USGBC Announces Certification Bodies For LEED

As the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) continues the development of the next version of its LEED rating system, the group announced this week the certification bodies for LEED. These entities are:
* ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc.
* BSI Management Systems America, Inc.
* Bureau Veritas North America, Inc.
* DNV Certification
* Intertek
* KEMA-Registered Quality, Inc.
* Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Inc.
* NSF-International Strategic Registrations
* SRI Quality System Registrar, Inc.
* Underwriters Laboratories-DQS Inc.

The USGBC notes that these entities are well known and respected for their roles in certifying organizations, processes, and products to ISO and other standards.

This evolution in the certification process is being undertaken as an integrated part of a major update to the technical rating system which will debut next January as LEED 2009. The update will also include a comprehensive technology upgrade to LEED Online aimed at improving the user experience and expanding its portfolio management capabilities.

Currently, all LEED project submissions are reviewed by USGBC with the support of independently contracted reviewers. In alignment with its vision of market transformation, beginning in January 2009, the USGBC will move administration of the LEED certification process to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), a non-profit organization established in 2007 with the support of USGBC. Working together with the selected certification bodies, GBCI will deliver an improved, ISO compliant certification process that will be able to grow with the green building movement.

“During the past year, the dramatic growth in the number of LEED project certifications challenged us to apply our mission of market transformation to ourselves,” commented USGBC president, CEO, and founding chairman Rick Fedrizzi. “By learning from ISO, engaging with world class certification bodies, and focusing on our mission, we’ve been able to create a solution that will expand our capacity to serve the community while letting USGBC continue to focus on improving the LEED rating system and delivering exceptional green building education.”

“Third-party certification is the hallmark of the LEED program,” added Alice Soulek, VP of LEED Development. “Moving the administration of LEED certification under GBCI will continue to support market transformation by delivering auditable third-party certification. Importantly, it also allows UGSBC to stick to the knitting of advancing the technical and scientific basis of LEED.”

GBCI currently administers the LEED Accredited Professional program, in alignment with ANSI requirements for professional certifications.

WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Solar Trees

Designer Ross Lovegrove believes that "intelligent products reflect the value we place on our civilisation. They must use resources wisely and celebrate the full potential of our emerging scientific and technological age." Working in his studio in London, Lovegrove takes inspiration from nature to create everyday items, including his SUPERNATURAL chair that weighs 2.5 kilos (approximately 5.5 pounds).

While many of Lovegrove's products may not be seen in the mainstream market, one of his designs--A Solar Tree--can be seen on the streets of several European cities. Solar trees are solar-powered streetlamps that are designed to look like a part of nature more than an artificial light source. Each Solar Tree has 10 "branches," which are actually solar panels that collect sunlight during the day and then use that energy to provide light during the night. The tree's "trunk" is green to add to the connection with nature.

The lamps were first installed in Vienna in October 2007 in collaboration with the Museum of Applied Arts there. Since then, Lovegrove's trees have been placed on the Piazza della Scala in Milan and the Champs Elysees in Paris.

Lovegrove is working on a second generation of the Solar Tree, which will feature solar panels that follow the sun to increase energy capture.

EPA Climate Leaders Program Reaches 200 Partners

Launched in 2002, the program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a voluntary strategy that works with companies to measure greenhouse gas emissions and to set aggressive long-term emissions reduction goals. The partners represent a range of industries in all 50 states.

Last week, EPA welcomed 51 new partners as Climate Leaders to breaking the 200 partner mark. In addition, eight companies took the next step in the partnership by announcing new greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions goals. Together, EPA's Climate Leaders represent more than 10% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and have pledged to prevent estimated GHG emissions equivalent to nine million cars annually.

"EPA's Climate Leader partners are proving that businesses don't need to break the bank to do what's good for the environment," said EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "These leading companies are reducing their climate footprints in cost-effective ways."

The eight companies that are announcing aggressive new greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals are: Baxter International Inc., Deerfield, IL; Burt's Bees Inc., Durham, NC; Campbell Soup Co., Camden, NJ; Cherokee Investment Partners, Raleigh, NC; Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose, CA; Deere & Co., Moline, IL; Millipore Corp., Billerica, MA; and Petaluma Poultry, Petaluma, CA.

The 51 companies that are joining Climate Leaders as new partners are:
AGM USA, Tempe, AZ;
American Packaging Corp., Rochester, NY;
Ash Grove Cement Co., Overland Park, KS;
Berry Plastics Corp., Evansville, IN;
Bluebonnet Electric Co-op., Bastrop, TX;
Boise Paper, Boise, ID;
Capital One Financial Corp., Richmond, VA;
Clements Environmental, Los Angeles, CA;
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Atlanta, GA;
Evelyn Hill Inc., New York, NY;
Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Austin, TX;
FXFOWLE Architects, PC, New York, NY;
Grand Canyon North Rim, LLC, Page, AZ;
Greenstar North America, Houston, TX;
GXS, Gaithersburg, MD;
Harbec Plastics, Ontario, NY;
Harrah's Entertainment, Las Vegas, NV;
HydroPoint Data Systems Inc., Petaluma, CA;
LSI Corp., Milpitas, CA;
Monadnock Paper Mills Inc., Bennington, NH;
MOSAIC, Cheverly, MD;
MWH Global Inc., Broomfield, CO;
Nicholas Earth Printing, LLC, Houston, TX;
One Boston Place LLC, Boston, MA;
PHH Arval, Sparks, MD;
Pizza Fusion, Fort Lauderdale, FL;
Potomac-Hudson Engineering Inc., Readfield, ME;
PrintFast, LLC, Roselle Park, NJ;
Progressive Environmental & Safety, Overland Park, KS;
Prudential Services Limited, Lansing, MI;
Publix Super Markets Inc., Lakeland, FL;
Pure & Gentle Soap, Seguin, TX;
Puronics Inc., Livermore, CA;
Ram Offset, White City, OR;
Rizco Design, Manasquan, NJ;
Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee, WI;
Schering-Plough Corp., Kenilworth, NJ;
Scout Real Estate Capital, LLC, Nantucket, MA;
Sid Richardson Carbon and Energy Co., Fort Worth, TX;
SKF USA Inc., Norristown, PA;
Smithfield Foods Inc., Smithfield, VA;
Teradata Corp., Miamisburg, OH;
The Boeing Co., Chicago, IL;
The Clorox Co., Oakland, CA;
The Mosaic Co., Mulberry, FL;
The Tidewater Group, York, ME;
True Manufacturing Co. Inc., O'Fallon, MO;
Wafertech L.L.C., Camas, WA;
Wells Fargo, San Francisco, CA;
Western States Envelope Co., Butler, WI;
Wilton Armetale, Mount Joy, PA

Cash Back For Green Buildings!

High energy costs, an unprecedented level of government mandates for green building, heightened demand for green construction, and improvements and better pricing for environmentally sustainable materials have prompted many building owners, architects, and facility managers to consider conservation driven updates to save cash. Sec. 179D of the IRS Code provides a significant deduction for the cost of energy efficient improvements to commercial property. This deduction could help mitigate the average 3% to 7% cost difference in building green.

If your company owns or leases commercial buildings and you have installed or retrofitted the property to be more energy efficient, you may be eligible for a deduction for part or all of the costs associated with the installation or retrofit. In other words, instead of capitalizing and recovering through depreciation over 27.5 years or 39 years this allows for potential immediate expensing of costs.

The maximum deduction is $1.80 per square foot of building floor area that qualifies under IRC Sec. 179D measured against the reference building. The deduction is allowed for prior tax years, including 2006 and 2007, and can include multiple taxpayers. Multiple taxpayers are limited to allocating the $1.80 among the taxpayers.

And if your building does not qualify for the full deduction, it could qualify for a partial deduction. If your building does not meet the 50% energy savings, it could still qualify for 60¢ per square foot deduction if certified to reduce energy costs by at least 16.66%.

