Southern California Industrial Real Estate Blog

THE SUN IN SHINING BRIGHTLY ON CALIFORNIA SOLAR

By Jodi Summers

Prices on solar panels have dropped considerably in the past 18 months – and this has caused the California solar installation market to boom. According to research by Mark Bachman of Auriga USA, in the first quarter of 2010 there have been applications for the installation of almost as many megawatts of residential, commercial, and government solar power as the entire year in 2009.

2010 applications for the state’s solar subsidy program, the California Solar Initiative, totaled 252 megawatts in the first quarter. At this point last year, only 68 megawatts had been applied for, and the by the year’s end the number sat at 267 megawatts.

A big boom in manufacturing capacity in Asia, the economic slowdown, cheaper raw materials and less generous subsidy programs in Europe have combined to cause the drop in prices. Companies such as Suntech Power (NYSE:STP), Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE), Trina Solar (NYSE:TSL), and Kyocera Solar (NYSE:KYO) are dominating the market.

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http://www.energyboom.com/solar/driven-asian-manufacturers-solar-fire-california?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+energyboom+%28EnergyBoom+Daily+Briefing%29

http://blogs.forbes.com/energysource/2010/05/06/solar-on-fire-in-california/

http://www.rechargenews.com/multimedia/archive/00027/Suntech_solar_panels_27731b.jpg

http://www.maxsolarsystem.com/images-1/suntech-solar-panel.jpg

INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY TERMINOLOGY

Edited by Jodi Summers

Industrial Ecology is one of the finest concepts to come out of the green revolution. It also has some terminology that is uniquely its own…so we looked all the relevant terms up on Wikipedia (thank you http://en.wikipedia.org/) and would now like to share them with you…

Industrial Ecology - Industrial Ecology has been defined as a “systems-based, multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behavior of complex integrated human/natural systems”. The field approaches issues of sustainability by examining problems from multiple perspectives, usually involving aspects of sociology, the environment, economy and technology. The name comes from the idea that we should use the analogy of natural systems as an aid in understanding how to design sustainable industrial systems.

Circular Economy - Circular Economy is an evolving term that emphasizes strategies which a circular flow of materials and energy for environmental and monetary gain. An example of Circular Economy would be selling waste heat from one process to run another process that requires a lower temperature, thus maximizing energy efficiency by circulating emissions from one business to another.

Closed system - A closed system is a system in the “state of being isolated from its surrounding environment.” The term often refers to an idealized system in which closure is perfect. In reality no system can be completely closed; there are only varying degrees of closure.

Isolated system - In the natural sciences an isolated system, as contrasted with an open system, is a physical system that does not interact with its surroundings. It obeys a number of conservation laws: its total energy and mass stay constant. They cannot enter or exit, but can only move around inside.

Open system - Open system (systems theory), a system where matter or energy can flow into and/or out of the system, in contrast to a closed system, where energy can enter or leave but matter may not.

Eco-Industrial Park - An eco-industrial park (EIP) is an industrial park in which businesses cooperate with each other and with the local community in an attempt to reduce waste and pollution, efficiently share resources (such as information, materials, water, energy, infrastructure, and natural resources), and help achieve sustainable development, with the intention of increasing economic gains and improving environmental quality. An EIP may also be planned, designed, and built in such a way that it makes it easier for businesses to co-operate, and that results in a more financially sound, environmentally friendly project for the developer.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/

http://greeneconomypost.com/retrofitting-industrial-ecology-for-increased-profitability-and-environmental-improvement-7663.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGreenEconomyPost+%28The+Green+Economy+Post%29

http://www.bsdglobal.com/viewcasestudy.asp?id=77

http://www.enviroscopy.com/uploads/ESYOffer/industrial.s.jpg

http://amassthetruth.com/images/closed-system1.jpg

http://i.treehugger.com/images/2007/10/24/water%20cycle-jj-001.jpg

LOS ANGELES NEEDS AN INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGIST

By Jodi Summers

Industrial Ecologist > the job description would be: To ascertain, catalog and cross reference the inflow and outflow of materials involved in manufacturing conducted in a given geographic area and figure out how one manufacturer’s excretion becomes another manufacturer’s production components. Low temperature steam anyone?

