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Building Green Council  Mission Statement: “To Foster Green Building Knowledge, Education and Application."

Building Green Council Members Guiding Principles:

The members of the Building Green Council will strive to be leaders in Green building practices through adhering tour BGC guiding principles and achieving our BGC goals.

As a BGC member I resolve:

  1. To work towards a relevant understanding of green practices
  2. To support organizations that provide voluntary market driven programs which lead to an increase in energy efficiency
  3. To adopt green practices within our businesses
Mission

Building Green Council Update

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06 July 2009

iStock_000006548644XSmallAs we reach the sixth month of the year, I think it’s important to update the membership regarding what the BGC’s been up to. In the short six months since the last update, we:

Had a table at the NW Solar Expo where we picked up a few new members (welcome!) and successfully began changing the reputation of the Home Builders Association within the alternative energy and sustainable building realms. Overall it was a positive experience we hope to repeat in the future.

Held a  Deconstruction Workshop that was very successful and informative. Several members walked away with knowledge they felt they could implement within their businesses right away.

Purchased our first box of recycled paper to be used in the HBA office and are looking forward to including more recycled materials into the HBA’s daily operations.

Helped Celebrate Catering gain recognition from the City of Portland as a Green Caterer. We look forward to working with them to achieve the BRAG award (Business Recycling Awards Group) by the end of the summer.

Conducted an energy audit on the HBA a few weeks ago, which was enlightening. As the HBA is looking for ways to save money, creating a more energy efficient building is one way to help keep cash within the HBA. You will hopefully be able to notice some of the small changes around the building in upcoming months including the addition of occupancy sensors and a transition from incandescent bulbs to compact florescent and LED bulbs. If you are interested in other ways we are conserving energy, I will be happy to talk to you.

Formed a Greening Shows idea generating group. We have identified several operational items of the Home & Garden Shows, NW Natural Street of Dreams and other events where the HBA can do more to have a lighter impact on trash, energy and transportation.

Set up BGC liaisons to all the other HBA committees who will act as references for questions about sustainability and building green. Look for them at your upcoming meetings starting this month.

As we move forward, the BGC’s future looks incredible. On July 14, the BGC will have its first general monthly meeting from 7:30-9 a.m. This will be an event where all the council’s members can casually network and get together without a formal meeting agenda.The format of the BGC Breakfast will be relaxed and will follow the lead of the PRO luncheons. We need sponsors for these breakfasts, so if you are interested, contact me or our chair, Gary Fox.

The Building Green Council also has big plans for the NW Natural Street of Dreams. August 12-16 is Green Week at the SOD, so every day will have a new focus on different areas of green building. Details will be announced later in the month.

For more information about any of the items above, contact me at 503-684-1880 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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