It’s pretty clear to even a casual observer that “green” is king. Wherever you turn, it seems everyone in the home building, remodeling, home improvement, design, architecture and even political worlds is talking about energy efficiency and sustainability.

But sometimes, those claims of environmental friendliness aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Some claims are simply misleading, while others don’t take into consideration the bigger picture — like a product’s distribution process or the operation of a manufacturing plant.

Fortunately, a variety of resources on the Web can help inform consumers who are concerned about the environmental impact and safety of the products they’re buying.

Good Guide rates food items and other household products for three factors: health, environment and societal impact (which means they’re looking for more than just “green”). BuyGreen lets people shop for several consumer and commercial products that they’ve identified as environmentally friendly. The Greenwashing Index analyzes advertisements and judges the authenticity (or bogusness) of green claims.

An article from Metropolis magazine asked a panel of architects for their thoughts on what makes a product sustainable. Their answers demonstrate the all-encompassing nature of green:

What makes a product sustainable?

MARTINKUS: Number one on my list is classic design and quality construction. Something that is well designed, something that’s timeless and not trendy, is something you keep for decades. Or if you don’t keep it, it can be sold or donated so that some-one else can reuse it.

LEISEROWITZ: We look at the entire life cycle of the product. That means taking into account everything from extraction or harvesting to manufacture, transport, and installation. But it doesn’t stop there. We also consider the footprint associated with maintaining products and then deconstructing them at the end of their useful life.

CLARK JANSEN: Sustainability encompasses social as well as environmental factors. I avoid using products that may be made using questionable labor practices or in conditions that are hazardous to workers. If a product and its manufacture are contributing positively to a community, that’s ideal.

RUNNING: In very simple terms: product + application + intended lifespan = level of sustainability.

With an array of long-lasting, well-built, ENERGY STAR-certified products; a variety of waste-reduction and forestry-management processes; involvement in several environmentally focused organizations; and a couple of nice green-related awards, we think Marvin’s green efforts hold up rather well.

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Lou Manfredini reports from the show floor at IBS on Wednesday, “Green Day.” Sponsored by Marvin Windows, the day is focused on a number of sustainability and efficiency-related topics.

Lou shows us a residential wind turbine from Windtronics as well as GAF’s reflective shingles and ventilation systems for cooling your roof — thereby reducing cooling costs and energy use on warm days.

Lou spoke with Kevin Morrow, senior program manager for NAHB, about products builders can use to improve a home’s energy efficiency and Michael Still of Marvin Windows and Doors about SFI and FSC certification. These “green” certification programs ensure that products add value to your home and are healthy for the environment.

The New York Times recently featured an Alaskan couple living in a yurt (a Mongolian tent) in their Home & Garden section. This couple’s commitment to living a sustainable lifestyle might be extreme, but it is admirable.

Many aspects of their life, such as lack of running water or central heat, make it seem downright old-fashioned. But there are a lot of modern touches: unlike traditional yurts, which are made with wool, their yurt is made of Duro-Last with Tyvek insulation. There’s also Broadband Internet access, which brings this lifestyle into the modern era.

What’s important to you? If you want to live a sustainable lifestyle, how far will you go? What will you give up? What can’t you live without? What makes your life more pleasant, but isn’t totally necessary?

We may not all decide to live in yurts, but if we are strategic about greening our homes, we can live more sustainable lifestyles.

Photo of a traditional yurt courtesy of dwrawlinson on Flickr.

The carbon footprint of a winter getaway is one that often goes unnoticed. But even if fuel (car, plane or otherwise) were the only factor – and that’s far from true – the impact would warrant some attention. So why not try greening your getaway?

Lodging

As you plan your green vacation, consider your accommodations first. Many hotels and resorts work hard to achieve some form of “green certification.” Frankly, it’s in their best interest to be environmentally friendly because they, as a business, can enjoy the same kind of dollar savings as you do in your home by being green.

Look for hotels that have been built or remodeled using recycled materials, used eco-sensitive site selection or site clearing practices, or hotels that encourage their guests to conserve water by reusing linens and towels. There are many different criteria a hotel needs to meet to be considered green, here’s a site that can help you sort out some of the different types of accommodations and help you determine whether they meet your travel criteria.

But before you leave…

Before you even leave on your vacation you can start earning “green cred” by taking steps in your home to cut down energy usage while you’re away. Start with your thermostat. While you’re away, is there any reason to keep your home heated to your comfort level? Turn your thermostat down to a level that is acceptable to simply sustain your home before you go. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can manipulate the temperature during selected parts of the day and allow the warmth of the sun to filter through and heat your home when it is able.