Industrial Ecology is based on the ideology of nature. It claims that industrial ecosystem may behave similar to the natural ecosystem where everything gets recycled. It involves the shifting of industrial processes from open systems to closed systems. The difference? An open system is “a system where matter or energy can flow into and/or out of the system, in contrast to a closed system, where energy can enter or leave but matter may not.”

Industrial open systems may involve the sharing of information, services, utility, and stem by-product resources > the outcome is always intended to add value, reduce costs and improve the environment. This flow is called industrial symbiosis - a type of eco-industrial development which expounds upon the theory industrial ecology.

The most traditional form of industrial ecology is the inflow and emission of materials - energy, water, by-products, finished goods, waste.

Geographic proximity is an obvious factor – which is why warehousing near LAX (in areas like Inglewood + Lennox) + the ports (Long Beach, San Pedro, Torrance, Carson), will always be valuable.

An area offering a superior example of a closed industrial system is the municipality of Kalundborg, Denmark. There is an industrial co-operation taking place between a number of companies and Kalundborg Municipality which mutually exploits each other’s by-products. The brilliant industrial symbiosis of Kalundborg has evolved over several decades, and has grown to encompass some 20 projects. All projects are environmentally and financially sustainable.

It is a beautiful example of industrial recycling which could perhaps be implemented in nearby industrial regions around L.A. As environmental regulations became stricter, firms will become more motivated reduce the cost of compliance, and turn their by-products into economic products.

An added benefit - rekeying industrial usage is a great way to cost justify the expense of greening an industrial property and tapping into those government benefits.

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http://greeneconomypost.com/retrofitting-industrial-ecology-for-increased-profitability-and-environmental-improvement-7663.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGreenEconomyPost+%28The+Green+Economy+Post%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_system

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_symbiosis

http://www.symbiosis.dk/industrial-symbiosis.aspx

http://www.bsdglobal.com/viewcasestudy.asp?id=77

http://www.industrialecologyinpractice.com/msc-programme

GREEN LEASING TOOL KIT

GREEN LEASING TOOL KIT

By Jodi Summers

Studies and Awards are praising green commercial buildings for creating higher occupancy rates, stronger rents and higher sales prices. As we’re in a down market for leasing, those in the know want to share, so the California Sustainability Alliance has developed and test strategies to green California’s commercial office space. This effort focuses on “green leasing”, i.e., integrating sustainability practices into the entire commercial leasing process. The Green Leasing Toolkit 2.0 includes insight on service provider selection; marketing of buildings, development of green specifications; request for proposal (RFP) and letter of intent (LOI) drafting; site selection and due diligence; and the negotiation and drafting of realistic and enforceable lease language.

The tools offered in Green Leasing Toolkit 2.0 are relatively easy to implement. These tools can be used by both landlords and tenants who manage or occupy large portfolios of facilities as well as small business owners and landlords who hope to green an individual building.

The Toolkit supports tenants and landlords in the following ways:

* Educating their organizations

* Developing their own green leasing policies and requirements

* Communicating policies and requirements to the market

* Measuring and comparing the green attributes of different buildings

* Developing specific lease language

http://sustainca.org/green_leases_toolkit

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=52

RECYCLE L.A. TELEPHONE NUMBERS

RECYCLE L.A. TELEPHONE NUMBERS

by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works Bureau of Sanitation

edited by Jodi Summers

Have something beyond the usual household refuse you’d like to recycle?