If you have constructed a new commercial building or reconstructed an existing commercial building and placed the building into service after December 31, 2005 or will place it into service by January 1, 2009 you may be eligible for a deduction. If your building has been or is in the process of becoming LEED Gold or Platinum-certified, you’re nearly assured the deduction. And if you haven’t already taken advantage of the deduction, your return can be amended for up to three years.

To qualify for a full or partial deduction, the energy efficient commercial building property must meet the following criteria:

• The building must be located in the United States.
• Installation as part of interior lighting systems, HVAC, and hot water systems or the building envelope (insulation, exterior doors, exterior windows, roofing material).
• Certified that installation will reduce total annual energy and power costs by 50% or more as compared to Std. 90.1-2001 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Reference Building.
• Energy and power consumption calculation based on IRS-approved software programs that compare the subject facility to an ASHRAE Reference Building.
• The property must be certified by an IRS-qualified professional engineer or contractor licensed in the same jurisdiction as the proposed building.

The person or organization that makes the expenditures for construction is generally the recipient of the allowed tax deductions. This is usually the facility owner, but for some HVAC or lighting efficiency projects, it could be the occupant. For government owned structures, the building or system designer may take the deduction.

If the property is a federal, state, or local government or a political subdivision, the owner of the property may allocate the section 179D deduction to the person primarily responsible for designing the property. For example, a designer may include the architect, engineer, contractor, environmental consultant or energy services provider.

Before a taxpayer can claim the section deduction, the taxpayer must obtain a certification (not to be confused with LEED certification) with respect to the property. The certification must be provided by a qualified individual and satisfy the requirements of section 179D(c)(1).

The qualified individual must be properly licensed as a professional engineer or contractor in the jurisdiction in which the building is located, not be "related" to the taxpayer taking the deduction (as defined by the IRS), and represent to the taxpayer in writing that he or she has the requisite qualifications to provide the certification.

The certifier must also use IRS-qualified computer software. Software must be on a list of products approved by the U.S. Department of Energy. SourceCorp can provide your Green Building Tax Deduction Certification/Analysis.

FRIDAY FUNNY: Dance Club In London Powered By Patrons

On July 10, Club4 Climate, an environmental group founded by British real estate mogul Andrew Charalambous, opened what it touts as the world's first eco-club. The London party spot features a dance floor designed to harness the energy of dancers. This is based on a principle called piezoelectricity. This approach uses crystals or other materials that, when compressed, give off a small amount of voltage. So as people dance on the spring-lined floor, the crystals underneath acquire a charge and generate a current that can charge nearby batteries.

Charalambous claims that the dance floor energy will generate about 60% of the energy the club consumes. The remainder of energy consumption is being culled from solar panels and wind turbines. Other sustainable strategies include using rainwater to flush toilets.

Dubbed "Dr. Earth" Charalambous offers the Club4Climate mission statement:
It's our vision that you will club for the climate. The profits from the club go to Friends of the Earth.

Other locations that Club4Climate is looking to open eco-clubs are New York City, Cape Town, and Rio de Janeiro.

Carpet Recovery Achievements Announced By CARE

The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) recently released the figures on its diversion and recycling efforts for 2007. The group announced that the efforts achieved a double digit growth in recycling and diversion for the sixth year in a row. The CARE 2007 Annual Report included the following statistics:

* 296 million pounds of post-consumer carpet diverted, a 17% increase
* 275.1 million pounds recycled, a 19% increase
* CARE reached a milestone of a cumulative diversion of one billion pounds since its inception in 2002
* 149 million pounds of carpet diverted, on average, per year since 2002
* Carpet Recycling results in a net GHG emission of 1.96 metric tons of Carbon Equivalent per Ton of carpet (MTCE/ton)--far better than most other common materials that are recycled, according to CARE
* CARE's Reclamation Network grew to 56 members in 2007

2007 Awards
In other CARE news, the group presented its EPA/CARE Innovation Awards at its recent annual conference, held in Clearwater, FL.

The EPA/CARE Award, established and awarded for the first time at this year's conference, recognizes innovation as it relates to any aspect of carpet recycling. Interface was presented the award for its ReEntry 2.0® carpet recycling program. ReEntry 2.0 reclaims all types of carpet (commercial and residential) regardless of face fiber type or backing used. Through a new patent pending technology, Interface can cleanly separate the face fiber and backing of nearly any carpet type.

The CARE Recycler of the Year - Large Entity Award was presented to Shaw Industries, for its Shaw Green Edge initiative. The cornerstone of Shaw's environmental vision is cradle-to-cradle production, which will allow synthetic products, such as carpet, to be collected and then manufactured into new product repeatedly. The Shaw Green Edge Program encompasses over 100 environmental initiatives and was introduced following Shaw's purchase of the Evergreen Recycling facility in Augusta, GA.

Honored by CARE as the Carpet Recycler of the Year - Small Entity was Kruse Carpet Recycling of Indianapolis, IN. As a collection and sorting center opened in 1997, Kruse Carpet recycling guarantees customers that none of their carpet will go to landfills.

CARE Person of the Year was Russ DeLozier, who sits on the CARE Board of Directors and has been active in the industry since taking over the Evergreen facility that Shaw Industries now owns in 2006. The majority of Russ' experience has been in startup or operation of various types of plastic plants, including those manufacturing nylons, styrene block copolymers, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.

Mercury Pollution From Cement Kilns

More than seven years after a federal court ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate toxic mercury pollution from cement kilns, no action has been taken to curb these dangerous and rapidly growing emissions from over 150 plants located across the nation. A major new study to be released on July 23, 2008 by Earthjustice and the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) will document the severely underestimated problem of mercury emissions from cement kilns and the EPA’s failure to control them.

Cement kilns produce cement, the main ingredient in concrete. The unregulated kilns are found in many major U.S. urban areas, including cement plants in AL, CA, IA, IL, MD, MI, MT, NY, OR, SC, and WA state (which are highlighted in the report).

Mercury pollution has impaired rivers, lakes, streams and even oceans, making certain fish unsafe to eat. The Earthjustice/EIP study will show that the toxic mercury emissions from cement kilns far exceed EPA estimates. It also will raise major questions regarding the adequacy of cement companies’ mercury reporting. The report from the two groups outlines the steps that federal and state officials should take now to deal with this major public health threat.

Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin, interfering with the brain and nervous system. According to the report, kilns are considered the top unregulated source of dangerous a pollutant that acts as a neurotoxin.

Exposure to mercury can be particularly hazardous for pregnant women and small children. During the first several years of life, a child's brain is still developing and rapidly absorbing nutrients. Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness, and blindness.The EPA estimates that 15% of women of childbearing age, or one out of every six, have enough mercury in their blood to put a baby at risk of cognitive and developmental damage.

Mercury poses a threat to adult men, as well as women and children. In adults, mercury poisoning can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and can cause memory loss, tremors, vision loss, and numbness of the fingers and toes.

An online news conference will be held on July 23, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. EDT in conjunction with the release of the report. Anyone interested in participating in the news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) can call 800-860-2442 and ask for the "cement kiln toxic pollution study” news event.

News event speakers will be:
* Earthjustice staff attorney James Pew;
* Environmental Integrity Project Director Eric Schaeffer; and
* Marti Sinclair, chairperson, Sierra Club National Air committee (Cincinnati, OH).

For those unable to participate in real time, the event will be available online as of 6 p.m. EDT on July 23, 2008.

California Green Building Code Adopted; Will Go Into Effect In 2010

The California Building Standards Commission yesterday announced the unanimous adoption of the nation’s first statewide green building code. The code is a direct result of Governor Schwarzenegger's direction to the Commission and will lead to improved energy efficiency and reduced water consumption in all new construction throughout the state, while also reducing the carbon footprint of every new structure in California.

