Eco Brokers

<p> I would like to invite anyone who is involved in sustainable and renewable energy. This directly affects how we see real estate in the future.<br /> <br /> You don&#39;t have to be a tree hugger to join. Simple ideas that can help your buyers and sellers understand the power of retrofitting their homes to be more environmentally friendly.<br /> <br /> I would like to encourage comments about green home sales. We need more information about days on market for a green home versus a traditional home sale.<br /> <br /> Sincerely,<br /> <br /> <br /> Cherie Young<br /> www.CherieYoung.com<br /> 760.782.0103 </p>

<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">Today, two Colorado-based companies, GenGreenLife.com and EcoBroker International, announced an innovative partnership that will provide home buyers and sellers with easy access to energy and environmentally-trained real estate professionals across the country. As a result of the partnership, these EcoBroker Certified^® real estate professionals will be connected with a national audience of conscious consumers interested in buying and selling green homes.</span> </p> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">&quot;Green building is one of the fastest growing industries in the country right now,&quot; said Charisse McAuliffe, founder and CEO of GenGreen LLC. &quot;We feel this partnership will support this trend by increasing our users&#39; awareness that there are qualified REALTORS^® out there who can help them find an environmentally sensitive home.&quot;</span> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">GenGreen chose to partner with EcoBroker International because their certification program has been the industry standard of green designation training for real estate professionals since 2002. &quot;The company has built a solid foundation of environmental education and outreach,&quot; said McAuliffe. This helps consumers and communities take advantage of energy efficiency and sustainable design in real estate properties.</span> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">As part of the relationship, the Certified EcoBrokers® listed on GenGreenLife.com will be able to display their designation logo on their listing, improving visibility in the search results and allowing users to compare them to competitors who haven&#39;t undergone certification. Likewise, EcoBroker will host the GenGreen API on their Web site, meaning that visitors to EcoBroker.com will be able to find and support tens of thousands of local eco-friendly businesses directly from <a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=46271833&amp;msgid=569294&amp;act=5OHY&amp;c=316036&amp;admin=0&amp;destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecobroker.com%2F">www.EcoBroker.com</a></span> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">&quot;We&#39;re pleased to offer our members this tremendous opportunity to connect with the GenGreen community,&quot; said EcoBroker founder and CEO, John Beldock. &quot;The EcoBroker program was founded on the belief that licensed real estate professionals are the ideal candidates to connect homeowners with high-quality green products and services, as well as high-performance homes. Our relationship with GenGreen strengthens our ability to further these activities, which is fantastic.&quot;</span> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; background: white; line-height: 115%">Those interested in learning more about the partnership and how to contact EcoBroker International for their real estate and designation needs are encouraged to visit the</span> <span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%"><a target="_blank" href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=46271833&amp;msgid=569294&amp;act=5OHY&amp;c=316036&amp;admin=0&amp;destination=http%3A%2F%2Fgengreenlife.com%2Fendorsements.php%23ecobroker"><span style="font-size: 10pt; background: white; line-height: 115%">EcoBroker endorsement page</span></a></span> <span style="font-size: 10pt; background: white; line-height: 115%">on GenGreenLife.com.</span> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">About GenGreen LLC</span></strong> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; letter-spacing: -0.2pt">The mission of GenGreen is to help people learn how to live more sustainable livesby making them aware of the environmentally conscious businesses, organizations and people in their local communities. We accomplish this through our Web site, GenGreenLife.com, which is</span> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">the most comprehensive and diverse resource available for people looking to live a locally focused, environmentally conscious lifestyle. Currently, we offer a directory of over 35,000 business and organizational listings, and hundreds of green events, green-collar job listings and volunteer opportunities across the U.S.</span> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"> <strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">About EcoBroker® International</span></strong> </div> <div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%">EcoBroker International is the premier provider of green designation training for real estate professionals. Founded in 2002, the company has built a solid foundation of environmental education and outreach helping consumers and communities take advantage of energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive design in real estate properties. Through EcoBroker&#39;s unique energy and environmental curriculum, real estate professionals acquire the knowledge and resources to become Certified EcoBrokers^®. These real estate professionals assist clients in their pursuit of properties that provide affordability, comfort and a healthier environment. EcoBroker has thousands of members in all 50 states and internationally.</span> </div>