Here’s who you need to contact:

RECYCLE L.A. TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Alley Clean Up 800-996-2489

Animal Services 888-452-7381

Bulky Item Pick Up 800-773-2489

Bureau of Sanitation Customer Service Center 800-773-2489

Dead Animal Pick Up 800-996-2489

Drop Off Yards 800-773-2489

Household Toxics/SAFE Centers 800-988-6942

Illegal Dumping 800-996-2489

Multi-Family Residential Recycling Program Hotline 800-773-2489

Pot Holes 800-996-2489

Sewer & Storm Drain Issues 800-996-2489

Stormwater Hotline 800-974-9794

Street Lighting 800-996-2489

Street Tree Trimming 800-996-2489

Toll-free City Information 3-1-1

Used Oil Disposal 800-988-6942

Vacant Lot Clean Up 800-996-2489

City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Drop-Off Yards

Drop Off Yards accept materials such as bulky items, furniture and up to 4 tires per year. All Collection yards are open from 8am-2pm, Monday through Friday. For more information call 800-773-2489.

Bulky Item Collection

The City of Los Angeles (City) will pick up your large or bulky household items, such as mattresses, couches and other furniture. To make arrangements to have these items removed from your curbside, please call 800-773-2489 or 3-1-1.

Unrequested Advertising or Unwanted Mail

You can reduce unrequested advertising or unwanted mail by visiting their website (www.dmaconsumers.org) or writing to:

Direct Marketing Association

Mail Preference Service

P.O. Box 9008

Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

For additional program information visit the Multi-Family Residential Recycling website at www.larecycles.org or Email us at multifamily@lacity.org. Call the Hotline at 800-773-2489 or 3-1-1

THAT’S IT! IT’S EASY!

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http://www.larecycles.org/pdf/Resorce_Card_english.pdf

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/emeraldcity/2008/02/does-the-trash.html

http://www.ecotrashbin.com/20%20yard.JPG

GREEN LEGISLATION DOMINATES IN SACRAMENTO

A HOST OF GREEN BILLS PASS IN CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE

by Jodi Summers

Once his term as state leader is finished, do not be surprised if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger crosses party lines and unites with former Vice President Al Gore in working for a greener world.

Green legislation and regulations have been a favorite in Sacramento since the adoption of Assembly Bill 32 in 2006, and this year is no different. The basics of the green bills signed into law this year by Schwarzenegger include:

Energy

* Assembly Bill 758 (Skinner, D-Berkeley): Requires the California Energy Commission to establish a program encouraging energy savings in existing residential and nonresidential buildings.

* Assembly Bill 920 (Huffman, D-San Rafael): Allows customers with solar and other alternative energy generators participating in a net-metering rate schedule the option of rolling over credits for excess energy generation into the following year or receiving payments from the utility at a wholesale rate.

* Senate Bill 32 (Negrete-McLeod, D-Chino): Creates a fixed-price payment for energy generated from renewable projects based on the value of renewable generation. The legislation makes it easier for the owners of storage units, vacant land, warehouses and other properties that require minimal energy consumption to transform their properties into independent solar power plants that sell back to utilities.

Greenhouse Gas Reductions/Climate Change

* Assembly Bill 1085 (Mendoza, D-Artesia): Shines “sunlight” on important regulatory procedures at the California Air Resources Board (aka CARB) by requiring it make available to the public each technical, theoretical and empirical study, report or similar document, if any, on which the agency relies, related to, but not limited to, air emissions, public health impacts and economic impacts before the comment period for any regulation proposed for adoption by the state board.

* Assembly Concurrent Resolution 77 (Swanson, D-Oakland): Urges CARB to meet the statutory requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or AB32, by ensuring that its analysis of specified emission reduction measures include prescribed components.

* Assembly Bill 210 (Hayashi, D-Hayward): Encourages cities, counties and other local jurisdictions to adopt energy-efficient building standards that surpass those already included in the state’s landmark Green Building Standards Code. That code requires structures to use at least 15 percent less energy than current requirements, and sets goals for air quality, water conservation and other environmental concerns.

* Assembly Bill 531 (Saldana, D-San Diego): Delays the implementation of the state’s mandatory Energy Star benchmarking law - Assembly Bill 1103 - and requires the state Energy Commission to write implementing regulations.

