Five companies at SEMA 2011 with products that bring efficiency and environmental responsibility to automotive design.

BASF

The impact of color is even better when it impacts the environment less. The waterborne paints from BASF not only provide beautiful finishes, but their lower VOC levels and fast-drying cycle times help facilitate a safer, healthier and more profitable environment for companies. Check out their Corporate Sustainability Report.

The BASF Foose Signature Color collection in front of the Richard Petty Signature Mustang

Li3 Lithium batteries

These lightweight lithium ion batteries from Lithionics Battery are a fraction of the weight of lead acid batteries, and have over a 10-year lifespan. They come equipped with optional volt meters, and a key-fob power isolator that prevents power drains by the car while it’s off. It also serves as a nifty anti-theft device as it disconnects the battery from the car.

Left: Key Fob shown with the battery. Right: Ultra lightweight batteries.

EV-Drive Train

The EV-Drive Train product family is making huge strides by providing high-efficiency and scalability that adjusts to the needs of performance. They have developed the first two 200HP models of it’s all new EVDrive-Train family, an advanced electric drive system product family for electric and hybrid motorcycles, UTVs and other powersports vehicles, cars, vans, trucks, buses and RVs requiring 65 to over 1000HP. It is a set of integrated components engineered to work as a system with a liquid cooled motor, vehicle control system, Range Extender (REX) controller, accessory support modules, and charging system coupled with a battery pack as the primary source for the majority of driving miles. Motor too quiet? Oh yeah, it comes with an engine sounds simulator. Not sexy enough? Check out the green Michel Motosports Gitano below that incorporates one of these assemblies. Who doesn’t go for the strong and silent type?

VisionX LED Lighting

LEDs have been on the market for awhile, but as they become more and more popular, and parts are easier to find, the automotive market has been able to attract a larger audience inside and outside the car market. Most notably used as those large lights you see on the tops of jeeps or other 4x4s, these high-efficiency lights can also be used as emergency roadside assistance running off self-contained battery-pack boxes or adapted for commercial lighting. Lights by VisionX.

Hydroelectric Power LLC and HH2™

We just couldn’t resist putting this one in. These guys are using hydrogen from water created in the vehicleas you drive to blend with normal fuel. The idea is to clean the exhaust system discharge of harmful toxins and particulates while creating better fuel economy. While we’re always skeptical of any company that markets themselves as being the “Greenest of Green,” and signs that say, “save the honey bees!” especially at an auto show, we still like that they’re doing something different. They also had a nifty catalyzed electrolysis display separating the oxygen from the hydrogen and igniting it with a striker. Check out HH2 for yourself.

Left: The HH2 device is the green plastic container on the front of a 2008 Toyota Sequoia SUV. Right: Part of the HH2 science display.

It’s all about motivation.

Arkan Kayihan speaks to Green Teams as part of the Grassroots Leader series

As a management consultant, I often enact change without having any resources to bring to bear except executive sponsorship (when I’m lucky) and my ability to engage and motivate others. A key in leading change is to understand your stakeholders, their motivations, and their needs. When I started selling consulting services in my twenties I got some key advice: “don’t sell what you have, find out what keeps your clients up at night and help them scratch that itch.”

Change can come from top-down, bottom-up, or ideally from both directions. That being said, change within an organization is almost always easier when you have resources or power to bring to bear.  When you aren’t empowered, it’s even more important to understand your key stakeholders and help them scratch their itch so you can simultaneously enact change.  Empowering mid-level managers and front line staff to enact change in a corporate environment is why we started the NBIS Grassroots Sustainability Leadership Forum.

Green Team leaders engage in a presentation setting

This is an invitation only series for grassroots corporate sustainability leaders to share best practices, learn how to deliver messages to executive audiences, and feel like they aren’t alone in their efforts to drive change from the bottom up. Many of our leaders have day jobs in accounting or procurement, but in their spare time lead or drive a “green team” at work. Part of any green team’s role is to pitch and enact sustainable business practices while meeting the needs and goals of those who are empowered to make the change happen (those key sponsors again). And always, one can influence others if they know what their motivations are.

