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Wicked problems are significant issues with no single, straightforward answer, and they are everywhere!
Transportation is a wicked problem that touches every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not. It affects what we have on our dinner tables, the clothes we wear, and everything we have inside our homes. It even affects where we work, how we get there, and how we spend our vacations. Yet, we tend to take it for granted.
I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach, coming to you live from Shock City Studios in St. Louis, Missouri. I am delighted to have my occasional co-host, Tony Pratte, join me today to discuss the wicked problems surrounding transportation.
The transportation system is undeniably complex and multifaceted. I invite you to listen in as we journey through the evolving world of our transportation system and explore the wicked problems it presents.
Impact of COVID-19
The absence of commuters and students traveling to school during the pandemic highlighted a significant shift in how we perceive transportation. I found it eye-opening to see the streets resembling quiet Sunday mornings when it used to be rush hour.
Electric Cars and Infrastructure
A noticeable change after the pandemic has been the proliferation of electric cars, even in states like Oklahoma, traditionally associated with fossil fuels. The increasing presence of electric vehicles is encouraging. But we must recognize that the infrastructure to support them is evolving, and supply chains for materials like copper and lithium must grow exponentially to meet the 2035 EV goals.
Mining
Mining, especially overseas, raises concerns about environmental and ethical practices. Those considerations are essential as we make the shift to electric transportation.
Transparency in the Supply Chain
Many pieces get hidden from the average consumer within the supply chain for energy and transportation. With both gasoline for cars and the materials used in the batteries of electric vehicles, transparency remains a challenge. We need better labeling and reporting to know where our products come from, because that awareness allows us to make informed choices, not only for environmental reasons but also to support ethical and responsible sourcing.
Public Transportation
The lack of robust public transportation networks, especially in the Midwest and Southeastern United States, forces many to rely on personal vehicles. However, expanding and improving public transportation could significantly reduce congestion, pollution, and the need for massive parking lots in urban areas. Achieving a well-balanced transportation system that combines individual and public options remains a challenge yet to be overcome.
Walkable Cities
The issues with transportation issue also extend to city planning and the use of land. Deciding whether we want to continue sacrificing valuable space for parking lots or promote walkable cities that will reduce our reliance on cars is a balancing act, and the choices we make today will have consequences for future generations. This complexity highlights the need for thoughtful, integrated solutions, considering the environment, society, and economics.
Maintaining Existing Infrastructure
We often rush into building new infrastructure before adequately maintaining existing systems. We must prioritize maintenance and repair to ensure the longevity of our transportation networks and reduce costs and environmental impact in the long run. In essence, addressing the wicked problem of transportation requires a multifaceted approach, incorporating sustainability, ethical considerations, and urban planning for a better future.
Maintenance in Transportation
Maintenance for transportation still tends to get overlooked in the planning process, leaving far-reaching implications. It is easier to secure funds for capital budgets than to get funding for ongoing operational expenses. Capital expenditures have the allure of job creation and development, making them more appealing to budget approvers. Unfortunately, maintenance often falls by the wayside despite its critical role in preserving and extending the life of our transportation systems.
Unforeseen Consequences
The bias towards capital expenditure, driven by political and economic factors, is concerning. When creating impressive new structures gets prioritized, it is easy to lose sight of the need to maintain existing systems. The consequences of this negligence are evident on the roads. A simple blowout caused by the poor condition of a road can lead to severe consequences, from inconvenience to accidents and increased healthcare costs. That is a stark reminder of the vital role of maintenance in ensuring our safety and well-being.
Extreme Weather and Infrastructure Challenges
Many regions, like St. Louis and Oklahoma City, face extreme weather conditions that wreak havoc on their transportation infrastructure. Asphalts expand and contract under temperature extremes, creating fissures and potholes. These constant shifts necessitate research into more resilient road materials that can withstand the stresses.
Shifting Transportation Modes
Considering the most efficient modes for moving goods is crucial. Shifting from road transportation to rail can reduce the number of trucks on the road and the associated pollution. Trains are known for their economical and environmentally friendly tonnage transportation, as they can carry a considerable load with minimal fuel consumption. Exploring the potential for rail transportation can significantly impact the overall efficiency of our transportation systems.
Collaborative Planning
Transportation decisions should prioritize the greater good, not the preferences of the few. Fostering collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including federal and local governments, businesses, and the general public, remains a challenge. Those stakeholders often vie for their share of the transportation budget, further complicating the decision-making process. Budget allocation is influenced by political interests, so the focus must shift from individual gains to what is best for the collective community. We need a comprehensive master plan that does not cater to personal preferences or political influence.
The Complexity of Transportation
Transportation is a wicked problem that is more intricate than housing and buildings. The many parties involved, from government agencies to private industries, and the relentless battle for funding require a multifaceted approach.
Collaboration
The wicked problem of transportation demands our unwavering attention and collaboration to ensure a safer, more efficient future for all.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources
Green Home Coach Workshop - How to Sell the Value of Green Homes and Features
How do All Electric Cars Work
Building the electric-vehicle charging infrastructure America needs
The EV Battery Supply Chain Explained - RMI
Transportation Trends 2022-2023
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
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It is hard to talk about how our homes impact our health, well-being, and climate when so many people still struggle to afford the cost of buying their own homes.
Today, I bring you a solution cultivated by Kerry Langley, an industry colleague I have known for quite some time.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I invite you to lean in and pay attention as you discover how his financial modeling tools and software can help you unlock the doors to a brighter financial future and lead you to the home you deserve!
I am so excited to have Kerry share his insights today! They will allow you to approach your housing journey with a fresh perspective and attain outcomes you may never have thought possible.
Getting to know Kerry
Kerry Langley is a financial math enthusiast. With a career spanning 38 years in mortgage banking, he used to cater to millionaires with complex financial dealings. However, the 2008 recession took him from thriving to struggling and led him to re-evaluate his approach. After talking to a friend who worked at Merrill Lynch, he felt inspired to explore opportunities that could benefit a broader audience. So he transitioned to high-performance homes and green buildings, even though he had limited knowledge about green and energy-efficient concepts.
Making Green Living Financially Accessible
Kerry began a mission to make sustainable, green living financially accessible. He partnered with various organizations to create EarthCraft House, a certification program promoting green homes. That endeavor led to the development of his green mortgage software, Home Bucks, to help consumers identify ways to improve their homes, enhance energy efficiency, and reduce the total cost of ownership.
Creating Home Bucks
Even though he lacked experience in software development, Kerry still embarked on developing a software tool. The result was a groundbreaking tool called TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), which he later trademarked under the name Home Bucks. This innovative tool aims to empower consumers to live in homes that may seem out of their budget range by optimizing financial aspects.
Making Green Choices affordable
Through Home Bucks, Kerry demonstrated how buyers could incorporate items like solar panels into their mortgage, lower their interest rates, and ultimately reduce their total cost of ownership without straining their initial budget. His practical approach dismantled the misconception that sustainable living was financially out of reach and reinforced the idea that green choices could, in fact, be affordable.
The EarthCraft House Certification Program
After being approached by the Atlanta Home Builders Association and the Southface Institute, Kerry partnered with them to develop a green mortgage and got involved with the EarthCraft House certification program.
Enhancing Energy Efficiency
Kerry's approach to green homes includes the integration of solar panels, improvements in insulation, installation of energy-efficient appliances, and upgrades to windows. He aims to demonstrate that achieving sustainability and energy efficiency does not necessarily come with a higher price tag.
Addressing Misconceptions About Green Homes
One of the challenges Kerry encounters is the prevailing misconception that green homes are expensive and unattainable. Through his meticulous financial modeling and calculations, he debunks that myth.
Creating Long-Term Wealth
Kerry helps his clients make informed decisions about their homes, which is their most significant investment. He firmly believes that with careful consideration and a comprehensive understanding of the financial aspects, individuals can build long-term, multi-generational wealth through homeownership. His approach also involves smart financial planning.
The Importance of Thoughtful Home Buying
Kerry emphasizes the importance of thoughtful consideration when buying a home. He points out that people often spend significant time and effort choosing appliances or home decor, yet they fail to pay the same attention when buying a home.
Indoor Air Quality Matters
Indoor air quality frequently gets overlooked unless health issues arise. However, as families grow and parents become more concerned about the health of their loved ones, questions about indoor air quality, chemicals, and other factors come to the forefront.
Empowering Families
Young families, in particular, are challenged in the current housing market due to rising home costs. Kerry believes that by optimizing their budget and considering energy-efficient options, families can make more informed decisions and create a better living space for their loved ones.
Maximizing Resources
Starting a family tends to trigger a shift in priorities, so parents are more inclined to question the safety of chemicals in the home, off-gassing from cabinets, and other potential hazards. Aware of the lack of resources and guidance for addressing those concerns, Kerry understood how young families navigating the housing crisis could benefit from learning how to maximize their resources.
A Wise Investment
It is wise to invest in an asset that appreciates over time rather than investing in items that can depreciate. A home is generally the most substantial investment people ever make. Therefore, making thoughtful decisions that provide a comfortable living space and contribute to long-term financial stability is crucial.
Exploring the Home Bucks Model
The Home Bucks model takes several factors into account, including the price of a home, the commission structure, the current home performance, and potential improvements in energy efficiency and sustainability. It aims to calculate the total cost of ownership while considering all of those elements.
Driving Down Interest Rates
A key aspect of the Home Bucks model is its ability to lower interest rates, which significantly impacts the overall cost of homeownership. By optimizing various financial factors, Home Bucks can often reduce interest rates by one to one-and-a-half percent, resulting in substantial long-term savings for homeowners.
Flexible Financing Options
Home Bucks evaluates all possible financing options, not limiting itself to traditional mortgages. It considers point-of-sale financing for home improvements and various strategies. By analyzing their financial picture, Home Bucks helps its clients make the most cost-effective choices for their circumstances.
Paying Off the Mortgage Faster
A unique feature of the Home Bucks model is how it helps clients pay off their mortgages faster without additional payments. So, some homeowners can save money by shaving off significant years from their mortgage term.
A Unique Model
The Home Bucks model is unique in that it has the ability to transform people's financial outlooks while also enhancing the feasibility of green and energy-efficient homeownership.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
Green Home Coach Workshop - How to Sell the Value of Green Homes and Features
Do You Know Your Total Home Ownership Cost
3 Ways Real Estate Pros Can Be Change Agents
TCO Flex (Total Cost of Ownership)
Connect with Kerry and Homebuck$
HomeBuck$
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In a world of evolving priorities and rapidly changing investment landscapes, three letters have ignited discussions that resonate far beyond the financial realm: ESG. Environmental, Social, and Governance is a trifecta of influence shaping how businesses get scrutinized, evaluated, and ultimately endorsed.
