The White House may soon be a “green house” if President Obama has his way. 

President Barack Obama wants the White House to achieve LEED certification. Photo Courtesy Flickr.

The president’s home is well on its way to eco-friendliness with features such as an organic vegetable garden and a swing set made from recycled materials, shredded tires and nontoxic dyes. President Obama, however, wants to take it a step further with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

In order to meet LEED standards, a number of major changes would have to take place at the White House, including updates for energy, water and waste systems. The home’s historical status and required security will also make the process more difficult. Christine Glunz, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) spokesperson, says the CEQ is looking to reduce the White House’s carbon footprint with features such as computerized energy management systems; automatic light sensors that turn off in unoccupied rooms, low-flow water valves and windows that lessen UV rays. Other efforts include using low-VOC paints and sealants and switching to biodegradable cleaners and recycled equipment for the groundskeepers and engineers. Leftover materials from the renovation will go to local reuse organizations. 

The administration has already taken steps to green visitors’ experience at the White House. Recycling is more accessible, and water fountains have been modified to make it easier for visitors to refill their water bottles. 

President Obama isn’t the first president to make energy-saving changes to the White House. In 1979 President Jimmy Carter had a solar water heater installed on the roof of the West Wing (later removed by the Reagan administration), and President George W. Bush installed a small photovoltaic system and two small solar water heating systems. 

These small steps are good, but we believe it’s high time for a full-on green renovation. What do you think? Should the White House aim for LEED certification? Tell me your opinion in the comments section!

Look good while doing good—it’s a vital basis of the modern green living movement. From fashion and cosmetics to couches and rugs, showing your chic and compassionate side has never been more popular. Thankfully, I can get attached to this trend. Companies are proving that you can have a heart and a sense of personal style at the same time.

One such company is the Riverside Design Group in Pennsylvania. Known for innovatively shaped tabletop creations, Riverside Design Group also has some serious green cred: the company’s building is LEED-certified for energy efficiency; they use lightweight recycled shipping materials to keep their carbon footprint low; and they use recycled glass to make all of their products.

Plates with Purpose's simple designs speaks volumes. Photo Courtesy Plates with Purpose.

To take their commitment to caring one step further, Riverside Design Group created Plates with Purpose (http://plateswithpurpose.com/)—an entire line of plates that raise funds and awareness for local and national nonprofit organizations. Five different artists had their hands in creating the designs for these fabulous plates, and in turn, 12 different groups benefit by receiving 15 percent of each sale. 

A preview of a few other styles available from Plates with Purpose. Photo Courtesy Plates with Purpose.

Available in a square and rectangle shapes, the plates feature images closely connected with the nonprofits they benefit. For example, the “wheat” design is for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the “ladybug” design is for the Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. You can see a full collection of the plates, sizes available, and even purchase a few for yourself, on the Plates with Purpose site. They’re sure to be fun conversational pieces at your next get-together.

 Editor's Note: Natural Home does not recommend, approve or endorse the products/services offered by companies guest bloggers review online. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase. 

In the midst of all the gloom, we’re happy to report some very good news. Clayton Homes, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, just announced its line of green prefab homes. These 1,000-square-foot prefab homes, dubbed “i-houses,” cost less than $75,000 to build. 

Clayton Homes' green prefab homes are affordable and luxurious. Photo Courtesy Clayton Homes.

The green prefab homes have enough eco-friendly features to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum rating. These green prefab homes include low-flow faucets; low-VOC materials; high-efficiency heat pumps; dual-flush toilets; insulated exterior walls, roof and floors; and metal roofs designed for rainwater harvesting. If those aren’t enough, homeowners can upgrade to bamboo flooring, Energy Star-certified appliances and solar panels.  

The i-house features spacious bedrooms and work areas. Photo Courtesy Clayton Homes.

The state-of-the-art green kitchen features low-flow faucets and Energy Star-certified appliances. Photo Courtesy Clayton Homes.

Despite the housing crunch, Clayton Homes is putting additional research-and-development funds into the green prefab homes, which CEO and president Kevin Clayton believes will keep the project thriving. 