“Once again California is leading the nation and the world in emissions reductions and finding new ways to expand our climate change efforts,” said commission chair Rosario Marin. “The commission should be commended for bringing everyone to the table including representatives of the construction and building trades industry, environmental groups and labor organizations, and achieving something no other state has been able to."

The new California Green Building Standards Code goes beyond the current building standards. These new statewide standards will result in significant improvements in water usage for both commercial and residential plumbing fixtures and target a 50% landscape water conservation reduction. They also push builders to reduce energy use of their structures by 15% more than current standards. The new standards declare the minimum California will accept in environmentally friendly design; local jurisdictions and builders who wish to do more are applauded.

In addition to the new codes adopted, Governor Schwarzenegger's Green Building Initiative (Executive Order S-20-04) directs state agencies to reduce energy use at state-owned buildings 20% by 2015, while also reducing the impact state buildings have on climate change. His executive order directs that new state construction and major renovation projects should meet a minimum of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certification in order to save energy, conserve water, divert waste from landfills, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. To date, 13 state buildings have achieved LEED certification.

According to the USGBC, buildings nationwide account for 70% of electricity consumption, 39% of energy usage, 12% of potable water consumption, 40% of raw materials usage, 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually), and produce 39% of associated greenhouse gases (CO2).

California’s new building standards will result in increased water and energy savings through a combination of more efficient appliances, use of efficient landscapes, and more efficient building design and operation. The code also encourages the use of recycled materials in carpets and building materials, and identifies various site improvements including parking for hybrid vehicles and storm water plans.

Additionally, the new code contains standards for single-family homes, health facilities, and commercial buildings. The code is composed of optional standards that will become mandatory in the 2010 edition of the code. This adjustment period will allow for industry and local enforcement agencies to prepare for, and comply with, the new green building standards.

Moving forward after 2010, the California Green Building Standards Code will be updated on an annual basis to ensure that the latest technology and methods of construction have been incorporated to always maintain a high level of standards.

High-Performance Buildings Report

On June 18, 2007, Representatives of Congress, administrators from the U.S. Department of Energy, and members of the building industry gathered on Capitol Hill to introduce the new leadership of the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus and discuss the current state of the U.S. building stock. The centerpiece of the briefing was the Assessment to the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Energy on High-Performance Buildings, a report prepared by the High-Performance Building Council, a group of over 100 public and private sector organizations.

The report was prepared in response to Section 914 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which addresses the need for not just "green" but high-performance buildings that combine the objectives of reducing resource and energy consumption with improving the environmental impact and functionality of buildings and the comfort and productivity of their occupants.

Since early 2006, the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) has advocated for the implementation of Section 914 and the formation of an industry coalition to assess current consensus standards and rating systems. Upon formation of the High-Performance Building Council, SBIC has served as its Secretariat. Together with the National Institute of Building Sciences, SBIC identified industry groups for participation, engaged the House Committee on Science and Technology, and developed objectives for the first phase of the group's work.

"Today's high-performance buildings are the exception, not the rule," Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) reminded attendees of the Congressional briefing. "Russ [Carnahan] and I want to find creative ways to change that." The Assessment to Congress was only the first phase of the High-Performance Building Council's effort. On the heels of unveiling the report, the Council is launching its second phase, which will consist of profiling the attributes, metrics, measures, and standards for high-performance buildings. SBIC looks forward to continuing to serve the group as its Secretariat.

A complete copy of the report is available for download here: HPBCFinalReport.pdf

Gerflor Ramps Up Conservation Effort

Gerflor, a global leader in the design and manufacture of vinyl resilient floor coverings, recently announced its Sample Reuse Program exclusively through its website at www.gerflor-us.com. By visiting the environment section of the website, visitors can print off a prepaid U.S. postage label and return Gerflor vinyl flooring samples to its Atlanta office for reuse and redistribution. The Sample Reuse Program aims to reduce environmental impact and creates a new way to achieve sustainable results.

“For more than 20 years, Gerflor has been committed to the concept of creating environmentally friendly products by making the strategic decision to place ‘green' issues at the top of its agenda,” said Alan Fennell, president of commercial flooring. “The Sample Reuse Program is yet another way we show our commitment to the environment and further extends our leadership in developing sustainability practices.”

“When designing a space, we use samples to convey concepts or ideas to colleagues and clients,” said Robyn Dubick, interior designer, CR Goodman Associates. “With Gerflor’s new Sample Reuse Program, we have the opportunity to return unused samples that will ultimately help conserve natural resources and reduce the negative impact on the environment.”

Steps for mailing samples back to Gerflor:
• Print off the prepaid United States Postage label and instructions
• Pack the samples back into the original packaging or other box/envelope
• Give package to your mail delivery person or drop it off at the nearest post office

Gerflor has the largest collection of commercial vinyl flooring products in the world, with offerings ideally suited for health care, education, retail, corporate, and public spaces. Founded in 1937 and headquartered near Lyon, France, Gerflor provides unique product and design solutions and is present in 100 countries around the globe with more than 1,700 employees.

GREENGUARD Certifies Six New KI Product Lines

The Green Bay, WI-based company received GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification® for low emitting products by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) for recent introductions.

Added to the list of KI's already GREENGUARD certified products:
Two classroom seating collections, Dorsal® and Intellect Wave™; two lines of tables, Inquire® and Athens®; storage collection, Smart Touch™; and the new Strive® Seating Collection.

GREENGUARD Certification is a referenced standard for furniture and other interior product manufacturers specified in projects based upon the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System.

“As more facility managers seek LEED certification, they need environmentally friendly products that can help them achieve it,” said Norman Nance, IIDA, AP, vice president-marketing, KI. “KI is continuing to design furniture that encompasses customers’ needs for products that are safe, aesthetically pleasing, affordable, and help earn points toward LEED certification.”

To achieve GREENGUARD Certification, each product passed a series of demanding tests required by GEI that determined the products have low chemical emissions. GEI will monitor these products each quarter to ensure it maintains low emitting status.

GEI’s methodology for testing and certifying furniture was developed and validated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Technology Verification Program. Realistic, worst-case configurations of a product’s components and materials are developed and placed in the environmental testing chambers.

Sloan Valve Receives Cradle to Cradle Certification

Sloan Valve Company has become the first plumbing company in the world to receive the Cradle to Cradle Design certification for its products. MBDC, the product process and design firm that evaluates companies and their products based on their "eco-effectiveness," certified two Sloan plumbing products for silver level status: the Uppercut dual flush flushometer and the Royal model 111 manual flushometer.

"This certification is the result of 10 months of exhaustive review of our manufacturing processes and materials," says Jim Allen, director of Sloan's Water Efficiency Division. "MBDC's Cradle to Cradle certification process is the most thorough and rigorous third party product evaluation. This certification goes beyond our products' water saving attributes; it is a true assessment of the overall, combined impact of Sloan's manufacturing, material selection, recycled/recovered material use, and all processes related to product creation."

The Uppercut dual flush flushometer becomes the first and only dual flush product in the world to be Cradle to Cradle silver certified. This distinction assures specifiers and owners that the Uppercut will offer high water efficiency, and it was manufactured and certified to a high environmental standard. All Uppercuts are made in the United States by union labor.

MBDC, a Charlottesville, VA, product process and design firm, was founded in 1995 to promote and shape the implementation of eco-effective design principles. Instead of perpetuating cradle to grave products, dumped in landfills after fulfilling their initial intended purpose, MBDC's Cradle to Cradle design concept recognizes products whose materials are continuously circulated in closed loops. Designing for cradle to cradle product lifecycles, for instance, plans for sustainability and product re-use, which reduces reliance on virgin material inputs and lessens overall material costs.

