Earth Day must be Every Day

This idea can’t be stated too strongly.  All one has to do is see some of the videos like the ones I showed for Earth Day events to see that we absolutely need to get serious about taking more responsibility for conserving the Earth and its resources.  All we need to do is take a look at Tapped or Trashed, Gasland (PBS on the topic) or Greening the Federal Government to see the challenges and some solutions for the water, resource and energy issues that face us now.  We just cannot leave this for some future time to start reducing our consumption and wastefulness. 

This is not a radical idea.  Just look back a couple of generations and you will see that until the end of WWII, Americans had a very conservative ethic that served us well.  We were certainly not perfect, but we understood how to support local communities and reuse until something was worn out.  Then consumerism, fashion, planned obsolescence and shopping took over as advertising overtook our clearer-thinking minds.  Take a look at the story of stuff to get a good look and rethink where we are and where we are going vs. what we need to be about.

There are some very bright spots on the horizon like corporate leaders who are truly embracing sustainability and Green.  Ray Anderson with Interface carpet is one of those businessmen.  Marketing strategies tell us that peer pressure is the key here be that “they’re recycling, so it must be ok” or “he’s not going to be more Green than I am” and so on.  We just need to be sure we are getting the word out there and equally important, influence others to join us in Greening our buildings and workplace, including our behaviors.  That’s where Thumbprint Endeavors can help!

Speaking of Thumbprint Endeavors —where we have been and what we have been about . . .

For Barret, last week focused on the CO USGBC Rocky Mountain Green 2011 April 20-21 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.  On Wednesday, he participated in the Indoor Air Quality track and on Thursday, he was the Innovations Track Manager.  This conference and the many Denver Metro USGBC group’s events are informative and help Barret to stay current on Green Building practices and products as well as providing great networking opportunities.  

The last couple of weeks have been very busy for Linda. She presented a session on LEED at the TMA Users Conference in mid-April in Tulsa OK, with good reviews and follow-up discussions.  She was also been busy planning and delivering Earth Day 2011 events.  April 21st was the Symposium on Sustainability in Health Care hosted by Wright State University and Heapy Engineering.  This was a great opportunity to hear speakers, like Gail Vittori, Co-Director, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, James Moler, PE with Turner Construction and Erik Andersen, AIA with HOK, Inc., share their experiences and ideas on green building in Healthcare.  This was follow-on event to Robin Guenther's talk in October 2010.

Be sure to say Hello and talk awhile when you see Barret in Denver or Linda at the Dayton Green Drinks.  Green Drinks is now an international happening with events in just about every city.  These are great casual networking events for those of us in Green-related organizations and the informal presentations where Green Ideas are informative and springboards for great discussions.  Check it out, stop by and say Hi!

Perhaps it is Earth Day Approaching in April

Perhaps it is Spring arriving in a few days after a long winter but our ringing phones and full email inboxes are as welcome as daffodils at Thumbprint Endeavors!

Upcoming Places You’ll See Us!

Barret has become a regular at the First Monday events hosted by the Denver Metro USGBC at the downtown REI store. These presentations are informative and help him stay current on Green Building. They are great networking opportunities.  He will also be attending and helping out with the CO USGBC Rocky Mountain Green 2011 April 20-21 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center.

Linda will be very busy for the next few weeks with planning for Earth Day 2011 events and the Symposium on Sustainability in Health Care April 21st hosted by Wright State University, SOCHE and Heapy Engineering. She will also be presenting on LEED at the TMA Users Conference in mid-April in Tulsa OK. And on April 16th, Linda will be presenting on the Ohio Leave No Child Inside Collaboratives at the Environmental Education Council of Ohio (EECO) conference at Maumee Bay State Park on the shores of Lake Erie.

Some Food for Green Thought as Another Spring Arrives

As we hear the devastating natural disasters and the violent weather in the news and we look at the economic and political landscape surrounding us, perhaps it is time to reflect on where we are now.

