Martha Rose Construction
Martha Rose Construction
BUILT GREEN design award winner Martha Rose Construction and listing agent GreenWorks Realty announce a grand opening, Jan. 22, for the first of 13 new townhomes available at the new Rainier Vista Community in Columbia City. The homes will receive four to five stars, the highest ranking of Built Green certification. The Martha Rose homes are among the few local homes to receive (and even surpass) Energy Star certification. The homes are designed for energy efficiency, healthy indoor air quality, water conservation and lasting durability. Special features include advanced insulation, windows, an air ventilation system, healthier materials including formaldehyde-free woods and pre-wiring for solar energy and hot water. “We owe it to ourselves and our children to conserve resources. Building green is a holistic approach to homebuilding, which offers the next logical step to health for environmentally conscious buyers who already choose organic food and green products,” says builder Martha Rose. For more information, visit www.martharoseconstruction.com or www.greenworksrealty.com.
Washington State University’s Small Farms Team announces a great success from its eighth annual fall Harvest Celebration Day. “The goal of the event is to get people acquainted with their local farmers in hopes that they’ll want to support them through their food purchases and voting for policies that protect farmland,” says Marcy Ostrom, director. The program provides hands-on activities including farm tours, harvest dinners featuring locally grown foods and demonstrations at sustainable agriculture research sites. An estimated 20,000 or more people participated in the Harvest Celebration this year. Team members raised approximately $50,000 in cash and in-kind sponsorships from media sources and other companies to promote and produce the event. The celebration started with one county in 1998 and grew to 11 counties by 2005. For more information, visit www.smallfarms.wsu.edu.
START THE DAY green. The Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS) has launched a monthly breakfast series featuring business leaders who are demonstrating innovation and generating increased profitability through sustainable business practices. The Jan. 19 NBIS Leaders Forum will feature Lonny Knabe, sustainable projects coordinator for Nike corporate facilities. Among Lonny’s achievements: Salmon-Safe certification for the Nike corporate campus; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1998 levels; waste to landfill reduced by 50 percent; LEEDS construction and renovation. The NBIS Leaders Forum is presented in collaboration with the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University. See www.nbis.org for details.
This fall, businesses and government agencies including Adobe, Boeing, The Bullitt Foundation, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Microsoft, REI, City of Seattle, King County and Washington State employees supported Earth Share of Washington’s charitable giving program. Earth Share of Washington funds 66 organizations working to protect the environment locally and globally through projects that restore and protect our state’s habitats, trails, streams and wildlife. Advocacy groups such as Washington Environmental Council, Washington Toxics Coalition and Futurewise also receive funding. “The people of our state care for our environment deeply. Poll after poll suggests this,” said executive director William Borden. “People express their caring in different ways, whether through volunteering, through payroll pledges or both.” Companies wishing to expand their employee-giving options, or individuals interested in learning more, check out www.esw.org.
Heather Nordell is a regular contributor to Conscious Choice.