We’ve been lucky to have grassroots leaders from Nintendo, Alaska Air, Expeditors & The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center speak to their experiences in leading grassroots change at their organizations. At our next event we will be tackling a very specific corporate stakeholder: finance.

If you’re interested in participating in our Grassroots series, please come visit us at: http://nbis.org/programs/grassroots-leaders/

Often when you see people giving donations to plant trees, or saving a forest sometimes it’s never really as close or as significant when it’s right in your own backyard. This is the case with Trillium Forest located on Whidbey Island in Washington. The 664-acre property is the largest piece of privately owned property in Island County. Before it went into foreclosure it was originally divided into 124 plots and approved for development. This property is literally less than 3 miles from where my husband and I are in Greenbank, and just north of Freeland. In a rural setting, this is your backyard.

A nine-inch Northwestern Salamander on a Red Alder log. Whidbey Is. Photo by Robert J. Pennington.

Earlier this year the Whidbey Camano Land Trust was given the option to purchase the property and raise $4.2 Million. If successful, the WCLT would work to turn it back into recreational trails for hikers, birders, horseback riders, etc., and help restore the health and wildlife of a forest that had been logged back in 1988.

If the funds cannot be raised, the property will be divided and sold privately. Originally the Land Trust had until June 10th to raise the funds. As luck would have it they received an extension until September 10th.

So here we are on September 1st, just ten days away and I feel like I’m watching a horse race between thousands of people trying to save a forest and a financial institution. (I promised myself, I wouldn’t go there). Because I am familiar with the work the Whidbey Camano Land Trust does, it boggles my mind to see them spearhead what would seemingly be an impossible mission. As of this writing they need just $900,000. $300,000 has already been promised, leaving $600,000 left. From their newsletter posting today, “To help raise the remaining $600,000, an existing donor has made a pledge to match, dollar for dollar, the first person to donate $100,000 between now and September 10. After the Land Trust raises $600,000, a second anonymous donor will contribute the remaining $300,000 needed to complete the campaign.” That’s not much considering where they started, but it’s a still a big stretch in 10 days.

Curled fern. Whidbey Is. Photo by Robert J. Pennington

While it does comes down to money, it’s about so much more than that. It’s about watching people from all over Island County and beyond, work together to save this giant piece of land. You cannot walk into a local store, cafe, or lumberyard without seeing donation jars with “Save the Forest Now” buttons and postcards on them. Hikers, joggers, birders, photographers, horseback riders, and other groups lead talks and rides through the property. Even small schoolchildren are not spared, helping raise funds and teaching people about why we need to Save the Forest Now.

If saved, I have no doubt this forest could become one of the best teaching grounds and case studies in the U.S., both environmentally and socially. It can even provide inspiration for more successful transactions while leaving an important legacy for generations to come. The reach of what happens in the next few days goes far beyond the waters around an island in Puget Sound. If it can happen here, the lessons learned can teach others everywhere not just how to save a piece of land against the odds and in a recession, but how to bring a much larger community together, regardless of politics, religion or economic status.

So now it’s down to the wire and I’ve got my money on “Trillium” comin’ up on the outside, yelling, “Go baby! Go!” A photo finish for the ages.

Offset your carbon footprint! Find out more about this property and how you can donate, check out the status on the Whidbey Camano Land Trust’s site: www.SaveTheForestNow.org

Or contact the WCLT at:

Whidbey Camano Land Trust
765 Wonn Road, Barn C-201
Greenbank, WA 98253

As an owner/builder, I’m always on the lookout for new products that make a difference in how we build or use materials. Walking the tradeshow floor at Globe 2010, I found four products that caught my eye as we look toward the future of the built environment.

Solar Shingle installation. Photo with permission of Dow.

