Building Alive, Designing to Thrive

Hello fellows! I am now 4 years past the BIG day! But while I was planning our wedding, it had to feel like it reflected our values (mine are his now ;) ) So, while I'd been researching bits and pieces for my 'dream wedding' for quite some time now, I finally got engaged in November 2016 to my long-time boyfriend, Matthew. Wouldn't you know it, after 7.5 years of dating we are having an 11 month engagement and getting married October of 2017. I searched laboriously for a blog or book to guide me in eco-friendly wedding choices, but didn't find anything that covered all of the areas I felt needed to be evaluated. So, I'll be adding to this post with my successes and failures as we encounter them. 1) The engagement ring : This one, I had already made subtle suggestions to Matt on where to source my ring :) Brilliant Earth  uses only certified conflict-free gemstones and precious metals. Most of the metals are also recycled. 2) The venue: We visi...

Working in the sustainability field has been turned on its head during the Coronavirus pandemic. I went on a short hiatus to become a Mom (Elliott was born in March of 2020 only a few days before lockdown in NJ), and when I resurfaced, our approach needed to be different, here are some examples: Typically, the balance between ample fresh air within a building and energy use would result in driving the building toward lower energy use. Now, the ability to increase the outdoor air is desirable and is carrying more importance as a design consideration. We almost always pursued green cleaning operations and maintenance plans with our projects, however the Green Seal certified (or other healthy for people) cleaning products do not disinfect to the level desired for Covid- forcing teams to decide between abandoning their healthy cleaning policies and safety. Everything is packaged and sealed, and wrapped again. Cafes stopped allowing refillable coffee cups, towns that had plastic ba...

Chicago Cultural Center's Tiffany Dome My first trip to the Windy City did not disappoint; I was pleased overall with session content and have some takeaways from each below. Teslas vs: Duck Curve This session touched on something that we in the New York City Living Building Challenge Collaborative have been discussing . In California, high energy efficiency and solar PV requirements have lead to high renewables production mid day to the grid, and an exponentially higher demand on the grid towards late afternoon hours when everyone is heading home. At the same time, Electric vehicles could potentially charge mid day while people are at work, and 'sell' some of their battery charge to the grid in the early evening when people are home and won't need their full remaining capacity. The grid here on the east coast isn't well suited to accept power, I am curious to see this theory grow. Building the First LEED Platinum City Washington DC announced last year...

Hello peers! Yes, I realize this is super late- but better than never! This year, I participated in Plastic Free July  with about a dozen people from my former office. I made a pledge to do my best to reduce the amount of single-use plastics I used throughout the entire month. July snuck up on me, but I made a few immediate changes : Get a bigger purse- It may feel like you're saving space to have a compact bag where nothing else fits, but having a larger purse allowed me to refuse a plastic bag and place things directly in my handbag like: fruit, convenience store groceries, etc. Carry a reusable tote-You'd be surprised how many times people use a plastic bag because they forgot their bags at home. Best way to avoid that? Carry one in your now larger purse, leave a couple in the car, an one in your work desk- voila! You've always remembered now! Carry a reusable straw- I am very excited about my Final Straw (image below) that I ordered- but they won't be f...

...Not that you asked Because there are so many wonderful people and projects to celebrate, no one was able to share any thanks or wisdom at the big bang dinner- but in case you were wondering, here's mine :) In 2010, I suggested to Mark Biedron, co founder of The Willow School, that he could use my help in creating his vision, a building that would act like a tree. For the next four years, I served as consultant, coordinator, educator, construction manager, and site police woman to guide the Health, Wellness, and Nutrition Center towards its goal of Living Building Challenge certification. In 2013, Paul Hawken spoke at Living Future and said, "Are these (climate change) things happening to us, or for us? If to us, we are victims. If for us, they are a catalyst for change". I believe this project is another enzyme in the series of catalyzing events that spurs us forward. I believe my hill to climb has gotten just a little bit lower, and will continue to wear ...

January 20, 2017 People continue remarking how Historic today is. Historic seems like a big word, and yet- it's totally neutral. Barack Obama as the first African-American President, historic. Hitler's genocide on the Jewish and minority peoples of Europe- also historic. I believe it's historic for many reasons, but the most notable to me are: A man who lost the election got elected. By a difference of over 2 million votes!!! 1 of the least qualified people EVER to run has been elected to the most powerful position in the free world An open campaign of hatred, bigotry, assault, misogyny, sexism, and racism (to name a few) is what got that under-qualified candidate elected. And it has impassioned a sect of America we had swept under the carpet for many years. The American people are engaged. Perhaps our mistake was resting on the laurels of our successes and growth in justice and equality. But the election of Donald Trump proves how little progress we have reall...

💜 I apologize for reading in this video, but I had a bunch of points to make and if I go off book the list may have grown too long. xo, Casey

I got this above question from my future mother in law, among others. And I'm so excited to have these conversations! Figured It's best to share my initial response to her with all of you as well   First thing you can do (and you're already on your way!): Keep watching documentaries, reading news stories, and educating yourself. But ALWAYS ask, who funded this study/movie? What interest do they have in the outcome? What qualifications do they have to make these statements or decisions? You'll notice Leo did most of his movie as a fact finding mission for the UN. He interviewed academics, who don't typically get funded by private interests.   We need to stop wasting our energy on a discussion of if it's true or not . Climate change is real. EVEN if 97% of the climate scientists in the world are wrong (but they're not), we are seeing day to day changes like: rising energy costs, increasing rates of asthma, drought and flood and plight that req...