ESG has grown into a juggernaut of consideration, designed ostensibly to gauge a company's commitment to the planet, its people, and its principles. However, as the spotlight has intensified, so have the debates surrounding its genuine impact.
I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach, here to guide you in navigating the labyrinth of ESG with fresh insight and an open mind! I am delighted to have Tony Pratte of the Sound Room, join me to share his viewpoint as we discuss ESG and unravel its meaning.
The Meaning and Impact of ESG
ESG is not just a buzzword but a framework that evaluates how a company performs in areas beyond financial metrics. ESG is a lens through which companies get scrutinized for their environmental practices, social responsibility, and corporate governance. It is significant for investors seeking to align their portfolios with ethical and sustainable values. However, much complexity and subjectivity are still involved in measuring those factors accurately.
Navigating the Challenges
The challenges inherent in implementing ESG criteria include the potential pitfall of greenwashing, where companies manipulate or exaggerate their ESG efforts to appear more environmentally and socially conscious than they are. The lack of standardized reporting and varying interpretations of ESG metrics can make it difficult for investors to make informed decisions. Furthermore, the skepticism that ESG can evoke makes one wonder whether some corporations genuinely embrace these principles or are merely jumping on the bandwagon.
Balancing Profit and Purpose
Balancing profit with purpose is a central theme when addressing the tension between financial success and ESG commitments because companies can indeed be both financially successful and socially responsible, and companies with strong ESG practices often have a competitive edge, attracting consumers, investors, and even talented employees who align with their values.
A Paradigm Shift in Business
ESG considerations drive companies to adopt sustainable practices, create social impact, and enhance governance structures. There are many real-world examples of companies embracing ESG principles and reaping benefits like reputation, customer loyalty, and innovation. ESG has catalyzed a shift towards purpose-driven business models, redefining success beyond monetary gains.
ESG on a Personal Level
Individuals can contribute to the ESG movement in their personal lives with conscious consumption, ethical investment choices, and supporting companies aligned with their values. Education and awareness are essential to inform consumers because informed consumers can drive demand for responsible products and services. We need to understand that ESG is not solely a corporate endeavor. It is a collective effort that begins with small, intentional actions.
A Call to Embrace the Potential of ESG
The potential of ESG is crucial for positive change. Despite its complexities and controversies, ESG allows for a more sustainable and equitable future. So it is essential to engage with ESG discussions, ask critical questions, and support companies genuinely committed to making a difference.
Diverse Board Composition and Qualifications
When examining the composition of a company board concerning ESG, some instances prompt the consideration of whether the lack of banking expertise could impact board decisions. That raises questions about the percentage of board members with banking experience and the potential implications for decision-making.
Risk Management and Consequences
Tony points out a scenario where poor risk management led to the approval of loans that could not get repaid, exposing an oversight in the ESG efforts of the company. That highlights the importance of evaluating the actual practices and consequences linked to ESG strategies because potential unintended outcomes can arise, even with well-intentioned ESG initiatives.
Direct and Indirect Links in ESG Impact
Various indirect links and unintended consequences could emerge when exploring the nuanced connections between ESG and outcomes. Those unintended consequences can arise when companies prioritize meeting ESG criteria over qualifications or expertise. That underscores the complexity of measuring the impact of ESG and how different motivations behind ESG integration can lead to contrasting outcomes.
ESG and Energy Policy Considerations
ESG discussions often intersect with debates about fossil fuels and renewable energy. That is why we need comprehensive energy policies to consider environmental and economic factors.
ESG and Green Building Integration
Certified green buildings align with ESG goals and contribute to sustainability and societal well-being. Green buildings lower risk, offer quality assurance and positively impact energy consumption and occupant comfort.
Balancing Perspectives and Encouraging Dialogue
Individuals need to have a balanced perspective and open dialogues in the ESG discourse. Tony and I are willing to engage in productive conversations despite our differing viewpoints, and we encourage listeners to seek understanding, ask questions, and communicate the benefits of ESG efforts to foster positive change.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
What AI and IoT can do for smart homes
Why Are AI-Enabled Smart Home Products the Next Big Thing?
The Sound Room (where Tony works)
Smart Home, Connected Home with Tony Pratte
Gift of a No-Touch Home with Tony Pratte
No Touch Home Control with Tony Pratte
The Future of Green Design and Home Technology
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In a world increasingly driven by the pursuit of sustainability and community well-being, the rise of B Corps is emerging as a beacon of hope for a more conscious and responsible business approach.
I was recently captivated by a charming shop called Plenty Mercantile, nestled in the heart of Automobile Alley in Oklahoma City. It is a delightful store that embodies the principles of sustainability and ethical entrepreneurship, and I was thrilled to meet Traci Walton, one of the owners!
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I invite you to join me in exploring the incredible achievements of Plenty Mercantile and learn how they charted their course toward becoming a B Corp.
So, fasten your seatbelts for a heart-warming and inspiring tale of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and the pursuit of a better world!
The Origin of Plenty Mercantile
Plenty Mercantile came into being due to Traci and her daughter Brittany's passion for sustainability and desire to bring sustainable practices to mainstream retail. Traci was raised by her Native American grandmother, who instilled the values of respecting the environment, which further influenced their vision for the shop. The idea to create a store resembling their home and promoting sustainability took root, and they embarked on their journey of starting Plenty Mercantile in 2012.
Becoming a Leader in Sustainability in Oklahoma City
Plenty Mercantile has played a pioneering role in promoting sustainability in Oklahoma City. They aim to create a safe and welcoming space for customers to shop while making informed choices to support sustainable practices.
Becoming a B Corp
A B Corp certification is a voluntary designation for businesses and organizations committed to positively impacting people, the planet, and profitability. Traci explains that they aspired to become a B Corp from the start, aligning their business practices with sustainability on every level. However, achieving the B Corp certification was challenging. After years of following the B Corp structure and seeking improvement, they finally enlisted the help of a consultant, which proved to be a game-changer in guiding them toward their B Corp certification.
The Importance of B Corp Certification
The significance of a B Corp certification goes way beyond just marketing a company as sustainable. It involves a deep dive into financials, governance, impact, and various aspects of business operations, providing third-party verification of their sustainable practices.
The Power of Making Sustainable Choices
Sustainability does not necessarily mean higher costs. It means there are cost-effective and sustainable alternatives available in the market. Making sustainability choices sends powerful messages through purchasing power and contributes to long-term positive change.
People-Centric Sustainability
Sustainability is people-centric because it focuses on how sustainable choices positively impact individuals, their health, and future generations. Considering the health implications of products and practices is crucial for everyone- especially those who are cancer survivors!
Building a Sustainable and Equitable Business
Sustainability is integral to the business values of Plenty Mercantile, and it gets reflected in every aspect of their operations. Traci points out that sustainability extends beyond the products they carry in the store. It also encompasses how they treat their employees, community engagement, and overall business practices.
Encouraging Others to Pursue Sustainability
Traci aims to inspire others to pursue sustainability and B Corp certification. Sustainability is a journey that requires continuous effort and improvement, and she hopes to see more businesses in Oklahoma and beyond adopting sustainable practices and becoming B Corps because it will positively impact communities, the environment, and future generations.
Celebrating Sustainable Products
Traci and I love sustainable products! We also enjoy educating consumers about the benefits and values of using sustainable products and explaining why they should choose products that align with their values and contribute to a sustainable future.
The Role of Plenty Mercantile in Promoting Sustainability
Plenty Mercantile is a leader in promoting sustainability in the retail industry and creating a positive impact on the planet and the lives of individuals. Its commitment to sustainability has shaped its unique identity as a sustainable lifestyle store, offering products that meet the needs of consumers and align with their values.
Navigating the Challenges of COVID-19
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Plenty Mercantile managed to stay afloat. They used the opportunity to expand their online presence and went from offering 400 products on their website to an impressive 4900, making their online platform robust and thriving! The expansion allowed them to delve even deeper into understanding the ethos behind each product and the companies they work with, reigniting their passion for sustainability.
Showcasing Sustainable Home Goods and Eco-Friendly Products
Plenty Mercantile proudly offers an array of sustainable and eco-friendly home goods and products. From direct imports from Nepal to toys and baby products that prioritize health and sustainability, the store has been dedicated to curating products that align with its vision of responsible and ethical consumption.
The Positive Impact of Making Sustainable Choices
Sustainable choices need not be expensive, and consumers can positively impact the environment by choosing products that align with their values.
The Sustainability Summit
Sustainability efforts get amplified through collaboration and partnerships. To foster a sense of community and bring like-minded individuals and companies together, Traci and I are co-hosting the Oklahoma Sustainability Summit. The event will serve as a platform for businesses, organizations, municipalities, and individuals interested in sustainability to connect, share ideas, and collectively drive positive change. We hope the summit will inspire people to demand more sustainable choices and support local businesses prioritizing sustainability!
Expanding Sustainability Efforts and Future Endeavors
Plenty Mercantile continues to expand its sustainability efforts by actively seeking ways to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into its operations. They are excited about their upcoming store at the airport, where they can introduce travelers to sustainable choices and showcase local businesses that align with their values. They are also actively exploring electric vehicles and renewable energy as part of their commitment to a greener future.
Creating Healthier and Happier Communities
Traci and I believe that sustainable choices are not only beneficial for the environment but also contribute to healthier, happier communities. Through collaboration, education, and the Oklahoma Sustainability Summit, we hope to inspire others to make informed choices that promote positive change and create a more sustainable world for future generations!
Have a great green day!
Links
Green Home Coach Workshop - How to Sell the Value of Green Homes and Features
Plenty Mercantile
Plenty Mercantile on Becoming a B Corporation
Plenty Mercantile B Corporation Certification
B Corporation - Make Business a Force for Good
Ok Sustainability Summit
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Artificial intelligence has become the buzzword of the century, permeating news headlines, chat platforms, and even our everyday browsing experiences. Its presence in our lives is undeniable, revolutionizing the world of computing and enhancing human existence in ways we could have only dreamed of!
Amidst this AI revolution, another concept has been capturing our collective imagination for years- Smart Homes.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I am excited to delve into the realm of smart and connected homes with a true expert in the field! I have Tony Pratt from the Sound Room joining me in the studio to explain how to tie smart home technology together with AI.
Tony’s insights will undoubtedly leave you captivated as we embark on an enlightening journey into the world of artificial intelligence and smart homes!
