solar energy

Millennials Push Us To Green Up The Suburbs

| September 20, 2017 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilia, Environment, Green Roofs, Nature and Wellbeing
Three generations of Mumfords together at La Jolla Shores celebrating Mother's Day in better times, May 2016: (L to R) daughter Allie, Mom, and yours truly.
The Millennial Generation is full of pleasant surprises. No, I’m not being sarcastic! I know the Millennials pretty well through my son Ted and my daughter Allie, their friends, and plenty of my employees and colleagues I meet at conferences and meetings. It is a big mistake to stereotype Millennials or dismiss them. They are the largest single generation in the United States today, 75.4 million people between ages 20 and 36. There’s no way 75 million people are alike enough to agree on anything or act a certain way. But people follow trends and when that many people go in a particular direction, we need to pay attention.… Read More

One Thing Could Make Going Solar in San Diego Even Better

| December 8, 2016 | Categories: Environment, Green Roofs, Sustainable Living
When I had my first Eco-Warrior “a-ha!” moment at Good Earth Plant Company, it resulted in building the first commercial green roof on a building in the City of San Diego. You never forget your first! We have built several green roofs in the decade since then, from private homes in Del Mar and Encinitas to the “Fallen Star” art installation at UCSD, to the spectacular green roof at Sharp Memorial Hospital in Kearny Mesa. We love everything green roofs stand for at Good Earth Plants. Although a green roof requires a significant upfront investment for the construction and the need to irrigate it, a green roof can be expected to double or triple the life of the underlying conventional roof by protecting it from damage due to debris, UV radiation and expansion and contraction.… Read More

Super Bowl 50 is Super Eco-Friendly

| February 4, 2016 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Biophilic Design, Environment, Green Roofs, Living Walls
Standard compliant structures in the world. Photo: Courtesy Levi's Stadium website
Super Bowl 50 is just days away. Are you rooting for the Broncos or the Panthers? Or are you tuning in for the commercials, not the game? Looking forward to Coldplay and Beyonce? I’m excited about Super Bowl 50 because it is taking place in the first ever professional football stadium to be LEED Gold certified. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California is the most eco-friendly, sustainable stadium in the world today. Levi’s Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, is a typical multi-purpose modern stadium that can host all sorts of events. What sets it apart starts at the top: the NRG Solar Terrace green roof on the west side of the stadium.… Read More

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

| July 9, 2015 | Categories: Good Earth Plant Company, Green Roofs, Indoor Plants, Sustainable Living
It's a small step in the right direction toward preserving our planet's resources.
Some days the news is a little hard to take, full of reports about shootings, natural disasters, and drought. I thought I would write about it, but then I realized the topic seemed familiar. Check out this blog post I wrote two years ago this month. Not much has changed, has it? The location of the shootings is different, that is about it. As for our weather, it only seems to get drier and hotter. My observations and my advice then wouldn’t change now either. We know what needs to be done and we have many of the solutions at our fingertips, even more than we did two years ago.… Read More

Price Drops Mean Green Roofs for All

| August 27, 2014 | Categories: Architecture and Design, Green Roofs
At Good Earth Plant Company and GreenScaped Buildings, we believe green roofs are beautiful, beneficial, and just overall wonderful.  But we know the cost is sometimes more than our clients had originally budgeted when they contact us.  We love providing our clients with the green roof of their dreams no matter the budget, and soon it will be a little easier to do so. As green roofs and other forms of Building-Integrated Vegetation become more popular, prices start to drop. For example, according to an article in Energy Management Today, by 2017 one of the major components of green roofs provided to us by our supplier Columbia Green Technologies will drop by 28 percent.… Read More

It Starts Today – Let’s Help Our Environment

| June 4, 2013 | Categories: Environment, Sustainable Living
Environment, global warming
It feels like every news broadcast I watch has been filled with more and more tragic news, from devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas, to school shootings and terrorism attacks all over the world. I feel so helpless to do something to help or change the situation. Some of the heartbreaking news is man-made, and some of it beyond our control. In particular, the weather has been so crazy. Nightly weather broadcasts have taken on a sometimes frightening appearance. Happy broadcasters used to point to smiling-faced sun cutouts and cheerfully report holding an umbrella during rainy days. No more. The weather around the world has seemingly taken on a harsher quality.… Read More