Green Building events in Salem

The second is probably the more important of the two --- the urgency for Salem is less about building new things green; rather, it's about dealing with our huge stock of decidely un-green housing ... built with inadequate insulation, poor solar orientation, inefficient heating and cooling systems, etc. But both are probably worth attending.

The Jerry Yudelson Lecture
"Green Building: The New Revolution is Here"

Thursday, October 2nd from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
The Paulus Lecture Hall of the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center
Willamette University, Salem
Free
For more information call Andrea Foust at (503) 370-6654

Nationally recognized green-building expert Jerry Yudelson will speak about the rapidly emerging green building revolution in a free lecture Thursday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Paulus Lecture Hall at the Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center at Willamette University.

Jerry Yudelson will present a compelling business case for green buildings, both residential and commercial, and share dozens of building projects that demonstrate environmental excellence, many within conventional budgets. A dynamic speaker with an urgent sense of purpose, Yudleson will explain why thousands of individuals and corporations across the U.S. are choosing green over conventional design for their homes and businesses, and how the market for green buildings is likely to emerge over the next several years. Attendees will learn how to take advantage of opportunities in green building.

Green building has emerged as a proven strategy to improve the health of a building’s occupants, combat global warming, enhance public relations, and save money for businesses and home-owners, Yudelson says.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center, the Center for Sustainable Communities at Willamette University, the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Pringle Creek Community, and the American Institute of Architects - Salem Chapter.

Salem Tour of Green + Solar Homes

Saturday, October 4th from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Guest Speaker at 9:00 am: Portland Builder, Dave Heslam, on Green Remodeling
Registration begins at 8:30 am at the Pringle Creek Community
(2110 Strong Road SE in Salem)

$15 per car, Bicyclists are free
For more information call James Santana at (503) 763-1770

Salem's second annual Tour of Green + Solar Homes will be held on Saturday October 4th from 8:30 am until 4:00 pm, with a reception following the tour from 4:00 until 6:00 pm. The event will include tours of ten homes that demonstrate energy efficient and environmentally-responsible techniques. Following registration at the Pringle Creek Community, individuals will visit the homes of their choice as a self-guided tour, that includes the Frank Lloyd Wright - designed Gordon House at the Oregon Garden.

Each site will be hosted by a knowledgeable individual (owner, architect and/or builder) to inform visitors of green features and their associated benefits, costs, and lessons learned. Attendees have the opportunity to learn about energy efficiency, passive and active solar systems, daylighting, on-site energy generation, rainwater harvesting, innovative construction systems and building materials. The event begins with an hour-long presentation on green remodeling conducted by the Earth Advantage program.

Event sponsors include the American Institute of Architects - Salem Chapter, Neil Kelly Company, DeSantis Landscapes, Taylor Metal, NW Natural, Marion County Public Works Environmental Services, Bilyeu Homes, Pringle Creek, Nathan Good Architect, Wild Pear, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Earth Advantage, and the BAM Agency.

Here's a link to the Statesman Journal's recent story on the Tour of Homes.

Getting Rid of Parking Minimums

Cities are slowly starting to wake up from the idea that everyone wants, needs, and must have a car --- and, even worse, must make provisions for the care, feeding, and storage of cars even if they don't want one.

Given the economic meltdown unfolding around our ears, we're going to need as much land as we can get to be used for growing food, not serving as a mandatory source of water pollution (hard pavement disrupts natural water recharge and causes water runoff to be filled with oil and other pollutants from autos).