Green news:

Local Resources:

Ashevillage: A City Imagined 
Green roofs, naturally  built bus shelters, beautiful murals and mosaics, tree plantings,  neighborhood gathering places built by the people who live there,;  ponds that catch, clean, and re-use rain water, simultaneous  neighborhood block parties, multicultural exchanges, herb walks  downtown, theatre in the streets, urban regeneration, more community  gardens; more bicyclists; a Green Kid's Parade & Festival, Pritchard Park as Vilalge Squar, volunteering for a better Asheville.

Sustainable Asheville
The Asheville Hub is providing Asheville and other Buncombe County residents with a choice about the future of our community and the leadership to make our vision a reality. We do this by serving as a catalyst for collaboration around a coordinated, specific vision of what our economy and our community can become.

Asheville Hub
Sustainable Asheville promotes sustainability in our community through education and networking. See all the great work being done in the Asheville area around sustainability, and check out volunteer opportunities to see how you can help!

WNC Alliance
The Western North Carolina Alliance (WNCA) is a grassroots environmental organization that works to promote a sense of stewardship and caring for the natural environment. Citizens and chapters protect and preserve our natural land, water and air resources through education and public participation in policy decisions at all levels of business and government. WNCA encourages its members to recognize the interrelationships among environmental issues and to take personal responsibility for achieving protection of the their communities and the environment. We have chapters in Haywood, Buncombe, Macon, Jackson, Clay, Cherokee and Watauga Counties, as well as task forces dedicated to forests and public parks. For more information about how you can participate, call WNCA at 828-258-8737

WNC Green Building Council is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote environmentally responsible and health conscious building practices through community education. 828-232-5080 or info@wncgbc.org for more information.

WNC Regoinal Air Quality Authority
The Western North Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency (WNCRAQA) is one of three local programs in North Carolina. The Agency enforces Air Quality regulations in Buncombe County and the City of Asheville. Regulations cover everything from open burning to asbestos demolition, as well as industrial facilities. WNCRAQA also has an air monitoring program that measures ozone and particulate matter in the county.

State resources:

NC Green Board of Science and Technology
The NORTH CAROLINA GREEN BUSINESS FUND (the “Program”) is a grant award program authorized by the N.C. General Assembly. Under this Program, grant awards may be made to North Carolina organizations in support of competitively assessed projects focused on the following three Priority Areas:

1. Development of the biofuels industry in the State.
2. Development of the green building industry in the State, and
3. Attraction and leverage of private sector investments and entrepreneurial growth in environmentally conscious clean technology and renewable energy products and businesses.

NC Green Building Technology Database
The purpose of this database is to help you find projects in the State of North Carolina that have implemented specific green building techniques, strategies, or technologies. This database is a collection of case studies, but it is organized in such a way that you can identify projects by any one of about 140 techniques, strategies, and technologies related to green building. You can also identify projects by location, building type, or site condition.

NC Sustainable Energy Association works to create a sustainable energy future for the state of NC through the promotion of solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and other renewable energy technologies.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection.

Efficient Windows Collaborative is excited to announce the launch of a new database of efficiency initiatives including tax incentives, building code changes and legislative initiatives.

Energy Information Portal is a gateway to hundreds of Web sites and thousands of online documents on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.

Environmental Protection Agency
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is to protect human health and the environment. Since 1970, EPA has been working for a cleaner, healthier environment for the American people.

Smart Growth America is working to support citizen-driven planning that coordinates development, transportation, revitalization of older areas and preservation of open space and the environment.

Solar Energy International (SEI) works cooperatively with grassroots and development organizations to meet sustainable development goals with renewable energies.

US Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council is the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.