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Greening Existing Buildings

Greening existing buildings is the next big green building trend.

If we are ever to meet our carbon reduction goals, we have to dramatically improve the existing building stock. Jerry's new book, "Greening Existing Buildings" (McGraw-Hill, 2009) recaps how to work a project through the LEED for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) rating system.

LEED-EBOM has been the fastest growing LEED rating system this year.

"Greening Existing Buildings" has already been named one of top 10 architecture books of 2009 in a national newsletter. You can find out why thousands of buildings are now pursuing this LEED rating by ordering this book now or by downloading free chapters.

In Greening Existing Buildings, Jerry tackles the question of the day: how to upgrade the performance of the large stock of existing buildings, to meet the latest green building standards. This authoritative book analyzes all of the LEED for Existing Buildings Platinum projects, features more than 25 interviews with leading practitioners, more than 20 specific building upgrade case studies and numerous tables, charts and illustrations. It's truly a "how to" book for greening anyone's building. The book will be available in October 2009.

Jerry Yudelson is a professional engineer with an MBA. He has trained 3,500 people in the LEED green building rating system, and has chaired Greenbuild, the world's largest green building conference, for the past five years. The founder of a green building consulting firm, he is the author of three books on green building marketing and an advisor to manufacturers, venture capital firms, design firms and developers.

Look Inside This Book:

Chapter 3: Markets for Greening Existing Buildings (PDF 300KB)

Chapter 10: LEED Certification Challenges and Approaches (PDF 27MB)

Greening Existing Buildings

Greening existing buildings is the next big green building trend.

If we are ever to meet our carbon reduction goals, we have to dramatically improve the existing building stock. Jerry's new book, "Greening Existing Buildings" (McGraw-Hill, 2009) recaps how to work a project through the LEED for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) rating system.

LEED-EBOM has been the fastest growing LEED rating system this year.

"Greening Existing Buildings" has already been named one of top 10 architecture books of 2009 in a national newsletter. You can find out why thousands of buildings are now pursuing this LEED rating by ordering this book now or by downloading free chapters.

In Greening Existing Buildings, Jerry tackles the question of the day: how to upgrade the performance of the large stock of existing buildings, to meet the latest green building standards. This authoritative book analyzes all of the LEED for Existing Buildings Platinum projects, features more than 25 interviews with leading practitioners, more than 20 specific building upgrade case studies and numerous tables, charts and illustrations. It's truly a "how to" book for greening anyone's building. The book will be available in October 2009.

Jerry Yudelson is a professional engineer with an MBA. He has trained 3,500 people in the LEED green building rating system, and has chaired Greenbuild, the world's largest green building conference, for the past five years. The founder of a green building consulting firm, he is the author of three books on green building marketing and an advisor to manufacturers, venture capital firms, design firms and developers.

Look Inside This Book:

Chapter 3: Markets for Greening Existing Buildings (PDF 300KB)

Chapter 10: LEED Certification Challenges and Approaches (PDF 27MB)

The Eco-Logical Business Program in Oregon provides an extensive number of resources to small businesses to help them prevent pollution and get certified as a green business.  Here is their list of what's involved in their program:

Certified businesses go beyond compliance with local environmental requirements and implement pollution prevention efforts in their work sites. Businesses are certified through an intensive application and evaluation process. During the certification process, businesses are evaluated in the areas of:

• Hazardous waste management
  
• Air quality and pollution
  
• Spill prevention and response
  
• Product and waste storage
  
• Cleaning procedures
  
• Purchasing/inventory management
  
• Recycling procedures
  
• Employee involvement and training
• Drainage Systems
• Energy And Water Use

THE PROGRAM

The Eco-Logical Business Program recognizes businesses and shops that reach the highest standards in minimizing their environmental impact. The goal of the program is to prevent and minimize pollution generated by small businesses in the Tri-County area. Currently, there are two multi-media (air, water, and solid waste) certification programs

Learn more at http://www.ecobiz.org/becomebiz.htm

Green printing is more than using recycled paper.  California is one of the forerunners in recognizing that not only does the ink and paper matter -- but the printing processes including washing the press after every run.  Many operations you never see make a difference in green printing.  Including getting the printed product TO you.

GreenPrinter has put together a solid green printing strategy.  They offer a variety of FSC certified paper stocks for your diverse needs -- from weights to finishes.  They offset transportation by purchasing offsets.  They participate in their local green business certification program as well as FSC certification.  This is good!  I always love to see a company's growth in their green strategies and I've watched GreenerPrinter for several years. 

My hat is off to this greener approach to resource management and quality business service.

Eco-friendly design, printing and online print ordering from GreenPrinter

Conduct your printing online using recycled papers and a green certified company. GreenerPrinter delivers green  quality printing and design and they're 100% Wind-Powered via Renewable Energy Credits (REC's).

That's why in addition to featuring recycled papers exclusively, GreenerPrinter also:

• Adhere to the strict environmental standards of being a locally Certified Green Business.
  
