Just when we think our individual actions may not really matter,

that no one notices or even cares what we think or do, much less listens to us, something happens that reaffirms our faith. I am talking about the environment and what we can do.

In recent weeks we’ve seen both the US and Canadian bills on climate change stalled in their respective political systems, we’ve seen our parliamentarians waffling about our environmental commitments, we’ve seen Canada’s international reputation tarnished, and we’ve read about the so-called ‘Climategate’ scandal where the credibility of research data on global warming trends was seriously undermined. We wonder whether all the conflicting stories and political rhetoric we hear are even worth bothering about since the experts may not be sure.

Yet I feel very heartened...

What is LEED and how could it benefit me?

LEED is a comprehensive standard for certifying and constructing green buildings.

Points are assigned for all different aspects of the building interior, exterior, and even landscaping.

Whether you are designing, building, or purchasing, these criteria benefit us all by raising the bar so that all construction standards will go up over time. LEED is meant to be a standard that rewards excellent performance and continues to evolve. When that excellent performance becomes the norm, LEED will raise its standard to be that much higher again. The program started with mainly commercial buildings and has expanded to certify homes and existing buildings. Run by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) in my area, the program is adapted for different climates in 16 countries around the world, including the United States (which began the program with the UsGBC), Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

The results are...

Interior design professionals have a challenge to not only keep up to date with a broad range of topics, they must do so to maintain their professional status. 

They want to make sure that their valuable time and money is well spent on seminars that provide important and practical information that they can use with their clients.

The 4 major interior design associations in North America (IDC, ASID, IDEC, IIDA), are served under the central entity of IDCEC (Interior Design Continuing Education Council) to “promote lifelong learning and professional development”. They set rigorous criteria for accrediting continuing education courses, which can be delivered anywhere in North America.

Dayle has accreditation for 3 of her seminars:

Rugs 101 #IDC 30086 for 0.2 CEU 

- technical & practical aspects of using beautiful rugs & carpeting for sustainable design

Fabrics 101 #IDC 30085 for 0.2 CEU

- technical & practical aspects of selecting beautiful sustainable fabrics

Joy of Contracts #IDC 30087 for 0.2 CEU 

- How to make the experience ‘win-win’ for you & your clients

Here are what seminar attendees have said:

On November 11th it is Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the US,

a time when we contemplate the many blessings we have. While researching a trade seminar I presented recently, I had the privilege of interviewing several local furniture manufacturers, who reminded me about the innovative people who live and work nearby.

What a fabulous story they told of successfully surviving our economic climate by manufacturing top quality products that are in demand throughout North America.  They have made their operations more efficient by reducing waste, lowering the amount of raw materials, energy and water consumed, cutting excess packaging and streamlining administration. This is not only great for business, but great for the environment as well. We all benefit from having wonderful and locally produced furniture and accessories.

For example, many of our furniture and flooring manufacturers ensure the hardwood they use comes from managed forests. Some use wood that is FSC certified. The Forestry Stewardship Council is an international certification program which tracks the tree from forest right to the consumer. Other manufacturers have programs to plant two trees for every one cut, or plant a tree for every piece of furniture purchased. These responsible activities help make our North American forests the continued envy of the world and an important part of the global ecosystem.

So, ask questions of your manufacturers and suppliers to determine how ‘green’ their products are. By purchasing from local industries when it works within the context of your design, you are subscribing to one of the key areas of sustainable design initiatives -- buying locally saves transportation energy!

I shot these photographs at...

Dayle Laing regaled a professional design audience of over 100 with her “De-Greying the Green” seminar on October 8, 2009 at SOFA, Source of Furniture + Accessories, in Mississauga, Canada. 

She explained the value of independent certification to assess the merits of green products, and used examples from over 30 of the SOFA showrooms and suppliers to illustrate her 7 green criteria for sustainability.

One of these criteron is 'Source Locally' which made so much sense, given excellent furniture manufacturing located regionally "in the backyard" of this group of showrooms.

Dayle really takes some dry facts and makes them interesting. I now have some openings for client and supplier conversations. She is upbeat and very easy to listen to. She is a leader in this field.”

 Joanne Watson, Oakville, ON

  Other attendees expressed their comments:

On October 16, 2009, I had the very great privilege to listen to Dr. David Suzuki lecture at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on Force of Nature. His message was very compelling.

I have been writing and speaking to urge people to make a difference in choosing green interior design. I believe that our small actions do make a difference and we should continue look for more opportunities to make our actions count. David told me to "do what you can do" when I briefly met him as he signed my copy of his autobiography.

Dr. Suzuki's message was that individual actions only buy us some limited time. We need to tackle these issues on a global scale and we need to act now! He urged the audience to demand that our political leaders take action on the crucial climate change summit in Copenhagen in December. Only our leaders can create the climate so that both "economy" and "ecology" can thrive!

This alphabetical listing of sustainable interior design definitions

contains most of the important terms you will want to access for your resource library.  Look up the major seals and logos you see on products to find out if they are independent third party certified, if they are an industry association or if they are simply a logo made up for 'greenwashing' claims.

Dayle has spent over one hundred hours compiling this list for your simple pdf download, which you will find in the resources section of this website. http://www.daylelaing.com/environmental-green-resources.html

This alphabetical listing of sustainable rug & carpeting definitions

is invaluable for those wanting to know the difference between 'silk' and 'art silk', and between 'closed loop recycling' and 'downcycling'.

Dayle compiled this list from years of college teaching interior design material finishes, and her countless hours of researching the literature and websites.  This is available to you from the resource section of this website. Click on Read more for the short cut to the link.

Glossary_of_Green_Rug_&_Carpeting_Terms - Click for link to the downloadable pdf.

For more information on rugs, you can order Dayle's educational dvd: 
Rugs_101_-_Using_Beautiful_Rugs_for_Sustainable_Design Click for details and a preview.

This alphabetical listing of green interior fabric definitions is a must for anyone wanting to look up the difference between a third-party certified green fabric and one that has been merely 'washed green', ie. 'greenwashed'.

Dayle compiled this list from her 19 years experience teaching textiles at college, and her hours of research into various textile websites. This is available to you in a downloadable pdf from the resource section of this website. http://www.daylelaing.com/environmental-green-resources.html

“What do killer whales and Canadian women have in common? Scientific evidence reveals that the bodies of killer whales and Canadian women share the dubious distinction of being among the world’s leaders as receptacles for a group of toxic industrial chemicals known as brominated flame-retardants.”  ₁

Interior designers and decorators know we need to use flame retardant fabrics in commercial (contract) interior projects, even though the standards vary slightly in different locations. They are a good idea for residential projects if clients smoke in the home.

One of the highlights of my recent sailing trip was a stop in Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island, Canada, where I met Jaime, an Australian marine biologist in the Whale Interpretive Centre www.killerwhalecentre.org . Amidst amazingly huge skeletons of whales, she explained the declining Killer (Orca) whale population and their susceptibility to environmental toxins such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Females can live to 60-80 years since they are thought to transfer toxins out of their bodies to their offspring when they nurse. Male Orcas live on average 40–60 years because they have no way of eliminating the toxins. The decline in the male and therefore overall population is of particular concern.

(To see more whale photos and read the rest of the story, click on 'read more'.)