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| Green Building Workshop Well Attended |
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Steve Hewitt, from Greensburg,
Kansas, speaks to attendees |
More than 160 people attended the Gulf Coast Green Conference on January 25th and 26th in Bay St. Louis. The conference, held at the Hollywood Casino, attracted Habitat affiliates, government officials, builders, activists and others.
"We are extremely pleased with the number and diversity of the people who attended the Gulf Coast Green Conference this year," commented Wendy McDonald, Executive Director of Bay-Waveland Habitat for Humanity. “It confirms our belief that there is great interest in green building here in the Gulf Coast.” |
Featuring separate tracks, the event offered helpful information for a wide range of interests, including those who were interested in the nuts and bolts of green construction, as well as those who were interested in developing a green community plan.
The conference was sponsored by Bay-Waveland Habitat for Humanity, along with Home Depot Foundation, Live Oak Alliance of Mississippi, and Habitat for Humanity International.
Mike Mongeon and Kevin Gobble from Habitat International led a two-day track for builders that focused on green building methods and materials.
Engaging powerpoint presentations were balanced with construction site visits and hands-on demonstrations.
A second track focused on developing green communities. This one-day track featured Steve Hewitt, City Administrator for Greensburg, Kansas. Completely destroyed by a two-mile wide hurricane in 2007, the town is being rebuilt totally green. Gulf Coast residents nodded their heads with understanding as Steve spoke of the devastation and challenges his community faced as they rebuilt their homes and lives. This session was followed by a panel discussion and work session aimed at developing an action plan for greening communities in the Gulf Coast. |
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| “We’ve sponsored this event for the past two years because we’re about more than just building houses,” commented Wendy McDonald. “We’re about building sustainable green communities. Through this event we’ve not only shared practical knowledge with builders, we’ve also sparked conversations and partnerships that will help work energy efficiency and environmental responsibility into the very DNA of our community.” |
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