhood electric vehicle. City Departments showed that they know about “it” and how they are doing “it” daily. A majority of the people who attended knew that “it” was more than just recycling your cans and bottles. “It”, of course, is living, conserving, and putting into daily practice Going Green.

When Bunney Brenneman, Chair of the Utility Advisory Committee, contacted the Community Greenhouse Foundation some four weeks ago, asking if we would like to help to put together the first “GREEN Living Expo” in Fort Lauderdale, our answer was a resounding: “Yes.”

One of the main reasons the Community Greenhouse Foundation sponsored the Green Communities program was the idea of communities sharing good news and stories about the way people and organizations are doing positive things as they related to green sustainable living in their communities. The web sites are geared to act as a conduit to all sectors of the community and other communities around the state. This is a PERFECT example of what this program is supposed to promote and share.

Wow! We use a lot of Water! I was on the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Public Works web site the other day searching for how to get new water service and stumbled onto a Conservation Checklist. The check list is set up like a quiz to see how someone is doing in their home related to water conservation.

First it is a great little check list and I think it is great that the City has that kind of information and tool available for residents. Second–and more interesting to me–was how much water we waste and in ways that I never even thought of which I am guilty off doing. I thought I would pass the Quiz along hoping more people will get a little wake up call.

Like every other day last week, I walked into the office and started to review my task and meetings for the day to make sure I was up to speed on everything. When I looked at my two o’clock appointment, I paused for a few seconds and yelled out to Sandy my assistant, “Who and what the heck is Carbon reduction at 2:00?�”

“Your meeting is with Paul from the Environmental Services Department, I am not sure what the Carbon Reduction relates too, he said you were aware of the meeting,�”Sandy replied.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today welcomed both the Hampton Inn and Courtyard by Marriott into the Florida Green Lodging Program. The designations are the first for Brevard County and the 37th and 38th for the program, a voluntary state initiative that provides the lodging industry with technical assistance and encouragement to adopt cost-saving “green”� practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

“With a commitment to adopting innovative green practices and protecting Florida’s environment, facilities in the Green Lodging Program are leading the industry by example,”� said DEP Central District Director Vivian Garfein. “Their dedication serves as an example and a challenge to other hotels to adopt innovative green practices, conserve resources and save money.”

John and Pam Pare weren’t home when Hurricane Charlie buried their Orlando home under a massive oak, but reality sank in quickly. The family had gone away for the weekend, and never spent another night in the home they had owned since 1996. As they considered whether to move or replace their home, Pare, at that time Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Hughes Supply, Inc., thought his connections to the construction materials supplier could help.

Florida Solar Energy Center helps an Orlando home achieve LEED� Certification. An Orlando home rebuilt after it was destroyed in a 2004 hurricane has become the first house in the state to achieve the silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED�) for Homes standard.

The Florida Solar Energy Center completed several inspections and performance tests on John and Pamela Pare’s new home, which features solar water heating, high-efficiency windows and doors and many other environmentally friendly features. The home, built by Classic Construction, is only the second home in the state to earn a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Coalition (USGBC).

The U.S. Department of Energy recently named the Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida as one of only two sites nationwide that will share a multi-million dollar grant to accelerate the adoption of new and developing energy-efficient technologies.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) received $2 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) grant to be home to a regional building technology application center. The center, to be located at FSEC’s facility in Cocoa, will serve 12 states and produce projects that will substantially increase the deployment of high-performance “beyond-code” buildings across the Southeast. Washington State University is the site of the other center.

Home builders are starting to see the light. The green light that is. Mercedes Homes revealed their commitment to helping the environment with the unveiling of the company’s second greener home in Brevard County. The Green for Life� program, was rolled out in Brevard County by showcasing a green-built home and introducing the company’s commitment to green building.

Scott Buescher, President of Operations for Mercedes Homes, kicked off the program by mentioning, Mercedes Homes Green for Life initiative combines earth-friendly technologies with reduced energy consumption and water conservation, translating into savings on utility bills and big benefits for generations to come.

Connected to both the green building industry and the health & wellness world, Get Green Today Expo helped us see the need to create a place where consumers can find and connect with businesses and people who make a difference. We call this new place on the web, Get Green Directory.

Why do we want you to get green? As Florida grows and develops, we’re going to see more and more need to conserve water, electricity and resources. There’s so much you can do to better position yourself and your home, by becoming more efficient, more green. Our site directs you to people who are leading the way.

Florida Solar Energy Center releases EnergyGauge� Summit Premier 3.13, easy-to-use, state-of-the-art software that saves time while completing required energy modeling calculations for LEED� projects. This tool is for construction-industry professionals.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, today released EnergyGauge Summit Premier 3.13 at the Greenbuild conference in Chicago. This state-of-the-art software provides construction-industry professionals with the opportunity to substantially reduce the time required to complete energy modeling for the commercial construction LEED� rating system.