Sloan, which offsets 100% of the energy used in its Franklin Park, IL, headquarters with renewable energy, is the recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Leadership Award for its Green Power Purchase. Sloan's corporate mission toward sustainability also includes other initiatives, such as installing more energy efficient lighting, which will significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

Sustainability is also reflected in Sloan's material choices: About 89% of Sloan's flushometers are made from brass casting alloy, 99% of which is from recycled sources, and the flushometers are completely recyclable or reusable in remodel projects.

Sloan Valve Company is a leading manufacturer of water efficient plumbing systems and has been in operation since 1906. Headquartered in Franklin Park, IL, the company manufactures plumbing products and accessories for commercial, industrial, and institutional markets worldwide.

Guide For Businesses Available From EPA

Developed in consultation with Businesses for Social Responsibility (BSR), the publication focuses on partnership programs from the EPA. "A Business Guide to U.S. EPA Climate Partnership Programs" features profiles on 35 EPA climate-change related partnership programs, as well as a table designed to assist companies find the programs most appropriate for their industry and business objectives.

Each program profile defines the environmental value delivered by the program and the business case for participating, such as cost savings, operational efficiency, reduced business risk, new or expanded markets, enhanced reputation and brand protection.

The EPA's Climate Partnership Programs include the following areas of focus:
Agriculture, Air Quality, Energy Efficiency and Global Climate Change, Pollution Prevention, Product Labeling, Regulatory Innovation, Sector Programs, Technology, Transportation, Waste Management, Water, and Regional Partnership Programs.

The new guide for businessses also describes some of the benefits an organization can gain by partnering with EPA, such as environmental performance benchmarking, public recognition, professional training and networking, and preparation for regulatory developments. There are currently more than 13,000 firms and other organizations participating in EPA climate related partnership programs. Through participation, members are investing in energy efficiency, clean energy supply, and other practices and technologies for mitigating climate risks.

EPA developed the guide in consultation with Businesses for Social Responsibility (BSR), a nonprofit business association. BSR, which provides practical resources for businesses seeking sustainable solutions, is promoting the guide to its 250 members and other Global 1000 enterprises.

The guide can be downloaded as a PDF file from www.epa.gov/partners.

Waterless Co. Asks FMs About Restroom Fixture

The manufacturer of waterless urinals sought to find what facility managers think of these types of fixtures. Nearly 100 commercial, educational, and government building facility managers, who have installed waterless or no-water urinal systems in their facilities, were asked their thoughts on waterless or no-flush urinals.

“This is one of the few surveys taken on the subject,” says Klaus Reichardt, founder and managing partner of Waterless Co. LLC, a Vista, CA-based manufacturer of waterless urinals. “However, with the growing interest in greening building operations, the systems are becoming quite common and are now found in many locations.”

As to overall opinions, when asked if they had a choice between installing conventional or waterless urinals again, 60% indicated they would install waterless urinals. Twenty percent reported they would return to conventional urinals and another 20% noted they were unsure which they would select.

When asked why they installed a waterless system in the first place, more than 40% indicated it was because of “environmental awareness.” Thirty percent reported it was because of escalating water and sewer costs, while the rest hoped the waterless systems could help reduce restroom odors and lower maintenance costs.

Among other findings:
* Asked what they liked most about waterless urinals, 42% answered “saving water.” Fifty percent noted it was to help green their facility.

* As to restroom odors, about half reported there was no increase in odor problems with waterless urinals, while the other half noted there were more odors or they were not sure.

Cleaning, Maintenance, and Concerns
The survey also asked several questions regarding the cleaning and maintenance of no-flush urinals. For instance, 60% noted their janitorial crews change the traps or cartridges installed in most all waterless urinal systems. About the same percentage indicated they clean the waterless system using the same cleaners and methods they used to clean conventional urinals.

There were also some complaints about no-water urinals, mostly in regards to the trap/cartridges found on some systems. Nearly half of the respondents reported the trap/cartridges do not last as long as their manufacturer indicates and cost considerably more than anticipated.

“This is definitely true with some no-water systems,” says Reichardt. “This is why managers must do their homework and select a waterless system that helps save both water and money.”

Approximately 1,000 facility managers were e-mailed invitations to take the online survey. Nearly 100 answered some or all questions on the survey. All responses were tallied in the final results. The survey was conducted the last week of May 2008.

EPA's WaterSense Program
In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced WaterSense, a partnership program created to enable commercial and residential specifiers to identify products that help to reduce water use. The EPA WaterSense page on urinals can be found here...

Furniture Sustainability Standard Open For Comment

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International and NSF International (NSF) have announced the release of BIFMA E3-2008 Business and Institutional Furniture Sustainability Standard to the NSF consensus ballot process and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) public comment period.

The ballot process will close on July 1, 2008.

BIFMA and NSF partnered on the development of this standard over a year ago gathering a broad and diverse group of stakeholders in the consensus process. ANSI mandates openness, balance, due process, consensus, and a right to appeal in the development of consensus standards. Representatives from academia, the A&D community, end users, regulatory agencies, federal and state government, certification bodies, non-governmental organizations, manufacturers, suppliers, and others have been engaged in development of the standard.

“By employing this open and balanced consensus process, we’ve ensured that a broad range of perspectives have been considered in this standard,” said Thomas Reardon, BIFMA’s executive director. “I applaud the dozens of individuals who have lent their time, talents and knowledge to the creation of this important standard that will guide the development of more sustainable furniture products and processes going forward.”

BIFMA E-3 2008 takes a holistic view in evaluating product sustainability, considering multiple attributes including materials and natural resource utilization, energy, renewable energy, greenhouse gas impacts, human and eco-system health, material toxicity, and social responsibility. Modeled after the LEED building rating system, furniture products are evaluated against a variety of credit criteria (after first meeting certain prerequisites), accumulating points toward increasing levels of recognition associated with reduced environmental impact.

Following two years of development, the standard is now entering the official NSF consensus body vote and an open, ANSI public comment period to last 45 days. The balanced consensus body responsible for the standard will consider all input received during this period. Interested parties are invited to review the standard and provide comment by visiting this link.

“Once this standard completes the ANSI standards development process and becomes an American National Standard, it will not only help furniture manufacturers demonstrate their commitment to the environment, it will also help consumers understand the sustainable benefits of the furniture,” said Jane Wilson, NSF director of standards.

About Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA)
Established in 1973, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) International is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for members to cooperate and collaborate on appropriate industry issues.

About NSF International NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods. Founded in 1944, NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment and an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards developer. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.

ANTRON Carpet Fiber Recertified An EPP

INVISTA recently announced recertification of its ANTRON® carpet fiber as an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). Originally certified in 2002, ANTRON carpet fiber was the first carpet face fiber to achieve EPP certification. It is the only carpet fiber to achieve recertification for three consecutive cycles.

The recertification was based on a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) conducted by Boustead Consulting Ltd., a third-party research firm with more than 35 years of experience in LCA consulting worldwide. INVISTA engaged the firm to study and analyze environmental impact data for all INVISTA plants worldwide that produce ANTRON carpet fiber.

“The results of this study provide us with a truly comprehensive global analysis of the environmental footprint of ANTRON carpet fiber, from the cradle to finished fiber,” said Henning Bloech, manager of environmental initiatives. “These data will become the benchmark for managing the key factors that contribute to sustainable carpet fiber production. The global eco-profile provides us with a thorough, rigorous approach to maintaining our current environmental certifications, and will also enable our understanding as we continually work to improve manufacturing processes and develop new product offerings.”

“Receipt of EPP certification for Antron carpet fiber is an important accomplishment for our business, as it validates our efforts to lead the industry with credible environmental offerings,” said Bobby Berrier, vice president, commercial interiors for INVISTA. “It’s a great example of the diligence we put behind our claims. It took a tremendous amount of time, effort and investment; but we believe it is the right approach, given the need for greater transparency among the many claims that are made in our industry today.”

