It is hard to go more than a few hours without seeing some reference to “Green”.  What exactly does “Green” mean.  Well, in terms of building or remodeling, our business we think the following 5 broad areas combine to make up “Green Building”.  It is a “whole systems” approach to designing and constructing buildings that:

• are integrated into the wider site and community
• consume less energy & water
• are durable and easier to maintain
• use resource efficient techniques & materials
• are healthier, safer & more comfortable

It is just good design, construction & maintenance.

FD men tout ‘green’ building methods

McAnally, Lindner tell lawmakers about college’s crucial role

By BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer

POSTED: January 30, 2008

Two Fort Dodge men told Iowa lawmakers Tuesday that the state’s community colleges are the ideal place to teach future builders how to construct the next generation of energy efficient homes.

Bill McAnally and Simon Lindner both have experience with building ‘‘green’’ homes and Iowa Central Community College is central to their work.

McAnally, the chairman of the Fort Dodge-based college’s Industrial Technology Department, has been teaching environmentally sound building techniques for 18 years. Lindner, a 2007 Iowa Central graduate, learned from McAnally and is now a carpenter with RoJohn Home Improvement Inc. in Fort Dodge.

‘‘We’re trying to show the value of community colleges and especially their role in teaching energy efficient construction and sustainable construction,’’ McAnally said.

‘‘We have to really use the community college base,’’ he added.

Environmentally sound construction practices could create 5,000 to 10,000 jobs in Iowa, according to McAnally. He noted that most community college graduates stay in the state, making those schools an even better bet for training people for jobs in that field.

McAnally and Lindner spent Tuesday at the state Capitol. They were part of a press conference to call attention to green building techniques. Later, they testified before the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.

Lindner said the senators asked him about what it took to get a job in the construction industry.

There was also a lot of discussion about the eight residence halls Iowa Central carpentry students built on campus using green technology.

Since graduating, Lindner has used those same practices to help build a house on North Ninth Street in Fort Dodge. That structure will be the first new home created as part of the Lincoln neighborhood improvement project.