Exact pricing is still being determined for the green prefab homes. The designs will be slightly altered to fit personal needs and specific regions. Once this is completed, the Clayton team will put thousands of these green prefab homes homes up for sale.

Last weekend—the second anniversary of the tornado that destroyed the small town of Greensburg, Kansas—residents invited the public to see its progress toward becoming one of the first green towns in the United States. Greensburg homeowners and business owners have rebuilt much of the town with eco-friendly construction materials. 

In the devastating tornado’s aftermath, Greensburg city officials committed to using 100 percent renewable energy from a wind farm a few miles south and mandated that every city building be built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Platinum standards. 

The Silo eco-home will be a model for smallscale sustainable food production. The roof will be transformed into usable space through the creation of an herb and vegetable garden. Photo Courtesy Greensburg GreenTown. 

GreenTown is a community-owned organization that partnered with city officials to rebuild the town in a sustainable manner. With assistance from the USGBC and Ogden Publications, parent company of Natural Home, Mother Earth News, The Herb Companion and Utne Reader magazines, GreenTown has planned several buildings slated to qualify for LEED Platinum status, including the John Deere dealership, which opened for business in January; Sun Chips Business Incubator building, completed this May; and the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, which will be complete in fall 2010. In addition to these buildings, the 5.4.7 Arts, a fine arts community center, achieved LEED Platinum level in 2008. 

In addition, GreenTown’s Chain of Eco-Homes project offers 12 model homes that act as “living laboratories.” Constructed of eco-friendly building materials, each home is scientifically monitored to determine how the materials perform. The homes are open to the public as lodging and as an information center. GreenTown broke ground last December and completed two homes on May 4, 2009. It hopes to complete two more homes by the end of 2009 and the remaining eight by the end of 2011.

As I begin my foray into so-called "green remodeling," I found myself pondering some essential questions, mostly along the lines of "What the heck is everyone talking about?"

With the start of this project, I'm beginning to realize there are some key terms and words that I just don't know enough about. And that, my friends, is no way to begin a big project, especially with a budget of about $15,000, give or take, for this overhaul (minus appliances and furniture). (As you may recall, my family is distinctly unskilled when it comes to DIY construction which is why I feel it's my duty to learn as much as I can about everything else!)

Of course, this all occurred to me today, when everything was torn out of the condo except the drywall. So while it's a bit late for second thoughts, the need for an education has become quite pressing.  

This week, I'm researching new vocabulary terms. First up: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), (from the U.S. Green Building Council, my new best friends.) According to USGBC, if your house is LEED-certified, it's environmentally sound and "a healthy place to live."

I desperately want to be certified.

Our LEED-certified architect and green consultant, Thom of McKinley Associates tells me we can't get LEED certification on our remodel, because we would have to replace the drywall, and even then, it's questionable as to whether the remodel would have to include the entire building of six units. But, he thinks we might be able to get an Energy Star certification if we do the kitchen right. 

Energy Star is a familiar term, but in this remote area, I'm a bit intimidated by the choices that lie ahead. Luckily, Energy Star offers lots of helpful tips and brands. I'll be spending quite a bit of time at Ferguson's Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery down the road in Charleston. I'm sure I'll be revisiting this issue in a later post. 

Of course, you can't talk energy without learning about your carbon footprint. I knew appliances played a big role in determining how our lifestyle affected the environment, but who knew flooring did, too? Bamboo, another word of the week, is the eco-choice of the moment, but the National Association of Homebuilders claims that wood flooring in general will last more than 100 years, so maybe I don't have to be limited. (I want whitewashed maple flooring, and am trying to find a green way to do it.)

This, of course, raises another philosophical question: Does lifespan and quality justify an initial carbon output? I tend to think it does. 

For help in sorting through all of this, I'm relying a lot on my floor guy at European Flooring. He has all the dust-free equipment by Nona, too crucial for keeping a healthy environment during the remodel. 

And what about tiles? I am attracted to handmade Italian tiles, but Italy is a long way off—that's a lot of jet fuel for a kitchen floor. On the other hand, tiles are green all the way, and grout and glue are environmentally sound, with low emissions. 

Since my head is packed full of new terms and questions, I'd love to hear what you all think. Leave me a comment below!