Destination Wine Country Article Featuring Local Green Businesses

MOST OF US WOULD LIKE to do something nice for our planet. And if environmentally responsible
construction also helps “build green” in our bank accounts, well then …everyone wins. Several local designers, real estate agents, and contractors have taken the lead on eco-building and are proving that it
can be both stylish and economical. Elizabeth Wagner, Santa Barbara’s first licensed EcoBroker, specializes in educating buyers and sellers in energy-efficiency, green home certification
programs, and sustainable design. “According to research conducted on a national level,” she explains, “a home’s value increases by about $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills.” Since eco-building can cut monthly expenditures by 50 percent or more, your initial investment will pay for itself in a hurry.
In addition, environmentally friendly and/or recycled building materials can actually save money. “A few years ago, green building came at a price,” explains Karen Feeney, green resources manager for Allen Associates, one of Santa Barbara’s top green builders. “That’s not the case anymore since green materials are often comparable or even less expensive than their traditional counterparts.” Whether starting fresh or remodeling your home, today’s economical, eco-friendly options prove that you can build responsibly without sacrificing style or breaking the bank.

“Getting energy from the sun is obviously nothing new,” says Ellen Strickland, owner of Santa Barbara’s Livingreen and an industry pioneer. “The exciting thing is that we are now designing solar heating systems that are affordable, efficient, and aesthetically complementary to our home designs.” Today’s solar panels can take the shape of unobtrusive screens or rooftop shingles, generating more than enough power to run a typical household—from water heaters and floor warmers, to computers, microwaves, refrigerators, and more. Excess electricity can even be sold to power companies during peak periods. How’s that for payback?

Heat loss isn’t the problem here that it is in other parts of the country, but insulation and energyefficient
doors and windows have a dramatic effect on your home’s daily energy expenditure. Even small cracks
or loose seals can amount to a large loss of heat. Energy efficient doors and windows make your home more comfortable, while protecting your furniture from sun damage and reducing utility costs. Look for those certified by the Energy Star rating system. When shopping around for eco-friendly insulation, check
out options such as UltraTouch denim, made from 85 percent post-recycled content and cotton. The material is cut into cubes that are fitted into the wall structure to keep your home as cozy as your favorite pair of jeans. Cellulose insulation, made from recycled newspaper, offers another natural solution.
Anyone who has suffered from post-painting headaches will appreciate the natural paints and low- to zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) products available today. These much healthier options replace
petroleum-based solvents with water, decreasing the amount of toxic emissions over time. Derived from raw ingredients such as water, plant dyes, and clay, natural paints are the best of the bunch and are available in an array of colors. “When you include the safe synthetic paints that we also offer, the spectrum is remarkable,” says Jane Shelton of Livingreen. “We can match any color you’d like and the
cost is comparable to that of regular paint.”
Incorporating recycled and salvaged materials into your home spares our landfills while adding a oneof-
a-kind decorative touch. “More and more communities have salvage yards—whether it’s through The Reuse People, Urban Scavengers, or even a municipal program,” cites Karen Feeney. In Santa Barbara, you can find building materials and lightly used furnishings at Habitat for Humanity’s new retail center.
Feeney also recommends searching Craigslist or other online community bulletin boards for salvage opportunities. “With the reuse of materials like wood flooring, cabinets, doors, and fixtures, you get products made decades ago—with higher quality craftsmanship and vintage style. Plus, you’re adding a
unique story to your home.”
Bamboo flooring has opened worlds of possibilities for sustainable building. As BuildingGreen, Inc. puts it: “It’s hard to argue with a wood-substitute that matures in three years, regenerates without need for replanting, and requires minimal fertilization or pesticides.” The fast-growing grass, as sturdy as hardwood, presents easy installation and a stylish finish. Other popular floor choices include recycled-content flooring, resilient natural cork, and Marmoleum, made of linseed oil, wood flour, and pine rosins. Salvaged hardwood or stone offers a beautiful old-world style. Or for something softer underfoot, choose chemical-free wool carpeting that naturally repels both water and stains. Making your home earth friendly is a positive step toward sustainability, long-term savings, and increased property values. Thanks to Santa Barbara’s growing number of eco-experts, along with more attractive, more affordable materials, we can build green and beautiful. Best of all, sustainable building leads
to financial sustainability for you and your family. Looks like being green just got a little easier.

KIM CARMEL, Destination Wine Country

Earth Day 2008

Last weekend DeAnn and I had a Village Properties/EcoBroker® Booth at the Santa Barbara Courthouse’s Sunken Garden. The weather was just perfect and we heard that between 14,000-16,000 people attended the celebration.

Our EcoBroker® team participated in the children’s passport program and created a ply-wood cut out of a house, designed by Daniel Wilson and painted with sustainable plants and features by Nathaniel Wagner. We drilled holes through certain locations and put labels on the home to identify the solar panels, energy star appliances, sustainable building materials, low flow faucets and showerheads, healthy indoor air quality, drought tolerant landscaping, rainwater catchment system, and no VOC paints.

