HABITAT GOES GREEN
The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity recently revealed the details of its Green Building Initiative. All new Habitat homes will be Energy Star certified, meet North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes Program requirements, and participate in the SystemVision Energy Bill Guarantee Program, a program offered by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency in partnership with the nonprofit Advanced Energy Corporation. SystemVision encourages high standards of energy efficiency in the construction of affordable homes and guarantees homeowners low heating and cooling costs. Some of the green features Habitat will institute during the building of its homes include the installation of Energy Star appliances and high-efficiency vinyl windows, the use of formaldehyde-free crawlspace insulation and low-VOC paints, and the planting of drought resistant and native plants for landscaping. For more information about Habitat’s Green Initiative, contact Communications Manager Ariane Kjellquist at 828-251-5702 or akjellquist@ashevillehabitat.org, or visit the Asheville Habitat’s website at www.ashevillehabitat.org.

CALLING ALL LOCAVORES!
The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) has launched a new online searchable local food guide at www.carolinalocalfood.org, where you can locate over 300 sustainable farms, markets, grocers and organizations in the Carolinas. The site will be updated monthly. “This online guide empowers consumers to find the tastiest, freshest, healthiest foods possible and gives consumers the opportunity to support the hard-working farmers that provide that food right in our backyards,” says Roland McReynolds, CFSA’s executive director. CFSA has also announced their new local food campaign: the Eat Carolina Food Challenge. The campaign calls on participants to agree to eat only food produced within the region (North and South Carolina) for one week, from July 7-13. Points will be tallied, and, at the end of the week, a winner will receive free admission to the 23rd Sustainable Agriculture Conference. Participants will blog about their experiences, and non-participants can follow their journeys at CFSA’s website www.carolinafarmsterward.org. More information can be found on CFSA’s website, including how to participate in the Challenge. CFSA is a 26-year-old nonprofit network of over 1,000 members that promotes local organic agriculture in the Carolinas.

GET INVOLVED FOR STATE SUPPORT OF SOLAR
North Carolina has a commitment to clean, renewable power: By 2020, 12.5 percent of the state’s electricity must come from renewable sources. But, should you go solar, it may be hard for you to connect your panel to the electricity grid and receive credit for the power it produces, says the NC Sustainble Energy Association (NCSEA), siting unfair rules as part of the problem. This year, NCSEA is working with the state legislature to create fair net metering and interconnection rules. They’ve set up a petition asking state senators and representatives to support net metering. To sign the petition, visit www.votesolar.org/nc.html.

SHARE YOUR NEWS
Know of a local nonprofit actively working on issues related to sustainability? Are you a member of a group pioneering green in our area? Send your press releases with the subject “Live Local” to submissions@newlifejournal.com.

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