Artificial intelligence and connected homes
There are two parts to getting to grips with artificial intelligence and connected homes. The first is getting to understand all the different smart home devices. The second is learning how to tie them all together. (Companies like the Sound Room have the experience to know which features you can use to integrate and interact with your devices.)
Still a work in progress
Currently, the integration of artificial intelligence into smart home devices is still a work in progress. While AI has not fully permeated the realm of smart homes yet, it is undoubtedly the direction in which the technology is heading. Soon, AI algorithms will be capable of learning your preferences, such as the desired temperature for your thermostat, by analyzing data from various sources. This includes comparing it with external factors like outdoor temperature, humidity, and wind conditions. Through this correlation of information, AI will enable smart homes to provide a more personalized and optimized living experience.
Privacy and Data Collection
There are concerns surrounding data collection and privacy in smart home systems. Tony explains that while some systems collect data, it is kept within the house and not accessible externally. He points out the trade-off between inexpensive devices like Google and Alexa, which mine user data to offer cheaper products, versus systems that prioritize privacy and charge higher prices.
Artificial Intelligence and Home Automation
AI is transforming home automation by enabling more advanced data processing and analysis. AI allows systems to understand users' habits and preferences, leading to more personalized and efficient control of devices. Tony highlights the importance of planning and having multiple trigger points in an AI-powered smart home.
Challenges in Implementing Smart Home Systems
There are several challenges in implementing smart home systems, particularly the shortage of computer chips and reduced quality control due to external factors like COVID-19. That has resulted in higher device failure rates, which can impact the user experience.
Home Automation Start Points and Wifi Networks
Tony suggests two starting points for home automation: environmental control (lights, locks, thermostats) and entertainment (audio-video systems). He explains that while entertainment systems are more appealing, environmental control is easier to implement initially. He stresses the significance of having a robust wifi network in smart homes, as that forms the backbone for connecting various devices and ensures smooth functioning, especially as AI becomes more integral to home automation.
Lock and Leave
By connecting additional devices to their smart home network, homeowners can ensure that all their devices interact seamlessly and respond to voice commands through platforms like Alexa or Google. That integration allows for convenient control over different aspects of the home, such as triggering routines like "good morning" or "good night," as well as indicating when the homeowner is leaving or arriving.
Future Trends in Smart Home Technology
Future trends in smart home technology include low-voltage backlighting, integrated LED cans, and the need for compatibility between different smart devices.
The Internet of Things
With the Internet of Things (IoT) and the connected city, everything relies on sensors. However, there is a significant challenge in the form of a shortage of computer chips, which are essential for these interconnected systems. The supply of computer chips has become extremely limited, and even the available ones suffer from a lack of quality control, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remote diagnostics
Remote diagnostics for HVAC systems will enable technicians to diagnose and even fix issues remotely. That will reduce the need for physical visits, speed up repairs, and enhance the overall user experience.
Exciting opportunities and challenges
The ongoing technological advancements bring exciting opportunities while also posing challenges that must be addressed for a seamless and secure smart home experience.
The Power of Monitoring Internet Performance
New systems allow users to log in and monitor their internet performance. That real-time insight into a service provider or equipment issues is a game-changer for both consumers and service providers. While cable companies have offered similar monitoring capabilities for some time, recent advancements offer greater convenience and efficiency.
Technology as a Solution to Labor Shortages
With the labor shortages in the trade industry, there is a need for both skilled workers and advanced technology to meet the growing demands of the modern world. Tony points out that technology can be a powerful tool to augment that workforce.
Remote Troubleshooting with AI and Smart Home Technology
Tony had an experience where he used remote access and AI to troubleshoot a client's wifi system. He points out that technology can save us a lot of time and resources by diagnosing issues remotely and allowing technicians to be more efficient and effective.
AI and Smart Home Technology Optimization
Tony explains that to achieve true optimization, all devices must be interconnected and capable of learning from user habits. While that vision is still a work in progress, it promises greater automation and convenience in our daily lives.
Smart Appliances Require a Robust WiFi Network
A robust wifi network is crucial for the functionality of smart homes, especially as they advance to the AI level. In the future, smart homes will not only consist of individual devices like door locks, garage door openers, and light switches but will also include essential appliances like refrigerators and other power-dependent equipment. As the scope of smart home technology expands, the reliance on a strong and stable wifi network becomes even more critical to ensure seamless connectivity and communication between various smart devices and appliances.
The Role of AI in Automation and Beyond
The role of AI is increasing in various fields, such as writing emails and creating content. We can anticipate continued growth and the integration of AI into our daily lives.
The Future of AI and Smart Home Integration
When considering the future of AI and smart home integration, Tony suggests seeking advice from system integrators or automation specialists to navigate this evolving landscape.
The Exciting Potential of AI and Smart Home Technology
Tony and I are excited about the potential of AI and smart home technology to improve our lives. We plan to explore this topic further in upcoming episodes and encourage listeners to stay updated on the latest developments in this exciting field!
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
Green Home Coach Workshop - How to Sell the Value of Green Homes and Features
What AI And IoT Can Do For Smart Homes
Why Are AI-Enabled Smart Home Products the Next Big Thing?
The Sound Room - where Tony works
Smart Home, Connected Home with Tony Pratte
Gift of a No-Touch Home with Tony Pratte
No Touch Home Control with Tony Pratte
The Future of Green Design and Home Technology
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Do you ever think about home inspection?
Most people only ever think about home inspection when buying or selling a property. However, the truth is that you will benefit from a proper home inspection because it will allow you to live in a healthier and more comfortable home environment.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I’m excited to introduce a remarkable Oklahoma City lady I recently had the pleasure of meeting. Stacey Page is a home inspector who brings a unique perspective to the field. She joins me on the show to discuss the importance of home inspection for our daily lives.
Becoming a Home Inspector
Stacey started home inspecting about two years ago, working with her husband in the company he started five years ago. She initially helped with the administrative side of the business, but her passion for homes and woodworking led her to shadow her husband and eventually become a home inspector herself. She did the necessary nine months of training, passed the state test, and has been doing inspections with her husband for two years.
Women in home inspection
Stacey believes that many women feel intimidated by home inspection due to the male-dominated construction industry and the perception that women have less knowledge about home maintenance and functioning. However, she emphasizes that women have the capability to learn and can bring a different insight and perspective to the job.
Hazards
Stacey acknowledges that home inspection can be dirty and uncomfortable, with hazards such as spiders and unpleasant environments. However, she assures that there are ways to protect oneself, such as wearing coveralls, booties, and gloves. Despite encountering some dirty and unpleasant situations, Stacey has also inspected immaculate houses.
Why regular home inspections are important
Regular home inspections are essential to catch issues early on before they become major problems. Inspections can reveal problems like moisture build-up between window panes, overflowing condensate lines, and active leaks. Those issues can lead to wood rot, termites, mold, and other expensive problems if not caught early enough. Even if a homeowner is already aware of an issue and has attempted to fix it, it is still necessary for inspectors to thoroughly check the area to ensure there are no remaining issues.
The biggest reason for people to have a home inspection
The most important reason is the health and safety of your family and having a healthy home. A home is one of the biggest investments in people's lives. Issues can arise with new builds due to contractors cutting corners. Home inspections and maintenance are essential for ensuring the home is safe and efficient.
The long-term costs of maintaining a home
We must consider the long-term costs of maintaining a home and not just the initial cost. Homeowners need to be educated on how to maintain their homes because small issues, like failing caulking, can lead to larger problems like flooding.
The unique thing about Stacey’s company
One thing that sets Stacey and her husband’s company apart from others is that after something they point out gets repaired, they go back and re-inspect the home for free to check that the job was properly done.
A wellness check for your home
Having your home inspected every few years is a bit like going to the doctor for a wellness check.
Potential issues and safety
It is essential to address potential issues in a house, such as roof problems, moisture, mold, termites, mildew, and electrical hazards, and to have safety measures such as smoke detectors in place to avoid potentially life-threatening situations.
A clear understanding
Stacey’s company aims to provide clients with a clear understanding of the condition of their homes without using scare tactics. They categorize issues into normal, minor, and major, so their clients can prioritize their concerns. The goal is to help clients feel safe, comfortable and informed about purchasing a home.
Selecting a home inspection company
Real estate agents may recommend home inspectors they are loyal to or have a habit of using, but it does not always mean they are the best. Homebuyers should do their research and ask questions before blindly trusting the recommendation. Look up the company and read reviews to ensure a quality inspection. Some inspectors have hidden fees, so be aware of what services are included and what the total price will be. It is important to educate yourself and not blindly trust or choose based on price alone.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
Atlas Home Inspections
International Association of Home Inspectors
Oklahoma Construction Industries Board
Infrared Certified
Why You Should Always Get a Home Inspection
Can My Home Be Green?
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Real estate is a massive part of our lives!
We live in homes, buy homes, sell them, fix them up, and rent them, and real estate is at the heart of all that!
Much about real estate has been in the news lately, with home prices being turbulent during the pandemic and people moving to different places.
The side of real estate that has recently been taking hold is one that I love working with most. It’s the side that brings better, healthier, and more sustainable homes to the forefront, and there is a whole group of people out there trained to work with it. They know how to talk to you as a buyer, seller, or renter and can help you find a home that works best for you and everyone living with you!
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach. Today, I’m excited to have Kari Klaus from Realty Sage, and Ashley Rose Gonzalez from Ashley Rose Sacred Spaces, joining me on the show!
About Ashley Rose Gonzalez
Ashley is a NAR Green-certified realtor located in Boca Raton, Florida, and does surveys on most of South Florida. She has been a green realtor for the last two years. Her green journey began about ten years ago when she had a tumor in her stomach. Fortunately, she caught it before it became cancerous. At the time, she had been living in a toxic environment and was in a toxic relationship. So she had to learn how to take charge of her life and health, and it became her passion! Ashley’s life is now a sacred ritual for herself and the earth. She believes she is here to assist and educate her clients.
Small steps
Ashley believes it is her dharma to save the earth and help people live in the healthiest way possible! She started with small steps, changing the products she was using. She used to be a fashion stylist in New York, working with eco and hemp designers, and had no idea that her journey would lead her to where she is now!
Customized service
Ashley learns about her clients and customizes her services to suit their specific needs.
About Kari Klaus
Kari is the Founder of Realty Sage and its sister site, Realty Sage Pros. Realty Sage started as Beaver Green Homes, which was based on Kari's struggle to sell her property after making it as green as possible. Realty Sage is a different kind of real estate market that uses a sage score system based on features like solar systems, energy efficiency, and certifications to help market properties. It gives buyers a better understanding of a home’s features and helps sellers market more accurately. It also gives real estate agents like Ashley a platform to work from and showcase their skills.
