The Green Earth Expo, May 15-18, 2008, at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, will be the largest show of its kind. Green Earth Expo allows hundreds of Green and Sustainable corporations and non-profits to showcase their Green initiatives to other businesses and consumers. Slated as the “World’s largest sustainable commerce and lifestyle trade show event, the Expo will feature major automakers, alternative energy providers, green construction fabricators and contractors, Green service providers, energy efficient appliance manufacturers, as well as health & wellness groups and organic retailers. Confirmed speakers include top level government officials, Green business leaders, and environmental experts.

One of the main reasons the Community Greenhouse Foundation sponsored the Green Communities program was the idea of communities sharing good news and stories about the way people and organizations are doing positive things as they related to green sustainable living in their communities. The web sites are geared to act as a conduit to all sectors of the community and other communities around the state. This is a PERFECT example of what this program is supposed to promote and share.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today welcomed both the Hampton Inn and Courtyard by Marriott into the Florida Green Lodging Program. The designations are the first for Brevard County and the 37th and 38th for the program, a voluntary state initiative that provides the lodging industry with technical assistance and encouragement to adopt cost-saving “green” practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

John and Pam Paré weren’t home when Hurricane Charlie buried their Orlando home under a massive oak, but reality sank in quickly. The family had gone away for the weekend, and never spent another night in the home they had owned since 1996. As they considered whether to move or replace their home, Paré, at that time Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Hughes Supply, Inc., thought his connections to the construction materials supplier could help.

Florida Solar Energy Center helps an Orlando home achieve LEED™ Certification. An Orlando home rebuilt after it was destroyed in a 2004 hurricane has become the first house in the state to achieve the silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) for Homes standard.

The Florida Solar Energy Center completed several inspections and performance tests on John and Pamela Paré’s new home, which features solar water heating, high-efficiency windows and doors and many other environmentally friendly features. The home, built by Classic Construction, is only the second home in the state to earn a LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Coalition (USGBC).

The U.S. Department of Energy recently named the Florida Solar Energy Center at the University of Central Florida as one of only two sites nationwide that will share a multi-million dollar grant to accelerate the adoption of new and developing energy-efficient technologies.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) received $2 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) grant to be home to a regional building technology application center. The center, to be located at FSEC’s facility in Cocoa, will serve 12 states and produce projects that will substantially increase the deployment of high-performance “beyond-code” buildings across the Southeast. Washington State University is the site of the other center.

Home builders are starting to see the light. The green light that is. Mercedes Homes revealed their commitment to helping the environment with the unveiling of the company’s second greener home in Brevard County. The ‘Green for Life’ program, was rolled out in Brevard County by showcasing a green-built home and introducing the company’s commitment to green building.

Scott Buescher, President of Operations for Mercedes Homes’, kicked off the program by mentioning, “Mercedes Homes’ Green for Life initiative combines earth-friendly technologies with reduced energy consumption and water conservation, translating into savings on utility bills and big benefits for generations to come.”

Connected to both the green building industry and the health & wellness world, Get Green Today Expo helped us see the need to create a place where consumers can find and connect with businesses and people who make a difference. We call this new place on the web, Get Green Directory.

Why do we want you to get green? As Florida grows and develops, we’re going to see more and more need to conserve water, electricity and resources. There’s so much you can do to better position yourself and your home, by becoming more efficient, more green. Our site directs you to people who are leading the way.

Florida Solar Energy Center releases EnergyGauge® Summit Premier 3.13, easy-to-use, state-of-the-art software that saves time while completing required energy modeling calculations for LEED® projects. This tool is for construction-industry professionals.

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), a research institute of the University of Central Florida, today released EnergyGauge Summit Premier 3.13 at the Greenbuild conference in Chicago. This state-of-the-art software provides construction-industry professionals with the opportunity to substantially reduce the time required to complete energy modeling for the commercial construction LEED® rating system.

Rampant growth has been changing and churning the landscape of Central Florida and makes people wonder if the future Orlando is a place anyone would want to call home. Whether a real change of heart, or reaction to the housing bust, Mayor Buddy Dyer recently announced plans to move in a greener direction.

