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Sustainable, Eco-friendly & Green...all add up to Smarter Real Estate |
When Sharon Rowe sold 4,000 reusable string bags in just four hours at an Earth Day celebration in 1990, she knew she had a hit. In 2007, Eco-Bags Products, her company in Ossining, NY, generated sales of $2.2 million, a 300% increase over the prior year. And despite the increasing competition, her sales have only risen since then.
After graduating from college in 1975, when the environmental impacts and energy inefficiencies of waste disposal were starting to become more apparent, Rick Dovey followed a dual track in his career. He began moving up in the planning world—city, county, regional, and environmental planning—and also became involved in solid waste management and recycling waste energy. After eight years as the Atlantic County planning director and head of Economic Development and Engineering, Dovey got the opportunity to become president of the ACUA, where he had been a staff person for a brief period of time.
A contractor who has been in the construction industry for 35 years, Scott Chrisner has devoted his career to promoting sustainable construction and design, and has been instrumental in the growth of the U.S. Green Building Council in New Jersey and throughout the country. After receiving an education in solar energy, Chrisner worked for a Princeton University scientist, researching a diagnostic tool known as the blower door. Working for himself since he was 18, Chrisner managed his own energy consulting business while doing construction work on the side. In 1999 he started the New Jersey Chapter of the Green Building Council and in 2002 he founded his green building consulting company. Today, the Chrisner Group works with building owners, design professionals, and contractors to evaluate buildings during all phases of design, construction, and building operation.
On December 9, 2009, New York City's Council passed the "Greener, Greater Buildings Plan," placing New York City at the forefront of efforts to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings. Robert Ragozine, who has been involved with the energy business since 1990 and is currently the president of Donnelly Sustainable Energy Services, is an expert on these surveys, as well as the energy audits that this new plan necessitates. After selling his own energy consulting business and working with Donnelly, Ragozine has been dedicated to energy-efficiency consulting and services, helping clients lower their utility costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and upgrade facilities.
Professor Kevin Bone teaches design and sustainability at the Cooper Union School of Architecture, in addition to working with Joseph Levine at their shared practice. Bone is the editor of "Water-Works: The Architecture and Engineering of the New York City Water Supply" and "The New York Waterfront: Evolution and Building Culture of the Port and Harbor." On April 15, Bone will moderate a symposium on hydro-fracking at The Great Hall at 7 East 7th St. He and a panel of experts will be discussing the risks of proposed drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
Global security company Lockheed Martin is stepping a little lighter these days—in regards to its carbon footprint, that is. The company is capitalizing on its expansive reach to reduce energy consumption, implement green initiatives, and ultimately improve the quality of life for its employees, clients, and communities. We caught up with Dr. David Constable, Vice President of Energy, Environment, Safety & Health to learn more about the company's efforts.
Montreal-based real estate developer SNR Group has completed projects in Canada and the United States for 70 years and have always been committed to the respect of nature. The company's newest endeavour is Domaine du Parc, a 400-acre mixed-use development devoted to sustainable living. MetroGreenBusiness caught up with SNR Principal Arthur Steckler to learn more about Domaine du Parc and the company's mission.
Scott Kessler is the assistant project manager at The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which is the premiere energy efficiency administrator in New York State. NYSERDA recently completed a three-month energy savings competition within two Brooklyn neighborhoods in an effort to encourage participants to reduce their energy use through awareness and education. Scott received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics at Middlebury College in Vermont.
A nonprofit green energy, arts, and education center founded in 2004, Solar One seeks to promote sustainable energy in New York City, offering a variety of community events. Since joining the organization in 2009, Celia Salgado has transitioned from a career in real estate into a role as the NYSERDA Energy $mart program assistant, helping to promote and organize programs such as Solar One's "Green from the Inside Out" events, which target co-op and condo owners throughout the city. She is also involved with circulating information about energy efficiency, recycling, and composting programs to New York residents, and making sure that building owners and landlords are kept up-to-date on NYSERDA's money-saving incentives. MGB spoke to Salgado about her work, how community members can get involved, and what Solar One has planned for the future. To find out more about upcoming Solar One events, visit solar1.org.