Realty Sage Pro
Realty Sage Pro is a site for green real estate agents to list and market properties. It has more than 120,000 real estate agents across the country on its database. They are preparing to expand into other professionals like architects, interior designers, and landscapers.
Women in green homes
There is a growing group of women working and collaborating in the green home space.
Taking care of ourselves
Women are starting to understand that caring for the earth begins with ourselves. That means we must also take care of our physical homes because everything is connected, and they are an extension of who we are. Ashley believes it is our collective and individual duty to care for and preserve our environment.
Economics of green building
Building a green home today makes financial sense because doing so now is way more affordable than before.
Understanding the difference
It can be hard to understand the difference between different eco-friendly homes. Realty Sage allows real estate agents to help people understand the finer differences, apart from price, like quality and certifications.
Feng shui principles
Designing a home with feng shui principles makes it feel better! Ashley Rose is delighted to have connected with Kari and loves having a place to showcase her feng shui skills and help people find eco-friendly homes!
Biophilic design
A global expansion of eco-real estate and a global eco-friendly movement is happening. Kari was in Singapore several years ago and got inspired by the biophilic designs she saw there.
Inflation reduction
Healthier homes do NOT have to be more expensive! The Inflation Reduction Act is coming this year. It offers financial assistance to upgrade and help make low-income homes more eco-friendly.
Staying true to herself
Ashley was inspired to become a NAR Green designee and an eco-real estate agent because it helped her stay true to herself and keep doing what she loved when she had to pivot her business during Covid. So she started incorporating the green journey she had been on in fashion in homes.
Selling homes with heart
Ashley lets her heart guide her in the work she does. Kari created Realty Sage specifically for the real estate agents like Ashley, driven to go the extra mile to understand the environmental aspects of properties and the lifestyle requirements of the people they work with when selling a home.
Global energy-efficiency
Eco-friendly homes are being promoted all over the world! In Mexico, people are getting pushed to go solar, Singapore is doing amazing things in terms of architecture and biophilic design, and some places in Europe are even more advanced than the US in ensuring that homes getting sold are more energy-efficient.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
Workshop - Sell Value of Green Homes and Features: https://greenhomecoach.com/how-to-sell-the-value-of-green-homes-and-features/
Realty Sage
Realty Sage Pros
Ashley Rose Sacred Spaces
Eco E-book from Ashley Rose
This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. That means that if you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe in and usually use myself.
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There are so many green home experts out there! That makes it hard to know where to go for help and who to approach for the resources you require.
People need to know where to go to get trusted information. So today, I would like to introduce the Green Home Institute because they have been extremely helpful to me! They have vast resources, products, and education that they focus on and update regularly.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, Brett Little from the Green Home Institute joins me to unpack the resources, education, and product knowledge they provide!
About Brett
Brett is the Education Manager at the Green Home Institute. He started as a volunteer for the organization thirteen years ago. It paid off and has been with them ever since. Now, he encourages others to go out into their communities and volunteer.
Brett lives in West Michigan with his wife and two children. He is currently working on his own home to make it sustainable. He also uses his home to tell people stories about what they can do to their homes.
About the Green Home Institute
The mission of the Green Home Institute is to empower people to make healthier and more sustainable choices when constructing or renovating their homes. They work internationally and do specific things in some areas of the United States. They focus primarily on certification and educating people on making their new or existing homes more sustainable. They also offer continued education for people to maintain their accreditation and make real-world changes through their certification.
In West Michigan, they provide grant funding to remove the cost barriers and provide education and certifications for local affordable green and sustainable housing projects.
ICCF Community Homes
ICCF Community Homes is a large entity that recognized the affordable housing crisis even before it hit the news in 2017. They committed to buying up properties to sell or rent to the local community at affordable rates and to Green Star certify a portion of their portfolio. Their goal is to get people into homes.
HVAC
A lot of education is necessary within the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning) industry.
Ventilation
Ventilation is essential for our homes to stay healthy. We need to have fresh air inside our tightly-built homes, and we need to exhaust the stale air containing pollutants and moisture.
Webinars
The Green Home Institute produces a webinar series every Wednesday. Most of the webinars get recorded and posted on their YouTube channel.
The five pillars of green homes
The Green Home Institute uses the five pillars of green homes to educate and advise people, simplify and expand some of their concepts, assist people in understanding the trade-offs they may need to make, make it easier to know how to build and improve homes holistically, and help people maintain their green home certifications. They are:
Energy
Health
Water
Materials
Place
Policy and Advocacy
The Green Home Institute has been engaging politically by speaking up and focusing more on policy and advocacy.
The Green Home Institute newsletter
The Green Home Institute newsletter focuses mainly on educating people and the webinars they do.
The Green Home Institute website
The Green Home Institute website is currently being redone. They are updating it and adding many more of the professionals with whom they have been working.
Green Star Program
The Green Home Institute's Green Star Program is open-sourced and free to use.
Have a great green day!
Links:
Healthier Home Checklist
Green Home Institute
Learn from Green Home Institute's YouTube Channel
Products to help build green
Get Involved with Green Home Institute
Living Green Effortlessly: Simple Choices for a Better Home book
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Have you read about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the news over the last six to eight months?
The Inflation Reduction Act was passed to help combat climate change, upgrade electrification, and move people toward new technologies in their homes and businesses. It is a big piece of work that applies to almost all of us because a large part has to do with our homes.
So, what can we do to improve our homes, and how can we be assisted in paying for them? I have two wonderful guests with me to walk us through their experiences and help answer those questions!
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach. Today, Brett Vredevoogd from Eco Equity Real Estate and Pamela Brookstein from Elevate Energy join me on the podcast to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act and how we can use certifications and energy efficiency to improve the homes we buy and sell.
Brett Vredevoogd
Brett is a realtor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He focuses on helping eco-conscious homeowners increase energy efficiency and maximize their home equity.
Pamela Brookstein
Pamela works for Elevate, a non-profit based in Chicago. They work nationally, designing and implementing energy efficiency programs. They focus on reaching anyone who could benefit from energy efficiency and cleaner home upgrades.
Assistance for low to moderate-income housing
Pamela believes that the Inflation Reduction Act will rectify many of the wrongs that have happened in the past. It will provide assistance for all homeowners to improve the experience they have in their homes and reap the benefits of energy efficiency, cleaner indoor air, and lower utility costs.
The value of energy efficiency
Brett works primarily with existing homes. At this point, he focuses on getting as much data as possible on the MLS about the energy-efficient aspects of homes and educating all the players in the industry about the value of energy efficiency.
Understanding how people feel about energy certification
Brett and Pamela work together to understand how people feel about energy certification and its effect on market value. Brett has had favorable responses from sellers and buyers after seeing what homeowners have done to make their houses healthier and more energy efficient.
Pamela’s classes
Pamela teaches two classes. One is on solar, and the other is on high-performing homes. An entire module focuses on setting agents and sellers up for a good appraisal.
Appraisers
Appraisers have started going to Pamela’s classes. They have been asking her to meet them at the houses to tell the story of what makes those houses so special. Having all that data upfront makes things much easier for them when an appraisal gets contested.
A checklist
Brett feels that a checklist will make it much easier to prove that a house is more energy-efficient than all the other stock in a particular neighborhood.
Pearl Certification
Pearl Certification has a practical and light-hearted approach to explaining things to professionals and home buyers. Brett found them about four years ago. He has been using them because they do an excellent job of providing potential buyers with a client-facing report that quickly lays down all the logistics of why a house is more efficient than most other stock in a given area.
The magic of certification
Home buyers appreciate the third-party certification because most people don’t fully understand the range of benefits of an energy-efficient house. So they want a third-party certification to prove that the house is truly energy-efficient.
An overview of the Inflation Reduction Act
4.3 billion dollars will come in over the next ten years, by way of tax rebates and programs to improve the existing housing stock. That money will go a long way in helping to change people’s lives and their experiences in their homes. There is a strong emphasis on upgrading electrification. Money has been allocated for training energy assessors, and there is a tax incentive for having an energy assessment done. The idea is to remove all gas appliances from homes, so there will also be rebates for everything electric.
Rewiring America
Rewiring America has a website that lays out the available tax rebates and incentives.
Reducing costs
The Inflation Reduction Act will reduce or eliminate costs for low and moderate-income homeowners.
The benefits of certified energy-efficient homes
They are well-built
They are well-maintained
They are resilient
They have many high-performing assets
They get a good return on investment when sold
Resources
Green Home Coach Workshop - How to Sell the Value of Green Homes and Features
Eco Equity Real Estate
Elevate Energy Value for High Performing Homes
Elevate Energy Education for Real Estate Agents
Rewiring America - more details on IRA 2022 Tax Rebates
Pearl Certification IRA Information
Home Performance Counts
GHC Trusted Partners
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Many different aspects of our homes may impact our health and well-being and the ease with which we can maintain our homes.
Something I learned to take in hand during the pandemic was the filtration in my home. Filtration systems may vary, but they all serve the same purpose: To filter the air moving through the heating and cooling systems, making it cleaner and better to breathe.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, Gay Harris of Superior Air Quality and Green Screen Air Filters joins me to discuss better air quality for our homes.
Taking over the Green Screen Air Filter company
Gay and her husband worked in construction on and off for years until seven years ago when they took over the Green Screen Air Filter company. After that, they continued doing home and garden shows as the original owners had done. They liked the product because it creates better airflow for filtration units and saves electricity.
Green Screen Air Filters
The Green Screen Air Filter is a commercial-grade filter. It has been around since the 1950s, although not in the residential form. The main difference between Green Screen Air Filters and others is that all pleated filters collect dirt particles predominantly on one surface, so they quickly start restricting the airflow. Whereas the Green Screen is a one-inch fabric that layers the dirt according to the size of each particle. The Green Screen has hundreds of surfaces to collect the dirt particles, so it does not restrict the airflow.
Allergies
Gay and her husband suffered from severe allergies when they first heard about the Green Screen Air Filters. When they started using them in their home, they began getting better and better each year and using fewer and fewer allergy medications. They no longer need to use allergy medications, so they know it works!
Cabin air filters
Most cars have odors, so Superior Air Quality supplies cabin air filters cut to specific sizes for different types of vehicles.
Setting up and replacing air filters
Gay and her husband help their customers figure out all they need to know about setting their air filters up and how often they should get replaced.
RV filters
Those living in RVs want to make sure that less dust gets inside. Green Screen Air Filters keep the dust out of RVs and ensure the air conditioning units stay clean.
Custom
All Green Screen filters, frames, and grids are customized and cut to fit any specific size.
