It’s Keen to be “Green” in Chattanooga
Categories: Chattanooga Real Estate News, Home Maintenance, Market Myths and Truths
By David Israel, Business Manager
Everyone around the world and in Chattanooga are going “green”, but what does it mean? Some people say that the term 
has become a buzz word for companies to capitalize on a movement to be able to charge more for products and services. Others feel that it is an ecological movement by the citizens of the world to clean up the mess we have made over the past century, and a few even call this movement just a “fad”! Kermit the Frog was actually the leading proponent of going green in the early 70’s saying, “It’s not easy being green”.
Personally, I think going ”green” is a way of life that is changing the world around us. As consumers of “stuff”, I really think that this movement is here to stay and hope that it will improve our lives. There are so many products that have come to market in the past couple of years, but do we really know if they are “green” and really what does it all mean to you and to me personally? We hear terms that builders are now building “Green Homes” under LEED Standards with Energy Star Appliances, and a reduction in the Carbon Footprint. This sounds wonderful, but what in the world are they talking about? Well, I was reading Georgia Realtor Magazine, September/October 2008, “Going Green Eco-Friendly Initiatives in Real Estate” Issue, and found a glossary of terms that gave me a better understanding of what all these terms and acronyms mean and I thought I would share them with you.
The Glossary of Green Terms:
Alternative Energy - Energy from sources other than fossil fuels (coal and natural gas), such as renewable sources like 
wind, sun, or raining water.
Carbon Footprint - The total amount of carbon dioxide emitted over a given time by a person, organization or state. Usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Energy Star(R) - Actually introduced in 1992 by the US Environment Protection Agency as a voluntary labeling program to identify and promote energy-efficient products to help reduce greenhouse emissions. Originally designed for computers, it has expanded to office products, major appliances, lighting, home electronics and now expanded to include complete buildings such as homes, commercial and industrial buildings.
Green Power - This is the production of electricity from environmentally friendly sources such as hydrogen fuel cells, ocean energy and wind power.
Greenwashing - The practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice.
Greywater - Waste water from lavatories, showers, baths and sinks only. This water can be stored in special equipment and may then be used to water lawns, gardens or other relatively benign non-potable uses such as groundwater recharge. Water from toilets is called black water; it must be properly drained to the sewer or septic system.
LEED - The acronym for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.” The LEED program was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council as a system for rating new and existing commercial, institutional and residential buildings. It evaluates the overall environmental performance during the life-cycle of a building and provides a tangible methodology for analyzing the standards of a green building.
Sustainability - A way of working and living that balances immediate needs for commerce, living, habitation, food, transportation, energy and entertainment with future needs for these resources and systems as well as the liveliness and support of nature, natural resources and future generations.
I certainly hope that this information was helpful in all of our basic understanding of what it means to be green. I am sure Kermit would appreciate us all.
This entry was posted on Monday, October 20th, 2008 at 10:16 am and is filed under Chattanooga Real Estate News, Home Maintenance, Market Myths and Truths. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Hi David, This is a great post. I have put something together along these lines for my consumers. I recently spoke to a gentleman who is an inspector in our area to rate how green your home is. A whole new industry is upon us. Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog today. Audrey