Water

* Senate Bill 407 (Padilla, D-Pacoima): Requires all residential and commercial buildings to install water-conserving fixtures by 2019. Also authorizes public entities that supply water to require such retrofitting whenever real estate is transferred.

* Assembly Bill 474 (Blumenfield, D-Van Nuys): Authorizes the legislative body of any public agency to designate an area within which authorized city officials and free and willing property owners may enter into contractual assessments to finance the installation of water-efficiency improvements that are permanently fixed to real property.

* Addendum: The state remains without a water deal despite Schwarzenegger’s scheduling of a special session on the topic.

Under Governor Schwarzenegger, California has become an international leader in clean energy standards, enriching the state with clean energy investment, green jobs and a better quality of life. In the last three years, more than $6 billion in venture capital has been pumped into California’s economy, making us the national leader in the number of clean businesses. Green jobs have also skyrocketed, growing 10 times faster in California than in other areas. This growth is expected to continue, with assistance both on the state and national level.

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http://www.carealestatejournal.com/newswire/index.cfm?sid=&tkn=&eid=905490&evid

http://www.socalgreenrealestateblog.com/?p=825

http://www.consrv.ca.gov/smgb/PublishingImages/CaliforniaStateCapitol02.jpg

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/12/the-governator—64_1280.jpg

http://www.greentechforum.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/california_state_flag.png

http://www.limitstogrowth.org/WEB-Graphics/CaliforniaPostcardGreetings.jpg

http://www.internationalrivers.org/files/images/Windturbines.jpg

http://forcechange.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/cfl-float.jpg

THE CITY OF L.A. WANTS TO GREEN INDUSTRY + PORTS

By Jodi Summers

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced in Los Angeles’ State of the City Address that the city intends to grow the clean and green city concept …is it merely election time promises or can L.A. be the leader in Clean Technology?

“…We are aggressively growing the industries of the future here in LA.. We need to build a future in which clean technology is - as - synonymous with Los Angeles as motion pictures or aerospace. Where LA is acknowledged as a growing capital of the green economy.

“With our Solar LA plan, we’re working to cut our carbon footprint and to transform LA into a clean energy powerhouse. With the nation’s most far-reaching green building ordinance, we believe we can create America’s most vibrant jobsite in sustainable construction. And at the Port of Los Angeles, I’m proud to say tonight that we’ve sent 2,000 dirty diesel trucks to the junkyard and replaced them with vehicles that run on natural gas and electricity.

“I believe L.A.’s economic future starts right here, in places like Balqon, where the next generation of electric trucks are being designed, tested, and manufactured; where we are literally revving up the engines of our Clean Truck Program; where the wheels of a clean, green port are turning; and a new high-tech venture is producing clean fuel vehicles IN L.A., for the betterment of LA.

“This facility will serve as the model for our Harbor Clean Tech Center; for investments in the latest vessels for green development; for the San Pedro Bay Port Technology Development Center - home of green companies serving our port.

“A few miles up the 110, we are building a literal “Clean-Tech Corridor.” A business corridor bringing together researchers, designers and manufacturers from around the world dedicated to sustainable solutions and to creating green-collar jobs.

“Located just outside of downtown, this corridor will house our Clean Tech Manufacturing Center a catalyst for smart growth that could create as many as 1,000 high-paying jobs.

“It will host our Clean Innovations Research Center where the world’s leading experts will come together to define future renewable energy sources, water conservation strategies, and green building advances.”

http://mayor.lacity.org/pressroom/stateofthecity/index.htm

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

Green is still good. The latest government motivation is toward green roof installations.

Among the benefits of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S.320) introduced by Sen. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) is to provide financial incentives for homeowners or commercial building owners which chose to install green roofs on their buildings.

A green (or sod) roof features of vegetation-usually drought-tolerant plants, or shrubs-that is planted in a growth medium. The roof generally involves a multilayer system of waterproof and root-repellent membranes, a drainage system, filter cloth, and lightweight soil.