No risk
The Green Screen Air Filter technology and design ensures there is no risk of slowing air conditioning systems down or causing them to burn out.
The importance of air quality
Air quality is extremely important because it directly impacts our health and well-being. According to the EPA, indoor air quality could be up to seventy times worse than the outside air. That’s why good filtration is essential to ensure optimum indoor air quality.
Purifiers
Purifiers are an important addition to indoor air filters. Different options are available, many of which are inferior, so Gay is happy to talk to anyone looking to find out more about them.
MERV rating
The home building and home maintenance industries are fraught with variables. So they tend to cling to products that work. Many heating and cooling companies are unfamiliar with Green Screen Air Filters, and that’s why Gay has a MERV rating equivalency on the Green Screen Air Filters.
The ASHRAE Test
The MERV rating helps in general. However, it only shows the number of particles collected and says nothing about the airflow. The ASHRAE Test has taught Gay about airflow, so that's how she knows that the Green Screen Air Filters are amazing and provide way better airflow than any other filter!
A tip
Turn the thermostat fan from auto to on between dinner and bedtime and back to automatic again when you go to bed to filter the evening air and keep all the pollens out.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
www.GreenScreenAirFilter.com COUPON CODE GreenHomeCoach
The Green Screen Air Filter (MERV 11) Marla and Scott use in their home
What Makes the Green Screen Different?
Green Screen, GHC Trusted Brand
Past EGH Episode Green Screen Air Filters with Gay Harris
Learn more in my book, Living Green Effortlessly, Simple Choices for a Better Home
Ask your questions on the Love Your Everyday Green Home Private Facebook Group
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What is the green home industry?
If you’d like to learn more about it, find out how to connect with people within it, and get to know about all the new things coming out in it, you’re in the right place because you will hear all of that today!
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I am excited to have Allison Friedman from Rate It Green with me today to talk about all the wonderful work she is doing! I love what Allison has built by tying her product, company, and service together!
Rate It Green
Rate It Green is an open directory network for the green building industry or anyone interested in green building, from beginners to experts, including trade professionals, consumers, and advanced DIY-ers. They are both residential and commercial and have individual members, as well as organizational and company members. The aim is to get people together to shorten the learning curve by engaging, collaborating, sharing information online, and talking about their experiences building sustainable and healthier places to live.
It’s all connected
People are finally beginning to understand that health, sustainability, and living better lives are all connected. It is a learning process, and we all need to know that we are not alone and can help each other.
Where it all started for Allison
It all started in 2006 when Allison decided to renovate her home. It did not start out as a green project, and she made several mistakes along the way. She learned that it is hard to renovate sustainably while learning on the job- particularly back when it was hard to find any information on sustainable building practices.
A learning process
Renovating her home was a learning process for Allison. If she had known when she started the project what she now knows, she would not have done it. However, she hopes all she has done and is still doing make her the best steward for building green homes.
The future
Allison is optimistic about everyone living healthier and more sustainably in the future, but moving the needle has been more difficult than was predicted.
Sharing information
Allison would like to make the experience of sharing information online more human. However, she still prefers to engage with people and share information in person whenever possible.
Sharing her journey
Allison would like to use her resource to share her journey with others. She would like to talk more about improving indoor air quality, reducing the energy load, having clean water, and the things we are unaware of that could endanger us or cause health problems.
Health and energy assessments
The Inflation Reduction Act requires energy audits and assessments for some rebates. Unfortunately, there are very few companies doing those assessments. Free energy audits are available in Massachusetts.
Tighter homes and indoor air quality
People have been getting excited about energy efficiency over the last few decades. Many have been tightening up their homes and learning to make do using less energy. As a result, better indoor air quality management is necessary to avoid any health risks associated with air pollutants getting trapped inside tighter homes.
Advancing indoor air quality systems
Advancing indoor air quality systems happens on a level above the regular kind of energy audit, and Allison is working toward finding that.
Initial energy assessments
For an initial assessment, find someone with either a BPI or a HERS certification. Many utilities also offer some type of energy assessment, but they tend to vary from municipality to municipality or state to state. You can also go to www.energystar.gov and www.energy.gov to learn more and find resources.
Content
Rate It Green has five key types of content:
Discussions Groups Articles News Open Events CalendarFeedback and member content
Rate It Green is a member-driven community that depends on member content and questions to thrive. So they like to know which features, information, and resources the members want.
How to get started on Rate It Green
To get started on Rate It Green, go to www.rateitgreen.com and click “Join the Community”.
Have a great green day!
Links:
Rate It Green website
Email Allison at [email protected]
Rate It Green on Twitter @rateitgreen (Twitter)
Rate It Green on Facebook
Rate It Green on LinkedIn
Email Allison at [email protected] Allison on LinkedIn -
Plastic is a wicked problem! We are finding bits of it everywhere!
Plastic was a great invention. It has become an integral part of our convenience lifestyle, so we can’t seem to do without it. But it is filling our landfills and oceans, and we even find it in our food and water!
It was exciting when plastic soda bottles came out because they were light and did not break. Since then, however, plastic has gone in unanticipated directions.
So what can we do now?
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today I am super excited to have my son, Trent, joining me on the podcast to explain how he uses recycled plastic to make filament for 3-D printing and talk about recycling different types of plastic.
Circular solutions
Trent is the co-founder of a St. Louis-based company called Printerior Designs. They focus on creating circular solutions for the industry by turning recycled plastics into 3-D printing filaments that can get used for creating new objects. They have developed three types of materials that have impacted the waste created in the industry, and they hope to continue reducing the enormous amount of waste the industry creates.
Plastic lasts
Plastic lasts for a long time. It does not deteriorate, and it does not biodegrade. We find it everywhere because it is lightweight and convenient. It does not break. It can easily be formed into any shape, and it costs much less than many other materials.
Versatility
Plastic is versatile and useful. So billion-dollar corporations continue researching and finding innovative ways to create new types of it.
Single-use items
Items like plastic grocery bags, water bottles, and straws are all wasteful because they only get used once before we throw them away. Then they last an extremely long time in a landfill!
There are two main kinds of plastics:
Thermoset Plastics – They never break down Thermoplastics – They break down and can be recycledThermoset plastics
The use of thermoset plastics has decreased drastically over the last twenty years or so. There is something in them that can get reused, but we still need to figure out how to do it.
Recycling different types of plastic
Five of the seven most commonly-used plastics are easy to recycle. However, there are many different ways that each type of plastic gets formulated for specific applications. That makes it very hard for recyclers because each formulation within the same category of plastic has to be recycled separately.
Polypropylene plastics (PP Plastics)
Hundreds of different types of polypropylene get manufactured because companies require different formulations to fit their specific applications.
A vast array of different plastics
There is a vast array of different plastics. That causes problems for companies like Printerior because their machines can recycle some formulations but not others.
TerraCycle
TerraCycle is a company that has been researching hard-to-recycle materials. It is one of the few companies in the US that tries to recycle 3-D print filament. You can pay them to send you recycling boxes for specific categories of materials, like candy wrappers or lipstick tubes. Some vendors may even sponsor recycling boxes for their products!
Pay attention
We need to pay attention when recycling. If we put all our plastics together in one bag before putting them in a recycling bin, those items will likely end up in a landfill since the plastic, a film rather than a solid, cannot get processed by most single stream recyclers.
Making it easier for recyclers
Only about 9% of all the items intended for recycling get recycled. Certain municipalities still allow items for recycling to get sorted and separated. That makes things a lot easier for recyclers and increases the amount of recycling!
The future
In the future, recycling may get done chemically rather than mechanically.
Recycling plants
Some recycling plants use high-end robotics to do their sorting. But many still use basic machines and rely on people to sort things by hand.
Single-use plastic
Many people prefer to buy items with less packaging because a lot of single-use plastic gets used for packaging that just goes to waste.
From industrial waste to high-value products
Industry produces a lot of plastic waste! At Printerior, they use clean industrial waste PLA and PETG plastics to produce their 3-D print filaments. That helps them know what they are working with, have a clean stream, and create a high-value product!
Post-consumer plastic
They are moving toward using post-consumer plastic and turning it into new items. They are currently doing some tests and preparing to launch their new material.
Who Printerior work with
Printerior works with consumer waste. They collect waste from hobbyists, school districts, universities, and maker spaces, process it, and turn it into high-quality 3-D filament.
A first
When their new product comes out, Printerior will be the first company in the 3-D printing world to bring filament made from recycled post-consumer plastics to market. They are also about to launch several other first-to-market post-industrial materials.
PLA
Most people use PLA filament for their 3-D printers. PLA is a recyclable bioplastic that is usually made from corn. Most compostable single-use utensils and food trays get made from PLA. Printerior currently uses industrial waste from the companies producing those items. They are working towards using post-consumer items as well.
What you can do to help with the plastic problem
Use less single-use packaging Use more reusable items Recycle what you can Buy items made from recycled materialsSomething to look out for
Don’t fall for marketing schemes that say items are “recyclable” rather than “recycled”.
Ways to recycle
Go to the website of your local municipality and look up the best ways to recycle for their facilities. Many municipalities also have drop-off locations. Those locations are usually where most recycling happens.
Have a great green day!
Links
About Printerior Designs
https://printeriordesigns.com/ Use code GreenHomeCoach for 10% off your first order.
Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse
Recycling 101 from Waste Management
What is Plastic Recycling and How to Recycle Plastic
7 Types of Plastic That Are Most Common
Addressing the (sic Waste) Problem
Managing Waste from GreenBiz
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We are facing so many challenges in the labor and workforce and the construction industry right now, and people want to know why there aren’t more women employed in construction, the home-building industry, and the skilled trades.
I am a huge advocate for workforce development, women in construction, and women in the skilled trades, and I have come up with a solution! It’s a phenomenal project called The House That She Built.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! I have Natalie Miles joining me today to discuss The House That She Built project and why it is so important, and explain how you can learn more about it.
Professional Women in Building
Natalie is a member of Professional Women in Building (PWB) and part of the council in Utah. She jumped on board after being invited to a kick-off event and meeting all the amazing women who worked in different areas of construction.
About Natalie
Natalie grew up in construction. After having her kids, she started a home staging company. Her customers often asked for her advice on various aspects of their homes. That motivated her to become a new construction designer. So she sold her home staging business about ten years ago and went into designing new construction full-time. Now, she works exclusively for a builder, doing their designs and managing their projects. Last spring, she became a general contractor.
Learning on-site
Natalie did not learn anything about the work she does at school. She took it upon herself to learn everything while she was working on-site.
The House That She Built
The goal of Utah Professional Women in Building was to get more women into construction. So they decided to start a scholarship fund to encourage girls to get into construction work. As a fundraiser, they decided to have a house built entirely by girls. That was how the concept for The House That She Built was born.
