Bill's Building Blog

Rebuilding proficiency improves in New Orleans

Above: BIll Robinson leads a field training day for those involved in New Orleans rebuilding. 

As we move through the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, more resources are being made available to improve the process. 

These comes from many sources and one important resource is Global Green.

Using grant funds, the local Global Green office is providing training to local rebuilding groups to raise the bar for building efficient, durable and healthy homes.

Bill Robinson, through Train2ReBuild, delivered a one-day field exercise to point out real world examples of how the process can be improved.

The highlights were insulating gutted homes, air sealing, and material selection.

During the one-day outing the importance of preplanning and team building were emphasized.

New Orleans in the forefront of a green building revolution

When hurricane Katrina blew into New Orleans four years ago, Matt Petersen watched in shock as the floodwaters retreated, revealing one of the most devastating natural disasters in US history: billions of dollars in damages, 80 percent of the city flooded with filthy water, and a government response that provoked a firestorm of criticism.

“I watched everything play out in horror,” says Mr. Petersen. “And, like everyone else, I went through the process of thinking, ‘What can I do?’ ”

Petersen donated money and considered volunteering, but that wasn’t enough. “I kept feeling this well up inside me, I felt compelled to act,” he says.

As the city’s cleanup began, Petersen, the president and CEO of Global Green, an environmental nonprofit that promotes green building, saw a silver – or green – lining in Katrina’s catastrophic wake

See the whole story at features.csmonitor.com