Another often overlooked creature comfort is hot water. While you’re enjoying the warmth of the Caribbean waters, you don’t need the water in your home to be kept at a constant 120 degrees. In most newer, gas-powered water heaters, there is a “vacation” setting designed to be used for these occasions. If that setting doesn’t exist, you can switch to the “pilot” setting. If you have an electric water heater, you can throw the breaker switch before you leave.

Finally, unplug any non-essential appliances. Most appliances continue to draw energy even when they’re not running, especially large televisions and computers. The only appliances that would need power while you’re away are lights outfitted with timers that might come on as part of your security plan.

Road trips

For many, the current recession has changed the way they travel, with “staycations” replacing “vacations.” A staycation is a trip that involves traveling less than 300 miles or even staying at home. If you’re considering a staycation and need to know how to keep it green, start with this: The most important consideration is your vehicle. Before you leave, be sure to get the car tuned up. An oil change, proper inflation in your tires, and new air filter – all of these elements play a role in determining your gas mileage and energy usage. If your everyday car isn’t as mileage friendly as you would like, you may also consider renting a more eco-friendly vehicle like a hybrid.

Also, as your travels begin, watch your right foot to make sure it’s keeping you green. For every 5 miles per hour you drive over 60, you spend an extra 24 cents per gallon in extra gas. Do the math over the course of a decent-length road trip and your lead foot could cost you some serious dollars – and pump out some serious carbon.

Finally, turn right. Yes, right. Avoiding left-hand turns means less idling, more moving and less fuel usage. UPS, which knows a thing or two about transportation costs, has practiced this technique for years, and according to estimates they saved more than 3 million gallons of fuel in 2007 and reduced the C02 emissions of their vehicles by the equivalent of taking 5,300 cars off the road. Take a look at some of these quick tips for driving more efficiently.

Be smart when you’re there

Once you arrive at your destination, there are a myriad of ways you can go green. Park your car in the hotel ramp and take public transportation. If it’s good enough for the residents of the city, it should be good enough for you. Plus, you’ll seriously minimize your chances of getting lost. It’s a lot easier to read a map when someone else is driving.

Also, be a conscientious traveler. Just because you’re away from home doesn’t mean you should stop doing the smart things you do. Take care to recycle rather than tossing cans, plastic and glass into the trash. Finally, don’t be intimidated by the prospects of arranging an eco-friendly vacation. A simple Web search for green or eco-friendly vacations will return a plethora of options and ideas for your next trip. Here’s a great starting point for making those plans!

Photo courtesy of muha on Flickr

We’ve come across some cool advances in the green world, so let’s get stepping (that’s a little pun — you’ll get it in just a second).

Energy-generating pavement: An untapped renewable?
Greenbeat
Pavegen is a “slab of concrete that harnesses kinetic energy whenever it is stepped on.” The energy, created by the small amount of flexibility in the material, is either stored in batteries or transmitted to streetlights and other electronics located nearby. Based on some of the company’s number-crunching, five units of Pavegen pavement can be enough to power the lights at a bus stop all night.

Green Roofs Are Changing the Way Architects Design Buildings
Inhabitat
Until recently, green roofs have just gone about their work, providing valuable benefits like keeping buildings cool in summer and warm in winter and reducing the urban “heat island” effect. But now, they’ve become a bit more commonplace, and they’re changing the way architects design buildings. This report from Inhabitat shines some light on this green trend.

The New NIMBY-Defeating Wind Turbine
CleanTechnica
Have you heard the term NIMBY? It means “not in my backyard,” as in, “No, don’t put the city’s new landfill in our neck of the woods” or “I don’t want you putting that big, ugly windmill right in front of my nice lake view!” Well, a design team The Power Collective has designed a wind turbine that can power your home without irking your local NIMBY types. Pictured at right, it’s designed to fit nearly seamlessly within the shape and flow of your roof while still catching about as much wind as other mid-size turbines.

This classic San Francisco row house was transformed from an old, drab house into a light-filled modern home by Jonathan Feldman of Feldman Architecture in San Francisco. The goal was to transform the confined feeling of the house into an airy, spacious place to live.

In order to do this, Feldman had to make some changes, including moving the living spaces to the top floor, where the light is best. Almost all walls that could be removed were, to create a more open floor plan. Windows were added along the length of the house to let daylight flood in.

The owners of the house wanted to take advantage of the renovation to make the house as green as possible. A solar-powered radiant heat system, a large photo-volatic roof array and recycled materials for insulation, flooring, cabinets and countertops were added. Marvin’s double-paned clad casements and Ultimate Double Hungs with Low E II coatings also help Pierce House be energy-efficient. To add even more “green-ness” Feldman used a portion of the upper floor for a roof top garden.

Pierce House is now a true San Francisco treat! For more information, visit the myMarvin Architect’s Challenge page.