  
• Operate on 100% Wind Power through investments in Renewable Energy Credits (REC's).
  
  
• Print using only water-based coatings and soy & vegetable based inks.
  
  
• Offset the carbon emissions of our shipments through the purchase of carbon offset credits.
  
  
• Adhere to the practices outlined in GreenerPrinter's FSC Chain-of-Custody Certification.
  
  
• Eliminate dangerous chemicals and compounds from the GreenerPrinter production facility.
  
  
• Invest in printing technologies that reduce makeready and ink wash-ups, and eliminate plate processing.

Greenprinter
Berkeley, CA 94710
http://www.greenerprinter.com

Proximity Hotel is a "green hotel" and the building's design and construction followed guidelines of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System,™ the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Proximity Hotel’s goal is to attain the Gold or Platinum Certification.

Here is a sampling of the 70+ sustainable practices at Proximity Hotel:

• Uses 41% less energy than a conventional hotel by using ultra efficient materials and the latest construction technology.
• Utilizes the sun’s energy to heat hot water with 100 solar panels covering the 4,000 square feet of rooftop (enough hot water for a hundred homes). This heats around 60% of the water for both the hotel and restaurant

• Takes advantage of abundant natural lighting with large energy-efficient “operable” windows (7’4” square windows in guest rooms).
• Connects guests to the outdoors by achieving a direct line of sight to the outdoor environment for more than 97% of all regularly occupied spaces.
• Reduces water usage by 33% by installing high-efficiency Kohler plumbing fixtures.
• Uses geothermal energy for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment, instead of a standard water-cooled system, saving significant amounts of water.
• Will plant a green, vegetated rooftop on the restaurant to reduce the “urban heat island effect.” In other words, the green roof reflects the heat, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for refrigeration and/or air conditioning. It also slows the rain runoff and insulates the rooftop, keeping the building cooler overall.

To read more of the Proximity Hotel's green strategies visit their website at www.proximityhotel.com

April 28, 2008
Contact: Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337

NEW JERSEY MODEL FOR PRIVATIZED TOXIC CLEAN-UPS FAILS AUDITS

Serious Violations Found in More than Two-Thirds of Audited Massachusetts Sites

Trenton — More than two out of three privately supervised toxic clean-ups in a Massachusetts program that New Jersey wants to adopt failed audits with serious violations, according to records released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Despite these red flags, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is rushing to embrace further privatization of its troubled toxic remediation program as a cost-free panacea.

PEER argues that DEP has an unrealistic view of its plan to license private sector consultants to replace state employees in overseeing remediation of contaminated sites program by overlooking –

• The need to hire new state employees to license and oversee the private consultants. DEP is under a hiring freeze and does not have surplus employees to assign to run this new program;
• Privatization does not mean the program is free. DEP has disclosed no plan to plan for financing the program nor is it clear how the state will save any money in its operation; and
• Perhaps most importantly, DEP has failed to prioritize any of its more than 16,000 toxic sites – something DEP is legally required to do and has promised to do for the past two years. Without a ranking system, public health will remain secondary to developer interest in deciding where to invest scarce resources.

The Great Valley Center is a nonprofit organization working to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of California's Central Valley, in partnership with the University of California, Merced. www.greatvalley.org

This community advocate is working for more sustainable communities in a broader ecosystem.  The following story shows how things change...but they don't really change...the challenges are long term.

MODESTO, California, November 30, 2005 – According to a new study from the Great Valley
Center, the health of the Central Valley’s environment is linked to the ability of the fast
growing region to attract highly educated workers and well-paying jobs.

The new report shows as the region’s population has grown, the indicators that impact
quality of life, such as pollution and water use, have also increased. In the San Joaquin
Valley, land converted to urban uses accelerated 31% and energy use increased 19%
while in the Sacramento Valley diesel emissions increased 4.5%. These findings are
among more than two dozen documented in a comprehensive revisit of environmental
data first tracked by the Modesto-based Great Valley Center in 2000. The report is part
of the Center's five-year series examining the region's economy, environment,
community well-being, health and educational performance. Its findings cover the 19
county region stretching from Redding to Bakersfield.

"The environment is tied to quality of life," said Carol Whiteside, president of the
nonprofit Great Valley Center, "The good news is we have made some progress as a
region. But it is unclear whether these gains will be overshadowed by the impact of the
Valley’s dramatic population growth.” At stake, she said, is the future ability of the
region to attract and retain businesses and skilled employees. “Educated workers will
choose regions that are healthy and desirable places to raise their children while
businesses are unlikely to make long term investments in a region that faces imminent
environmental sanctions.”

The report urges policymakers to develop effective strategies to balance population
growth with environmental management or risk facing higher long-term costs and
reduced profits in the future. For example, while progress has been made in reducing the
air pollutants that cause ozone, the number of days above government standards has
continued to increase and the emissions from road dust, exhaust and waste burning is
projected to increase – alongside population growth.

