Online Construction Material Resource

Construction Material Depot is a new online, Craig's List-style resource, for buying and selling excess construction material that Guild members may find useful.

It's no secret that construction projects routinely have to deal with excess. Many times, this excess is sold for scrap or discarded with little to no return. CMDepot can help you save on project costs by finding a buyer for your excess.

On the flip-side, if you're short of material on a job site, you can check CMDepot to see if anyone has excess. Instead of buying new, save money by seeing if you can buy used. Especially if the used material is coming from another project within your company. That's just smart!

CMDepot is free for individual use. Anyone can sign up using their personal email address and be posting material in seconds. We also offer a premium service to companies for a small fee. Our premium service is designed to help companies greatly reduce their material costs.

CMDepot can also assist your project by contributing to LEED Material & Resources (MR) credits - learn more at CMDepot & LEED MR credits.

National Teach-In Screenings

Apologies to our Chapter Presidents for the rather late alert to this very important upcoming event on February 5th.

Whilst this is very last moment, we are including the link to this National Teach-In event, where there is a lot more information. You will find on it a list of participating institutions, who will be screening the web cast on February 5th. There is also information on an organizing call this Wednesday that you (or your education chair) may want to partake in.

Since it's probably too late for any chapter to organize their own screening, it makes sense to check out which institutions are hosting a screening in your local area and then to get the word out to our members with locations.

Having a visible Guild presence at this event might very well increase membership. Please do what you can within the short time frame allotted. Each chapter may also wish to adopt the First 100 Days Action Plan - this is grass roots at its best.

Let's get this information out!

All the best,
Your Regional Co-Chairs

Fiona Douglas-Hamilton
Terry K. Phelan
Ben Kaufman

Inauguration Day Inspiration

The fact that the threat of climate change and how to tackle it played a role in Obama's speech today was very encouraging. He reaffirmed what we all believe when he said that

"Each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet".

Obama even hinted about his plans to invest in renewable energy, when he stated that

"We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories".

He also spoke of how his administration will

"work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet".

All signs point towards a real gear-shift in America's position on climate change and technological progress.

So, what will it take to accomplish this?

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

Obama took it a step further when he described just what kind of people it takes to achieve progress and change. A characterization we can all identify with!

"Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor."

And, of course, "This is the journey we continue today."

Excerpts taken from President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address.

Regional Board Meeting

Our next regional board meeting is scheduled for January 31st in Seattle. It will be held at Environmental Works in Capitol Hill, from 10am to 4pm. Both Terry Phelan and Ben Kaufman will be leaving the board in May, and there are a number of other positions now open. If you are interested in joining the board, or just want to learn more, we welcome your participation at this meeting. You can also email Terry Phelan at vicepres@ecobuilding.org for more information.

Living Building Outreach Director

Attention Guild Members - Job Announcement!

The Cascadia Region Green Building Council (Cascadia) seeks a Living Building Outreach Director to join our Research Department. The Living Building Outreach Director is responsible for initiating and overseeing communication among all enthusiasts of the Living Building Challenge. The successful candidate will advance the program’s integrity through the infusion of expert knowledge and share critical program information with individuals pursuing Living Buildings. The position may be filled anywhere in our three major markets (Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC) and will involve considerable travel within the Pacific Northwest and occasionally beyond.

For more about the position visit Living Building Outreach Director.

The position will be open until filled, but they will begin reviewing resumes and setting up interviews after January 23rd. Send cover letter and resume via email (preferred) to joanna@cascadiagbc.org with the subject line of “Living Building Outreach Director”.

Happy New Year – Welcome to 2009!

The Board of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild is optimistic that this will be a pivotal year in the green building and sustainable living communities. We are excited to play a part in that movement, and are gearing up for putting our Strategic Plan into action. Stay tuned for updates on our revamped website and announcements for new staff positions.

The Cascadia Region Green Building Council has announced their search for an Alaska State Director. This is a great opportunity for someone willing to relocate to the northernmost state and develop program strategies to accelerate the adoption of green building practices in Alaska.

Congratulations to Terry Phelan, our Guild Regional Co-chair, who is debuting her new live internet radio talk show – The Living Shelter Café - on Tuesday, January 6th at 9am Pacific time. The link for both the live program and archives of previous episodes can be found at The Living Shelter Café. The show’s focus is providing low-impact and earth-friendly options for building or remodeling a home, and exploring ideas about creating sustainable community. Robert Bolman of Eugene, Oregon is the inaugural episode’s guest and promises to dig deep into genuine, meaningful sustainability. Check the link above for upcoming shows and contact information.

Guild members...What have you got planned in 2009? We want to hear from you, so send your stories to ecobuildingtimes@ecobuilding.com