“Consistent with our guiding principle of integrity, INVISTA strives to make no marketing claim unless we can back it up with validated facts derived from sound analytical methodology,” continued Berrier. “It is the way we operate. For the ANTRON carpet fiber brand, it permeates all we say and do.”

EPP Certification takes a holistic approach to environmental stewardship, rather than focus on a single attribute. Upon review of the data, ANTRON carpet fiber achieved EPP certification after SCS concluded that ANTRON carpet fiber meets or exceeds the stringent EPP requirements in all five areas of evaluation: product manufacturing, resource conservation, human health impacts, end-of-life responsibility, and product performance.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved new standards for sustainable carpet, known as NSF-140-2007, which is the first multi-attribute standard for environmentally preferable building materials in the construction industry. Using up to 25% EPP materials contributes points toward certification under this American National Standard in the same proportion as post consumer recycled content or bio-based materials. Therefore, carpets with EPP certified ANTRON carpet fiber can earn up to 6 points under NSF-140 credit 8.2.1. (To read more about NSF 140-2007, read "Sustainable Carpet" from TFM March 2008.)

The program manager of material content and sustainable choice certification for Scientific Certification Systems, Ed Wyatt, said, "We congratulate INVISTA for being the only carpet fiber manufacturer to achieve EPP recertification. Since 2002, we have been impressed with the company's dedication to achieving this rigorous standard by continuously reducing the environmental impact of ANTRON carpet fiber, to meet or exceed the evaluation criteria for recertification. EPP certification assures architects, designers and facility managers they are making sound environmental specification decisions when selecting carpet manufactured with ANTRON carpet fiber."

US House Tries to Make Schools Greener

While the fallout from the Democrats race for the White House took center stage on Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a $20 billion plan to help states renovate and build schools to make them better for the environment and more energy efficient.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act passed 250-164 but still must be taken up by the Senate. The Bush Administration has threatened a veto, citing the cost of a new federal school building program.

The bill sets aside $6.4 billion for the 2009 budget year and similar amounts in the following four years. The goal is to aid school districts in modernizing facilities to help make schools more energy efficient, promote student and employee health, and improve the learning environment.

New projects would have to meet LEED, Energy Star, or Collaborative for High Performance Schools standards. According to the Associated Press, "Requirements for meeting the green standards would be phased in, but by 2013 90% of the funds would have to be used for green projects."

Supporters of the bill cited studies that "a green school uses 35% less energy than a conventional school, reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 40%, and uses 30% less water."

Bill opponents called the measure a "green scheme", warned that it could divert funds from federal programs for disabled and poor students, and saw the bill as "an intrusion into education matters normally under the jurisdiction of states and local governments."

Under the funding plan in place, no school would receive less than $5000.

Trash Bags Certified Green

Webster Industries, a leading manufacturer of recycled content polyethylene trash bags, recently announced that the company’s ReClaim™ brand and private label trash bags are the first and only trash bags to achieve third party certification from Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) for state-of-the-art recycled content. Webster is the only plastic trash bag manufacturing company to receive independent certification to validate and verify the company’s recycled content product claims. SCS, originally founded in 1991, is an independent, not-for-profit organization widely considered to be one of the country’s leading third party product claim certification organizations.

ReClaim bags and Webster’s private label recycled content trash bags contain 75% recycled content, including at least 10% post-consumer material. All packaging contains 100% certified recycled paperboard, and the company long ago lead the industry in eliminating toxic inks and dye additives.

Recycling plastics provides substantial environmental benefits in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, preserving natural resources, and reducing landfill waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling low density polyethylene (LDPE) saves about half (46%) of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of virgin plastic trash bags, and recycling LDPE uses only about 10% of the energy that it takes to make a pound of virgin plastic material. Webster recycles over 30 million pounds of LDPE plastics each year that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.

Webster achieved independent certification from SCS after going through a rigorous evaluation and auditing process. SCS also certified Webster’s products for government procurement and green building qualification, including an Environmental Preferable Product (EPP) designation and LEED certification that qualifies the use of Webster’s trash bags for credits toward green building status.

Jack Shields, president of Webster Industries stated, “The success of our recycled content trash bags has been tremendous as a growing number of customers are using their purchasing power to reflect their strong environmental commitment and environmental stewardship. Through the SCS certification, our customers get an environmental benefit they can trust and the assurance that their purchase is truly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste, and saving energy. And, in addition to our ReClaim brand, we are pleased to offer our private label customers a quality recycled content product with the SCS logo confirming certification for recycled content, LEED credits, and environmental preferable product (EPP) designation.”

Recognized by the green globe and green cross logo, SCS is the only recognized independent certification company verifying recycled content for polyethylene can liners. Stan Rhodes, president and CEO of SCS stated, “Webster is setting the gold standard in terms of recycled content and product innovation with environmental attributes in the plastic can liner industry. I applaud Webster’s proactive leadership to obtain SCS certification. It is important for customers to know that the products they purchase truly have the environmental benefit being claimed.”

The SCS certification for Webster’s ReClaim and private label trash bags validates the recycled content environmental claims and gives customers a guarantee that Webster’s products provide a verified, audited and meaningful environmental benefit. Given the current marketplace confusion regarding identifying truly “green” products, the SCS certification and corresponding logo on Webster’s products provides third-party proof and scientific validation that all of the products truly contain recycled content that would otherwise be landfilled or incinerated.

Shaw Industries Named as CARE’s Large Recycler of the Year

Shaw Industries was named Large Recycler of the Year by the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), a joint industry-government initiative to promote carpet recycling, reuse, and waste reduction of post consumer carpet. Shaw leads the carpet industry with its cradle-to-cradle recycling program that has recycled 100 million pounds of post consumer carpet to date through its Evergreen Nylon Recycling Facility.

Shaw president Randy Merritt believes that the company’s commercial and residential carpet products embody the carpet-to-carpet design as a means to reduce landfill waste and virgin raw material usage. The company’s efforts have lead to increased amounts of recycled content available for the production of new Shaw products in the future. “Shaw has come a long way in implementing its cradle-to-cradle products,” says Merritt. “Beyond the ability to design a product for reclamation and recycling through Evergreen, we had to organize and facilitate a nationwide collections network to service our customer’s recycling needs. It is a great honor for Shaw to be recognized by CARE for its recycling successes.”

Shaw’s nationwide collection network collaborates with entrepreneurs and businesses across the U.S. in establishing recycling centers for post consumer carpet. In conjunction with these businesses, Shaw has collected 165 million pounds of carpet, keeping it from landfill.

Shaw’s nylon brands, Eco Solution Q® and Anso® nylon, service the commercial and residential markets, respectively, and are nylon 6 fibers. Any carpet made with nylon 6 fiber can be processed at the Evergreen facility, the only operating facility of its kind in the world. The Evergreen process yields caprolactam monomer, the building block for new nylon, which gives Shaw the ability to increase the amount of recycled content in its products with the addition of post consumer recycled content.

The Shaw carpet recycling network operates collection points across the United States and in most major markets. Russ Delozier, the post consumer carpet collection manager, was named the CARE Person of the Year for 2007. “Russ and his committed team have played a major role in the implementation of our collection network,” says Rick Ramirez, vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs. “I am pleased that CARE recognized him for the leadership role that he is playing in bringing carpet recycling options to our customers and communities at large.”

Shaw commercial brands The New Patcraft & Designweave, Shaw Contract Group, and Shaw Hospitality Group manufacture carpet products with Eco Solution Q nylon, a Cradle to Cradle Certified product by MBDC. This certification contributes to Innovation in Design points through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Additionally, Shaw commercial brands feature EcoWorx backing technology for tile and broadloom carpet. Shaw guarantees that it will collect and recycle all EcoWorx carpet products into more EcoWorx at no charge to the customer.

