Sustainable Vision Roundtable 5/28/09

We had our second Sustainable Vision Roundtable on Thursday May 28th, 2009. Twenty members shared their views on positive economic signs from real estate to finance.

We had quite a few speakers:

Glenn Schulke – http://www.gosolarlife.com/ - demonstrated his line of portable solar photo voltaic products which are designed to recharge cell phones, digital cameras, laptops and even car batteries. He indicated that he's receiving a great deal of interest from military, the forest service, and outdoors men.

Helen Pugh – offered information regarding senate bill SB 1403 which is being supported by her friend and Arizona state senator Barbara Leff. The bill is geared toward job creation in the green industry.

Linda Sloan – enlightened us to the potential dangers of electromagnetic fields which are prevalent in our everyday life. She then offered several products which can help to mitigate potential harm.

Lee Lewis – offered a passionate monologue regarding the need for more common sense approach to energy use and energy resources. Furthermore he discussed energy sources such as wave energy, geothermal energy, heat siphoning, magnetic, and hydrogen in relation to an individual's common sense use of these resources.

Dana Ball and Laura Orsini discussed forming a website that would serve as a clearing house for information and a referral source for quality professionals in the sustainable field. Helen Pugh also suggested forming a Speakers Bureau for those interested in speaking about their specialty.

In general there was a great deal of knowledge shared – done so with vim and vigor and a good deal of humor.

Next meeting: Thursday June 25th, 2009 4pm to 6pm

Sustainable Vision Roundtable

We had our first Sustainable Vision Roundtable yesterday. It was a big success!! Over eighteen interested parties where in attendance.

If you are interested in Sustainable Living, please feel free to attend the next event.

What: Sustainable Vision Roundtable
Who: Discussion group for those interested in Sustainable Living, Green Home Design, Simple Living, Eco Design and anything related to intelligent living.
Where: 6350 N. 78th St Unit 259, Scottsdale AZ 85250 (cross streets McDonald and 78th St)
When: 4th Thursday of every month 4pm to 6pm
Cost: Free, refreshments provided

The meeting is an opportunity to learn more about what's going on in the industry, to begin to lay the foundation for further relationships, and to learn what we can do to promote and further intelligent living.

In future meetings we will begin a conversation about the opportunities that will very soon avail themselves to those of us who are open to the possibilities.

To be sure, there is going to be more than enough opportunity for everyone allied to this industry once the recovery begins in earnest. Though this is NOT a networking event, bring plenty of business cards.

Please email me if you would like to attend: dana@artguydesign.com
Dana Ball, Art Guy Design
480-235-4532

Priming the Pump for Sustainability

There is a lot of talk about the stimulus plan. Is it stimulus? Is it spending?
Pick your terms, define them as you will.
Here's what we know:
The massive growth (building, transportation, infrastructure) occurring in many parts of the globe - China, India, petroleum-producing countries, etc. - is based on the same template on which the US has been built. There is no leapfrog in technology or in choice of energy resources being used. Europe has been much more forward thinking than the rest of us (Germany accounts for 40% of the total global solar energy use, France gets 78% of its electricity from nuclear energy, Denmark is the world's leading exporter of wind turbines and has an unemployment rate of about 2% - in part because the way it has taxed energy has helped to stimulate a whole new clean-tech industry.) There are presently not enough known traditional resources (petroleum, coal, natural gas) to support this growth. It is estimated we would need up to three earths to meet the need. The green industry (I really don't think the term "green" does justice to the scope and importance of the industry) is one that is absolutely on he brink of bursting in this country. We will almost literally need to rebuild the vast majority of our built environments to adjust to a new reality. ("In the year 2035, three-quarters of the built environments in the US will be either new or renovated." Green Building A-Z by Jerry Yudelson) If we, as a country, can position ourselves on the vanguard of this movement, the rest of the world will be knocking on our door. That translates into jobs - millions of jobs - because virtually every aspect of our way of life will be affected.
To be clear, this is a paradigm shift. (As a point of reference, it was a mere 500 years ago that we thought the earth was flat.)
Solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal and biomass energies will be the new petroleum of our post-paradigm shift world. (Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman)
Interesting Statistic: Every 20 minutes enough solar energy falls on the United State to power the entire country for a year.
Here's what I foresee:
We will soon discover that a common sense approach to energy will cease to be a trend of choice, and become the standard out of necessity.
There is a good chunk of change in the "stimulus" plan allocated to green technology.
Mark my words on this - The multiplier effect from this investment will be astounding.
There is opportunity in the solving of the problems that ail us.
These solutions will require a non-linear thought process.

Dana W. Ball

Architectural Designer / General Contractor
Art Guy Design, LLC
http://www.artguydesign.com