Sedums are a suggest plant, as the 400+ varieties range from annuals and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves.

Green roofs have been around for thousands of years. One of the first notable appearances of green roofs occurred in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon around 500 BC. The site is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The thrust of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 is to create green-collar jobs and revitalize the economy through clean energy investments.

Section 506 of the bill, offers property owners a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof expenses. The tax credit applies to both new and retrofit projects, but it requires that at least 50 percent of the roof area be covered with vegetation.

“This is a watershed moment for the green roof industry,” observes Steven W. Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which worked with the American Society of Landscape Architects to help Sen. Cantwell’s office draft the section of the bill that is focused on the green roof incentive. “This bill will deliver an enormous number of green collar jobs, not just today, but also in five years from now, while also saving energy, improving stormwater management, cooling cities, cleansing the air, and

beautifying our rooftops.”

Modern green roofs trends began in Germany in the 1960s; today, it is estimated that about 10% of all German roofs have been “greened.” Several European Countries have very active associations promoting green roofs including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and the UK. The City of Linz in Austria has been paying developers to install green roofs since 1983 and in Switzerland it has been a Federal law since the late 1990s. In the UK their up-take has been slow but a number of cities have developed policies to encourage their use, notably in London and Sheffield.

Green roof advocates note a variety of benefits for property owners, including added insulation and cooling. It has been found that they can retain up to 75% of rainwater, gradually releasing it back into the atmosphere via condensation and transpiration, while retaining pollutants in their soil.

“If you install enough in an area, it cools the area, which saves money in energy costs and limits greenhouse gas,” offers Peck.

Cities like Los Angeles can truly benefit from the cooling effect, as green roofs reduce the “heat island effect,” a situation in which traditional building materials such as asphalt roofs in a city-absorb sunlight and radiate it back into the atmosphere as heat, making cities at least 4 degrees Celsius (7 °F) hotter than surrounding areas.

The new California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has a green roof that provides 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of native vegetation designed as a habitat for indigenous species, including the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly. According to the Academy’s fact sheet on the building, the building consumes 30-35% less energy than required by code.

Green roofs have also been found to dramatically improve a roof’s insulation value. A study conducted by Environment Canada found a 26% reduction in summer cooling needs and a 26% reduction in winter heat losses when a green roof is used. In addition, greening a roof is expected to lengthen a roof’s lifespan by two or three times, according to Penn State University’s Green Roof Research Center.

Another upside of green roofs is added local employment, as green roof installations tend to be local projects. “For every dollar spent, the $2 or $3 generated goes toward creating jobs where the roof is installed,” he boasts.

Sen. Cantwell noted this benefit as well in a statement introducing the bill. “In these times of economic uncertainty, growing the green economy and investing in clean energy technologies is the key to job growth and breaking the United States’ debilitating dependence on foreign oil,” she said. “While installing a green roof may seem like a small step, these upgrades save energy, filter and absorb pollution, and store carbon. As individuals and businesses continue to look for ways to combat high energy costs and improve the health of their neighborhoods and environment, providing green roof incentives just makes sense.”

Builder magazine reports that, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has launched a new, multi-disciplinary Green Roof Professional (GRP) program–much like U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Professional Accreditation-and will administer the first exam at its annual conference this June in Atlanta. Under the program, an individual can become GRP-accredited to provide green roof design, products, and installation services to meet the new demands that potentially could be generated from this bill.

American landscape architects and a Canadian nonprofit green roof industry association says that the United States could see a surge in green roof installations if a provision in a recently introduced Senate stimulus bill becomes law.

