Want to know how DW-GREEN and this blogger did in 2015?

Happy 2016! We at DW-GREEN Associates wish you a healthy, prosperous and joyful New Year.

Ours started off in fine fashion with notice from the USGBC Maryland chapter that the project we’ve been working on towards a LEED certification for St. Margaret’s Church, Annapolis, Maryland, has been selected as a 2015 Finalist for a Wintergreen Award (category: Non-profit or Publicly-funded projects). The awards celebrate, promote and recognize excellence in high performance, healthy design and building along with environmental stewardship and community impact.

From 30 projects submitted, 19 were down-selected as Finalists. Wish us luck on 1/28 when the envelopes will be unsealed. A number of our talented design/construction team will attend in further support of the parish’s bold and momentous commitment to environmental stewardship.

To add a bit of stir, there will be on-the-spot voting that evening for the People’s Choice Award. So, another chance for recognition of this fantastic project.

Now, about the blog…

Here’s the 2015 Word Press report for DW-GREEN Associates.

As you can see, I posted 55 pieces; about one a week. So, that goal was achieved. Visitors to the blog came 3,000 times from 73 countries during the year.

The busiest day was 1/21 with 45 views. The post that day was about Pope Francis. Not surprising, given the man’s impact on faith, the environment and other world affairs.  I wrote the all-time most viewed post back in 2013. Not so proud that I haven’t exceeded that one since. The subject was trees with the title “Things I’ve Forgotten or Never Knew about Trees, Wood—and the Atmosphere.” Well, there’s something about a particular tree in this post.

In Sundry Dept

Q. Did you hear what happened to the 78′ tall Norway Spruce Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza in New York City?

A.  For the 9th consecutive year, the tree has been donated to Habitat for Humanity. It’s milled, treated and made into lumber for homebuilding.

Q. Do you think all-electric vehicles, like the Chevy “Volt” and Nissan “Leaf,” are emissions-free?

A. Of course not. The electricity that charges their batteries come from the same sources as other users: coal, oil, natural gas and etc. According to the US Department of Energy, all-electric vehicles generate 54 lbs. CO2 per each 100 mi. My ’06 Volvo wagon (definitely not a green car for its gas mileage; but its color is green) generates over 100 lbs. CO2 per 100 mi. But, it could be that the source of electricity is in rural or semi-rural areas which may cut a bit of slack–thank you, W. Va–for us urban dwellers. With more solar and wind/wave-generated electricity, those numbers will fall.

Q. How much light and heat are generated by yesteryear’s incandescent light?

A. About 90% of the energy used by a bulb creates heat while the remaining 10% creates light. You have switched to LED lighting by now, right?

Q. When leaving the water running into the sink while brushing your teeth, how much potable water do you think is wasted?

A. 12 gals. According to one source which may describe you (or me when still asleep in front of the sink some mornings): “The average person will turn on the water, rinse off tooth brush, put tooth paste on tooth brush, brush teeth, spit a couple times, brush a little more, rinse tooth brush off, use a mouth rinse or mouth wash, swish that around a bit, spit it out, rinse out sink, and finally turn off water. This process will usually take 2 – 3 minutes to complete.” One way of diminishing such waste is to retrofit your faucets with flow reducers. Another might be to think of people in the developing world who would prize 12-24 gals. of fresh/potable water for drinking, or in drought-stricken areas including South Africa and São Paulo. And, did I mention California or Nevada? Shaving-related fresh water waste could be worse.

P. S.  Say, speaking of starting off the New Year in fashion of good and sometimes interesting information about sustainable buildings, lifestyle and environment, consider subscribing to our blog. To the right on your screen you should see a box below Subscribe to Blog via Email into which you can type an email address. Then hit Subscribe.