USA – Dow Chemical Company- The Dow™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle is the company’s latest innovation showcased at GLOBE 2010. A recent recipient of GLOBE 2010’s Foundation award for “Environmental Excellence in Emerging Technology,” their solar shingles not only protect a roof from the elements, but serve up a photovoltaic charge at the same time. The unique product design has similar weight, reveal and installation practices as an asphalt shingle while also generating electricity. DOW’s Solar Solutions (DSS) technology uses a cost-effective and durable PV material called CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide). The electrical circuitry is integrated into every shingle and is connected by wireless plug-style connectors. Dow also recently announced in February, its plans to build the first full-scale production facility for its solar shingle facility in Midland, Michigan, bringing with it more than 1,200 jobs to the marketplace. Could it be affordable, renewable energy roofing solutions are on the horizon?

A sample piece of a MagWall panel shows foam on the inside and a magnesium oxide base sheathing. Photo by Robert J. Pennington

Canada – MagWall Pacific Inc. Tucked into a small booth on the tradeshow floor is a new SIPS (Structural Insulated Panel System) building product that has some very cool new features. SIPS built homes are generally much more efficient than stick-built homes. Think of SIPS like an extremely efficient Oreo cookie. A hard crust on the outside, (generally OSB plywood) with a fluffy foam filling in the middle. On the MagWall systems, the OSB is replaced with sheathing boards that have a magnesium oxide base making it fire and insect resistant and impervious to mold, because there is no wood product in it. Additionally the ability to erect structures in wet or cold conditions is not a problem, so costly delays in schedules are minimized. As a bonus, it can also eliminate the use of costly additional products used in construction. For example, interior and exterior walls can be finished without additional sheathing, and the company claims vapor barriers are not necessary. Currently the company’s focus is on providing healthy, affordable, sustainable and energy efficient buildings, that require less dependence on highly skilled labor. The company is currently in talks with multiple countries, and even UN and Disaster relief efforts. After just completing the envelope of my own SIPS house, it wasn’t hard to see how these MagWalls would have made a huge difference in shaping the course of our project. www.mag-wall.com

MicroHeat’s 9kW electrical instantaneous hot water system. Photo by Robert J. Pennington

Australia – MicroHeat® Technologies PTY LTD. Tankless hot water heaters are nothing new to the market. But behind this little white box is a whole house hot water heater with a 98% efficiency rating saving both water and greenhouse gas emissions. Normal tankless hot water heaters rely on the flow of water to run through heated coils to deliver hot water to a faucet or shower system. This can mean running and wasting water longer than necessary until it is at the right temperature to use. MicroHeat’s electrical instantaneous hot water system eliminates that heating coil element altogether and instead uses water as the conductor. The water is energized (or heated) via inert electrodes in the water stream. The result is instant hot water, but water is not the only resource being saved. Instead of a constant flow of electricity running to heat big tanks of water, this smart system turns on when you need it and can be placed in convenient locations closer to the source of use. The system on display was a 9kW single-phase unit. The best part is, it senses when it needs to add more juice to the system and delivers absolute temperature control. You can increase the flow but retain the temperature. Still in the research and development phase, MicroHeat has already received grants from the Australian Government and support from the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing. But this little heater is keeping cool about its technology. Currently no website or marketing efforts are available to the public. We’ll just have to wait.

Sherpa aluminum timber connectors. Photo by Jen Pennington

Austria- Sherpa®- Good things come in small packages, and this little mounting and assembly hardware introduces a new technique for traditional timber construction. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, the product provides a simple, safe and reliable connector between load bearing trusses, joints or any other timber connection. Two aluminum-molded plates contain a male and female piece that slips into each other to form a very strong connection. A concealed fastener and a good alternative to Simpson® Strong ties and a semi-concealed fastener allows the beauty of the hardware to become a part of the design. What makes the product sustainable is in the fact that a structure can be just as easily disassembled without wasting valuable wood resources. Beams are lifted and joints can be non-destructively disconnected.

Find information in English regarding this product here.

