Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson featured Green Dean in a weekend article about her sparing match with hubby and backyard.  "A man, a plan, a new backyard" was carried in newspapers all across the country and Canada and reached over 4 million readers!  We love to read Marni's columns because they are filled with real life experiences and the consequential, inherent humor.  Marni included Dean in a column almost two years ago that provides eerie foreshadowing into the lovable, non-caped crusader!  Thanks to Marni for the mention and for Dan's (Marni's husband) sake order a copy of her book, The House Always Wins!  We know that we just did!  

The month of July always includes a pilgrimmage to see the Dave Mathews Band in concert.  This year, we wanted to investigate DMB's environmental message and whether it was resonating with their devoted following. Upon arriving at the Verizon Wireless Center, we were greeted by the Bama girls.  No they weren't from Alabama, but they were walking the parking lot collecting recycleables in exchange for a raffle ticket for front row seats.  The young ladies were part of the Bama Green Project, an ongoing partnership between Dave Mathews Band, Reverb and IZSTYLE.  The project encompasses all of the environmental efforts undertaken by the band while on the road, in the studio or at home.  The environmental efforts are pretty astounding...

No...not that kind of season, yet!  Maybe it's just because July is Smart Irrigation Month or maybe it's because we have been reviewing all of the existing and proposed green guidelines, but there seems to be a increase in the discussion of turfgrass!  That's right the good old Kentucky Bluegrass, Turf Type Fescue, Zoysia, St. Augustine and Bermuda varieties are as hot a topic as the summer in Texas!  So, what's all the buzz...well, in the summer months, landscaping water usage can constitute up to one third of all residential water usage.  Some homes use up to 200 gallons per day for landscape irrigation!  Let the battle lines be drawn and the discussion begin...any thoughts?

On Saturday, July 12, the Green Dean Team had the good fortune and opportunity to meet and hang with Senator Richard Lugar from Indiana.  After touring a certified green home, the senator graciously sat down with Dean and answered a few questions about energy security and green building practices.  The exclusive interview will be airing very soon on GreenDeanTV!

Ahhh...the famous parental command at the dinner table has now become a reality!  I had the opportunity to meet Larry Grider, CEO of Engro, at a Tuesday morning small business meeting.  Larry's company sells "innovative products that are changing the way we live".  The main product that might change the way you live is Ingeo, a fiber developed by Cargill and Dow Chemical, that is made from corn and is one of the most significant developments in the textile industry of our generation.

The Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program has released draft guidelines for water-efficient new homes and is inviting public comment through July 21, 2008.  The draft specification and supporting statement is chock full of information about residential water usage and how by having a WaterSense label on your home can save you money!