Meet Chris Gibson and Vicki Lewis. They run a business called Green Driving Solutions. Chris is an eco-mechanic that specializes in vegetable oil conversions for diesel engines. What the heck does that mean? It means this guy can take a regular diesel engine and convert it so that it runs on vegetable oil. Does that mean you have to buy it in the grocery store and put it in your fuel tank? Nope. You can get it for FREE!! That means you save a whole chunk of money, increase your fuel efficiency, and help the environment all at the same time. Check their site out at GreenDrivingSolutions.com and they will explain all the details.

Let me know what you think.

Garry

Rachel Gutter, who is the senior manager for the education market at the U.S. Green Building Concil (usgbc.org) spoke with GreenBuildingNews.com about green school building projects recently and it’s exciting to see what is happening in the school system.

Full article here: USGBC Education Manager Discusses Green Schools

I saw a new term in this article that I have not heard before. Gutter talks about eco-bling, which is a term to describe all bells and whistles that make green building unaffordable. Solar panels are one of the aspects that jack the costs way up, which also brings up another interesting point in the conversation.

Gutter talks about co-op projects in which a third party pays for, installs and owns the solar panels and the school district gets to use the power. Everybody wins in that situation.

Wrapping up the article, Gutter also brings discussion full circle by including school curriculum into the mix from the very beginning instead of throwing it in at the last minute. That means that we can envelope our kids into this green thing for them to take over when they grow up.

I guess I will have to eat some of my words from my last post about the government not being able to do anything spectacular. Pass the salt, please.

Have a good day!

Garry

Related Articles:

Is the Green Building Market Recession-Proof?

Is Green Building the Economy’s Bright Spot?

Obama’s Climate Guru: “Paint Your Roof White!”

I usually read the major stories in USA Today that have anything to do with green or business and today I saw an article that caught my attention right away. I had to read it 2 or 3 times to figure out just what it is that the government is trying to accomplish. Feds plan $4 billion for green jobs

I am concerned over a few things that are going to happen with this. It really has nothing to do with the green part of the article but about the government running all of these programs. Although this plan is being overseen by a task force including many Cabinet level secretaries and directed by Joe Biden, is this just another way they are trying to grow and involve the government in every part of our lives. I agree that we should focus on energy independence and renewable sources of energy but at the same time, I think these things are better left in the hands of private enterprises.

With the government running the show, people in charge are just doing their jobs. If they weren’t doing this particular project, they would be doing another with the same attitude that it is a safe, secure government job with good benefits and a good paycheck until retirement and then live off the governments retirement program. Why are so many people amazed that it takes the government so long to do anything? The people doing the jobs are not motivated to get it done. Compare this with private business.

When there is a company started, there are people involved who have a vested interest in seeing the company succeed in the shortest time period possible. There are often millions of dollars at stake and if something doesn’t get done, people lose money and people get fired. It’s cold and hard but at the same time these people are extremely motivated to get things done because money is the bottom line. It’s a great motivator. And private business is where the best services and products come from. Green isn’t the only niche this applies to. It applies everywhere.

Look at the businesses that are in trouble. Banks, car manufacturers, insurance, health care. Government is getting its hands into it all. If you compare these businesses that are in financial trouble with individuals who are in financial trouble, you will notice that managing money is not high on the priority list. There are banks, car companies, insurance companies and all sorts of businesses that are in great financial shape just like there are individuals. You just don’t hear a lot from the media about them because they are doing business as usual, and watching their money. Now the worst money managers of them all are taking over and spending OUR money to do it and WE ARE LETTING THEM!!

I could go on and on and get into the argument that we are heading into Socialism but I don’t have enough time or room to write about it. This is supposed to be about green stuff anyway.

Let’s hear some comments.

Garry

Are you looking for solar training classes?

I was searching the other day for some companies that do certifications for PV system design and installation and an interesting one that I came across is called Boots on the Roof  Wind and Solar Training at Boots on the Roof.  This company is based in California and offers several courses to fit different needs (seven that I counted).  Their flagship course seems to be the 6 day Boot Camp.  http://www.bootsontheroof.com/solartraining/  They take you from start to finish with some nice amenities.  Check this one out. 

They also have some good links and articles.  This one http://www.bootsontheroof.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=58 shows a UN study of the future of photovoltaics and some very promising projections.  This is great news for the future of the building industry.  We need something to dig us out of this hole.  This will not only create thousands of installation jobs for residences and commercial properties, but several thousand maintenance jobs as well.