A non-profit
Natalie went all-in, volunteered to be the materials coordinator, and managed to get almost all the materials for the project donated! They operated as a non-profit, and the money they made from The House That She Built project got used to create their scholarship fund.
An incredible experience
It was an incredible experience for all the Utah members of PWB to be involved in the House That She Built project and learn all the new skills that the project required! About 100 women worked on the house. They had skilled women from all over the US joining them. By the end of the project, they had all formed a lasting bond as a sisterhood!
The time-frame
It took about two years to coordinate the project before they started breaking ground. Then it took them less than a year to complete the construction. It was a challenging project, but they were successful!
Designers
Many designers were working on the house, so they divided the home into various spaces and allocated each area to a different designer. In the end, all the design aspects flowed together beautifully!
Healthy practices
They built the house using many practices required for healthier and better homes!
Impressive women
In the garage, they created a collage of all the photos of the women working on the house. That impressed the younger generation who came to see the house after the construction had been completed!
A children’s book
Mollie Elkman was so impressed after seeing the house that she wrote a children’s picture book called The House That She Built!
Girl Scouts
Natalie and another designer went to a Girl Scouts troop meeting to read The House That She Built picture book, speak about construction, and help the girls build some birdhouses. Afterward, the girls posted pictures on social media, and the next day, Natalie had about 30 Girl Scout troops asking her to do the same thing!
Girl Scouts can now earn a patch for The House That She Built!
Changing the face of construction
The Utah PWB successfully created a significant scholarship fund that will expose many women to the skilled trades. They hope to inspire other PWBs to start similar projects across the nation. In doing that, they hope to change the face of construction!
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
The House That She Built - Utah PWB
The House That She Built Book
Meet the Real-Life Women from The House That She Built
The House That She Built Girl Scout Patch
The House That She Built on Instagram
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Wicked problems have been a huge part of our lives!
Most of us know that the housing market has been a little crazy for the past few years. Some of that has been due to wicked problems like labor shortages, supply chain issues, and even land shortages in many parts of the country.
The labor shortage has been of interest to many people, me and my guest co-host for today included. So, we decided to do something about it!
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today I am joined by Will Blake, of Vesta Foundation Solutions in Oklahoma City. Will and I have worked together on several projects.
Today, we are talking about workforce development, particularly in the building industry and skilled trades.
Plumbers
Lately, it could take weeks or even months to get a plumber to come out unless it’s an emergency, and you are willing to pay double.
A cascading labor shortage
The labor shortage in the new build and remodeling industry is cascading! That’s because there aren’t enough people in the trades, especially the licensed trades.
Licensed trades
We are greying out in the licensed trades. That means that those who have been trained to become the backbone of the industry are retiring. So, why are there no people behind them as they choose to move on with their lives?
A shrinking workforce
Will’s construction company specializes in an unlicenced trade, and even so, they are still experiencing issues with supplies, rising costs, and a shrinking workforce.
Three categories
Most people we converse with fit into one of three categories:
Nobody wants to work in this category. (This is the largest category.) People in this category are trying to identify generational workplace inequalities or issues with safety, diversity, and inclusion. People in this category want to know what we are going to do about the situation. (This is the smallest category. Will and I fit in here.)2025
Almost 20% of our workforce will be aging out by 2025. Many of them will be taking all their knowledge, wisdom, hard skills, operational knowledge, and understanding of vendor relationships with them. Nearly 12% will come in to replace them, but that will be spread across all industries.
Additional issues
We did not get the population increase we were hoping for after Covid. Closing the borders and slowing down the movement of migrant workers into the country has also added to the problem of not being able to build enough houses.
Technology
Technology can provide some innovative new housing solutions, but there are still many missing pieces, and technology will not solve the hands-on labor problem.
A difficult business
Construction is a difficult business. 50% of businesses go out of business in the first five years. But in construction, it happens with 75% of businesses.
Purpose
Will’s company does foundation repair, concrete lifting, wood floor system repair, crawl spaces, and drainage. As a company, they tie its purpose back to the concept of the broken window theory, which is all about caring for infrastructure. So even if their efforts do not directly help the company, they are meant to indirectly support the industry and fix the problem with staffing, supply chain issues, etc.
No one to do repairs
If no people are available to do the necessary repairs to our homes and businesses, it means that either they won’t get done, or the homeowner will have to DIY them.
What is the problem?
The message for getting people into the construction trade has either been lost or skewed dramatically. Schoolchildren are encouraged to go to college rather than explore careers in the trades even though many people in the trades are earning a lot more than their college counterparts.
Build My Future
Build My Future OKC is an event put on by the Central OKlahoma Association of Home Builders and it’s Professional Women in Building Council. It is a one-day hands-on interactive construction career fair. When I moved back to Oklahoma City from St. Louis, and we got Professional Women in Building going again after being dormant, I told the other members about Build My Future and suggested we make it our signature project. They all agreed. Currently, there are between 25 and 30 Build My Futures taking place across the country to help young people learn about careers in the skilled trades and building industry.
Build My Future
Build My Future is an event put on by the National Association of Homebuilders. The events are one-day hands-on interactive construction career fairs. When I moved back to Oklahoma City from St. Louis, and we got Professional Women in Building going again after being dormant, I told the other members about Build My Future and suggested we make it our signature project. They all agreed. Currently, there are between 25 and 30 Build My Futures taking place across the country to help young people learn about careers in the skilled trades and building industry.
Interesting career opportunities
There are some exciting and fulfilling career opportunities within the skilled trades, from marketing to sales to administrative to the production side to manufacturing, that provide a great living above the national average without any student debt loans.
Go younger
One thing that has come up is that we need to go younger because high school students pick a track to follow in the eighth grade.
A week-long camp
A group of like-minded construction business owners suggested doing a week-long free camp, Construct My Future, to allow kids to learn about various things they can do in the trades. Although they had good intentions and good support initially, things only worked out when they started focusing on seventh and eighth graders rather than high school students. The seventh and eighth graders were very engaged, and their parents also got involved.
Great possibilities
A big part of our mission with the Build My Future and Construct My Future programs is to help more people- especially teachers and parents, understand the great possibilities in the skilled trades industry.
Will’s advice
The world is full of opportunities. Will suggests that young people keep an open mind to learning a specialty skill that will be useful everywhere and give a lot of value.
Have a wonderful October and Careers in Construction Month!
Resources
Careers in Construction Trades
Careers in Construction Month Toolkit
Build My Future OKC
Build My Future - Get Involved
Build My Future Trainings and Resources
Construct My Future Camp
3 Reasons Workforce Development is Now a (Big) Part of My Work
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Eco-renovate is a term a business friend coined while doing a project on a historical building in Chicago, Illinois.
We all have the opportunity to up-level our home, a home we are buying, or homes we are selling. There is so much we can do to improve our health and that of the world while we make our homes a whole lot better!
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! I’m thrilled to have Sheridan Foster joining me today to talk about the cool eco-renovation project she and her team did in the historic Chicago building!
Starting EcoRenovate
Starting EcoRenovate was a big deal for Elemental Green because it was the first renovation they ever took on from start to finish. It involved a lot of learning and many interesting insights. It allowed them to expand their focus and look beyond the materials used for the building and the furnishings they brought in.
The historical Chicago building
The striking historic modernist building is near the Chicago University campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood. I.M. Pei and Araldo Cossutta designed it, and it was built in 1961. It was built as apartments and is now condominiums. The building has curtain walls and big, beautiful windows with delicate arches. It has been registered on the national register of historic places.
An opportunity
During Covid, Sheridan saw an opportunity to renovate one of the top-floor corner units in the building. So she decided to jump in with EcoRenovate and see what she could do with the space.
Staying true to the design
Sheridan wanted to stay true to the original design. So she and her team decided to keep existing architectural elements and update and modernize the condominium.
The kitchen
They decided to start with the tiny, closed-off kitchen and tie it in with the rest of the condo. They took down part of two of the walls to connect the kitchen with the main living area.
The bathroom
The bathroom still had all the original quirky and charming fixtures. They had to change the wall tiles because they were plain and not very nice. But the floor tiles were lovely, so they retained them.
Color
Color affects our moods and energy levels, so Sheridan and her team deliberately added pops of color to the space. The view of Lake Michigan inspired them, so they brought lots of blue into the interior space.
Eco-friendly building practices
To ensure they were not compromising the eco-friendly building practices, they judged everything they brought in, from building materials to furnishings, against the standards of what makes a good and sustainable product.
Mindful and eco-friendly building practices
Refusing to compromise enabled them to identify some great companies to work with that used eco-friendly products, treated their employees fairly, and used mindful and eco-friendly building practices.
Circularity
They evaluated everything they did against the concept of circularity and focused on assessing the impact of all the materials used to ensure that they were making things better rather than worse for the planet.
Making the connection
People are starting to make the connection between their personal health and the health of the world at large.
Paint
Sheridan repainted everything in the condo using paint from a company called Recolor. Recolor is a woman-led company looking to solve the problem of waste paint because paint is toxic, so it cannot get thrown away in the garbage. Recolor filters and reprocesses leftover paint so that it can be reused. As a result of the reprocessing, Recolor’s paint is lower in VOCs than regular paint. It is available from Amazon or through Habitat for Humanity stores in a range of colors.
Sheridan’s favorite part
The part of the renovation Sheridan enjoyed most was re-doing the kitchen with hand-made and hand-painted tiles from Fireclay Tile! They also put in bamboo plywood fronted cabinets and a large island workspace.
Indoor air
To improve indoor air quality, they put filters over all the vents. They also put Molekule air filters in all the rooms. (The Molekule is not just a filter. It uses electricity to destroy unwanted air particles.)
Taking on a renovation
Taking on a renovation may seem overwhelming, but it will feel great once you have accomplished your goal! Sheridan points out that it is vital to keep your goals for the project in mind when looking for the right products.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
EGH Earlier Episode with Sheridan
Elemental Green
Affordable Green Homes Hub
Video Interview
Buy stuff for your home curated by Marla
#ECORENOVATE BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO AN ARCHITECTURAL ICON
#ECORENOVATE GUIDE TO SELECTING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
#ECORENOVATE REVEAL: AN ECO-FRIENDLY BEDROOM DREAM
#ECORENOVATE REVEAL: A SUSTAINABLE LIVING ROOM COMES TO LIFE
#ECORENOVATE REVEAL: SUSTAINABLE UPDATES TO A 1960S KITCHEN
#ECORENOVATE REVEAL: TWO BATHROOMS UNDERGO A GREEN MAKEOVER
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The term wicked problems describes some of today's most challenging social issues. Wicked problems require a reframing of success because they might never be fully solved. Success with wicked problems means having an impact on or making a difference toward improved outcomes and reduced risk.