Find more images from Globe 2010 at www.RhizomeImages.com

by Jen Pennington

photos by Robert J. Pennington

On a recent tour of the largest living green roof in North America atop the Vancouver, B.C. Convention Centre, one can’t help but be awed. The tour organized by Dow Chemical Company as part of Globe 2010 was a rare glimpse into the dichotomy of what you see vs. what you can’t see. Designed by LMN Architects, the building is the world’s first LEED Platinum convention center. It’s about taking in something visually and understanding at a deeper level that natural beauty and the creation of new wildlife habitats in urban settings can successfully coexist with the right mix of landscape architecture, engineering, and construction. The fact that one can easily take for granted the man-made materials underneath an organic surface is a testament to its success.

Brilliantly colored sedums looking towards the water

As you step out the doors onto the first level, one is struck by the brilliant red, orange and pink beauty of native sedums blooming in spring amidst a precisely placed irrigation system. Bruce Hemstock, Landscape Architect for PWL Partnership explains that the irrigation system utilizes black water from the convention center and desalination machinery to water the plants making it a very sustainable system. The vast expanse of this orderly growth is amazing and you can’t even see the grasses above yet. Walking along the sloped path that leads to the green areas of the main roofs, one passes by the apiary of bees that help pollinate the area. As you step up to the grassy rise of the roof you are instantly transported to a park in the sky. It is so large at six acres that you never feel as if you are on an actual roof, and therein is the real beauty of it. Now in its second year of growth, the illusion is so surreal in an urban environment that it’s easy to disregard what lies beneath the top layer.

Roof layers and substrate display at Dow's both at Globe 2010.

Digging down into what makes the roof so unique is the fact that the layers that go into a normal roofing system are inverted. As Mike Kontranowski, the Strategic Market Director, Architectural Markets for Dow Building Solutions explains, “It’s turning the roof upside down.” In this case, 2.5 million board feet of Styrofoam™ brand insulation and more than 500,000 board feet of Styrofoam™ Highload insulation from Dow sits directly on top of the roof. On top of that lies a series of other substrates, and protective barriers before the placement of soil and the thousands of indigenous plants and that grow there. With the addition of all these materials, the lightest weight component, keeping the roof thermally stable, reducing weight load,  and enhancing energy efficiency at the base is the Styrofoam™. A dimpled water barrier on top of that prevents water from seeping through and also holds droplets of water to retain moisture in the soil.

The roof is truly inspiring with its many levels of beauty and sustainable attributes. As green roofs become more popular in cities, my hope is that those in the design, building and materials industries share this knowledge readily. Not just amongst the largest architecture firms and contractors but down to the small business levels of builders and designers in outlying areas or smaller cities where adoption is slower to manifest. If we are truly concerned about creating eco communities and championing environmental and energy efficiency benefits, the challenge for all is how to inspire change broadly while making it affordable to install in the first place.

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All photos copyright 2010 Robert J. Pennington.

Last Thursday, January 21st, a panel of business leaders spoke at Antioch University to a full room of entrepreneurs, students, faculty and members of the business community. Each gave a great presentation on how their company is working to create social and environmental benefits through innovative practices.

NBIS presented the program as part of Antioch University’s Center for Creative Change series on Global Issues and Perspectives. Karl Ostrom, Co-director of the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS) moderated the discussion with Seattle-based executives from a variety of businesses with global footprints.

David Basson, CEO of Greensource Organic Clothing

First up to speak was David Basson, the CEO from Greensource Organic ClothingCompany. His is an eco-friendly company, mitigating the negative environmental impacts of the apparel industry, particularly the toxins used in the growth and processing of cotton. He spoke eloquently about how their brand is not just the products they sell, but more how they do business in the world marketplace. One of the highlights showed how their traceability tracking system gives their customers the benefit of being able to trace their garments from field to final production. He also spoke about giving back to the communities where the organic cotton is grown. They have built three schools to provide access to education for the children in these rural communities. The also have medical clinics on site in several locations. Organic cotton is still only about 3% of the world’s cotton supply, yet conventional cotton is the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world. For every Cotton T-Shirt made with conventionally grown cotton, six ounces of toxic chemicals containing pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and defoliants are used and these find their way into the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat.

