May 13, 2010: Green City Business Workshop The Natural Step hosted a Green City Business Workshop in May and NEIGBC was there! The workshop is designed to help business owners move their businesses into tomorrow's reality while improving profitability. Click on the link for more information on the Green City Business Workshop and The Natural Step.
May 2010: Go Green With Gene
The NEIGBC enjoyed a jam-packed day of events supporting the "Go Green With Gene" (named after Gene Stratton-Porter) environmental event. Activities included: recycling, alternative energy sources, local waste management resources, Loblolly Marsh Tours, wetland restoration demonstration and participation, games, carriage rides, recycling crafts, composting and replanting of native wildflowers and trees.
January 15, 2010: Design Charrette for the Eel River Trailhead Project
This charrette, held at IPFW in collaboration with NEIGBC, Friends of Eel River Trail, IPFW students and faculty, and others, examined current plans for the Eel River Trailhead project, slated to be constructed on South Whitley Street, near the Fire Fighter's Museum, in Columbia City. The trailhead restroom building and site were evaluated to determine ways to make this project more sustainable, with the goal of bringing it to a minimum LEED Platinum level. Site impacts including controlling soil erosion during construction, pedestrian and vehicular interaction, managing and treating stormwater and minimizing fertilizer and mowing following construction were considered. The building program was examined to look for ways to use more sustainable materials as well as improve longevity and long term operating costs.
December 9th and 10th, 2009: "No Impact Man" Movie Screening
NEIGBC and the IPFW Center for the Built Environment jointly hosted two showings of the documentary "No Impact Man", an Oscilloscope film which tells the story of Colin Beavan’s decision to completely eliminate his personal impact on the environment for a full year. It means eating vegetarian, buying only local food, and turning off the refrigerator. It also means no elevators, no television, no cars, busses, or airplanes, no toxic cleaning products, no electricity, no material consumption, and no garbage. No problem – at least for Colin – but he and his family live in Manhattan. So when his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two-year-old daughter are dragged into the fray, the No Impact Project has an unforeseen impact of its own.
This year, NEIGBC once again participated in the Festival of the Trees. This year's tree was themed "Constructing A Sustainable Christmas". All materials for the decorations were re-purposed from construction waste.
The tree shaped decorations are Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and plywood. Staples, nails and screws from the grinder magnet form a star at the top. Cardboard tubes were cut, painted, glued and glittered. Nails from the grinder wound together with wire. Boards were cut into random pieces and painted white. There are also miscellaneous hardware, bolts, nuts, and screws made into ornaments. The tree top is a weather proof flange with a piece of sheet metal, cut like a crown, with washers, nuts and bolts coming out of it. The tree garland is made from flex conduit.
Sustainable Construction and Renewable Energy Lab Update!
The Schematic Design phase for the IPFW Sustainable Construction and Renewable Energy Lab was completed, and the process of sending out an RFQ for the design development phase has begun. This will be a "positive energy" building, one that uses renewable energy sources to create more than enough energy to supply itself and neighboring buildings. This building will be used to conduct research and testing on sustainable products, as well as provide a space for educational meetings.
This awards program recognizes leadership in sustainability through the innovation of green projects. In 2009, Sweetwater Sound and Wabash County Solid Waste District were recognized.
Sweetwater Sound - Sweetwater Sound built their new offices utilizing many Green practices and as a result, were the first LEED Gold certified building in northeastern Indiana. The offices are primarily lit with skylights. Fourteen giant cylinders on the southwest side of the building store ice that's made at night and used to cool the building during the day. Twenty percent of the building materials and fifty percent of the wood is either bamboo or other woods that regenerate quickly. The building's bathrooms use waterless urinals, envionmentally friendly paint and carpet and motion-sensing lights. Sweetwater Sound even subscribes to Northeastern REMC's EnviroWatts program which allows them to source their energy from environmentally preferred sources such as biomass, sun, wind, water and geothermal springs.