Today, we dive into the wicked problem of people-ism.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! I am recording live at Shock City Studios with my co-host, Tony Pratte, today!
People-ism
I recently found a book on Amazon called PEOPLEism: A Re-emergence in the Belief in People, A Chance to Humanize Ourselves Again. The notion of people-ism is central to many of the wicked problems we have been discussing on the show.
Everything in nature is interconnected
As I learned more about nature, I discovered that all natural systems are interconnected. If, for example, I help save polar bears, it will also help save me and others.
Human welfare
We all tend to be concerned about our welfare, how we will continue to thrive, and how we will survive any particular occurrence. Unfortunately, something that tends to get lost in that conversation is me caring about what is in it for you as well as for me.
Surviving and thriving as a collective
It can be challenging for individuals or small groups of people to survive in our modern-day world. To thrive and survive as individuals, we need everyone to survive and thrive.
Our natural world affects us
Our natural world affects us. Everything in nature is tied together, yet we tend not to talk much about the people aspect.
It’s all about the people
I realized that having a green or sustainable home that promotes better health and a better life is all about people. A home is really just a place to enhance people’s living experience.
Building a house
When a house gets built, it is not just about the builder and the homeowner. There are also suppliers, neighbors, people in the subdivision, and others you may not even realize are stakeholders who have to consent to the project.
Studies
There are studies on how people assess the companies with which they do business. A key indicator is how well the people within a company get treated. Fair wages and social justice get considered nowadays before people engage with a company.
A shift
The shift started with groups of people looking to companies to represent their values. As we began to experience the great resignation, companies' values became an even sharper area of focus.
Why are people leaving companies?
People feel comfortable now because money got pumped into the economy. People want flexibility. People prefer working from home. People who kept working during the pandemic saved money because there was nothing to spend it on. They can now afford to leave their positions. Some people feel it is just not worth working anymore. The younger generation is getting into a freelance mindset. So if something does not work out, they leave and go elsewhere. Fewer companies are offering benefits like pension schemes to anchor their people.Experience
Lately, attracting employees has become more about the experience and less about money.
Mental health
Mental health has become part of the public conversation. People are paying more attention to their work-life balance and happiness quotient lately.
Home
The way people view their homes and what they require for their homes has shifted during the pandemic.
Struggling to find workers
Some of the places struggling to find workers include restaurants, retail, and essential services where people do not have the option to work from home. Many people in those industries jeopardize their health and safety to provide their services, so they feel it is not worth working there anymore.
A new normal
People must understand that the old normal does not align with the new normal.
Grace and patience
We need to practice patience and grace when dealing with people.
Thinking about others
We need to think about others. Things that we think will affect just us do not. If, for example, we buy something unhealthy for us, the chances are that it was also unhealthy for those involved in producing it.
Putting people first
The notion of putting people first is hard. Putting people first has become even more challenging as our society has become more divisive, but we all need to do it anyway.
A bigger conversation
It can be harder to listen and be part of a larger conversation than to be right or have your way.
Acts of people-ism
Putting your problems in front of you rather than between you and others is an act of people-ism. Another one would be to understand that there are many different points of view, and there are no absolutes.
Temper tantrums
Lately, having public displays of temper tantrums has become normalized in places like restaurants. That is because people are focused on themselves and do not take the time to seek to understand the bigger picture related to the situation. Those tantrums also affect those to who they are directed and those who witness them. That is how the notion of people-ism came about for me.
Empathy
I am grateful for the empathy I developed during the pandemic because it enabled me to come from a gentler place when dealing with others. As a result, I have become a better mentor and coach. I sincerely hope that more of us will experience that too!
Change
Change is afoot! Change in the workplace usually starts with the new generation entering the workforce and then filters its way into the older generations. That is a good thing because everyone needs to learn to talk about things that make them feel uncomfortable.
How common purpose relates to people-ism
We all have a purpose. When people who work together understand their purpose and understand how they can contribute to the overall purpose, that’s people-ism!
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
What Makes a Green Home Green Audio Program
Wicked Problem Definition
Helping People: The Living Well Toolkit with Tony Pratte
What Are We Afraid Of and What that Means for Corporate America, Blog from Shelton Group
A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
Science Moms On Climate Change — Now It’s Personal!
by Katharine Hayhoe
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It can be hard to find good products that also have great packaging.
Several years ago, I started using a great set of products with amazing packaging that gets specially delivered.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I have Lindsey McCoy from Plaine Products joining me today! Plaine Products is a company with a unique delivery system for sustainably packaged vegan bath and body products!
Plaine Products
Lindsey and her sister started Plaine Products in 2017.
About Lindsey
Growing up, Lindsey wanted to save the planet. Back then, business was not the way to do it, so she joined the non-profit world and spent the next twenty years working at various non-profits.
Environmental education
Her last non-profit position was doing environmental education in the Bahamas. She was not an environmental expert at that point. She only knew what recycling was, and she had heard the term zero-waste before.
Plastic
Lindsey spent time with many scientists and environmental experts on the island. While showing them around, she kept on seeing plastic piling up everywhere. She did not want to add to it. So she started using reusable bags and water bottles and tried to buy less.
Starting a company
In May 2015, when she and her husband moved back to the US, Lindsey asked her sister to help her start a company to help people accumulate fewer plastic bottles. They launched their business in February of 2017.
A subscription system
Lindsey and her sister created a subscription system where they send out bottles of bath and body products with pumps. When their customers run low, they send out refill bottles. They pay for the return of the empty bottles, which they then wash and reuse.
Finding the right manufacturer
Lindsey’s sister is picky, so she made Lindsey go through several manufacturers before they found one they both liked.
Ingredients
They had to learn a lot about ingredients! They settled on using only clean vegan beauty ingredients in all their products. Before that, Lindsey had no idea how bad most of the bath and body products she used were or what was in them.
Connection
Many people tend to miss the connection between their health and the health of our world.
Poor communities
The plastic problem is worse than we realize. Most plastic gets recycled in places with poor communities. The people living there have to breathe toxic air and plastic fumes.
We have a choice
Many people know that plastic can be bad for their health. Yet they continue to use it because it is so convenient. Fortunately, we have a choice. Even though millions of dollars have been spent convincing us that we should value convenience above all else, we can still decide how we want to live.
Reducing waste
There are many solutions out there for reducing the amount of waste that gets produced.
Word of mouth
Hearing from someone you trust has been proven to be the best recommendation for trying new products. Hopefully, people will also learn from others how to make more mindful decisions.
Why is there so much plastic?
Plastic is a by-product of fossil fuels and is very cheap to produce. In the US, fossil fuels are subsidized. That makes plastic even less costly to produce.
Plastic has many good qualities. It is indestructible, durable, and can get molded into any shape. Still, it does not make sense to use something that lasts for hundreds of years for five minutes and then throw it away.
Cancer
Plastic is one of the first things most people with cancer eliminate from their lives because there are too many health questions surrounding it that are just not worth asking.
Recycling plastic
Plastics can get recycled, but the process is complicated. One of the biggest problems is that most cities do not have the facilities to recycle more complex types of plastic.
Metal
Metals are infinitely recyclable. That means that the aluminum bottles used by Plaine Products never need to be thrown away.
The Plaine Products system
Plaine Products has a circular approach. They try to create as little waste as possible in every aspect. After making something, they send it out to be used. Then the packaging gets returned to be washed, refilled, and reused. Even their cardboard boxes were designed to be reused many times over.
No perfect solution
There is no perfect solution to the plastic problem. Lindsey gets frustrated with organizational nit-picking and finds the term zero waste a little intimidating. She prefers to simply do the best she can with whatever comes up each day.
Their products
Plaine Products strives to make fewer products that can do lots of different things. All their products are chemical-free, so they are safe for everyone to use, including children. The products are all aloe-based and super-thick. You only need to use very little, so they last for ages!
New products
At Plaine Products, they do their best to respond to whatever people ask for without creating any extra items to be thrown away. Lately, they have been embracing more hair products. Their newest products are a deep hair conditioner and a styling gel, and they will soon be adding a scented handwash.
Environmentally friendly products
Environmentally friendly products have come a long way! There are some excellent products available today. Remember that by supporting businesses that support your values, you are helping support our planet for the future!
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
Links and resources:
Plaine Products COUPON CODE GreenHomeCoach
Plaine Products - GHC Trusted Brand
Sustainable Products and Packaging
Circular Economy, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Designing Out Plastic Pollution
Hear Lindsey's first podcast episode on the Green Coach Show
Recommended book:
Cancer as a Wake-Up Call by M. Laura Nasi
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The term “wicked problems” describes some of the most challenging social issues of this time. Those problems require a reassessment of success because being successful with wicked problems means making a difference toward them or influencing improved results and diminished risk, even though the problem may never be fully solved.
Consumerism, or focusing on economic improvement based on things people buy, could be another wicked problem.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! My co-host Tony Pratte and I are recording live today at Shock City Studios in downtown St. Louis Missouri!
Challenges
Many challenges and issues are tied to the topic of consumerism.
Consumerism and waste
One reason consumerism is problematic is that our focus on buying things leads to large amounts of waste. Creating those products also speeds up the use of our natural resources.
Retail in Oklahoma City
I recently read an article about the glory of retail in Oklahoma City, a city dependent on the sales tax generated by the sale of goods. That made me wonder if the same thing happens in other places too, and whether that drives the push for people to keep on buying things.
Municipalities
Each municipality has its source of income that gets written into the by-laws, and the local city governments determine how those funds get used.
Property tax
Part of the property tax charged by municipalities goes to the fire and police districts, and some of it goes to the county for infrastructures like parks, forests, and museums.
Stuff
People tend to use a lot more stuff today than they did in my mother and grandmother’s time.
My parents and grandparents
My grandmother grew up in the depression, so she had a waste not, want not mentality. My parents grew up during World War 2 and were teenagers in the 1950s. So they went from a scarcity of materials to a booming economy in the next decade where money and products were abundantly available.
The economy
The economy was put back on track in the 1950s by pumping money into manufacturing goods and creating jobs for the soldiers returning from the war.
Plastic
We were excited when soda came out in plastic bottles because they did not break. At the time, we had no idea of the impact it would have, and how that convenience would later merge with consumerism.
Two kinds of companies
A marketing theory asserts that two kinds of companies exist. One notices a need and develops a product or service to solve it. The other develops a product or service and then creates a need for it.