<p> Kelly George from our Eco Broker group in LinkedIn shared this information. </p> <p> Introducing the launch of a new website that has a bunch of &quot;green&quot; building products on it. Realtors that I have shared this with have found it useful for their clients in getting them to upgrade old products in their house as well as giving buyers ideas on what products they can use to remodel a home they purchase. Also good for builders, architects and others! Check it out! <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebuildwithgreenproducts%2Ecom&amp;urlhash=CzZv&amp;_t=disc_detail_link" target="_blank"><font color="#7495C6">www.buildwithgreenproducts.com</font></a><br /> <br /> Cherie </p>

<p> This is a great website to get more information on checking for Radon in your home. <br /> <br /> Map shows U.S. and levels of known Radon. Worth a check. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html">Check for Radon</a><br /> <br /> Cherie </p>

<p> Dear Eco Brokers,<br /> <br /> We have a new client in Chattanooga who is working on her Eco Broker and will also specialize in eco friendly commercial buildings. Does anyone have information they would like to share with the group regarding commercial properties that are LEED certified and that they are selling?<br /> <br /> The sky is the limit for those agents that get onboard with green real estate.<br /> <br /> Text is in latin as this is only the mockup design and will be live within 30 days.<br /> <br /> You may not want to go totally green on your site, but you will want to incorporate some of the green building ideas that I just posted in a new thread into your website.<br /> <br /> <img width="600" height="1073" src="/members/cheriemarie/files/images/SandyBattles10-31-08.jpg" alt="" /> </p>

<p> I just earned NAR&#39;s GREEN Designation and am a Foundation of NAR&#39;s GREEN Resource Council. </p> <p> I believe this training will complement the ECO Broker educational program and recommend taking these classes as they well become available in 2009 throughout the USA. </p> <p> NAR&#39;s GREEN Philosophy= Preserve, Prevent, Create, Conserve and Achieve health for the planet. </p> <p> Live, love and laugh along the way.... </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

<p> I just found this link for online course. Has anyone taken this? </p> <p> <a href="https://www.learninglibrary.com/AspDotNetStoreFront70/p-226-nars-green-designation-residential-elective-course.aspx?skinid=120&amp;affiliateid=10418">https://www.learninglibrary.com/AspDotNetStoreFront70/p-226-nars-green-designation-residential-elective-course.aspx?skinid=120&amp;affiliateid=10418</a><br /> <br /> Cherie Young<br /> </p>

<p> I am a member in ECO-SLO an environmental group in my County that does some good educational activities. </p> <p> However, they have the Liberal Lawsuit thinking that I can&#39;s support. Example: ECO-SLO has taken my membership money to hire a lawyer to Intervene in stopping the Carrizo Energy Solar Farm that is not even in our County. Of course the Liberal Progressive Thinkers in charge <strong>say</strong> they support renewable energy but what they <strong>do</strong> hire lawyers to say NO to building renewable energy production. </p> <p> Liberal Progressive Thinkers hate anybody who questions this lawyer law suit thing and/or even suggest that environmentalist are part of the problem with the GREEN renewable energy movement. </p> <p> I guess this is the &quot;rub&quot; between GREEN Realtors and environmentalist as I want to build it not just talk about it. As more ECO Brokers come into contact with Liberal Progressive Environmentalist this two face thinking and doing will become more clear. It will be a challenge to convince Liberal Progressive Thinkers Environmentalist they are the problem and not the solution to protecting our environment and the future of the earth. </p> <p> </p>

