by Andrea Brunais
 .... 7 : After debades of being dis- 1,000 homes: Some estimates
 missedas tree-huggers and ex- put the cost of such a venture
 .tremists obsessed with the snail : at $1.0 million.
 ... arter, folks with hearts of No lie, "green burial" op-
 green are newly pized "Green tions exist. Ifyou want your
 Goes Mainstream" touts the last act on earth to consist-of a
 cover headline of the magazne dramatic statement about con-
 -Dwell, its editor pointing out serving resources, you might
 that "Kermit the Frog is hawk- want to check out the Greenr
 ing hybrid SUVs" and hitting a Burial Council. It has set the
 perplexed note with the ques- nation's first standards for en-
 tion, "What's going onhere?" vironmentally friendly burials.
 : .What, indeed. And Kermit :Forgt about toxic embalming
 F isn't even the most unlikely fluids. You won't be killing
 H&g t. f o1 TOspokesperson (spokesfrog?). any hardwood trees to make a
 f or environmentalism. Con- casket, either. With some 1.8
 S ty t x(,S. --sider Virgin Atlantic. Its chief, million burial taking place in
 Sir Richard Branson, made a the United States -each year,
 San r i tr COngeStiO splash when he annou ced you can see how green burials
 he would devote some $3 bil- could become a red-hot item.
 Economic e: :ayn jib lion to research that will allows On the localfront, Tama's
 humanity to "rapidly wean Patel Conservatorywas built to
 Rel e fod ooo..ls. ourselves: ff our- dependence green standards. That means
 ,on coal and fossil fuels." Plus, at least threethings:- design is
 Shis recently launched :Virgi -carried out with energy-sav-
 S.. I ~- -Fuels business will invest up iing imind, inontoxic building.
 to $400 million in greeneneergy materials are sed in construc-
 projects. tion and landscaping empha-
 .L UHere is more evidence that sizes droughttolerant -plants
 S- environmentalists need rno and native'species suited to
 longer feel like a beleaguered the climate? '
 Sminority. Sarasotaisc head of Tampa
 Each weekday on WUSF- in showing the way. For years,
 i cFM radio, Marketplace (that Sarasota's public 'buildings
 S< 30-minute blast of capitalism have been built with envi-

 tral Florida status as a major A Sarasota architect, John
 metropolitan market) has add- Toppe, is founding president
 ed a "suistainability desk." That of the Flrida Gulf Coast chap-
 means-"green" is condidered a ter of the U.S. Green Building
 Sreportorial beat. "More busi- Council.
 ...-..... 7 Vnesses today are conterplating Tampa, at last, has its own
 :Political advertisement padforand a roved by Mark Sharpe forHillsborough Coun Commission, Distrct7, Republican nesses todayare contemplating Tampa, at lasd hao s own
 a 'double bottom line' how homebuilder who carries a
 their. activities impact their green seal of approval. Builder
 profitability and the greater Noh -Crest won a green rat-
 social- good. This was almost ing from the nonprofit Florida
 unthinkable 20 years go,"said Green Building Coalition for its
 Idelisse Malav, executive di- $1.2 million showcase home.
 rector of the Tides Foundation, That house is in the Garden
 which gave American Public District of Fishhawk Ranch. By
 Media a $2.1 million grant to next year, the company says,
 "oa "underwrite the coverage. all of its homes will be built to,
 SGet on your computer, green standards.
 Google "solar electricity" and In St. Petersburg, developer
 These uOffe rs am. you'll come up with... none Grady Pridgen is intent on
 other than Google! Operating revitalizing downtown via an
 from a million-square-foot of- $80 million complex of condos,
 fice complex in Mountain View, restaurants, shops all built
 Calif., the technology giant with a Kermit-like dedication
 aims to build a solar-powered to green.
 PREMIUM MAXSAVER system to provide almost one- Every shade of green is
 third of its daily electricity use. lovely, butthe new shadings
 SGoogle always does things in of the green movement are a
 0 a big way. The system would joy to behold.
 SPY use 9,200 solar cells, report-
 BALANCE APY edly strong enough to power "The Costantino family has
 $50,000 and above .:5.00
 $10,000 to 549,999 4.00% SPLIT SECOND TOWNG & been dong busess
 $sto $9 999 1.0oo% TRANSPORT, INC. Ybor City since 1906
 P.O. Box 1794, Seffner, FL 33583
 (813) 661-0660 Fax: (813) 685-1994
 NOTICE OF
 PUBLIC SALE
 SPLIT SECOND TOWING &
 CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT TRANSPORT, INC. gives No-
 E 35T T O Itice of Foreclosure of Lien and
 intent to sell these vehicles on
 The Official Bank of the 11/2 & 11/18, 2006, 9:00 am at
 1033 W 1033 Martin Luther King FRAN COSTANTINO
 BIvd., Seffner, FL 33584, pursu- BROKER
 -MOnth CD ant to subsection 713.78 of the
 Florida Statutes. SPLIT SEC-
 OND TOWING & TRANSPORT, CO T N I V
 INC. reserves the right to ac- rAN COMPANY
 cept or reject any and/or all bids. REAL ESTATE SERVICES
 Auction Date 11/2/06
 1996 Altima 2216 4TH AVE. E.
 1 N4BU31D2TC107415 TAMPA, FL 33605
 Auction Date 11/18/06
 2006 Chevy Cobalt PHONE: 813 241-6767
 1G1AK55F067768322 FAX: 813-241-6868
 10/27/06 1T








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