YouthBuild Columbus Community School is Going Green

2010 Green Building Expo and Green Business Conference

2010-04-12T18:02:00.000-04:00

Every year, several hundred building industry professionals come together to attend a diverse array of Green education sessions. Ohio’s largest Green Building Tradeshow showcasing Green product vendors and service providers is FREE & open to the public.

More info, including a complete schedule, can be found on the Columbus Green Building Forum's website http://www.cgbf.org

For a full list of sponsors and exhibitors visit http://www.cgbf.org/expo10/greenexpo10-exhibitors.html

Innovation in Design

2010-03-30T10:52:00.000-04:00

Close to 30 billion plastic water bottles are purchased every day. Of that, eight out of every 10 bottles will end up in a landfill.

Check out this innovative bottle design by a college student. It could drastically change the way we dispose of our plastic bottles!

Click here to see the Eco Coke Bottle design

YouthBuild Columbus Goes Online!

2010-03-30T09:57:00.000-04:00

Check out the improved YouthBuild Columbus Community School website:

www.youthbuildcolumbus.info

Follow us on Facebook @YouthBuild Columbus Community School and Twitter @YBCCS

Coming Soon!

2010-01-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

Watch out for the YouthBuild Columbus Construction Department Website! Students will be able to find information about higher education and jobs in the construction field, green building, and even a place to fill out and submit homework assignments online.

There will also be a page dedicated to the super secret green building project which is scheduled to start within the next few weeks!

Reducing your Junk Mail

2009-12-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

Junk mail fills up our mail boxes and a majority of those ads and coupons are thrown away without even a glimpse. Next time you receive one of those plastic bags full of ads, call the number on the card attached or inside of the bag (usually some marketing firm) and ask to be removed from the mailing list.

Here is a list of websites that have opt-out forms for junk mail (actual snail mail not e-mail):

Opt-Out List

Do Not Mail List

ValPak Coupons

AEP Energy Saving Program

2009-12-10T14:13:00.000-05:00

AEP recently announced an Instant Discount program for CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) for AEP Ohio customers.

Visit GridSmartOhio to get more information and locate a store offering these discounts.

Or visit The Smart Lighting Store and receive the instant discount online.

Green Jobs

2009-12-01T10:08:00.009-05:00

Below is a list of green jobs that are available from many different industries like construction, manufacturing, automotive, and public transportation. The U.S. Green Building Council released a report stating that currently 2 million jobs are somehow related to green industry. That number is expected to grow to 8 million by 2013!!

Examples of Green Jobs in Four Major Areas of Sustainable Development

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Urban Sustainability

Smart growth projects that stop urban sprawl
Green building and infrastructure design
Energy-efficient homes and commercial buildings
Development of efficient mass-transport systems

Some jobs in this field: green contractor or designer, energy auditor and retrofitter, green-roof installer, brownfield remediation worker, public transit maintenance, bicycle repair, assembling efficient appliances, windows, doors, roofing, decking, and electronics

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Water, Ecosystems, and Agriculture Preservation

Biodiversity promotion and ecosystem preservation
Protection and management of water
Improving air quality
Practicing sustainable agriculture

Some jobs in this field: watershed manager, drinking water treatment or engineer, hazardous material removal, tree pruner, invasive species remover, park maintenance, agricultural inspector, farm product purchaser, organic farmer and grocer

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Material Management and Human Health

Reduction of waste and chemical contamination
Green product design and manufacturing
Green engineering and chemistry
Increasing the use of recycled and reused materials
Life cycle assessment
Remediation of polluted areas (brownfields, wetlands)

Some jobs in this field: material and site de-constructor, recycling technician, material salvager, computer refurbisher, sustainable product manufacturer, lithium ion battery manufacturer, air quality inspector, hybrid vehicle mechanic

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Renewable Energy and Climate Change

Building a Smart Grid to support more electricity from wind, solar, hydropower, and more
Development and use of renewable energy - geothermal, hydro, solar, wind, and biofuels

Some jobs in this field: photovoltaic panel installer, wind turbine technician, iron or steel worker, electrician, machinist, welder, line worker, plumber, equipment assembler, green energy components manufacturer, environmental educator

Information provided by the YouthBuild Community of Practice Resource Room: YouthBuild Green Tip Sheet #2

Rainwater Harvesting

2009-12-01T09:28:00.003-05:00

Rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting rainwater for gardening or irrigation and can even be filtered into drinking water for a home.

A complete rainwater harvesting system looks something like this:

The diagram above shows rainwater runoff from the roof being collected in a cistern underground then pumped into the home's distribution and sanitation system.

The rain barrel system shown below is less complicated and usually just used for gardening or drip irrigation:

In order to get water pressure from these rain barrels, they must be higher than the hose. The higher the barrel sits, the more pressure into the hose.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting

2009-11-18T09:23:00.000-05:00

Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) are energy efficient replacements for incandescent bulbs - the typical 60 or 100 watt light bulb. A CFL that replaces a 60 watt bulb will run on 10-20 watts, that makes it 70-80% more efficient.

To figure out how much money can be saved over a year and over the life of a CFL, click here.

IECC - OBC

2009-11-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

International Energy Conservation Code - 2006
Ohio Building Code - Energy Efficiency

The Green Wall

2009-11-10T14:09:00.000-05:00

Check out the green wall by the construction area and back bathrooms. This is where you can find information on going green at home, at school, and on the construction site.

If anyone would like copies of the information found on the green wall, please see Mrs. Voll.

Recycling: Post-Consumer vs. Pre-Consumer

2009-11-04T10:06:00.000-05:00

This Big Mac label reads "Made with a minimum 46% post-consumer recycled content".

But what does that mean?

Post-consumer recycling consists of end-user waste. Paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles are all examples of items that consumers purchase and then throw out.

Pre-consumer recycling is just the opposite. These items include leftovers from manufacturers like paper and metal scraps. Pre-consumer waste is easier to recycle because it is generally one item in large quantities.

Post-consumer waste is what fills up landfills. So when you have the option to choose between an item that is 46% post-consumer or 100% post-consumer, choose 100% because that helps reduce the waste that ends up in landfills!

Update!

2009-11-03T08:25:00.000-05:00

The recycling container is not coming until today.

The bins will be put in place throughout the day.

Please pay attention to the posters.

Thanks!

Welcome!

2009-10-30T11:01:00.009-04:00

Welcome to the YouthBuild Columbus Green blog. This is where you will learn all things green, from why it is so important to what you can do to make an impact.

On the left side of the page, you will find links to various websites that discuss going green. Feel free to check them out.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

YouthBuild Columbus is establishing a recycling program. On Monday, recycle bins labeled for plastic/aluminum and paper/cardboard will be placed throughout the building. Any plastic bottles, aluminum cans, paper, and cardboard NEED to be placed in the correct recycle bins.

**PLEASE remove the plastic bottle cap (not recyclable).**

**PLEASE do NOT recycle your milk cartons from breakfast and lunch. These are coated with wax which is not recyclable.**

Remember, IT is OUR responsibility to take care of our planet.

Recycling is a huge step toward improving our environment.

Unacceptable items placed in the recycle bins make it impossible for the recycling program to serve its purpose.

Feel free to leave comments on how you feel about the recycling program and any suggestions you have for this blog and for going green!

Thanks!

Mrs. Voll

Your Green Vista