<h1> Albuquerque Lawsuit Threatens Green Building Codes </h1> <p> <!-- If in print mode, fill arrays with all the sidebars and checklists --> <!--using template: article--> The Energy Conservation Code of Albuquerque, New Mexico, enacted in January 2008 with the unanimous support of its city council, seeks to increase energy-efficiency requirements for multifamily and commercial buildings by 30%. The code requires more insulation in single-family houses, outlaws electric water heaters, and imposes high efficiency standards for heating and cooling equipment. The City&#39;s new High Performance Buildings Ordinance covers similar ground. A group of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) contractors and distributors sought negotiations with the city to revise portions of the code. In response, the city delayed implementation of the code until July 1, 2008. The negotiations failed, however, and the group, supported by the national Air-conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), filed suit; this may be the first such legal action against a green building program in the U.S. &quot;Those of us who know the marketplace-the equipment manufacturers, dealers, and installers-have discovered that when minimum standards are raised beyond the point at which they are economically justifiable, it results in more repairs and fewer replacements of older, less efficient equipment, therefore saving no energy,&quot; AHRI president Stephen Yurek said. The group&#39;s main agrument against the code, however, was that its requirements for HVAC equipment are illegal because they violate Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, which gives supremacy to federal law over state or local law. The federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), passed in 1975 and amended several times since, sets efficiency standards for HVAC equipment and includes a preemption clause. It states that it is intended to put an end to &quot;a growing patchwork of differing State regulations which increasingly complicate [manufacturers&#39;] product design and marketing plans.&quot; Albuquerque&#39;s standards exceed those established by EPCA and so are preempted, the plaintiffs claimed. The City argued that the multiple performance-based options for compliance offered in the code, including compliance with the LEED Rating Sytem, Build Green New Mexico, or ASHRAE 90.1, sidestep preemption. Chief District Court judge Martha Vazquez did not agree and found the plaintiffs&#39; argument to have enough merit to support a preliminary injunction. Vazquez opined that since a builder who uses products that meet but do not exceed federal standards must make other gains in overall efficiency, the builder is effectively penalized for using federally acceptable equipment, which, she said, violates EPCA. Shari Shapiro, co-chair of an American Bar Association subcommittee on land use and environmental law and a member of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, has been following the case and sees little hope for the City to win it. &quot;If they litigate this, they&#39;re out of their gourds,&quot; she told <i>EBN</i>. She sees the case as a warning. &quot;Cities are going to have to look harder at their drafting. There are going to be a lot more challenges to these laws.&quot; The U.S. Green Building Council&#39;s directory of advocacy and public policy, Jason Hartke, says that USGBC has been watching the case, but that, &quot;We don&#39;t believe this is going to preclude the leadership policies [such as requirements or incentives to build to standards such as LEED] we&#39;re seeing, in all their variety.&quot; He expressed hope that the Obama administration will provide support for green building policies that might bolster local initiatives. Albuquerque&#39;s attorneys expect to be litigating for the next several months, hoping to sway the judge against issuing a permanent injunction, and laying the groundwork for an appeal. DuBois says the City may also seek a change in federal law to put the preemption issue to rest for good. Any state or local regulation of the efficiency of equipment regulated by EPCA is vulnerable to challenge on the basis of preemption. Many cities limit themselves entirely to performance-based approaches-for example, requiring buildings to meet a LEED or Energy Star standard for overall energy use that doesn&#39;t mandate any particular path to meeting it-and are not obviously preempted. But, if other courts agree with Vazquez that those approaches implicitly regulate equipment efficiency more stringently than do federal regulations, even this strategy could also come under fire. In their brief, Albuquerque&#39;s lawyers appear to recognize these repercussions, asking, &quot;May Plaintiffs halt the green building movement in Albuquerque and, by extension, in cities throughout the United States? If Plaintiffs can enjoin a building code that allows a builder to choose between LEED certification or other paths, then surely other codes that simply require LEED certification cannot survive.&quot; </p> <p> Posted on http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2008/11/24/Albuquerque-Lawsuit-Threatens-Green-Building-Codes/ </p> <p class="byline" style="text-align: right; clear: both;"> <i>- Michael Wilmeth</i> </p> <p class="byline" style="text-align: right; clear: both;"> </p> <p class="byline" style="text-align: right; clear: both;"></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" style="width: 350px; height: 19px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="right_column"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table><!-- END RIGHT COLUMN CONTENT --><!-- END FLOATING RIGHT COLUMN -->

