November 6th, 2009, 11:56 am by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor
The sudden death of Jan Vandersloot, a fixture in the Orange County environmental community, left his friends and fellow activists in shock and disbelief this week. 
Vandersloot died Wednesday at his home in Newport Beach from what his son, Jon Vandersloot, described as a possible massive heart attack, although the cause has not been confirmed.
His death prompted a moment of silence and kind words at a meeting of the California Coastal Commission Thursday. Meanwhile, the allies in his many causes — from raising treatment levels for sewage emptied into the ocean to preserving wetlands and wildlife — spoke of his dedication, energy and drive.
Vandersloot also was a local dermatologist whose office was always crowded with patients. Read full O.C. Register story.
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Posted in: Personalities in green • environmental activist • Jan Vandersloot | Post a Comment »
November 5th, 2009, 2:01 pm by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor
Photo by Michael Goulding
When the day began, the lot sandwiched between two homes in Newport Beach contained nothing but a foundation.
By midafternoon, the space was filled with a two-story, three-bedroom home — and an ultra-green home at that.
The prefabricated house, its four modules hoisted into place with a giant crane, is only the third of its kind ever built; builders and promoters hope it’s a sign of things to come.
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Posted in: Green at home • Green business • green building • green home • Newport Beach | 4 Comments »
November 4th, 2009, 3:53 pm by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor
A builder hoping to be the first in Orange County to construct the ultimate “green” home will erect the structure in a matter of hours Thursday morning, live on the Web. 
The building of the prefabricated, two-story house begins in Newport Beach about 9 a.m. and should be finished in a few hours. View it live at the LivingHomes Web site.
LivingHomes says it built the first home in the nation to obtain the highest LEED green-building certification — platinum — in Santa Monica.
And Steve Glenn, the company’s chief executive officer, says he’s aiming for another first: Orange County’s first platinum home.
Glenn isn’t the only builder seeking to achieve that milestone; at least two others, the developers of a luxury home project in Laguna Beach as well as a homeowner in Costa Mesa, also are seeking the first O.C. platinum rating.
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Posted in: Green at home • Green events • green building • green home • LEED certification | 1 Comment »
November 4th, 2009, 12:05 pm by William Diepenbrock, Editor
319 21st St., Huntington Beach
A Huntington Beach developer today is hosting a celebration today for his “green living home,” shooting for certification under both the statewide Build It Green program and the internationally known Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program under the U.S. Green Building Council.
So, what’s the difference between Build It Green and LEED?A matter of degree, mainly, says Christopher Becker, a project manager with the Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated division.
“Our thresholds are lower,” Becker said. “It pushes poeple, but it’s not as difficult as the LEED certification is.”
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Posted in: Green politics • green building • Huntington Beach homes | Post a Comment »
