Every day we take for granted the gas we put in our cars to get us where we’re going. For over 30 years, we’ve ignored crisis. And yet, pretending it’s not a problem hasn’t made it go away. Current financial times are gloomy. And the rapid rise of the cost of oil, and the scarcity of it, have driven us to the brink.

And as we prepare to elect a new President, neither of the candidates are offering anything new. Empty campaign promises won’t carry us into a brave new world. Dealing with America’s energy deficiencies require a plan. And I think the Pickens Plan is a giant step in the right direction.

The 3 C’s of Sustainability: Communication, Community Involvement, and Campus Environment, the 3rd Annual Campus & Community Sustainability Conference hosted by the University of Central Florida and the Council for Sustainable Florida.

This conference will provide an opportunity for individuals from campuses, government, businesses and communities to come together to share their experiences and challenges related to creating sustainability and a green culture. Presentations will focus on matters relating to Florida’s economy, environment, and quality of life.

Please join us to explore successful projects and strategies relating to: Education and research for sustainability, Economic improvements for sustainable efficiency and effectiveness, Protection and restoration for sustainable ecological systems, and Enhancing sustainability for the well-being of all people.

Many small businesses contact us, and ask what they can do to ‘green up’ their business. Community Greenhouse Foundation has developed a program to help you reduce electric and water usage, to encourage recycling and use of recycled materials, and to reduce the amount of solid waste your organization produces. And to launch their efforts, they announce the Greening America Business Challenge.

More than just green-washing, they’ve partnered with Energy Star (the US Department of Energy) and WasteWise (US Environmental Protection Agency) programs. Using nationally recognized third party tools and criteria, CGF helps you understand what your organization is doing, individually, and then prescribes a variety of efforts you can undertake to reduce your impact.

Program takes undersold homes, renovates them to be energy efficient, and works with municipalities for workforce housing.

The Community Greenhouse Foundation has been working for months on a program which is targeted to assist in the rehabilitation and sale of the “glut” of houses being dumped into the market resulting from foreclosures. The “Greening of America’s House Stock” program is a pro-active economic stimulus program that has been developed due to the current economic position of America. Never in our countries history has energy, housing and the environment been seen as critical issues at the same time.

The Community Greenhouse Foundation is proud to announce a new Strategic Partner serving the South Florida communities to delivery it’s “Greening Residential America” program. The program helps to provides communities with the resources to bring “green attainable housing” to their communities. New and renovated energy efficient green homes can be offered to City, County, governmental employees and the public through the program along with the opportunity for local “community” builders to tap into products and training to build greener and more energy efficient.

With Memorial Day and the summer travel season approaching, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) encourages Florida residents and guests to travel close, clean and green with the launch of a new green travel Web site and Florida Green Lodging Program locator map. The newly launched green travel Web site offers resources for families and travelers looking to get away without depleting their wallets, gas tanks or the environment.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist today announced the 2008 Serve to Preserve Florida Summit on Global Climate Change. The conference will be held June 25-26, 2008, at the Intercontinental Miami. Building on the foundation for Florida’s energy future began at last year’s summit, the 2008 summit will focus on stimulating economic development in clean technologies as well as “greening” Florida’s business community.

“Florida’s businesses continue to demonstrate that there is gold in green, and climate-friendly energy sources – like ethanol and solar energy – are bringing new prospects for our state,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “Encouraging companies to do business the green way as well as building a strong market in renewable energy technologies in the Sunshine State will strengthen our energy and economic future and protect our natural environment for generations to come.”

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.

Wow! We use a lot of Water! I was on the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Public Works web site the other day searching for how to get new water service and stumbled onto a Conservation Checklist. The check list is set up like a quiz to see how someone is doing in their home related to water conservation.

First it is a great little check list and I think it is great that the City has that kind of information and tool available for residents. Second–and more interesting to me–was how much water we waste and in ways that I never even thought of which I am guilty off doing. I thought I would pass the Quiz along hoping more people will get a little wake up call.

Like every other day last week, I walked into the office and started to review my task and meetings for the day to make sure I was up to speed on everything. When I looked at my two o’clock appointment, I paused for a few seconds and yelled out to Sandy my assistant, “Who and what the heck is Carbon reduction at 2:00?�”

“Your meeting is with Paul from the Environmental Services Department, I am not sure what the Carbon Reduction relates too, he said you were aware of the meeting,�”Sandy replied.

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.

“With a commitment to adopting innovative green practices and protecting Florida’s environment, facilities in the Green Lodging Program are leading the industry by example,”� said DEP Central District Director Vivian Garfein. “Their dedication serves as an example and a challenge to other hotels to adopt innovative green practices, conserve resources and save money.”

John and Pam Pare 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, Pare, 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 Pare’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.

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.

Community Greenhouse Foundation helps people make the business case to build greener. Through education, planning, and action, they’re committed to raising awareness, educating the public and promoting sustainable building. CGF taps into experienced, qualified professionals for projects it supports. In most cases, these projects couldn’t even think about the use of these professionals, due to the size or type of project, and the retail cost for the services they provide. The organization is able to accomplish this due to its not-for-profit status and the commitment of industry and professionals who support the foundation’s mission.

Get Green Today Expo is a new venue created to raise awareness and create exposure for cleaner, greener products and services. There are so many little things consumers can do better to use less power, conserve water and live better, saving money and lessening their individual impact on our resources. From health, beauty and wellness to exciting new technologies, we’re excited about the opportunity to help bring these better ways of doing things to Floridians.

GreenOrlando’s creators, are working with the producers, the Goddess Group, to help promote the event, working with sponsors, exhibitors and media.

Talk radio host Laura Ingraham recently crossed political lines as she interviewed author Clint Wilder about his latest book, The Clean Tech Revolution. She started, noting that when she picked up the book, she expected to read global warming hype and Al Gore political rhetoric. She was amazed by the basic premise, one that those familiar with the green building world have been trying to get out to the public for the last decade.

The Clean Tech Revolution describes the opportunity that awaits the companies, the countries, the people who develop it. Someone has finally gotten the word to the mainstream.