Solar System Crowns Sacramento County Health And Human Services Building

Demonstrating leadership and a commitment to sustainability and the environment, officials in Sacramento County, CA have announced the successful commissioning of its 100-kW solar array atop the county’s Health and Human Services building. The solar energy system, which greatly offsets the electricity used by the facility, is the largest such system on any public building in Sacramento County.

The solar array is part of a larger, comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit program delivered by Siemens that is projected to produce a broad range of energy and operational savings across county facilities. “We are extremely excited to be switching on a new era of sustainability for our facilities,” says Sacramento County Director of Facility Planning, Architecture, and Real Estate, Carl Mosher. “I can’t think of a more appropriate site for our first solar system. Our goal is to serve the community and to do it in a fiscally and environmentally friendly way. The best evidence that we are doing that is right now we are making clean, electricity from the sun on the roof of the Health and Human Services building.”

At 100 kW, the output of the photovoltaic panels is enough to offset about 50% of the building’s power needs. “If sustainability is to deliver on its promises and return net positive benefits to everyone living in Sacramento County, it must be approached holistically, that is, from both sides of the meter,” says Siemens Building Technologies’ district manager Chris Lofaso. “Emissions-free power generation coupled with demand side reduction is the holistic, higher impact solution. With the efficiency improvements we’ve made to the building’s HVAC equipment and lighting, the solar system is able to make a real and lasting contribution.”

The performance of the solar energy system and the energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits help save the county and taxpayers money on their energy bills every month, and it also qualifies for more than $300,000 in rebates from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) as part of a rebate program designed to incentivize consumers and state and local agencies to invest in energy saving technologies. According to Siemens, the energy savings from the entire efficiency project will yield nearly $470,000 in SMUD rebate incentives.

Averaging about 265 days either clear or partly cloudy, Sacramento is an ideal location for a solar power generating system. According to Daniel L.Mendonsa, LEED AP® and Energy Program Manager for Sacramento County, “Powering the Health and Human services building with solar-generated electricity reduces the facility’s carbon footprint by about 100 metric tons. Counting all the efficiencies across the project, we expect to see an impressive total reduction of 800 metric tons.” According to SMUD, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by that much is equivalent to removing 22 cars off the road or planting 14 acres of trees every year.


With the energy efficiencies created by the installation of new building automation, HVAC equipment, lighting, and controls at the Health and Human Services, Parks and Recreation and Main Water Quality buildings, Siemens and the county expect to realize some $360,000 in operational, maintenance, and energy savings; enough to assure a simple payback of less than 10 years.

Honeywell Delivers “Ice Cold” Energy Savings

Honeywell recently announced a $4.25 million permanent load shifting program with Southern California Edison (SCE) that will reduce the utility bills of commercial customers and decrease electricity consumption during peak day-time hours.

The Night Shift program is expected to deliver 2.5 megawatts of peak power relief between noon and 6 p.m.—when energy use and utility rates are highest. This is enough capacity to cover the electricity needs of more than 600 homes.

Honeywell will manage the program for SCE, retrofitting approximately 300 rooftop air conditioners with Ice Bear hybrid air conditioning units from Ice Energy. The Ice Bear system freezes water in a storage tank at night when electricity costs are low. When the air conditioner is on in the day, the stored ice cools the refrigerant instead of a condensing unit, which consumes the most energy in an air conditioner. As a result, the modules cut peak cooling demand by up to 95 percent.

The program also will reduce power generation emissions associated with cooling by about 20% or more, because generating sources used during peak periods have a higher emissions rate than those used to serve base load energy needs at night.

“The Night Shift program enables our commercial customers to maximize cost savings through innovative green technology,” said LisaCagnolatti, SCE vice president, Business Customer Division. “The program will help to reduce high energy demand patterns we typically see in the summer months.”

Night Shift is for mid-commercial customers who have buildings with three to 20 ton roof-top air conditioner units and an electricity demand of at least 200 kilowatt hours per day. Facilities that fit this profile typically include office buildings, libraries, school and university buildings, and big box retail stores. Customers who participate in the program will receive a rebate from SCE to help offset some of the equipment and installations costs. They also will realize ongoing energy savings based on time of use electricity rates that reward off peak consumption.

The hybrid cooling systems are specifically designed for refrigerant based air conditioners, which serve nearly 80% of commercial buildings in California. This differs from other permanent load shifting programs that have traditionally targeted only water based air conditioning units. Consequently, Night Shift can accommodate a wide range of commercial customers and help them cut their energy bills.

EPA Recognizes Performance Track Leaders

On May 21, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced 2008 awards to a limited number of National Environmental Performance Track members for exceptional achievements in reducing their facility environmental footprints, reaching out to local communities, working with state agencies, and demonstrating environmental stewardship at the corporate level. Performance Track, what EPA calls its most comprehensive environmental leadership program, recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond their legal requirements.

"Our Performance Track leaders are helping change the way businesses view their responsibility to protect our shared environment," said Johnson. "These companies are meeting this challenge by proving that doing what's good for our environment is also good for business."

Since the program's inception in June 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to more than 500 facilities in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and members have made more than 3,500 commitments to the environment. Through their combined environmental efforts, Performance Track member facilities have reported cumulative reductions in water use of 5.2 billion gallons, greenhouse gas reductions of 309,780 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, increases in use of recycled materials in production by 559,991 tons, and conservation of 16,809 acres of habitat. Many of the members' achievements address issues that are not covered by current regulations.

EPA is designating Xerox Corp. of Webster, NY the 2008 Performance Track Corporate Leader for its exceptional corporate wide commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement, and for its substantial involvement in Performance Track. All five of Xerox's U.S. manufacturing facilities are members of Performance Track. Xerox joins the ranks of other Performance Track Corporate Leaders: Baxter Healthcare Corp., Johnson & Johnson, Rockwell Collins, and Xanterra Parks & Resorts.

Also receiving environmental performance awards were: TDK Components USA Inc., Peachtree, GA; Rohm and Haas, Kankakee, IL; Lafarge Aggregates SE, Douglassville, GA; and the Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst, NJ. EPA made its selection based on members' progress toward achieving environmental performance goals and the breadth and challenge of these goals.

The winners for extraordinary efforts in outreach are the Management and Engineering Services, LLC, Longmont, CO; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Palmdale, CA; Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC., Wilson, NC; and Hewlett Packard, Corvallis, OR. Outreach award winners make a special effort to inform the public on what it means to be a Performance Track member through presentations, promotional materials, and employee awareness.

Two state agencies—the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Environmental Services, and the State of South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Waste Management Division—received special recognition for supporting Performance Track and its members.

The state of Louisiana expedited issuance of air and water permits for Marathon Oil based on the company's environmental performance and Performance Track membership. In South Dakota, the state agency collaborated with Ellsworth Air Force Base to provide regulatory benefits that enable the facility to pursue its environmental goals.

At the awards ceremony on May 21, Administrator Johnson also officially welcomed 97 new facilities that have joined Performance Track since May 2007.

The awards dinner was is held in conjunction with the fifth annual National Environmental Partnership Summit, an interdisciplinary gathering of environmental professionals and assistance providers from diverse sectors all over the world. It was created five years ago with the merger of the annual meetings of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the Compliance Assistance Providers' Forum and the Performance Track Participants' Association.

Greenpeace co-founder speaks out

Greenpeace co-founder and former leader Dr. Patrick Moore recently spoke out against attempts by activist environmental groups to politicize the green building agenda.

Addressing members of the National Association of Home Builders at their recent National Green Building Conference in New Orleans, Moore said, “Greenpeace is using the US Green Building Council's LEED green building standard as a Trojan horse to deliver an activist agenda that is not in line with science or sustainability."