Wabash County Solid Waste District - This unique office renovation project conducted by the Wabash County Solid Waste Management District incorporates green building concepts with public education to create an environmentally friendly public building that delivers messages of sustainability to visitors that come to the facility. Products selected for use in the project include recycled content building materials, agricultural products and reused materials salvaged from demolition and other projects. Energy efficiency, daylighting, construction debris management and indoor air quality were also addressed in the design and construction of the offices. The educational exhibits and displays feature the project’s green building products and concepts, and illustrate the global complexities of the recycling marketplace impacted by the Wabash community.
Northeast Indiana Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop April 22, 2009
GLWN is a non-profit industry-led supply chain organization of manufacturers and suppliers whose mission is to grow the domestic content of North America's wind turbines.
Northeast Indiana Solid Waste Management District Earth Day Event - April 18, 2009
February 26th, 2009: Top Ten Energy Myths-Busted Presented by Laura Matney of Wabash Valley Power Association. Laura reviewed the top ten myths as identified by the Wabash Valley Power Association’s energy advisors, and provided offered solutions for how to deal with issues surrounding each myth. Presented in collaboration with the USGBC.
January 3rd, 2008: Gardening and Sustainable Landscaping: What does sustainable gardening and landscaping look like and what does it take to make it happen.
January 31st, 2008: Megan Moss, NEIGBC President gave a talk on Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Construction at IPFW in Kettler Hall at 12pm. This is part of the Focus the Nation program hosted by Advocates for a Global Future from 10am to 4pm.
March 6th, 2008: Tour of Sweetwater Sound's new facility - This tour included some of the key people involved in the design and construction of this new facility pursuing LEED Gold.
April 3, 2008 at 7:30am: "The beneficial reuse of waste generated by contractors and industry" by Candace Imbody. Presenting the options that are available for recycling the non-hazardous waste streams that are generated daily in our community. How we can make a difference with beneficial reuse both economically and environmentally in our industry processes. Identifying the wastes that can be recycled. Using source reduction as a tool for conserving resources.
May 1, 2008 at 7:30am: Green Innovation Award
July 3, 2008 at 7:30am: Water Quality by Matt Jones. The discussion centered around sustainable water resources, the EPA's Clean Water Act, challenges to water quality,and the "Green" connection. This presentation discussed the impact of these issues on NE IN and the benefits of improving water quality.
July 31, 2008 from 5pm to 8pm: NEIGBC Networking event @ Club Soda.
August 7, 2008 at 7:30am: Wind Turbines: What are they? How cost effective are they? Can they be used in our area? by Steve Park and Doug Ahlfeld.
Sept. 4, 2008 at 7:30 am: IPFW Sustainable Construction Research Facility development Kick-Off
Oct. 2, 2008 at 7:30 am: Energy Breakout Discussions
November 2008: The Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees at the historic Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel is a highly anticipated tradition during the holiday season. For one week in November, the lobbies of the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel are transformed into a beautifully decorated wonderland of Christmas trees.
In 2008, the NEIGBC won Best in Show with the tree pictured here. It was decorated with recycled (broken and tumbled) glass wine bottles in white, golden brown, green and cobalt blue, along with pine cones and seed pods from a trumpet vine. The recycled copper wire was coiled into tiny spirals collecting all of the glass pieces into shimmering wind chimes hanging from the branches. The tree lights were powered by a battery attached to a bicycle that could be ridden by visitors at the show.
Nov. 6, 2008 at 7:30 am: Follow-up on IPFW Sustainable Construction Research Facility development
This year, NEIGBC once again participated in the Festival of the Trees. This year's tree was themed "Constructing A Sustainable Christmas". All materials for the decorations were re-purposed from construction waste.
Northeast Indiana Wind Energy
The Festival of Trees at the historic Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel is a highly anticipated tradition during the holiday season. For one week in November, the lobbies of the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel are transformed into a beautifully decorated wonderland of Christmas trees.