DeAnn purchased hackie sacks and Daniel drilled circular holes into the plywood for the bags to be tossed through. From 10am until 5:30pm there was a line at least 5 kids deep, waiting to play the “Green Home” game. Each child that played the game received a ‘Passport Stamp’ in their booklet and if they gathered all of the stamps, the could turn it in to the Community Environmental Booth in exchange for a new toothbrush or some Polar Bear Trading Cards. Quite a few adults lined up to play too, but they weren’t eligible for the stamps! At the end of the day only a few hackie sacks were intact.

It was a new experience being a participant at the event. Last year I volunteered at the Green Building Alliance booth for three hours. This year it was non-stop and we have three pages full of leads and people interested in attending our Green Drinks Events. DeAnn and I each spent an hour volunteering at the Eco Footprint booth for The Sustainability Project. Here too people were lined up 10 deep to take the ‘Get Energized’ pledge and receive a reusable Chico bag, perfect to keep in your purse for grocery or shopping trips and washable too!

All in all, the Earth Day celebration was a huge success. Huge is right, there were SO many people there that it was difficult to navigate through the crowds and took a long time to get anything to eat or drink at the vendors. Many people asked if it would be a 2 day event next year and suggested that more side streets be closed off to allow the vendors to spread out a bit more. I had a great time and will remember next year to bring water for the volunteers, sunscreen for me, additional chairs in our makeshift living room and more property flyers to pass out. It was a huge success and the cold Saporo beer that I shared with my husband at Arigato at the end of the day was absolutely delicious…so was the second one!

Livingreen Panel in Santa Barbara

Shades of Green Blog: Livingreen Store Santa Barbara

I was invited to be a panelist at a lecture at the downtown Livingreen store in Santa Barbara. Ellen Strickland, the owner and Lindsay Horstman of Smith Barney put together a panel to discuss and answer questions about how to green your life one shade at a time.

Ellen Strickland has expanded her store from the ‘Funk Zone” location to Coast Village Road in Montecito and a store in Los Angeles. She was very generous to open up her store to the crowd of about 70 people that packed in to be sheltered from he rainy evening.

I spoke about being the first EcoBroker® in Santa Barbara and how I already loved real estate but now I loved it even more that I had found my niche.

Richard Sanford from Alma Rosa Winery talked about the choices that he and his wife Thekla have made over the years to maintain control over their wineries. Formerly the guiding forces behind Sanford Winery, Richard and Thekla chose to part ways from the winery with their last name attached since the investors were not willing to spend a little more to maintain the organic processes and way of life. I found it interesting that in general a consumer will gravitate towards products with an organic label, yet they will shy away from a wine with an organic label. I would bet that in due time this will change.

Elissa Loughman from Patagonia talked about the carbon footprint of the products that Patagonia makes. How the whole company is all about doing the right thing and contributes 1% to the planet of all of their profits. She mentioned how Patagonia is hoping to start using cotton from the farmers who are in the process of converting to organic cotton. She explained how it takes an average of three years for the cotton fields to be fully converted from “regular” cotton to organic cotton and they want to assist those farmers who are taking major production losses now in an effort to do those things. Patagonia is a fabulous company and their catalogs continue to use more and more recycled content and their clothes continue to be cuter…

It was a wonderful evening, filled with good company, delicious wine and food and educational topics. Livingreen is planning to host more lectures and panels with different green businesses featured in the future. Feel free to contact me to see when and how to sign up!

Santa Barbara Newcomer’s Group: Girls Night Out

I was asked by my friend and past client Denise Stevens, to be a guest speaker at the Santa Barbara Newcomer’s Club, Girls Night Out Event. The evening was hosted at a gorgeous house in Hope Ranch overlooking the ocean and open fields for the horses.

Denise is a board member for this group that welcomes newcomers to the Santa Barbara and provides them with many activities and events aimed at introducing our newest community members into the local scene. Taking place just a day after Earth Day, the topics that I was asked to share fit right in…the green home niche and sustainability.

DeAnn Bauer, my business partner, and I touched on the various boards and volunteer opportunities that we participate and shared ways for the Newcomer’s to join. We also educated the group about the many features in their own homes that they have control over and how they can reduce their carbon footprint. It was suggested to the hostess that she can change out regular light bulbs, to LED’s or CFL’s and we discussed the online options to order bulbs that work on dimmer switches. We also discussed radon, indoor air quality, mold, allergies and what we can all do to live in a healthier environment.

We welcome all of the Santa Barbara Newcomer’s to our wonderful community and encourage them to participate in the many volunteer opportunities here. Being born and raised in Santa Barbara, it was wonderful to hear all of the stories from this group of involved women who are new to town. If any of you need assistance finding a house to purchase, please give me a call and welcome to Santa Barbara.