Sparkflight Studios

We enjoyed a very Green Christmas Eve by joining hosts Katie Duncan and Maurice Showers on Green Talk Radio 1230 KLAV. The free-flowing conversation covered topics including: Tips for greening your own home What's involved with a "green" design consultation Local green happenings Green community design projects including the Ward 5 "Model Green Demonstration Home" and Marble Manor Click here to play streaming audio (MP3 file) from the show...

Marble Manor is a local housing community with ongoing donation needs for their Family Self Sufficiency center and adult education programming.  Please feel free to share this update with anyone that may be interested in investing in-kind or cash donations for the ongoing projects. The Community Center's transformation has continued to roll ahead.  On September 16th, the Career Training and Adult Learning Center had its Grand Opening.  The original plan to locate a Children's Reading Area in the Community Center was altered to meet the urgent need for adult education, job search assistance, computer skills training and GED support. The Computer Lab, sponsored by Bechtel SAIC, now provides five workstations and computer training in partnership with UNLV . The Children's area will instead be located in Marble Manor's Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) center on J Street. Stacey Bostwick at (702) 922-7016 or sbostwick@haclv.org can provide additional details. We ha...

Although limited by its restriction to the LEED rating system standard, the latest Green Building Market & Impact Report 2009 by Rob Watson is a useful snapshot of current status and projections for the green construction industry.  USGBC's Green Jobs Study , prepared by Booz Allen Hamilton , evaluates the economic impact of green buildings in terms of the "total number of direct, indirect, and induced jobs created from green building expenditures." GBCI currently has over 20,156 LEED registered projects totaling 322 million square feet, and that's great news for improving our industry's impact on the environment.  As champions of green building, we'd welcome a total green square footage estimate that takes LEED, Green Globes, and other local Green ratings systems into account.  Although not a comprehensive solution, we still see the investment in LEED certification as being valuable for long-term value and as a road map to green performance outcome...

America Recycles Day was celebrated this weekend.  Even if you missed your local events, take a moment to refresh your recycling know-how with ARD's tips and more:  Get a service : sign up for Republic Services curbside pickup, or use Rebel Recyling as an alternative. Use in-home sorters : reusable containers make separating your paper, plastic, glass & metals easier on a daily basis. Use grocery drops: take batteries & plastic bags * to a drop-box at your local grocery ( Fresh & Easy , WholeFoods ). Recycle computers & peripherals:   Blind Center of Nevada serves the Las Vegas Valley. Find recycling locations: Earth 911 has a zip code search for drop boxes or specialty recycling. * Reusable is a better alternative to plastic.  Bring your own, or buy an affordable option in your grocery line. Mark your calendar for November 15 of next year!

Report downloads: Green Building Market & Impact Report 2009 (GBMIR) USGBC Green Jobs Study 2009 (GJS) Some highlights: • By 2050 LEED projects should equate 1/2 of a carbon wedge . (GBMIR) • Green Construction projected to contribute $554 Billion, including $396 billion in wages, to U.S. GDP between 2009 and 2013. (GJS) •  “Our goal is for the phrase ‘green building’ to become obsolete, by making all building and retrofits green – and transforming every job in our industry into a green job,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of USGBC. (GJS) • Despite economic flattening, LEED registered and certified floor area in 2009 is estimated to grow by over 40% compared to last year’s totals, for a cumulative total of over 7 billion square feet worldwide since the standard was launched in 2000. (GBMIR) • Total water savings from LEED through 2009 is estimated at 15 billion gallons, comprising 0.5% of annual non-residential water use. By 2030, LEED ...

FREE webinar Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 12:30pm EST This presentation promises to show how green building choices both provide a very high return on investment and a significant decrease in our environmental impact. During this 60 minute webinar a sneak-preview of the Green Building Market & Impact Report 2009 will be presented by the report’s author Robert Watson , GreenerBuildings.com Editor and industry leader. This report is an integrated assessment of the land, water, energy, material and indoor environmental impacts of the LEED for New Construction (LEED NC), Core & Shell (LEED CS) and Existing Building (LEED EB) standards. JohnsonDiversey President & CEO Ed Lonergan will also highlight the importance of sustainability in today’s business environment, offering insights and examples of the company’s work toward improving the sustainability of its customers’ facilities as well as its own. This presentation will detail JohnsonDiversey’s own focus on LEED...

We're excited to to see that the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has a new initiative to support greening businesses. Here's the information from their website : Date: Thursday, October 1, 2009 Time: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Location: EMBARQ® Business and Conference Center at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Take advantage of a brand new benefit at the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce ! The Chamber Green Roots program is a one stop resource for increasing the sustainability of your business. All of the information, tools and resources you need to begin and continue making green efforts at your company will be provided. Walk through the member tables at this mini green expo and get first hand, face-to-face, practical advice on how you can achieve a green business designation, increased exposure and recognition in the Chamber's online membership directory through participation in Green Roots. Email Lauren Boitel, lboitel@lvchamber.com or call 702.586.3893 for more information