Valerie Bone, Director of Quality/Corporate Social Responsibility, PMI

Next up was Valerie Bone, Director of Quality/Corporate Social Responsibility from Pacific Market International. PMI is best known for their Aladdin and Stanley Thermos brands. Her presentation covered the strategic approach the company took in becoming more sustainably aware. Building on the company’s strong foundation in codes of conduct and quality, she spoke about PMI’s Corporate Social Responsibility charter that embeds sustainability in the core mission and vision of the company. PMI has been conducting extensive R&D to develop BPA-free alternatives to polycarbonate material. One result of these efforts was the co-development of eCycle, a food grade quality plastic that is made from 100 percent recycled materials with a 25 percent post consumer content. It’s also recyclable where [5] plastic is collected. In 2008, PMI used more than 1 million pounds of recycled plastics in its products. As a result of these product innovations, PMI has strengthened its relationships with customers like Starbucks and Nike that have aggressive sustainability goals for products and vendors.

David Okrent, Brand Director for Environment for Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Speaking from the Aerospace industry was David Okrent, Brand Director for Environment for Boeing Commercial Airplanes with additional duties as the coordinator for the European section of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group and as the project manager for the Boeing Sustainable Biofuels Steering Team. It was obvious that Mr. Okrent certainly has his work cut out for him. For Boeing it is more a question of trying to reduce their environmental footprint. When you look at how large a company Boeing is, it becomes very interesting to see how this aerospace giant is seeking to talk about sustainability. Boeing’s work in pioneering new technologies and materials to reduce fuel consumption, striving to find better fuel solutions and even looking at air traffic efficiencies to reduce fuel usage made for an eye-opening presentation. If you are interested in learning more about their progress, read the company’s Environment report.

Dennis Gawlik, Faculty Member at Bainbridge Graduate Institute and Director of Purchasing Services for the University of Washington

Last up was Dennis Gawlik, a Faculty member at Bainbridge Graduate Institute and the Director of Purchasing Services for the University of Washington. Mr. Gawlik raised the bar on sustainability imperatives noting that while many companies are striving to achieve better sustainability performance, most, in his view, are not currently going far enough. He engaged the audience in a whiteboard session challenging those in the room to come up with the top ten issues identified in a survey of purchasing agents in the U.S. as their biggest sustainability concerns. At the top of the list were Biodiversity and Water. It was a great way to bring the presentations to a close and get the audience to think in terms of the global economics and impacts of American businesses.

After the presentations the panel joined in a discussion on what sustainability means to each of them. Questions were taken from an enthusiastic audience, and Antioch was pleased to see so many people stick around afterwards to converse with the speakers. It just makes you realize it’s how we harness people energy that will make the business world a better place.

While the new standard eco-friendly choices–bamboo, reclaimed wood, marmoleum, clay finishes–are already in mind, I find myself lingering over the concept of glass as a design feature. I’m not talking about nice little squares of recycled glass tiles that no one can see unless they’re taking a shower or against a backsplash. I’m talking about thick glass slab countertops so beautiful they may cause an uncontrollable drooling response.

While most humble homebuilders tend to think of glass as an accent attraction, Tish Oye and Steve Shahbaghlian of Glassworks in Seattle have taken the concept of interior glass to new and glorious heights. Founded over thirty-five years ago as architectural glass fabricators for the building and design industry, Oye and Shahbaghlian have developed a profound appreciation for glass as functional art. Deeply committed to sustainable building practices, the duo now offers a beautiful series of recycled glass countertops that not only create amazing impact but are fully functional as well.

Recycled green cast glass

Made from discarded shower doors from a local manufacturer, Glassworks melts the glass down and re-purposes it into gorgeous green cast glass slabs. Ranging from one to two inches thick and up to twelve feet long, these exquisite countertops are an ideal kitchen feature and work in bathrooms, home offices, and anywhere else a dramatic design statement can be made. Born from a from a unique arrangement with one of the nation’s premier glass shower door fabricators, the recycling project offers builders and remodelers a fresh option in sustainable building. “As part of their quality control process, the company used to send any doors identified with scratches or small dings to the landfill,” explains Oye. “Under our new program, they ship the doors directly to us. From there, we turn them into something beautiful and useful.”