“Ironically, many of the positions that Greenpeace and other activist organizations advocate run contrary to a sound green building approach and will likely do more harm than good,” said Moore, Chair and Chief Scientist at consulting firm Greenspirit Strategies Ltd.

“Greenpeace is opposed to the use of hydro power, nuclear energy, widely accepted sustainable forestry standards, and vinyl products, to name but a few of the things they are opposed to," said Moore.

"How ironic since nuclear and hydro are among the most sustainable of energy sources while wood and vinyl are among the most sustainable of building materials," said Moore.

“These unscientific biases, fostered by activist groups, have found their way into the LEED standard,” said Moore.

“Healthcare is an important field where vinyl materials perform well because of their low cost and anti-bacterial qualities," said Moore.

"In my opinion, banning vinyl from healthcare—as some activist organizations would have us do in the new LEED for healthcare standard—runs contrary to everything I know about sustainability," said Moore.

"A ban on affordable vinyl products might increase healthcare costs at a time when we can least afford it," said Moore. "Such a ban might also have negative implications on hospital hygiene," Moore said.

“We need to be practical and realistic," said Moore.

"There are over six billion people on this planet, all of whom need food, energy, shelter, and materials," said Moore.

"By initiating campaigns against nuclear and hydro power, wood, and vinyl, the Greenpeace agenda would have us deny people basic needs, and that runs completely contrary to true sustainability," said Moore.

“One way to ensure LEED and other green building standards are not unduly influenced by the activist political agenda is to encourage rigorous competition among the various standards,” said Moore.

“No green building standard should have a monopoly on the market,” said Moore.

“Competition is important to ensuring high quality green building standards that are based on sound science and focused on sustainability,” said Moore.

Green Cleaning Firm Launches New Web Site

With the new site, The Ashkin Group LLC is striving to illustrate how green cleaning can be beneficial in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare and education. The site, launched in April 2008, is a project spearheaded by Ashkin technology director Eric Hauck.

“It has a lot more functionality for users,” explains Hauck. “We wanted to present green cleaning in a much more easy to understand format.”

President of The Ashkin Group, LLC., Stephen Ashkin, has been a leader in the effort to green the cleaning and maintenance industry for more than 15 years. He is a writer, speaker, and advocate for safer and healthier cleaning methods.

Among the materials available on the site is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about green cleaning. “We included the FAQ section because we wanted [the Web site] to be designed for those just now being introduced to green cleaning as well as those who are pros,” says Ashkin. “This is our second Web site and with each one we try to get more inclusive, more helpful, and more informative.”

The site is located at www.ashkingroup.com/homenew.html

About Stephen Ashkin and The Ashkin Group
Stephen P. Ashkin is president of The Ashkin Group, a consulting firm specializing in Greening the Cleaning process and executive director of the Green Cleaning Network, both based in Bloomington, IN.

How Much Water Do You Need To Flush?

As plumbing products continue to become more water-efficient, including 1.0 gallon-per-flush water closets and urinals utilizing only one pint of water to flush, there's greater interest in low-consumption fixtures. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is expected to soon bring more clarity to some of these low-consumption flushing terms by defining them in applicable standards.

John Watson, director of technical services for plumbing manufacturer Sloan Valve Company and a member of the ASME A112.19.2 Working Group, says that no "official" definition has yet emerged in an approved consensus standard for High-Efficiency Urinals (HEU) and High-Efficiency Toilets (HET).

ASME will, however, likely provide those definitions when it next updates the ASME A.112.19.2 standard. For now, HEUs and HETs can be defined as follows:

An HEU is a urinal that performs to the current ASME A.112.19.2 performance standards while using no more than 0.5 gpf/1.9 Lpf to flush. This is a reduction from the current standard of 1.0 gpf/3.8 Lpf as required by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. By this definition, waterfree urinals are categorized as HEUs.

An HET is a water closet that meets the current performance requirements outlined in ASME A.112.19.2 but does so by either flushing at a maximum of 1.28 gpf/4.8 Lpf or by deploying a dual-flush device, which based on a typical 2:1 liquid/solid use ratio, averages a total flush volume of 1.28 gpf while achieving a MaP test score of removing at least 350 grams of waste.

"Dual-flush Flushometers are rising in popularity," says Watson, "partly because they easily meet HET performance standards."

In smaller buildings, Watson explains, it may be more advantageous to install manual dual-flush Flushometers in restrooms, because they have a regular set of users. "These users are more familiar with and conscientious about the facility, which means they are more likely to learn how to manually operate a dual-flush Flushometer to its full potential," he says.

But restrooms frequented by newcomers can certainly benefit from manual dual-flush Flushometers as well. Sloan includes signage with its UPPERCUT® dual-flush Flushometers, which can be affixed near the flush valve to quickly educate users on its usage and benefits. Proper operation by even a fraction of the users can equate to significant water savings.

Plus, as dual-flush flush valves become more common, restroom users will just intuitively know how to operate them—much in the same way they learned to adapt to sensor-operated Flushometers when they first emerged on the market.

Large commercial or institutional buildings with a transient population or restrooms in high-traffic areas such as airports, entertainment venues, and shopping malls may gain greater efficiencies from automatic operation. "For these restrooms, it makes sense to install the new electronic dual-flush Flushometers, which automatically initiate the appropriate flush cycle, depending on the amount of time the user remains in the sensor range," says Watson.

Boston's Fenway Park Drawing On Sun For Water Heating

The Boston Red Sox baseball team formally unveiled solar hot water panels on the roof of its stadium yesterday. The panels, which will help heat water used throughout the facility, are part of a series of environmentally sustainable practices that have been implemented at the Park this year. The Red Sox worked on this initiative with National Grid, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Red Sox are the first team in Major League Baseball to have a solar thermal system at their ballpark. “The Red Sox have a duty and responsibility to help protect and preserve the environment and to help keep the Fenway neighborhood clean and green,” said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. “The installation of solar thermal panels is the next step in our commitment to endeavor to make America's Most Beloved Ballpark one of America's greenest ballparks.”

The 28 solar panels were installed from May 7 through May 12 on the roof of the fifth floor media level, overlooking the ramp and elevator shaft, and will be fully operational this week. This site faces almost directly south, with only a few hours of the winter solstice when the site is shadowed and the solar exposure is highly desirable. This location is also a close proximity to the water heaters in the mechanical room on the roof, and energy captured by the panels can be delivered to this equipment.

The energy generated by the panels will replace more than a third of the gas traditionally used for the process of heating water at the park. Fenway’s average daily water heating load is approximately 3.1 million BTU. The maximum daily solar panel thermal energy production will be approximately 1.1 million BTU, or 37% of the current load.

According to Bonneville Environmental Foundation, the installation of the panels will also help avoid 18 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Offsetting 18 tons of carbon dioxide is the environmental equivalent of planting 4.86 acres of trees, not driving a car for 43,611 miles, or offsetting the carbon dioxide produced through natural gas use from approximately four average U.S. homes annually.

The type of solar hot water panels being installed are the GOBI line of solar flat-plate collectors. The panels are manufactured by Heliodyne Incorporated of Richmond, CA. The panels were installed by groSolar, a leader in solar energy systems, and a minority-owned New England company based in White River Junction, VT.

"Five Year Plan"
Under the direction of the Red Sox ownership, the club is engaging sponsors, local groups, and the fans of Red Sox Nation to help execute a five year plan to bring green practices to Fenway Park. New greening initiatives in 2008 include: installation of solar powered ‘Big Belly’ trash compactors around the park; creation of the Poland Spring Green Team, the first of its kind in professional sports, to collect plastic soda and water bottles from fans during games; placement of 75 recycling bins throughout the park; the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices in the front office, on the field and in the ARAMARK concession stands and restaurants; and finally the installation of the solar panels to reduce energy requirements for heating water.