<table width="650" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr align="left"> <td colspan="3"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img width="593" height="113" border="0" alt="Greenbuild 365" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/GB365/logo.gif" /></a> </td> </tr> <tr align="left"> <td width="465" valign="top"> <div class="content"> <div class="content"> <p class="intro"> Greenbuild 2008 is in full swing, and whether you were unable to attend the show or you&#39;re here trying to make the most of every minute, chances are you&#39;ll end up missing one or two of the sessions you&#39;d really like to see. Fortunately, you&#39;ll be able to watch live streaming video coverage of all our of Master Speaker sessions, Friday&#39;s closing plenary and more, on <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Greenbuild365.org</a>.</strong> These sessions will also be archived, so you can view them later if you miss them live. </p> <h3> The Speakers </h3> <p> </p> <ul> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=18" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Van Jones</a></strong>, Wednesday, 2-3:30 p.m. President and Founder, Green For All </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=28" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Leith Sharp</a></strong>, Wednesday, 2-3:30 p.m. Director, Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI) </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=19" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Stefan Behnisch</a></strong>, Wednesday, 4-5:30 p.m. Principal, Behnisch Architekten </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Majora Carter</a></strong>, Wednesday, 4-5:30 p.m. President, Majora Carter Group, LLC </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=23" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Richard Moe</a></strong>, Thursday, 8-9:30 a.m. President, National Trust for Historic Preservation </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=24" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Paul Anastas</a></strong>, Thursday , 4-5:30 p.m. Director for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, Yale University </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=25" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nancy C. Floyd</a></strong>, Thursday, 4-5:30 p.m. Founder and Managing Director, Nth Power, LLC </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=26" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bill McKibben</a></strong>, Friday, 9-10 a.m. Environmentalist and author </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=27" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Howard Frumkin</a></strong>, Friday, 9-10 a.m. Director, The National Center for Environmental Health, CDC </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li> <strong><a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=29" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Greener Good</a></strong>: USGBC Chapters present local green jobs and social equality initiatives, Thursday, 10-11:30 a.m. </li> <li style="list-style: none"> <br /> </li> <li>Closing keynote address, Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Featuring E.O. Wilson, University Research Professor emeritus and honorary Curator of entomology at the Museum of comparative Zoology at Harvard University; and Janine Benyus, the author of &quot;Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature&quot;; moderated by NPR&#39;s Kevin Klose. </li> </ul> </div> </div> </td> <td width="30"> <img width="1" border="0" alt="" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/GB365/spacer.gif" /> </td> <td width="155" valign="top"> <div align="left"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=18" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img width="124" height="151" border="0" alt="Van Jones" src="http://www.greenbuild365.org/Docs/GreenExpo%20Images/Docs117.jpg" /></a> </div> <p align="left" class="style5"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=18" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Watch it now!</a> </p> <p align="left" class="date"> Nov 19, 2-3:30 PM EST </p> <p align="left" class="title"> Master Speaker: </p> <p align="left"> Van Jones </p><br /> <p align="left" class="presenter"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=28" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img width="124" height="159" border="0" alt="Stefan Behnisch" src="http://www.greenbuild365.org/Docs/GreenExpo%20Images/Docs124.jpg" /></a> </p> <p align="left" class="style5"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=28" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Watch it now!</a> </p> <p align="left" class="date"> Nov 19, 2-3:30 PM EST </p> <p align="left" class="title"> Master Speaker: </p> <p align="left"> Leith Sharp </p><br /> <p align="left" class="presenter"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=19" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img width="124" height="165" border="0" alt="Stefan Behnisch" src="http://www.greenbuild365.org/Docs/GreenExpo%20Images/Docs112.jpg" /></a> </p> <p align="left" class="style5"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=19" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Watch it live!</a> </p> <p align="left" class="date"> Nov 19, 4-5:30 PM EST </p> <p align="left" class="title"> Master Speaker: </p> <p align="left"> Stefan Behnisch </p><br /> <p align="left" class="presenter"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img width="124" height="172" border="0" alt="Stefan Behnisch" src="http://www.greenbuild365.org/Docs/GreenExpo%20Images/Docs113.jpg" /></a> </p> <p align="left" class="style5"> <a href="http://www.greenbuild365.org/GreenExpoVideoDetail.aspx?GreenExpoID=20" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Watch it live!</a> </p> <p align="left" class="date"> Nov 19, 4-5:30 PM EST </p> <p align="left" class="title"> Master Speaker: </p> <p align="left"> Majora Carter </p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="650" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="left"> <img width="87" height="87" alt="USGBC" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/GB365/usgbc_logo.gif" /> </td> <td width="252"> <img width="252" height="100" alt="United Technologies" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/GB365/UTC_sponsor.JPG" /> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<p> The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.<br /> <br /> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eusgbc%2Eorg%2FDisplayPage%2Easpx%3FCMSPageID%3D222&amp;urlhash=8qpR&amp;_t=disc_detail_link">http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=222</a><br /> <br /> Sincerely,<br /> <br /> Cherie Young<br /> Online Marketing Strategies<br /> <a href="http://www.CherieYoung.com">Custom Web Designs</a><br /> 760.782.0103 </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