The State of the Great Central Valley: The Environment (2000-2005), is available online
at www.greatvalley.org and includes data on air quality, water supply and quality, land
use, species and habitat, and resources and energy. It was made possible with support
from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District and the State Water Resources Control Board.
Additional support was provided by Citibank and Kaiser Permanente.

The Great Valley Center is a nonprofit organization that supports organizations and
activities working to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of
California’s Central Valley. Major support for the Center is provided by the William and
Flora Hewlett Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation.

Greater frequency is a mandate stemming from a core concept of sustainability, namely, that sustainability is never achieved once-and-for-all, but rather is approached through constant, incremental improvements.

Sustainable practices change!  There is tremendous opportunity for improvements as new materials, new processes, and new supply chain practices rethink and refine their environmental impact.  And we have a LOT of room to grow.

Increased precision is a mandate owed to the fact that sustainability and profitability are dual, simultaneous pursuits; hence, the objective of sustainable distribution packaging should be protection and overall performance at optimal cost and at a level valued by the consumer.

Business isn't simple -- or everyone would be doing it!  But the SYSTEM that is put in place by a company and an industry work together to deliver solutions for customers...and eventually, end consumers.  System thinking takes into account multiple objectives -- such as environmental survival and company survival. 

The great news about this month vs. a year ago...is that multiple benefits can be found in "going green" with product design fitting into the glove of protective and marketing motivated packaging.  New materials, new machines, new transportation ... and the rising cost of raw materials are all working together to make conservation and smart design the mantra for business success.

DISTRIBUTION PACKAGING

Distribution packaging (a.k.a. transit packaging) is more than just a corrugated box and interior packing, for example. It includes pallets, slip sheets, strapping, films, netting, returnable containers—even methods of blocking and bracing within the transportation vehicle. Any greener version of any component should be tested for its effect on overall distribution packaging performance.

The facts help make better decisions.  And testing gives you specific facts for your peculiar circumstances.

Traditionally, distribution package testing has been performed less frequently than testing associated with the design and function of the primary package, the simple reason being that new or redesigned primary packages come down the pike more frequently. By contrast, it's common for the same shipping box to accommodate a variety of primary packages.

Standardization has been a big benefit for distribution packaging.  Pallets, standard size cartons, and even standardized equipment helped meet lean manufacturing goals. The infrequency of distribution package testing is also a result of the practical benefits of standardization.  And that's not so good in today's marketplace that is concerned with new, greener, more sustainable improvements.

Distribution packaging can yield savings and efficiencies not only in transportation, but also in material handling and storage.

Less is more

For years,  graphic designers have promoted a clean, uncluttered design to communicate more effectively than crowded design.

Simplicity also lends itself to sustainability -- less packaging means more eco-friendliness. Consequently, even a company with a successful record of source reduction will face constant pressures to achieve greater sustainability.

A host of stakeholders including retailers such as Wal-Mart’s packaging initiatives demonstrate that retailer demand for LESS is not limited to disposal preceding display. Selling from the pallet—the staple of club-store merchandising—is also gaining presence in nonmembership venues.

Selling from a pallet demands less distribution packaging, which not only facilitates disposal, but also floor display and consumer access. Case display demands that the distribution package must not appear any worse for wear, since consumers are loath to buy anything visibly blemished.

Coordinating with Product Design

Further complicating things is that many types of products are being designed/redesigned for sustainability by reducing the amount of materials in them. However, if the new design increases product fragility, it places more demands on the distribution packaging. This underscores the importance of fragility curves and designing the product and packaging as an integrated whole.
 
IN SUMMARY, there are too many factors impacting distribution packaging to know whether they’re being managed optimally, unless that knowledge comes from a well devised and executed testing program. Companies that presently don’t test ought to immediately start. Companies presently testing ought to reevaluate their programs for areas for improvement.

READ MORE AT THE SOURCE: Packaging Insights Packworld.com

In 2007 the U.S. EPA fined The Clorox Company $95,000 for allegedly distributing an unregistered and mislabeled Chinese version of Clorox Disinfectant Bleach, in violation of federal pesticide law.

The company’s Los Angeles production facility donated the illegal disinfectants to Los Angeles charities in 2005 and 2006. The products were intended for Asian export, so the labels lacked adequate English-language directions for use, hazard and precautionary statements, and the required statement "Not Registered for Use in the United States of America."

"Unregistered pesticides meant solely for export must not be donated, sold, or otherwise distributed in the United States," said Katherine Taylor, associate director of the Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region. "Clorox did not give EPA the opportunity to review these labels to ensure the protection of human health and the environment. Recipients of charity deserve the same level of protection from pesticidal risk as all other users."

READ MORE

The "Green Room," was the nation's first fully-outfitted, eco-friendly residence hall room. The idea began when the San Rafael-based Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI), approached environmental student leaders here about outfitting a UC Berkeley residence hall room with Energy Star appliances through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. SEI is a non-profit group that helps schools, businesses and other entities meet energy conservation goals.

Read more about the campus tour that featured green applications and educational materials at CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com