By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
With her 3-year-old son at her side, Deborah Aubert Thomas wandered from exhibit to exhibit Saturday morning, checking out what each one had to offer at Sustainable Lawrence’s Green Building Expo.
Ms. Aubert Thomas paused for a few minutes at RiverStone Cabinetry’s booth, which specializes in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, to consider some of the options offered by the company.
“We have lived in Lawrence for two years,” said Ms. Aubert Thomas, who lives on Easton Court. “We would like to ‘live green.’ I feel like such a novice. I am just learning. That’s why we are here.”
Ms. Aubert Thomas said the family would like to remodel the kitchen “when we are ready,” as she eyed a sample of a countertop made of bamboo. She said she would like to try to “do it right” when they remodel.
Princeton Township resident Raoul Momo, pushing his child in a stroller, also was looking for “green ideas” for his home. He lives in a 1950s-era split level house, which he has partially remodeled and expanded.
“I thought I would pop in with the little guy,” Mr. Momo said. “This is great. There’s a lot here. I’m trying to go green and save energy. (Improved) insulation is one of my big goals.”
Ms. Aubert Thomas and Mr. Momo had plenty of company. Dozens of people passed through the doors of The Lawrenceville School’s Irwin Dining Center, which hosted the second annual event.
Visitors could take in presentations — scattered throughout the day — on architectural and building sustainability, home energy audits, solar energy, energy policy and sustainable food, diet and living.
In between sessions, they could stop by exhibitors’ booths. The exhibitors ranged from RiverStone Cabinetry to Fire Works Masonry, which specializes in European masonry heaters that radiate heat into the room, to building supplier Heath Lumber and Mrs. G’s Appliances.
Several vendors who specialize in solar energy — such as Solar’s Smart, which installs solar water heaters — also set up shop at the Green Building Expo. Architects and landscape architects also exhibited at the event, plus a vendor that focused on “green” cleaning products.
The American Red Cross of Central New Jersey was represented by Fay Reiter and Marv Goodman. They pointed out that if communities could be built with sustainability in mind, those communities would be better able to survive disasters.
Storms have become more severe and flooding also has become more common, Ms. Reiter said, pointing to recent floods in Trenton and Lambertville along the Delaware River. It would be good to encourage the construction of “more sustainable, flood-proof buildings,” she added.
GreenFaith, which describes itself as “Interfaith Partners in Action for the Earth,” set up a booth at the fair. The goal is to turn religious institutions into environmental leaders, although representative Stacey Kennealy emphasized that GreenFaith also is open to the “spiritually inclined.”
GreenFaith helps religious groups and individuals to become environmental leaders through spirituality, justice and stewardship, said Ms. Kennealy, who is the organization’s director of sustainability.
Spirituality emphasizes teaching about the moral, spiritual basis for protecting the earth, while justice is focused on protecting at-risk communities from a toxic environment by supporting policies to protect human health and the environment. Through stewardship, GreenFaith encourages its members to adopt sustainable consumption habits.
“A lot of people who come here have a faith of some sort,” Ms. Kennealy said. “They want to do as much in their own lives as they can. They find the idea intriguing to come to a ‘green building expo’ and see us here.”
Ralph Copleman, the executive director of Sustainable Lawrence, said he was pleased with the Green Building Expo. Most visitors spend about a half-hour or so, touring the booths and speaking with the vendors, he said.
“The people who come here (as visitors) are the right people,” Mr. Copleman said. “The vendors told me they are having conversations that they want to have. They are making the connections they want to make.”