Robin Baron, a native New Yorker, has been in the design industry for 20 years. She began her career as a fashion designer and understands that, like fashion, a home should be a reflection of the client and profoundly affects the way they feel. Her design firm, Robin Baron Design, is located in New York City and offers design services ranging from individual projects like color and paint selection to comprehensive design services that meet any needs. Robin and her team at Robin Baron Design recently completed GREENleaders Certified Sustainability Training and are new members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. They have been committed to environmentally safe design and are excited to now partner with a larger community of like-minded design and home furnishings companies.
When Luke Penney discovered that conventional skin care products can contain potentially harmful ingredients, he decided to start a company that would go back to basics, using the best of nature and zero chemicals. LEAP Organics was born, but the company isn't all about sustainable skin care—green business practices and a commitment to give back to the environment are at the core. We caught up with Penney to learn a little more about LEAP and its mission.
When Tammy Schwolsky had children, she realized that, more than ever, our environment is in dire need of help, so in 2007 she started a consulting company called Residential Energy Assessment Services, Inc. (REASenergy.com). Schwolsky will take her commitment to the environment one step further with the opening of Zenergy house, an energy-efficient remodel of a home where she will live with her family for a two-year case study. We caught up with her to talk about her passion, her company, and the future of green homes.
Unlike many children his age, 13-year-old Bilaal Rajan has already made a difference in the world around him. Rajan, a child ambassador for UNICEF that hails from Toronto, Canada, has been involved in and dedicated to charitable causes since age four. The young change-seeker has even published a book, "Making Change: Tips From an Underage Overachiever". Here he shares his experiences, sources of motivation, and hopes for the future with MGB.
Bronx teacher Stephen Ritz is not only passionate about the environment—he is passionate about educating his South Bronx, New York City students about sustainability in hopes that they will share his passion. So far, Ritz has succeeded—his Green Teen Program at Walton High School in the South Bronx was met with tremendous student approval and support. Now, Ritz has another sustainable education program in the works—the development of Hunts Point High School for Sustainable Community Initiatives in the Bronx.
An expert on transportation and urban planning solutions, Dr. Catherine Ross was selected to advise the Obama Administration for the first-ever White House Office of Urban Policy in 2009, and is currently the director of the Georgia Institute of Technology's Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development. Her notable resume also includes authorship of the newly-released Megaregions: Planning for Global Competitiveness, which addresses the growing demand that accompanies the nation's economic centers. As populations rise and resources shrink, the book explores comprehensive solutions to ensure that American cities remain both healthy and prosperous. Although their future is uncertain, Ross explained to MGB more about what megaregions are, how they affect the environment, and potential solutions to their many problems.
As president and founder of Natural Currents, Roger Bason has directed 14 significant tidal- and technology-related projects over the past six years. He has also served as president of the Institute for a Sustainable Future, with operations in Hawaii. Bason completed oceanographic survey work with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in the Galapagos Islands in 1970 and again for tidal and hydro power site assessments for E3, Inc. in 2002, in both the Galapagos Islands and the upper Amazon River. Bason teaches tidal power courses at Columbia University and field study classes at SUNY Maritime College for site-specific data collection in New York Harbor. MetroGreenBusiness.com reached him as he was enroute to the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Elisabeth Cary is the director of education at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, MA, which is one of the one of the oldest public gardens in the country. Elisabeth runs the garden's Horticulture Certificate Program, which gives both amateurs and professionals the skills they need to successfully run a small garden, design a landscape and run a business.
The people behind Junior Achievement of New Jersey know education in business and finance can make a difference in a person's life, even at a young age. JANJ is a nonprofit organization committed to teaching New Jersey's young people not only financial literacy and career development, but also how to be ethical citizens. President of Junior Achievement New Jersey Catherine Milone-Richards shares what the organization hopes to do for the thousands of young students it educates each year.
While his company designs with sustainability in mind, Kenneth Gruskin, principal and founder of the design firm the Gruskin Group in Springfield, New Jersey, felt he could do even more for the environment. The Gruskin Group just participated in early February for its second year planting trees through the American Forests Releaf Campaign in order to offset its carbon emissions. Gruskin shares with MGB some other green practices the company follows and why it’s important to care for the environment.
GiveForward.org is a Web site which lets anyone raise money for any charitable cause. By using the site, fundraisers avoid the hassle and expensive of traditional methods like mailings and phone calls. Instead, GiveForward suggests that users use more of a viral marketing method, letting their family and friends spread word through e-mails and social networking sites. Desiree Vargas, co-founder and president of GiveForward, spoke with MGB about some of the philanthropy the site has generated and how they do it.
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