Information from:

http://www.builderonline.com/green-building/financial-incentives-in-stimulus

http://egrfaculty.villanova.edu/public/Civil_Environmental/WREE/VUSP_Web_Folder/GR_web_folder/GR_paper_files/image002.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/iruss001/architecture/green_roof.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_roof

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/calroof3.jpg

http://www.localecology.org/images/deyoung_casgreenroof.jpg

http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/green_roof.jpg

http://www.lotuslive.org/buildings/files/norwaygreenroof.png

SUPERMARKETS GO GREEN

SUPERMARKETS GO GREEN

By Jodi Summers

In SoCal, we think we’re so green with Whole Foods and other green grocers, but the Cub Foods in St. Paul, MN, is going for LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council – making Cub Foods the second LEED Gold grocery store in the United States–to do so. (Giant Eagle in Columbus, Ohio is the first.)

The 62,900-square-foot Cub Foods store boasts 44 skylights that will illuminate 75% of regularly occupied spaces, using a solar-powered GPS system that redirects sunlight as needed. LED lights are used exclusively in the parking lot.

“We never intended for this story to be green,” says Lee Ann Jorgenson, a community relations manager of Stillwater, MN-based Cub Foods. But President Brian Huff suggested the possibility and the process took off from there, she noted.

Other techniques used at the store include recycling half the waste from demolished buildings on the site, a water-saving landscape irrigation system, and recycling of building construction materials. But those technologies can be used at many other building types.

Because they sell food and other perishable items, supermarkets have special needs require adaptation to be ‘green’. Cub Foods has received an award from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) GreenChill Partnership at Gold-Level Certification. The award is given for outstanding use of environmentally friendly refrigeration technology. Even lighting refrigerated cases can be managed.

“Our cases use lights that are triggered by motion,” Jorgenson says. The result for all initiatives is a 35% savings on energy.

Packaging is also another important area for sustainability. Johnson Diversey is producing a highly concentrated sanitizer for sinks that automatically dispenses the proper amount of cleaner while reducing the amount of plastic in the store.

Cub Foods is not alone in pursuing sustainability. Corporate parent Supervalu also is building sustainable stores among its other banners, including testing a natural-gas powered fuel cell for its refrigeration system in a Star Market in Newton, MA. Stop & Shop, too, is building sustainable stores, and Fred Meyer hopes to achieve LEED Silver status for a unit in southeast Portland, OR. If it succeeds, the store would be the first grocer in Oregon and parent Kroger’s first unit to do so.

“There is certainly a great deal of interest in building green stores,” says Jeanne von Zastrow, a senior director overseeing sustainability efforts of the Food Marketing Institute, Arlington, VA. “About two years ago, we saw that our member companies wanted assistance to understand this issue.”

The notoriously tight-margin business must carefully track each expenditure, so FMI has created materials for executives to justify the return on investment of green building.

These include simplified carbon calculators to allow companies to assess their energy usage and emissions over a portfolio.

If your grocery store would like consultation, please contact us.

http://www.greenerbuildings.com/news/2008/10/17/giant-eagle

http://www.globest.com/news/1278_1278/insider/175032-1.html

http://www.thefoodtrust.org/…/green.grocery/index.php

http:// www.inspiro.com.au/about_non-woven_fabric.html

http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2008/02/26/recycled-plastic-clothing_5965.jpg

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/article19414.ece

HOW GREEN RENNOVATIONS PAY OFF

HOW GREEN RENNOVATIONS PAY OFF

Green remodeling can pay off — not only in lowered utility bills, but also in buyer appeal when the property is sold.

Here are some green things to consider:

~ Energy-efficient products. Choose Energy Star appliances, double-paned windows, low-flush toilets, and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

~ Spray foam insulation. Seal the home with insulation that doesn’t let the heat or cooled air leak out.

~ Sustainable wood flooring. Select flooring certified by Forest Stewardship Council, which protects forests by managing the amount of wood harvested annually.

~ Locally made products. Buy products made less than 250 miles away to reduce transportation costs. Granite, for instance, is generally imported from afar.

~ Nontoxic paint. Use paint that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — chemicals that evaporate into the atmosphere. Look for Green Seal certified brands.

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2007123106?OpenDocument