They also had this cool picture so I included it too.

Happy reading,

Garry

Check out this article over at NanotechResearch.com (this domain is mine also.)  The first story is about a company called Vast Enterprises taking recycled rubber and plastics and making something useful out of them.  You would not immediately think of this kind of composite being used for masonry products but that’s exactly what they are doing.

If you are in the building industry, you hear every day about solar water heaters and green insulation. But it’s really exciting to see other eco-friendly products being used. The biggest hindrance I see to building green right at the moment is cost.

When you couple the cost of these environmentally friendly materials with the bad economy, things don’t look too promising. I would say those two factors alone will delay the green building boom by at least a few years. Let’s be honest about it. It great that so many builders today want to build green. But it’s just not cost efficient to do so. When the different technologies come along, companies start competing for business, and the economy bounces back, then the costs will drop and these new trends will take off.

It’s tough to just survive in the building business right now. If builders can’t make it with traditional materials, they’re certainly not going to spend 20-30% more on their houses to make them green. It must make economic sense. Doing things just to look trendy is what got us into this financial mess in the first place.

Anyway enjoy the article.

Welcome to the Greenfactor blog.  This site is dedicated to all things green.  I will be talking about new innovations and technology in the green industry and posting links to articles related to this field.  But first let me tell you a little about myself.

My name is Garry Epperson.  I am 38 years old and married to a lady named Angela and we have 3 boys ages 9, 5, and 18 months.  We also have a little girl on the way in July.  I am a contractor and I have been building houses for 13 years.  I have been building log homes for the past 3 years and have seen, like many of you, a growing trend in greener building.  I am also invest in domain names part time and have noticed a big increase in the growing number of websites related to the green industry.

Being a contractor, I have been affected by the recent downturn in the economy  as many of you are.  But with every difficulty lies great opportunity (Einstein).  There are countless opportunities available right now in front of our faces and they are knocking harder than they have done in my lifetime.  I can’t remember a time when we were faced with so much opportunity.  Imagine how many things are out there waiting to be discovered just in the green industry.  This trend has been around for several years but is now poised to reach a critical mass in the next few years.  Green is exploding everywhere.  These are scary times but they are also extraordinarily exciting times.

I am optimistic by nature and I believe that all of us can make our mark somewhere right now!  Look at the setting today:

1) People everywhere are losing their jobs.

2)People are losing their homes.

3) People are desparate and they are LOOKING for opportunity like never before.

4) The internet is still in its infancy.  It’s been crawling for fifteen years or so and it is getting ready to get up and start walking.  It’s only a matter of time.

5) The internet is the great equalizer.  Anyone can create a business on the internet today.  It has never been easier.

Combine all five of these things and what do you see?  I see a whole group of people who are being forced to do things they never would have done otherwise.  Someone who had a job they never would have left to build a business that makes millions of dollars.  Someone else who is stuggling to feed their family who is desparate to survive who will do anything and stake everything to build a business online.  There are millions of stories.  The world is crazy with opportunity today.  Many of the jobless people today will be the millionaires of tomorrow because they saw the opportunity and took action.

Many of these people will pioneer trails through the green industry.  Think about the houses and cars of tomorrow.  What will they look like?  How will they function?  How will they be powered?  Now combine this industry with the nanotech revolution that is coming and what do you see?  I see something that will dwarf the internet and anything else there has ever been.  That’s opportunity and you, yes you, can take part in it.

What am I selling?  Nothing except a belief in the human spirit and what a man or woman can do when they are backed up against the wall.  I see an explosion of business and industry like there has never been.  It will look completely different than what we have seen before.  It won’t be the same type of revolution we saw with industry or even with information.  It will look much different and it will change society as we know it today.  It will be bigger and better and faster and more efficient.  It is the next big thing.  Many will dig their heels in and scream at the top of their lungs to stop it.  Many will accept it after they see everyone else doing it.  A few will grasp the change and run with it and adapt to it quickly and that’s who will make the most difference.

Is it all about money?  Nope.  But I’m a business man and I think in terms of dollars and time and opportunity.  I see big ones coming right now!  NOW!!  You can make things happen, watch things happen, or wonder what happened.

What do you think?  How is the green industry changing your life?  Do you see it positively or negatively?  Do you think it’s real or do you think the whole thing is a scam?  Do you resist change or adapt to it?  Do you want to lay down and get run over by this revolution or do you want to stand up and dust yourself off and keep moving forward?

Let me know what you think.