Convenience
In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a growing feeling of coming of age because of all the new products and innovations that were coming out, and people thought they needed those things to have a good life. As life began to speed up in the following decades, people thought they needed more convenience items.
Innovations
It takes time for society to evolve. Most of the innovations between the 19th and 20th centuries showed up toward the end of the 20th century. Today, innovations are happening all the time.
Overload
There are so many more product choices available today than we need. I prefer smaller local grocery stores with fewer items to choose from.
Costs
Many unseen costs are associated with everything we buy.
Circle
Today, companies should use a circular rather than a linear way of thinking when looking at the things they produce.
Responsibility
We are slowly changing from a linear economy to a circular economy. A circular economy means you remain responsible for the products you have produced throughout the life cycle.
Nature
Everything in nature is used. Nothing gets wasted. We can use a similar life-cycle assessment for things we produce.
Generations
It’s interesting to see how differently younger generations look at things. There seems to be less emphasis on stuff with younger people.
The experience
There currently seems to be less emphasis on things and more on the experience.
A simpler life
Living a simpler life with fewer things to maintain leaves you with much more time to do the things you want.
Flaws in the system
The toilet paper shortage during the pandemic exposed some major flaws in our system.
Psychology
Consumerism was built on psychology and the understanding of human behavior. The psychology behind buying things is immense!
Economic wellbeing
The amount of stuff people buy is a measure of our economic wellbeing. That will need to change going forward.
A solution
We need a solution that does not rely on things being produced, sold, and disposed of but still encourages economic growth.
Things changed
In the 50s and 60s, things were produced locally and built to last. Jobs got produced around the repair and maintenance of those things. In the 70s and 80s, more imported goods became available that were cheaper, did not last as long, and could not be repaired. Even though those goods cost to buy in the short term, they ended up costing more in the long term because they had to be replaced- often several times.
A shift
Many wicked problems stem from short-term thinking. We need to shift from short-term thinking to long-term thinking. We also need to understand the unintended consequences and trade-offs of every decision.
A new normal
During the pandemic, when things were in short supply, people were happy to substitute one thing for another. Now, many people have gone back to wanting what they want again without understanding that they are not in alignment with the new normal.
Be mindful
I urge you to be mindful about the things you use and buy and only use what you need.
Have a great green day!
Links and resources:
EGH Shop
Trusted Partners
The 4th R - Refuse
Shop Your Values
Right to Repair
Good Better Best: Cutting Your Consumer Carbon Footprint
Right to Repair Revisited
Flushing Trees Down the Toilet
Study.com
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There are so many different products to choose from for our homes, well-being, and personal care that it is often really hard to figure out which products are better for our health and wellness, are longer lasting, more durable, and do what they are meant to do.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I’m doing a solo episode to share my thoughts on selecting the best products and materials to bring into your home. Much of the work I do involves helping people understand the specifications for products and materials, find what will work best for them, and provide them with the necessary health and wellness benefits when they do a design, remodel, or big build project.
A health and wellness remodel in our kitchen
My husband and I recently did a small remodel in our kitchen. We called it a health and wellness remodel because the kitchen was small, and we wanted to make it spacious enough for us to cook together.
Home repairs
We also had some significant cracks in our dry walls, so we called in several professionals to take a look. One of them thought there might be a crack in the concrete slab under the floor too- and he was right! So, we had that fixed and replaced floor.
Materials
Our designer was Christy Howell from CRH Design Build in Oklahoma City. After she set out how everything would look, we had to select the materials.
Limitations
We ran into some limitations with supply chain shortages and had to make some trade-offs. Going through that process helped me understand things from the client’s perspective!
Green labels
Green labels give an independent third-party verification for products that have been researched and tested. I advocate for using trusted green labels when selecting materials or products for your home or the homes you are building or remodeling.
Goals
Start your remodel by considering your goals and laying out what works.
Choosing materials that worked for us
For our home remodel, we wanted to use durable materials that would work well together and did not off-gas. We chose quartz countertops, and even though we had to do some trade-offs, we eventually found a flooring product we felt good about that worked for us. We also used tiles made with a lead-free glaze and zero-VOC paint for the walls and cabinets. (Unfortunately, we had to use a high-VOC primer to make the cabinets more durable.) We learned a lot from the process!
The Everyday Green Home Shop
The shop on Everyday Green Home is divided into many different categories. Most of us have an established relationship with Amazon, so all the products in the shop are sourced from Amazon. There is even a go-green edition of the Monopoly game available there!
Affiliate programs and brands
We have had direct affiliate relationships with several companies, and those affiliate programs are all still there. We are excited to have added some new affiliate partners too, and we hope to add a few more by the end of the year. We will also add the products we like to use ourselves, in our homes and daily lives, to the trusted partners and brands category.
Imperfect Foods
Imperfect Foods is a company that helps people avoid and fight food waste by repackaging and selling ugly produce and surplus foods at affordable prices. Most of their food is sourced sustainably. All the packaging is recyclable, and the food gets delivered right to your door.
Rothy’s shoes
Rothy’s shoes are made from recycled plastic bottles. They are super comfortable and have arch support! They are also washable.
Oka-B Shoes
Oka-B shoes are manufactured by a woman-owned company in Georgia. They are made from plant-based plastic and are recyclable. They are very comfortable with arch support.
Inventive ways to use resources
I love seeing the inventive ways in which people use the resources we already have in a new way! My son and his business partner have a company in St. Louis, Missouri, called Printerior Designs. They make filaments for 3-D printers from recycled plastic, and they also have a print farm that is growing steadily. I am super proud of him!
Small businesses
Many of us own small businesses, and we like to help one another out. I love finding products that support the cause and help other small businesses!
Trusted partners and brands
Partners are vital for reaching enough people, so I started building a network of businesses with which I had previously collaborated or shared content. I created a trusted partners and brands page on the Green Home Coach website so that we could all share our audiences and knowledge and make the network more official. I am very excited to finally get it off the ground and have the opportunity to share the word and pay things forward with the trusted partners and brands page!
I encourage all listeners to try some of the new companies, products, and new ways of thinking!
Have a great green day!
Links
Green Home Coach Trusted Partners and Brands
Everyday Green Home Shop
The Truth About Green Product Labels
Who Gives a Crap TP
Imperfect Foods
Ask your questions on the Love Your Everyday Green Home Private Facebook Group
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We have some tremendous wicked problems in our society right now!
Wicked problems are how we describe some of today’s most challenging social issues. They call for us to reframe our notion of success because they may never get fully solved. Being successful with wicked problems means making a difference toward them, improving the outcomes, or reducing the risk.
Today, we are diving into the wicked problem of infrastructure.
I’m Marla, the Green Home Coach! My co-host, Tony Pratte, and I are recording live at Shock City Studios in St. Louis, Missouri!
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is critical to our growth and progress as a society and how we transport water, people, and things. Newer cities in the US tend to have fewer problems with their infrastructure than some of the older cities in the eastern part of the country.
Old cities
St. Louis is one of the oldest cities in the United States. In most of the world’s older cities, we find bits and pieces that show us aspects of what the infrastructure used to be like in the past.
St. Louis
Many things come into play in St. Louis. It was founded in 1764, so it was around even before the United States of America. It is situated where east meets west in the United States and still holds that heritage. It also has different weather and cultural patterns.
The infrastructure of St. Louis
Parts of the infrastructure of St. Louis date back to 1764, and we don’t even know where much of it is. Several years ago, the foundation for a new high-rise got dug in the central-west end of the city, and they had to stop when they came across a hundred-plus-year-old water shoreline that nobody knew anything about.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The infrastructure needed to run our country and the built environment are very tightly linked. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is being looked at right now. There has been a lot of discussion about what infrastructure entails. Some interpretations are that infrastructure includes roads, buildings, the electric grid, and the services that enable people to connect and cities to work.
The infrastructure for a house
The infrastructure required for a house is immense! It includes sewers, storm-water systems, the electrical grid, internet, cable, gas, roads, fire hydrants, water, and more. The entire home infrastructure gets attached to a regional infrastructure provided by a company or organization, and then that gets tied into the national infrastructure.
Three electric grids
There are three electric grids in the United States. They are west of the Rockies, east of the Rockies, and in Texas. A lot of management goes on in the different power pools that most of us know nothing about!
Energy transitions
Energy transitions need to happen slowly to avoid losing any potential generation.
Physical infrastructure
Many discussions lately have been about how money gets allocated for building new physical infrastructure. Yet the existing infrastructure has not necessarily been well maintained. An example is the hundreds of bridges throughout the country that need repairs.
Political leaders
One of the reasons our infrastructure has reached a point where so much is in disrepair is that our political leaders seem to find it better to build new infrastructure instead of repairing what we already have.
Revitalizing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City has a project to revitalize the city called the Maps Project. It is now in its fourth round.
Budget
We need the budget to maintain everything that gets built in our cities. Campaigns to raise capital funds are possible, but not for operating expenses. How we fund projects, and stock prices, are both parts of the problem.
Municipal meetings
One solution is to go to municipal meetings and speak out about any repairs or maintenance that needs to get done. There are also open forums where citizens can hear about the plans, how the money gets allocated, and voice their opinions.
Representatives
We have a strong we versus us mentality in this country, and we tend to see our government as separate from ourselves. We should realize that the people running our country are our representatives, not our leaders.
Taking responsibility
We need to tie our personal experience into the responsibility of asking our government representatives to be accountable for the way our infrastructure gets maintained. That means we have to be persistent when we ask them to do something and let them know that we will only vote for them if they take full responsibility for everything that has to get done.
Sustainability
Sustainability means that we can move into the future.
Controlling the infrastructure
Municipalities control much of our infrastructure daily, and organizations and companies control much of the infrastructure on a regional or national basis. Both of those matter, so they need to be addressed. They also need to connect.
A master plan
St. Louis municipalities need a master plan to speed up the creation of infrastructure for new developments and upgrade the existing infrastructure.
Three prominent issues
We have three prominent issues with our infrastructure:
Fixing what we already have. New structures need to get built better. We must think ahead about the additional infrastructure that we need to grow.Maintenance
Maintenance is a crucial part of keeping anything built in the best possible shape. It is the same with infrastructure.
Get involved
It can sometimes be hard to get involved with bigger issues. For many of us, it is easier to get involved locally, so show up at a city planning meeting. It will be worth showing up because your community and future may be affected.
Have a great green day!
Links:
What Makes a Green Home Green Audio Program
Wicked Problem Definition
Delivering on the Promise of Federal Infrastructure Funds in States
Infrastructure Topics on GreenBiz
Strong Towns 101
EPA Green Infrastructure
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