<table width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="292" height="44" align="left"> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.usgbc.org/"><img width="292" height="44" border="0" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/communications/USGBC_Announcement-gen/usgbc.jpg" alt="U.S. Green Building Council" style="display: block;" /></a> </td> <td width="308" height="44"> <img width="308" height="44" align="top" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/communications/USGBC_Announcement-gen/spacer.gif" alt="" style="display: block;" /> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table width="600" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="600" height="20" colspan="5"> <img width="600" height="20" border="0" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/communications/USGBC_Announcement-gen/box_top_fff.jpg" alt="" /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="1" bgcolor="#C8CCCC"> <img width="1" height="1" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/communications/USGBC_Announcement-gen/spacer.gif" alt="" style="display: block;" /> </td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <img width="30" height="1" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/communications/USGBC_Announcement-gen/spacer.gif" alt="" style="display: block;" /> </td> <td width="538" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" align="left"> <p> Dear USGBC Constituents: </p> <p> In recent weeks, a wave of fear and pessimism propagated by the world financial crisis has stolen the headlines, gripped the nation, and challenged our movement. In conversation after conversation, people are asking what will happen to the green building movement if our community is plunged into a recession.<br /> <br /> And I have an answer for them. The greed that led the world economy into crisis will not defeat our commitment to good work. Fear will not dominate our agenda. And our commitment to change - even in the face of so great a challenge - will not waver. </p> <p> Change doesn&#39;t wait on Washington. And it doesn&#39;t depend on Wall Street. Change comes from within. The green building movement has been demonstrating that fact for more than 15 years. Before there was a single government green building policy, before the business community stood up and took notice, before there was a LEED - there was you. Thousands upon thousands of committed individuals dedicated to doing better by doing good. You&#39;ve built this movement. You&#39;re building sustainable communities. And every single one of us has a contribution to make towards pulling our country out of this crisis.<br /> <br /> We cannot lose sight of our mission. It is within reach.<br /> <br /> How? It&#39;s time for the green building movement to deploy the expertise and capacity we&#39;ve built in new construction to green what we&#39;ve already got. Ninety-nine percent of achieving our mission is wrapped up in our existing homes and buildings. It will save money. It will save energy. It will help save our climate. And directly relevant to today&#39;s economic environment, it will create good, green, local jobs. As just one example, USGBC estimates that a 100% commitment to greening existing commercial buildings alone would create more than 1.5 million new opportunities for employment for out of work Americans.<br /> <br /> In four weeks, we will meet together at Greenbuild. And when you get to Boston, we will celebrate everything that your individual commitments have accomplished so far. We&#39;ll enjoy the fellowship of more than 20,000 friends and colleagues who share our vision for a sustainable future. And we will keep moving forward, together. I&#39;ll see you there.<br /> <br /> With gratitude,<br /> <br /> <img width="59" height="30" border="0" src="http://communicate.usgbc.org/images/communications/RickFsig2.jpg" alt="U.S. Green Building Council" style="display: block;" /> S. Rick Fedrizzi<br /> CEO, President and Founding Chair,<br /> USGBC </p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

<h4> <a rel="bookmark" href="http://greenrealtorsalliance.org/nar-green-designation-course-development-panel-recommendations.html" title="Permanent Link to NAR Green Designation Course Development Panel Recommendations">NAR Green Designation Course Development Panel Recommendations</a> - See blog on Green REALTORS Alliance. I&#39;m not sure how this will affect Eco Brokers and if there will be credit allowed for agents already certified with Eco Broker.<br /> <br /> Cherie Young<br /> Custom Web Designs<br /> www.CherieYoung.com<br /> 760.782.0103 </h4>