Volunteer Michael Kane's Take on RTP "Going Green"

To a degree, RTP has been doing green rehabilitation since its inception through the volunteers' critical repairs focused on "warm, safe, dry." The attention has been on energy efficiency, checking for safe carbon emissions, and reduction of water-related issues, including mold. On a much larger scale, RTP's very purpose – helping people stay in their homeowners and communities – represents the very core of green building: reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, and repair. Going forward, the major difference in our practices will be formalizing goals to use more green products and services (as they become available on the market); evaluating the homes' original conditions for energy efficiency in order to address those needs; and realize and document a quantifiable 30% decrease in energy consumption. To this end, we are developing partnerships in the environmental arena with nonprofits such as UC Green. This will add momentum to our endeavors; ultimately building a consortium of entities working in collaboration on specific low-income neighborhoods.

-After working in management for years, Michael Kane went into design work, became a General Contractor, and then worked for a non-profit environmental group where she developed a green building program. She used this program as a catalyst to renovate the educational center with green building materials and processes. In conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection, as a public outreach effort, she developed a manual of green products found in Pennsylvania and established the first green building expo in Harrisburg. Her outreach extended to builders, designers, architects and manufacturers who wanted to find an avenue to showcase their products. While she is no longer involved directly with green building, she remains passionate about sharing an awareness of the values of sustainable building and living.