Founded in 1997, igourmet.com is America’s leading online gourmet food and gift retailer. They recently announced their desire to help sustainable development not-for-profit, Community Greenhouse Foundation. CGF is a not for profit professional services organization that facilitates and promotes greener development, welcoming the support of igourmet.com as its newest Industry Partner.

Community Greenhouse Foundation helps people make the business case to build greener. Through education, planning, and action, they’re committed to raising awareness, educating the public and promoting sustainable building. CGF taps into experienced, qualified professionals for projects it supports. In most cases, these projects couldn’t even think about the use of these professionals, due to the size or type of project, and the retail cost for the services they provide. The organization is able to accomplish this due to its not-for-profit status and the commitment of industry and professionals who support the foundation’s mission.

Get Green Today Expo is a new venue created to raise awareness and create exposure for cleaner, greener products and services. There are so many little things consumers can do better to use less power, conserve water and live better, saving money and lessening their individual impact on our resources. From health, beauty and wellness to exciting new technologies, we’re excited about the opportunity to help bring these better ways of doing things to Floridians.

GreenOrlando’s creators, are working with the producers, the Goddess Group, to help promote the event, working with sponsors, exhibitors and media.

Talk radio host Laura Ingraham recently crossed political lines as she interviewed author Clint Wilder about his latest book, The Clean Tech Revolution. She started, noting that when she picked up the book, she expected to read global warming hype and Al Gore political rhetoric. She was amazed by the basic premise, one that those familiar with the green building world have been trying to get out to the public for the last decade.

The Clean Tech Revolution describes the opportunity that awaits the companies, the countries, the people who develop it. Someone has finally gotten the word to the mainstream.

Three dollar gas is impacting the American psyche, but in ways you’d never have expected. You might think we’d see dramatic changes in the way we live and drive, yet the opposite is true. Instead of market price slowing consumption, the price must still not be high enough to make anyone second guess their driving habits. I’m shocked.

Despite almost four thousand dead US servicemen and women, despite rising gas, despite world economic climate, the price of gas does not seem to be openly effecting us. And drivers where I live aren’t slowing down.

Again, energy issues capture the headlines and again we see a call for fuel conservation. Isn’t it amazing how often we return round about back to where we’ve started–with no real change or action to be seen?

During the past year–as we were hit by $3 a gallon at the pumps–I noticed a strange phenomenon. Despite casualties and mayhem in the mideast, as I drove around town, it seemed that traffic was not easing up. People didn’t slow down, in fact, I think drivers got testier. Racing to the next red light is still an American past-time.

Bill Young, a researcher and disaster relief expert at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), will give a free presentation for the general public on disaster preparedness using renewable energy technologies on February 22.

The event will be held in the FSEC auditorium at 1679 Clearlake Road in Cocoa, on the campus of Brevard Community College and UCF in Cocoa. The doors will be open at 5:45 p.m. and the hour-long presentation will begin at 6:15 pm.

I’ve been following transportation and energy news for quite some time–and it seems impossible to see real change in our lifetimes. Yes, we see new technology, we experience glimmers of hope, but ultimately nothing changes. That’s why recent news in Brazil is so exciting. World economy is built upon energy infrastructure–and that means oil. For transportation, though, there is a simple fix.

Progress in efficiency–or lack thereof–in the automotive sector is huge indicator that the forces that be like us staying under 30 miles per gallon. For the last thirty years we have seen no real change in fuel economy despite the computer revolution. What a statistic! VW Rabbits in 1975 got 50mpg, and today GM touts that it has more products than any other manufacturer that gets almost 30. Progress?

For years we’ve known about the inportance of using recycled papers and the environmental hazards of the printing process. And for years, some have made excellent progress in the field, while many are still unaware of the benefits of printing cleaner and greener.

While talking with our favorite printer, we asked where the industry was in relation to being more responsible to Mother Earth. From these chats, the Hopper Press Project was born.

Hopper Press was created to shine a light on better ways to print. We think we can make a profound impact in how we print, by targeting the three audiences who most influence what gets printed: clients, designers and print shops.

The Green Guide is a great place to find information about green products and services. Practical, reliable, easy-to-use, a one-stop-information-shop, the Green Guide is “the first place I go for real green product information and advice,” says Maria Rodale, Vice-Chair of Rodale, Inc and founding editor of Organic Style magazine.

The Green Guide and thegreenguide.com are two highly integrated information products published by The Green Guide Institute (TGGI), a national non-profit, 501(c)(3) environmental consumer research and information organization.