Sustainable Living Tips by Lee Leffler

photo by Jim Fairchild

Maharishi University of Management has launched a $1.5 million renovation project to fix buildings, upgrade facilities, and improve energy efficiency at the same time. After completing a $2 million dorm renovation project last year, the University plans to spend half of the new funds on energy efficient upgrades.

“Our University Trustees were eager to make energy efficiency a major focus of the project,” said David Streid, MUM chief administrative officer. In addition to making the campus greener, the upgrades will save money in the long run.

The roof of the Art Center received an additional 2 ½ inches of insulation and a system to capture the heat from the kiln . . .

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On August 9 2010, Maharishi University of Management removed its trays from the dining hall. This is part of a nation-wide trend.

Environmental benefits of trayless cafeterias:

• conserves water and electricity
• reduces water pollution (detergents, drying agents etc.)
• decreases food waste

When given a tray, the tendency is to fill it up with more than you can eat. One survey showed a 25-30% drop in food waste after trays were removed from school dining halls. Maharishi University of Management’s food waste was nearly 800 lbs/day.

This will also reduce cost.

Source: Dome Announcement

Click to read an article on this nationwide trend.

Sustainable Living Center Will Be Unique in the Country

Press Conference and Earth Day Event Scheduled for 12:45 p.m. April 22

On Earth Day, April 22, the walls and the roof will go up on Maharishi University of Management’s new Sustainable Living Center — a building that will set a new standard for green building in America by being completely off the grid with respect to electricity, heating and cooling, water, and waste.

The Sustainable Living Center has been designed to meet the Living Building Challenge, the highest standard for sustainable design and green building in the world. It will be one of the first three to achieve this. And it will be unique because it will be the first to combine that standard with the standards of LEED Platinum certification, Building Biology, and Maharishi Vedic Architecture.

“There’s no other building like this going up in the nation, or in the world for that matter, that we know of,” said nationally known green building expert Mike Nicklas, who co-designed the building and whose company Innovative Design has designed over 4000 buildings that use renewable energy solutions.

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Green Marketing Mavens Ellen Finkelstein, Phyllis Khare, and Lee Leffler

From the April 2010 issue of The Iowa Source. By Linda Egenes

Last spring while setting up a series of book talks around Iowa, I started to question this fossil-fuel extravagant way to sell a few books—not to mention the cost of gas. Then my publisher fired off an email, “Create an online presence and market your book that way.”

Gulp. Even though I wrote website copy for a living, learning how to set up my own site felt daunting. But determined to finally enter the digital age, I attended a free Internet marketing seminar by three consultants based in Fairfield: Ellen Finkelstein, Phyllis Khare, and Lee Leffler.

From the tools and strategies they shared, I was able to create a blog and social media campaign to market my books—without driving my car or printing…

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Note: Ellen Finkelstein, Phyllis Khare, and Lee Leffler will be giving Marketing Make-Over Sessions in Fairfield, Iowa on April 20 – click for details.

Image linked from the April 2010 issue of the Iowa Source

The Iowa Source just issued its special Green issue for April. “Cut Flowers, Locally Grown,” “”Sustainable Repairs: The Barhdyt Pipe Organ Gets New Life,” “You Too Can Go Green!” “An Alternative to Bovine Submission” and more. Pick up a copy in the state of Iowa, or check it out online at the Iowa Source website.

Are you ready for the EcoFair 2010 in Fairfield, Iowa on April 30-May 2?

Held on the Maharishi University of Management campus, this year’s EcoFair will feature Diana Leafe Christian, the author of Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities, speaking on Spiritually Oriented Ecovillages. Also, you will hear Mark Lakeman and Micahel Cook on City Repair and the Power of Placemaking. Meet Mike Nicklas, president and co-founder of Innovative Design, Inc., who will talk about Key Strategies for Green Development. And more. Speaker’s list. Schedule.

On Sunday May 2, the Ecofair will become an Unconference using Open Space Technology. Open Space Technology is a highly participatory process that has been successfully employed in multiple situations all over the world. Learn more.

Mark Your Calendar!

Join us for Iowa’s Fifth Annual Natural Living Expo on March 27-28, 2010. We are the first Iowa expo to showcase natural, healthy and green living. We are enthusiastic about Connecting the Community! If you are looking for a fun way to promote your business, sign up to be an exhibitor. Visit the Natural Living Expo website to sign up to exhibit. Feel free to call any of our sales team with questions: Laurie 515-276-6971 / Tizzy 515-681-6781 / Angela 515-205-5494.

The Natural Living Expo is actively seeking volunteers! Volunteers are a vital role in making the Natural Living Expo a fantastic and fun-filled event for everyone. We have many options for service:

• Flier and poster distribution beginning February 25, 2010.
• Set up on Friday, March 26, 2010 at the Polk County Convention Complex. Assist vendors in the unloading and set up of their booth.
• Expo weekend – we need greeters, ticket takers, vendor relations, stage crew, and more.

To sign up, please email tizzy@naturallivingexpo.org or call Tizzy at 515-681-6781.

The *cool* volunteer t-shirt will be available mid-March.