Let me guess, it's Christmas Eve and you still have gifts to give? Boy oh boy do I have good news for you! What do you get for that special someone who has everything? The gift of giving! And here are some of my favorite charities I think you should consider this holiday season (or for Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Anniversaries!) 1) Oxfam- Oxfam  working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger, and injustice. As one of 17 members of the international Oxfam confederation, we work with people in more than 90 countries to create lasting solutions. Oxfam saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty, and campaigns for social change. Whether it's providing a packet of seeds for a farmer in a poor area ($12) or a meal for a school aged child ($35), or supporting a women entrepreneur so she can get her business off the ground ($100). It's a one stop shop to provide meaningful gifts that will matter to each person you gift them to! On top of which, a donation g...

Well- it's finally time! My sister delivered her first baby girl- Zoe Maureen. Zoe is the third of my nieces- Avery (below, right) , and Genevieve (below, left)  beating her out by a few months each. All of this new life got me thinking- what kind of world are we leaving for these babies? We all know the gloom and doom: rising sea levels, extreme weather events, food shortages, public health crises- the list goes on and on. But these little beings have their whole lives in front of them. Lives with a wealth of knowledge available to them with the touch of a button. Their futures will be stories of great opportunity, or great tragedy. I choose to believe people want to do the right thing- sometimes we need to be forced out of our business as usual mentality to do it. But overall, humans don't want to hurt other people or animals, we just have been numbed to the fact that all of our actions have that impact. You throw trash 'away', flip on a switch for po...

"Life creates situations conducive to life…we must strive to do that" -Paul Hawken I've discussed this before, but I think it's worth addressing again; what ever happened to the precautionary principle? Why doesn't it apply to building science?   Imagine a world where it is harder to create a building or product that hurts the Earth than one that heals it- I believe that was the original intention of Building codes, Material Safety Data Sheets, and EPA regulation. But instead, it has provided opportunity for companies to say their products are safe because no one can prove they are dangerous!   Modern humans spend about 90% of their time in buildings- but still we construct them and finish them off with products that aren't healthy to breathe, touch, or make.   An article was published early last week about the long term negative health effects of 9/11 victims , rescuers, and so on. This year, dozens have died from cancers that can'...

  A CSO in Brooklyn Source: Dontflush.me     The NYC+NJ Living Building Challenge Collaborative recently completed its first firm draft of a feasibility review on achieving Net Positive Water in New York City. Before I get into a NYC specific discussion, some of you may need a little background- PETAL INTENT (from the Living Future Institute) The intent of the Water Petal is to realign how people use water and to redefine ‘waste’ in the built environment, so that water is respected as a precious resource. Scarcity of potable water is quickly becoming a serious issue as many countries around the world face severe shortages and compromised water quality. Even regions that have avoided the majority of these problems to date due to a historical presence of abundant fresh water are at risk: the impacts of climate change, highly unsustainable water use patterns, and the continued drawdown of major aquifers portend significant problems ahead. IDEAL CO...

Can we review the headlines in the news over the past week?   Houston- 8" of rain in 1 hour India- Heatwaves 120 degrees Fahrenheit kill over 1,000 Galapagos- Volcano erupts, threatening to wipe out fragile species that helped Darwin develop the theory of evolution Worldwide- increase of allergies globally as warmer seasons spread ragweed and other pollens- increased C02 will feed them. California- Santa Barbra oil spill over 100,000 gallons of crude oil last week.   And you want to sit there and tell me Climate Change isn't real?   And/ OR that humans have nothing to do with it? Then this is you my friend (insert pic)     The fact is, it's real and it's happening. So you can stick your head in the sand or you can be a part of the solution. And believe it or not, the solution doesn't even require you to give up something. You just need to get it a different way.   Energy is our Achilles heel, but also ou...

Since starting my new position in New York City, I've had the opportunity to read several books that have been on my book list: An American River The author details how a major river in New Jersey also became a major dumping site for the processes of the industrial revolution. She describes the enormous challenges and dangers within the Superfund sites throughout the river, but also inspires the readers with her visits to pristine and restored parts of the Passaic River where life is thriving. Ecology of Commerce Paul Hawken describes the perverse economic systems that allow corporations to write off their incalculable damage to the environment as the cost of doing business. This book is a little more of a reality check than Blessed Unrest, which I also highly recommend for a dose of inspiration about positive change. Regardless, Hawken describes systems that punish polluters and even net neutral businesses, and encourage regenerative and closed loop systems. ...

Well, Good Morning readers! Here is a video recording of a spoken -word poem I wrote for you! I may just be turning 26, but I believe there's a whole world ahead of us to make better. Maybe it's naive, but I have had a challenging year, and I'm still trying- here's hoping this will inspire you to do the same! (Pardon the very rough recording :))

Garbage is Beautiful. And let me tell you why. In 2010, the EPA estimated the US produced over 240 million tons of municipal solid waste. That is over four pounds of garbage, per person, per day. We travel through our day throwing things ‘away’. But where do they go? Does your trash go to a landfill, incinerator, or Waste to Energy Plant? Currently in NJ, thirteen counties have solid waste landfills and five counties have resource recovery facilities (incinerators). Of the five counties with resource recovery facilities, three also have landfills to receive waste that cannot be burnt. Eight counties have awarded waste disposal contracts and require that all waste be sent to one facility for disposal. The remaining thirteen counties have a free market system and transporters may send waste out of the county or state. The majority of us don’t know information like this, and don’t care as long as we don’t have to look at it. But if we were forced to look at the garb...