Green Architecture and Building Report

Jam-Packed Session at West Coast Green 09: Alex Wilson’s Talk on The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: a Look at Green & Not-So-Green Building Products

By Mignon O'Young, Editor

I have subscribed to the Environmental Building News for the last 15 years and it is my favorite subscription that I read religiously.  I appreciate it for presenting good, solid research and am a huge fan of Mr. Alex Wilson, the Executive Editor of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec® Directory, and the Founder and President of BuildingGreen, Inc. based in Vermont.  His session at West Coast Green was jammed pack but I was determined to score a space on the auditorium steps.

West Coast Green 09: Innovations, Ideas, and Opportunities Shared

By Mignon O'Young, Editor

It was a crisp, fall morning with the sun shimmering on the San Francisco Bay—what a way to start off my first of three days at West Coast Green on October 1, 2009.  As I walked through the exhibit hall to reach the keynote session, I could feel the buzz of excitement as exhibitors were putting on the finishing touches at their booths.

2nd Annual US-China Green Energy Conference a Catalyst for Change and Innovation

By Mignon O'Young, Editor

Conserving natural resources and curbing carbon emissions.  Investing in clean technology and increasing renewable energy production.  Developing sustainable eco-cities and implementing environmental policies.  The race to effectively address these crucial challenges has begun.  American and Chinese professionals are collaborating at various private and public levels to develop solutions at a global scale.

West Coast Green: Innovations, Ideas, and Opportunities

By Mignon O'Young, Editor

The very cool and very educational West Coast Green will be in San Francisco next week, October 1–3, 2009.  It's the largest conference on green innovation for the built environment on the west coast, and will be packed with educational seminars, trade show exhibitors, and showcases.  Plan your schedule precisely for each day and get ready for a serious infusion of multi-faceted and valuable learning.

Optimism Key to Building Industry Recovery

By Mignon O'Young, Editor

PCBC (formerly known as the Pacific Coast Builders Conference) kicked off its 50th anniversary in San Francisco, California on June 17–19.  The theme, “the New Age of Invention”, was apropos.  In this economic climate, it's time for us in the design and construction industries to re-invent ourselves, innovate, and work towards a more sustainable way of doing business.

Green Agents of Change Convene at Green Building Summit

By Mignon O'Young, Editor

The need for energy efficient and sustainable buildings has finally started gaining mainstream recognition in the United States in the last 5 years, not only from the design and construction industries, but also from homeowners, the financial sector, and government agencies including President Obama’s Administration.

More recently, the momentum of call to action has also been energized by the hi-tech industry.  A case in point:  a mix of 200 venture capitalists, inventors, researchers and passionate people with strong ties to the Silicon Valley hi-tech industry attended the Green Building Summit convened by Greentech Media, Inc. and SRI International on June 11, 2009 in Menlo Park, California.