Masters of Green Building - CATE O’DAHL, Consultant, Educator & Writer, ESP Services
WHAT INSPIRED OR CAUSED YOU TO GET INVOLVED IN GREEN BUILDING AND HOW MANY YEARS AGO WAS THAT
IT WAS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CITY OF SEATTLES RECYCLING PROGRAM IN 1986. A CAREER PATH DEVELOPED THAT ALLOWED ME TO GO FROM CANS AND BOTTLES TO BUILDING MATERIALS. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MANY OF THE IDEAS AND BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER IN A BRODER SCALE AND MERGE THEM WITH ENERGY CONSERVATION.
GIVE 2 OR 3 EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU DO TO KEEP YOU ON YOUR EDGE
I WRITE FOR THE BUILT GREEN PROGRAM, GO TO GUILD MEETINGS; WORK ON MUNICIPAL GREEN CODE ISSUES. I LOOK AT MY SELF AS A WRITER NOT A TECHNITIAN. I BELIEVE IT IS MY JOB TO HELP EDUCATE OTHERS.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR YOU TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL
I AM TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO INTERFACE WITH REALITORS AND HELP EDUCATE THEM IN THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MOVEMENT.
WHAT FEELINGS COME UP FOR YOU WHEN YOU THINK OF THES STEPS
SOME FEELING THAT COMES TO MIND ARE: HOPEFUL, ENCOURAGED, SATISFIED, REWARDING.
WHAT ARE A COUPLE OF SUCCESS STORIES OF BRINGING ALONG YOUR NETWORK TO THEIR NEXT LEVEL
THE CDL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE BECAME AN OFFICIAL COMMITTEE FOR THE WASHINGTON STATE RECYCLING ASSOCIATION.
I ALSO WAS PART OF GETTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY TO USE THEIR EARTH DAY TO REDESIGN THE LANDSCPE IN FRONT OF THEIR BUILDING FROM HIGH TURF TO A MORE ECOFRIENDLY AND LOW MAINTENANCE CONCEPT.
IF YOU WERE TO DESCRIBLE YOUR NETWORK AS A METAPHOR THAT COMES TO MIND… WHAT WOULD IT B…
SATURATED
WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS IN WORKING WITH YOUR NETWORK IN HELPING AND INSPIRING THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
I WANT TO WORK WITH THE NON-PROFITS AND GET THEM TO WORK TOGETHER, NOT CONTINUALLY START NEW PROGRAMS ALL THE TIME. WE SHOULD BE BRINGING EVERYONE TOOGETHER AND BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
WHICH ONES ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO?
BRINGING THE VARIOUS GROUPS TOGETHER
RESOURCES YOU WOULD SUGGEST
IN THIS AREA I WOULD SUGGEST MAKING USE OF OUR ECOGUILD, TOOL BASE.ORG AND THE NAHB RESOURCE CENTER
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO TELL ME THAT I HAVEN’T ASKED
THE NETWORK OF PEOPLE WE ARE BUILDING IS MORE THAT JUST A WORKPLACE NETWORK IT IS A WAY OF BONDING AND THAT MEANS A LOT.