There is much truth in the expression, “Think Globally, Act Locally”. Whether we are discussing food or building materials, the overall costs of transportation really point to the need to realize the global impacts of our purchases and the need to support our local economy and creating the kinds of sustainable communities that make us all feel we are a part of something worthwhile, that sense of belonging that makes us human. Well-known, rational, smart authors like Bill McKibben, Paul Hawken and Thomas Friedman have spent their literary careers explaining why it is time to really put our shoulder into it and make the needed changes happen.

Recently, another voice brought the message on another level, literally because she lends a female voice and perspective to the discussion, Helena Norberg-Hodge. She and her collaborators have produced two powerful works, “Happiness of Economics” and “Ancient Futures”.

“You are what you eat”, another expression that has been around for a while. Think about it – which would you rather picture yourself as a mass-produced super-sized pattie-melt consumer or a locally-produced healthy, fresh and you-know-where-it-came-from-and-how-it –was-grown consumer? If you haven’t already done so, check out “King Corn” and “Fresh”. They are eye-opening. City Bountiful shares a wealth of information about the ebb and flow of community gardening as well as the more tenacious and stable food production projects in urban environments.

We hope that everyone has can share the joy of gardening and consuming fresh produce from farmer’s markets this summer while supporting local communities.

It is critical that we begin thinking about these things and Acting on them — given that it is all about Green and Sustainable Life Choices!

The Most Recent News and Events with the Thumbprint Endeavors Team

The Most Recent News and Events with the Thumbprint Endeavors Team . . .

By way of an update, both Barret and Linda participated in the ASES National Solar Tour (http://www.ases.org/ ) the first weekend in October 2010. Of course, he was in Denver CO and she was hosting the event at Wright State University to showcase the Solar Thermal Array on that partial heats the water in the Student Union Pool. In both Dayton OH and Denver, the events were well attended and the goal of informing the public about renewable energy sources continues.

Linda attended and presented at two conferences in the October − the Research Symposium at the annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (Buffalo NY) and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (http://www.aashe.org/). Her AASHE session detailing her Spring 2010 community service learning class that involved WSU students in community gardening projects and helped 6th graders in an urban school to learn about tree species and GIS was very well attended and great discussion followed her presentation − always a good sign.

In December 2010, Linda attended the 2010 EcoBuild Conference in D. C. She commented, “I always feel that I benefit from the various presentations and discussions related to sustainability and green building. This year I primarily attended sessions on sustainable community planning and one very informative session about the USGBC Green Schools initiative. The follow up discussions and side conversations were very interesting.”

The Leadership Team Retreat for the Ohio Leave No Child Inside Collaboratives met December 3rd and 4th at The Wilds. Linda is proud to be a part of this small but very dedicated group of individuals from around the state of Ohio who volunteer their expertise, time and energy to spearhead initiatives for the Ohio Leave No Child Inside and in their regions. Ohio LNCI has made tremendous strides forward including dozens of governmental Proclamations pledging to combat sedentary lifestyles by promoting “unplugged” healthier outdoor active play for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics and USGBC’s LEED-Neighborhood Development (which includes elements like parks/green space/play areas within walking distances in safe communities) and the Green Schools Initiatives are working closely with national parent group of LNCI, the Children and Nature Network (http://www.childrenandnature.org).

In her role as Assoc. Dir. Sustainability at Wright State University, Linda has been very active recently in the Campus Master Plan process that is looking forward 50 years to anticipate and envision future needs and land use for campus. Preservation of the WSU Woods and planning smart, sustainable development or reallocation of existing space is of course of great interest to Linda. October 23, 2010, the Office of Sustainability also hosted a reception and very informative presentation by Robin Guenther, FAIA, “Sustainable Health Care Architecture: How health care is responding to ideas about building and health, both nationally and globally”.