The tempered glass used for shower doors is a perfect “raw” element for the recycling process. When the shower doors arrive at Glassworks, they are broken into small, pebble-size pieces. The pieces are then put into a mold and re-fired. Under the heat of the Glassworks kiln, the “pebbles” melt together to form translucent cast glass. “The end result has the same integrity and beauty of glass made from non-recycled materials,” continues Oye, “But these pieces have the added benefit of not contributing to a landfill.”

But Oye is no Greenie-lite. An accomplished businesswoman, Oye recently earned her LEED certification. Determined to do all she can to make her company and their fabricating process more sustainable, she’s about the little things smaller companies can do to lower their carbon footprint and be a good neighbor at the same time. With a shy determination, she’ll tell you about her plan to heat the Glassworks shop with the heat from the kilns they use. Or how when a client refers Glassworks to a potential customer, as a thank you, Glassworks makes a donation in that client’s name to the good works organization of their choice.

Any builder or remodeler looking to find that one gem that sets their design apart should highly consider recycled cast glass counters. Having a Glassworks designed countertop in your home or building is like owning a unique piece of commissioned art that is beautiful, functional, and sustainable. The perfect building troika for the modern age, its just one way small business is shining the light on making our world a better place.

Above: Images from the Glassworks portfolio, prior to using recycled glass.

View all their transparent creations at: www.glassworksinc.com

I can’t help but remark on a concept Philips is promoting for an outdoor lighting structure that transforms from a solar flower during the day to a wind turbine on cloudy days to a nightlight. It’s been out for a few months, but as a designer, I’m drawn to both it’s functional and aesthetic qualities. The concept is called Light Blossom. And I definitely want to see this concept bloom.

The idea is to provide a large tower that collects solar energy on the inside of its open petals, moving in harmony with the position of the sun. On cloudy or windy days, the petals half-close upward to catch the wind and convert the movement to energy. At night the petals close to form an LED nightlight providing only the light that’s necessary. Great for cities, but even better for rural areas where a power infrastructure is not possible, or power outages are frequent. A smaller version for residential use I believe would find a very willing market.

What I truly admire about the concept is that it takes an everyday mainstream item like a streetlight and serves up sustainability with style. Truly remarkable is how simple a concept it is in theory and how in line it is with the Philips brand of sense and simplicity. With so many variables, it surely won’t be easy to build nor maintain. Harder still will be making it cost efficient enough for cities and communities to afford. But if Philips can make it a reasonably priced option to retrofit or build into new communities, that’s not good design–that’s great design. Just think of it…wild energy flowers scattered from the seeds of imagination.

Find out more about this concept at www.Philips.com and check out the concept called: Simplicity Tomorrow – Light Blossom

What does it mean to be sustainable as an artist or photographer in an uncertain economy? Rare is the artistic occupation in life that leads to becoming the next Richard Avedon or Ansel Adams. Things have not changed much to alter the cliché of the struggling artist. But passion doesn’t write a check to pay the bills. The commercial and stock photography world is highly competitive, and to compete you need more than talent. You need to wear the hat of a savvy business person, the scarf of digital asset management, the gloves of a brand strategist, the boots of an educator and a coat of commitment to one’s core values. Once you’ve put on this oversized built-for-the-Arctic-wardrobe that you can barely breathe in, you can begin to slowly make your way out the door into the overheated, globally warmed world.

In today’s climate, artists and photographers must find new ways to be competitive without compromising their craft and still be able to breathe. The ability to control the course of content, and provide the alternative benefit of image differentiation comes with a small impact on the earth and a bigger impact on individual bottom lines.

Enter the boutique stock agency model. The ability today for independent, pro photographers to customize online portfolio and merchant solutions is just the boost smaller agencies need. Each photographer has a style or niche, and each one can attract a following like a fine clothing line designer. The ability to create an uber-showroom beyond traditional online portfolios, shows a breadth of work and allows customers direct access to photographers for custom work. A great website model not only builds an online legacy of work, it can begin to build that photographer’s retirement legacy as well. It is a two-pronged approach to creating revenue.