Reading, besides being a wonderful use of the mind, is fascinating. 

For the past two years the Program Director featured a slide presentation of many quotes from a plethora of interesting books that range from best sellers to a few you might not have heard about, based upon his “The Blind Men and the Elephant” book list that he started handing out in 2003 and has been updating ever since whenever new books outshine any of the earlier selections.

Rain tanks are becoming more popular in Houston after the recent drought. What does it take to design them, permit them, and build them?

Kathleen English will cover some rainwater harvesting systems she has designed, both commercial and residential. Nell Wheeler will talk about some of the tanks she has built and installed. And Alfred Ortega will briefly discuss what City of Houston inspectors will be looking for to approve an installation.

The LEED Rating System is the most-used protocol for building more sustainable buildings, and it has been approved by the US Green Building Council membership to upgrade to a more vibrant and robust methodology: version 4, due in 2014.

LEED has already transformed the marketplace and has led the nation to adopt better building energy codes, and Houston is fourth in the country with LEED certified buildings.

Recycling is improving in the City of Houston. What about old houses? What options do you have to divert construction material from the landfill? What do salvage professionals want from old houses? How can you be part of the solution?