One place you will also find Barret is the Denver area USGBC Emerging Green Builders meetings. Be sure to look for us “out there”, like monthly Green Drinks events in Dayton or Denver or contact us − Barret (720-320-2184) or Linda (937-477-8662) ¬− for help with Greening Your Organization.

From the Greening Building to Creation and Implementation of a Green Building User’s Plan – we are here for you!

The Latest News!

So Many Things Happening at Thumbprint Endeavors . . . And Many More To Come!

Barret has a new phone number: 720-320-2184. As we said last time, we now offer even more services since he is a Solar Sales Consultant with Conundrum Energy. See his comments in the previous blog entry for the details.

We both are busy getting ready for the National Solar Tour Event on October 2nd and 3rd. Check it out American Solar Energy Society (ASES) http://www.ases.org/ for information. Barret will be in Denver and Linda will be hosting a tour of the Solar Thermal array at Wright State. To locate sites to visit in your area or better yet to volunteer with the National Solar Tour check out http://nationalsolartour.org/!

Barret was also invited to participated in a charette conducted by the University of Colorado, Denver on August 10 and 11, 2010, to brainstorm feasible ideas for a low income housing development in the Denver area -- the S. Lincoln Redevelopment Project Energy.

Linda has taken on a new role. She is now Associate Director, Office of Sustainability at Wright State University. Her new role will allow her to do even more in terms of “greening”, renewable energy and public awareness of why we need to think and act sustainably.

The Ohio No Child Left Inside Collaboratives (http://www.ohiolnci.org/) continues to move ahead and gain momentum. Gov. Strickland will sign the Ohio Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights (OCOBR), that Linda was the lead author for, into the record with a Proclamation later this month. A Call to Action Rally is scheduled on September 24th in Columbus to share the signing and to also highlight other cities and municipalities that are proclaiming the importance of children playing outdoors.

Linda is also attending an Alternative Fuels Workshop at the Mound Energy complex (Dayton OH) on September 16th, 2010. She will be presenting the findings of her recent study at the Research Symposium at the annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (Buffalo NY). In October she will be presenting about her community service learning class last spring that involved students in community gardening projects and helping 6th grader in an urban school to learn about tree species and GIS at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (http://www.aashe.org/).

Look for us “out there” and contact either of us Barret (720-320-2184) or Linda (937-477-8662) for help with Greening Your Organization -- from the Greening Building to Creation and Implementation of a Green Building User’s Plan – we are here for you!

Many Things Happening at Thumbprint Endeavors These Days!

Many Things are Happening at Thumbprint Endeavors Lately.

We can now offer even more services. Barret has recently become a sales consultant with Conundrum Energy. His contact information is listed below and has not changed, just more ways to reach him for assistance. Here are the details:

I have started a new venture as a Renewable Energy Systems Sales Consultant with Conundrum Energy. In addition to renewable energy sales (PV, Solar Thermal and other applications), we also have the capabilities of integrated smart home systems with lighting controls, security and home entertainment. All on a touch screen control panel. Please contact me for further information renewable energy or smart home integration systems.
Barret Ramey LEED AP || Renewable Energy Systems Consultant
Corporate HQ || 2860 Blake St. || Suite 5 || Denver, CO 80205

email: BRamey@conundrumenergy.com

mobile: 937.572.8665

• Earlier this month, Barret completed eight hours of training in the Thames Photovoltaic Basics Seminar. This training covered layout and design, optimal orientation and applications, problem-solving and troubleshooting for installation of PV Systems.
• He also participated in the Colorado USGBC Green Build Conference in April and continues to attend professional meetings of the CO USGBC Emerging Green Builders chapter.
• Barret has attained his BD & C (Building, Design & Construction Designation) for his LEED AP.

Linda has also been very busy!

- Linda lead author for the Ohio Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights for the No Child Left Inside Collaboratives of Ohio. She also serves as the representative to the state NCLI leadership group from the Miami Valley NCLI.
- She recently attended the Green Energy Ohio meeting at the Dull Renewable Energy Center. Ralph Dull has received many awards lately for being an innovator on the renewable energy front lines.
- Linda is headed to the Environmental Sciences Research Institute (ESRI GIS) Conference in San Diego in July.