The City of Orlando recently announced it’s plans to formally get greener. Called Green Works Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer heralds some positive steps forward.

I’m at the expo, and wow, what a crowd. I can feel myself getting greener by the minute. Working on our Get Green Directory, I’m familiar with many of the exhibitors, but being here is a different story.

Smell the coffee, I’m drinking a cup of ReishiGo. I love coffee and they tell me this cup is healthy for me. Tastes yummy. Did Tamara tell me it has mushrooms in it? Their site says that Reishi, is rich in antioxidants, supports the immune system, helps to eliminate body toxins and balances body functions. Is there caffeine is there?

Founded in 1997, igourmet.com is America’s leading online gourmet food and gift retailer. They recently announced their desire to help sustainable development not-for-profit, Community Greenhouse Foundation. CGF is a not for profit professional services organization that facilitates and promotes greener development, welcoming the support of igourmet.com as its newest Industry Partner.

Again, energy issues capture the headlines and again we see a call for fuel conservation. Isn’t it amazing how often we return round about back to where we’ve started–with no real change or action to be seen?

During the past year–as we were hit by $3 a gallon at the pumps–I noticed a strange phenomenon. Despite casualties and mayhem in the mideast, as I drove around town, it seemed that traffic was not easing up. People didn’t slow down, in fact, I think drivers got testier. Racing to the next red light is still an American past-time.

I’ve been following transportation and energy news for quite some time–and it seems impossible to see real change in our lifetimes. Yes, we see new technology, we experience glimmers of hope, but ultimately nothing changes. That’s why recent news in Brazil is so exciting. World economy is built upon energy infrastructure–and that means oil. For transportation, though, there is a simple fix.

For years we’ve known about the inportance of using recycled papers and the environmental hazards of the printing process. And for years, some have made excellent progress in the field, while many are still unaware of the benefits of printing cleaner and greener.

While talking with our favorite printer, we asked where the industry was in relation to being more responsible to Mother Earth. From these chats, the Hopper Press Project was born.

The Green Guide is a great place to find information about green products and services. Practical, reliable, easy-to-use, a one-stop-information-shop, the Green Guide is “the first place I go for real green product information and advice,” says Maria Rodale, Vice-Chair of Rodale, Inc and founding editor of Organic Style magazine.

The Green Guide and thegreenguide.com are two highly integrated information products published by The Green Guide Institute (TGGI), a national non-profit, 501(c)(3) environmental consumer research and information organization.

Florida’s DEP, or Department of Environmental Protection, is an amazing resource for our state. Not only are they constant advocates for Florida’s eco-health, they are continually leading the charge on many sensitive topics, including alternative energy, sustainable development, conservation, preservation and greener living.

Today in their news feed, I received this and wanted to pass it on. Not just New Year’s resolutions, but green New Year’s resolutions.

The organic movement, if you will, is growing steadily in popularity and recognition. Not too long ago, it was a rare site to see organic anything. In the past 10-15 years it has been making its way into our homes little by little, until now. Organic cotton companies alone are reporting product sales growing at more than 40 percent a year.

Transportation impacts everyone in Central Florida. Therefore, every citizen should have an opportunity to participate in planning improvements to the region’s transportation system. So where can we go for information and to voice our concerns?

Metroplan Orlando, the transportation planning organization for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, recently implemented a new web log, commonly referred to as a “blog,” to provide citizens with important information. The new blog serves as a forum for discussion of transportation issues in Central Florida, providing citizens with a medium for information and an opportunity to share their comments, concerns, questions and ideas. In many ways, MetroBlogOrlando is an online, 24/7 public hearing.

Southface Energy Institute is an amazing resource on all things green. In the southeast US, they are the go-to people, instrumental in bringing sustainable practices to our region.

Dennis Creech, Executive Director, relates, “Since 1978, Southface has helped people save energy and water and conserve natural resources.”

“Southface’s programs and services are based on sound science and are inclusive of all members of our community. These programs and services reached about 40,000 people last year, and our media impressions exceeded 200 million. None of our accomplishments would have been possible without the support of our members and others in nonprofit, foundation, corporate and government sectors. “