Membership Update
We have a new member joining us today.  Please extend a warm welcome to Russ Perry of Keane Creative.

FEATURED PROGRAM:  A.K.A. Green Services "Going Green"
Mick Dalrymple and Jeff Frost of A.K.A. Green Services, co-owners

A.K.A. Green Services offers architectural consulting, green certification, interior design and education.  They have been in the green movement since 2005.  Mick had always wanted to be a doer (not a complainer) so he attended meetings and became educated in solutions to the national energy problems.  He and Jeff started their store with the goal of removing obstacles and making green products easily accessible.  

They have some criteria they utilize when choosing which green building products to showcase and sell. First, they don't want to add anything toxic to your house.  Everything else is trade offs.  For instance, bamboo is rapidly renewable but getting it here involves fuel waste during shipping.  They look at recycled content, embodied energy, recyclability and green product certifications.  They put on about 20 different educational workshops around the Valley and, soon, online.

Products are only a small part of the green building process.  Design is a large part of it.  Mick talked about some of the products on the floor.

Challenges - A lot of the manufactures are small so you are dealing with a scale issue.  Another issue is that many products are imported and you don't have the market penetration.  The other aspect of it is that some people are trying to make a premium off it.  But they do use premium ingredients which can drive the price up.

There is a website, www.dsireusa.net, that gives a great deal of green information.

Jeff talked about products they sell and also products they don't sell.