She also has a new publication in the Journal of Sustainability Education related to environmental education. Here is the link:
Article taken from Journal of Sustainability Education - http://www.journalofsustainabilityeducation.org/wordpress
URL to article: http://www.journalofsustainabilityeducation.org/wordpress/content/rekindling-memories-of-yesterday%e2%80%99s-children-making-the-case-for-nature-based-unstructured-play-for-today%e2%80%99s-children_2010_05/

Where Have We Been? What Have We Been Doing?

What We Have Been Doing . . .

Barret has been networking and becoming an active member with the Denver Chapter USGBC Emerging Green Builders. He will be attending and volunteering at their upcoming conference April 21 and 22, 2010 at the Convention Center in Denver CO.

He also spent several days recently volunteering in Taos NM with the Earthships Project. This is a green building project that seeks to incorporate as many sustainable features as possible into residential construction with some very unique architectural outcomes.

Barret also participated in a Charette for Rocky Mountain National Park. This group was organized by Colorado State University to come up with various projects to move the Park forward in terms of sustainability.

The first week of December, Linda attended the Ecobuild conference in Washington D.C. She has also been attending the Southwest Ohio Chapter meetings of Green Energy Ohio (GEO) and Green Drinks with the Dayton Regional Green 3 (DRG3) group.

Last month, she participated in the Miami Valley Solar Energy Forum and last week she attended the National Facility Management and Technology annual conference in Baltimore MD.

Be sure to check out Linda’s recent commentary (Consilienceblog.org) on the Institute of Green Professionals site.

Linda’s work with the Miami Valley No Child Left Inside initiative continues to move forward and she will be participating in the April 9th statewide meeting of the Leave No Child Inside group.

Why Renovating, Remodeling and Retrofitting are Key and Essential to Our Sustainable Future

We are finally coming to the realization that the ever-expanding way we use of land and resources is unsustainable. Municipalities have given tax breaks and incentives to build new factory and commercial buildings when nearby already developed facilities stood empty. Now we are faced with a glut of signs advertising the after effects of our overdevelopment. Time to rethink our strategy. It should not just be school children reciting the 3 R’s – Recycle, Re-use, Reduce – plus the very important 4th one -- Rethink. These four R’s along with Renovate and Remodel are key and essential to sustainable building and development.

According to Barret Ramey, LEED AP and head of the Green Building Denver Team of Thumbprint Endeavors, renovating or remodeling makes the most sense.

“Think of it this way. Reuse of existing space means that the building materials already in place and energy used to deconstruct a structure can be saved. Using the existing site and structure saves both resources and money. Then add in the savings from reduction or elimination of energy and other costs associated demolition and disposal. When calculated this way, we get at the true cost savings with renovating or retrofitting a structure for increased efficiency and habitability – it’s a win-win-win decision.”
- Barret Ramey, LEED AP

The LEED standards have certainly had their fair share of criticism, but most in the sustainable design and green building industry would agree that they are the best source we have presently for thinking about efficiently using land, materials, energy and resources. The new Version 3 of the Leadership Energy Efficient Design for New Construction (LEED – NC), the United States Green Building Council (USGBC, http://www.usgbc.org) also has major renovation standards. USGBC also has enacted standards for retrofitting and maintenance/operations of existing building space, LEED EB.


Whether a builder or designer or the building owner opts for LEED certification, careful consideration of the LEED EB criteria should be their guiding principles to increase energy efficient building practices and better utilize construction resources. And add yet another R – Return on Investment, increased ROI. And that is where Thumbprint Endeavors can help. Our team of Green Building Professionals will help you to Green your business with redesign and renovation of building space and streamline operations for increased energy efficiency and profitability. For more information and to contact us, visit our website www.thumbprintendeavors.com.