What can bamboo do for you?

With the growing interest in green living, bamboo often is mentioned. What’s it all about?

Let’s start off with what bamboo is. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a tree. According to Wikipedia, bamboo is a woody perennial evergreen plant from the true grass family Poaceae. It grows natively almost everywhere except Europe and Antarctica.

How can you use this amazing grass? To start off with, you can eat it! Certain bamboo species’ shoots are edible. Notecook shares a delicious recipe for hot and sour soup with bamboo shoots.

If eating bamboo isn’t your style, how about giving it as a gift? It is known as “lucky bamboo” so it would be especially appropriate as a housewarming gift or for a new office.

Green Living Tips has quite a few uses for bamboo. Their list includes: baskets, bicycle frames, bird cages, blinds, boats, bridges, brushes, buckets, canoes, carts, charcoal, chopsticks, clothing, cooking utensils, diapers, fans, fences, firewood, fishing rods, food steamer, furniture, garden tools, handicrafts, hats, incense, musical instruments, paper, particle board, pens, pipes, ply, roofing, scaffold, tableware, toilets, toothpicks, toys, umbrellas and walking sticks.

If you are looking for a way to be sustainably fashionable, bamboo delivers there as well. More and more places are selling bamboo T-shirts and underwear, but Organic Bamboo Clothing has an entire online store of bamboo clothes. Bamboo seems to be almost as versatile as cotton, appropriate for a night on the town or for a newborn baby.

Look around and see all the ways you can use this amazing grass for yourself and your home!

Photo courtesy of hbierau on Flickr.

LEED is taking the best-known house in the nation by storm! Inhabitat tells us that the White House is working on getting LEED certification.

So what’s LEED? It’s a program from the U.S. Green Building Council. According to their Web site, “LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.”

Many types of buildings can achieve LEED certification including residential new construction, residential remodeling, commercial new construction and commercial remodeling.

Obviously, the White House has special meaning to our nation and lots of history in it, and any remodeling and renovation will need to take that into account. But the White House believes it can be done. Interestingly enough, Inhabitat mentions that this is not the first effort to green the White House, although it may be the largest: President Carter and Clinton attempted to improve White House energy usage and President George W. Bush had a photovoltaic system and two solar water heaters installed.

We at MLuxe will look forward to seeing what must be done in order to make the White House LEED-certified.

Photo courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov

Over at Care2.com, which describes itself as “the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference,” shares a wealth of knowledge with its visitors. This article is no exception.

Care2 contributor Annie Bond shares some tips, adapted from “Your Naturally Healthy Home” by Alan Berman, about what to look for and what to avoid when furniture shopping — especially with an eye for the eco-friendly.

A sampling follows. For more, be sure to check out Annie’s article at Care2.

Furniture to Look For

• Furniture made with naturally occurring materials that biodegrade safely.
• Materials that are solid rather than veneered, finished with traditional oils and waxes that can be renewed at home and improve with age and use.
• Organic fabrics and natural padding and fillings.

Furniture to Avoid

• Laminated finishes that are supersmooth; these will become damaged and look worse over time.
• Particleboard made with urea or formaldehyde glues.
• Fireproofing that contains bromines, halogens, or formaldehyde.
• Stain-resistance treatments containing fluorocarbons, PFOs, or formaldehyde.

Greenhaven. The name of this home is meant not only to evoke peaceful green glades, but also reminds people of its green credentials. Greenhaven is located in Marietta, Ga., in the Chelsea Landing neighborhood. Chelsea Landing is the first green neighborhood in East Cob County.

The design of Greenhaven homes was conceived by Pace Homebuilders. The “Green Team” they brought together designed Greenhaven as a home that is livable and green. Greenhaven is certified by the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program. Its three floors are filled with luxurious extras like a home theatre and private office.

To help Greenhaven get the high-end look that today’s eco-conscious homeowner desires, Pace Homebuilders used a Marvin Entry Door and windows by Integrity® from Marvin Windows and Doors.

Marvin Entry Doors are handcrafted from the finest wood and are available in completely customized options for curb appeal. The classically rustic look of the door in Greenhaven sets the entry for the luxurious living within.

Integrity is one of Marvin’s sister brands. Made of a pultruded fiberglass called Ultrex, Integrity windows are durable and high-performing. Not only is Ultrex eight times stronger than vinyl and as strong as steel, but it is made of silica sand, a virtually unlimited natural resource. It’s even green in its manufacturing process, made in the only pultrusion facility in compliance with the 1990 Clean Air Act.

Anyone lucky enough to buy a Greenhaven home will get to live in a house that truly is green and truly beautiful.

Photo courtesy of GreenhaveHome.com