About National Grid
National Grid conducted a location feasibility study in 2007 and recommended the installation of solar hot water panels on the 5th level roof at Fenway Park. They also provided financial support for the Fenway project. National Grid is committed to the protection and enhancement of the environment, always seeking new ways to minimize the environmental impacts of their past, present, and future activities. As an organization, National Grid believes that everyone is responsible for good environmental performance as they incorporate environmental considerations into all their business activities.

About Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Red Sox were advised on the solar thermal panel project by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit organization. Established in 1998 to further the development and use of new renewable energy resources and restore watershed ecosystems, the BEF funds projects that support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass and restore damaged watersheds. Revenues generated from its sales of Green Tags directly support additional new watershed restoration and renewable energy projects such as the national Solar4RSchools program.

About Natural Resources Defense Council
The Red Sox partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council last fall and through this relationship have made great strides in their efforts to adopt environmentally sustainable practices and educate both their fans and the entire organization about the importance of being green. NRDC has played an important role in the solar thermal panel project and will be conducting an environmental awareness/Greening 101 presentation to the entire Red Sox Front Office. NRDC's mission is to safeguard the earth: its people, its plans and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.

U.S. Papermaker Begins Transition To Carbon-Neutral, 100% Biomass Energy Production

SMART Papers has begun construction on a new $30 million high-efficiency energy co-generation facility at its manufacturing center in Hamilton, Ohio that marks an important first for the North American papermaking industry. By early 2009, SMART Papers will produce all of its own power and begin a transition to 100% cellulosic biomass fuel. By late 2009, all products will be fully carbon neutral and produced 100% fossil fuel free, company officials said.

SMART Papers, which makes premium coated and uncoated printing papers for businesses and consumers, including Fortune 500 companies, said its products will be carbon-neutral because its manufacturing center will be powered by 100% biomass, primarily yard waste as well as industrial wood and fiber waste. Biomass emits no net carbon dioxide, because the carbon in the biomass originates from carbon dioxide that was recently in the atmosphere.

The project’s full scope will enable SMART Papers to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its Hamilton manufacturing facility, located 25 miles northwest of Cincinnati. No food crops will be used, no farmland will be displaced, and no timber will be harvested to provide fuel, the company said.

The $30 million investment and drive to achieve full carbon neutrality at SMART Papers comes as the state of Ohio and the United States government develop new laws and regulations on carbon emissions. The Ohio Senate and House recently passed legislation, which requires that up to 12.5% of the state’s electricity consumption come from renewable sources by 2025. Under the law, half of that must be generated within Ohio.

SMART Papers officials said they are well positioned to play an important role in helping the Ohio meet its goal because the company will sell a significant amount of power on the electrical grid. By the end of 2010, all of the power supplied to the regional grid will be carbon neutral, providing a source of 100% “green” energy for businesses and homes throughout Ohio and the Midwest U.S.

Details on the new project:
The newly expanded 40-megawatt co-generation system, which ultimately will use 100% biomass fuel to generate electricity and steam to operate the mill, consists of four turbines, two condensers, a cooling tower, and auxiliary equipment.

Honeywell International supplied the co-generation system and is supervising project construction at the SMART Papers facility. Construction began in late April and is expected to be complete by spring 2009. The company has received all necessary permits for the project.

The move solidly positions the 115-year-old manufacturing center and its 550 employees for the future. SMART Papers will use a low-cost and plentiful supply of renewable fuel and will be fully energy independent. The facility, one of the oldest continuously operating paper mills in the U.S., is where coated magazine papers, coated two-side papers, and ultra-premium cast-coated printing papers were invented and first produced.

SMART Papers Leaders Discuss Significance
“SMART Papers is the first North American premium papermaker to begin the process of becoming truly 100% carbon neutral and fossil fuel free in its papermaking production,” said SMART Papers Chairman Tim Needham. “This is a major environmental advance in papermaking. We have set a new standard for environmentally responsible printing papers.”

“The production of these papers will leave the lightest environmental footprint of any premium coated or uncoated printing paper produced in North America,” Needham added.

The SMART Papers manufacturing center was an early industry leader in the production of 100% recycled premium printing papers and the company has continued to expand its environmental leadership. It currently uses up to 100% post-consumer waste to produce many of its premium coated and uncoated papers. It also has Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for the majority of its brands. “We are committed to being the green leader in the global paper manufacturing industry,” Needham said.

“This move to carbon-neutral production is the centerpiece of our environmental and energy strategies. It enables us to have a future that is completely independent of volatile energy markets,” said Dan Maheu, President and COO of SMART Papers. “We will reduce production costs, make carbon-neutral papers, and greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We will also be a positive contributor to the green power needs of Ohio and the Midwest.”

Maheu said SMART Papers has bought and sold power from the local utility for the last 10 years. However, the current power generation facility at the mill did not maximize return of its fuel inputs. New turbines were needed to substantially increase the amount of electrical energy that could be produced.

The biomass fuel that will be used in the co-generation facility is made up of short-fiber cellulosic waste material that is typically landfilled. Biomass is widely available in the region. Ohio ranks seventh nationwide in the availability of biomass stocks, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

SMART Papers said the project will generate carbon credits that can be bought and sold on the open market.

“We see our approach as the smart choice,” said Maheu. “We will be a more efficient manufacturer, fiscally and environmentally responsible, and energy independent. This will benefit our business, our customers, our employees, and the environment. We will always push to exceed customer expectations when it comes to environmental stewardship.”

ASHRAE President to Provide Testimony on Green Buildings to U.S. House Committee

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) President Kent Peterson, P.E., is slated to speak today at a hearing, Building Green, Saving Green: Constructing Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Buildings, before the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“As Congress examines all sources and causes of global warming emissions, it must consider how the buildings we work and live in can contribute to reduce the impact of climate change,” Rep. Edward Markey (Mass.), chair of the committee, said. “ASHRAE’s standards offer a foundation for energy-efficient buildings, and the Committee is interested in how building codes can be used to increase the number of green buildings throughout the nation.”

Peterson will talk about ASHRAE’s role in writing standards for adoption into building codes and its work in developing guidance that goes beyond minimum requirements in building codes.

“Today’s buildings mortgage our energy and environmental future,” Peterson said. “In the past, Standard 90.1 and other guidance fromASHRAE focused on minimum requirements to save energy. Recognizing that we must do more, ASHRAE
is looking ahead to producing advanced energy design guidance, with the goal of net-zero energy buildings. We welcome the opportunity to stress the need for a more energy efficient future before the House Committee.”

Milliken Donates Carbon Dioxide Credits For CARE Event

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), an initiative to reduce carpet waste to landfills, announces that Milliken & Company, an international textile and chemical manufacturer headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, will donate carbon dioxide credits to neutralize the carbon impacts of the sixth annual CARE conference that occurred last week. This is the third consecutive year Milliken has made such a donation. The donation is administered by the Leonardo Academy, respected for its work on sustainable buildings and climate change.

"Beyond reducing waste to landfill, CARE and the carpet industry take our environmental impacts seriously," said Frank Hurd, vice president of the Carpet and Rug Institute. "Milliken's third donation of carbon credits to green our conference provides a good example and supports our broader goals."

Companies that take action to reduce pollutant emission earn global warming credits that represent the amount of greenhouse gasses prevented from entering the atmosphere. These credits offset the environmental impact of events or other activities.

"Milliken recently announced our second methane harvesting project to expand our renewable energy sources. We sequester more carbon dioxide in our forests than our factories produce, while we continue to innovate and measure to reduce our energy consumption," said Russell Grizzle, global president of Milliken Floor Covering.

CARE, a voluntary initiative of the carpet industry and government, focuses on developing carpet reclamation and recycling methods to prevent carpet from burdening landfills.

Milliken & Company is certified carbon negative without purchasing credits. LaGrange, GA-based Milliken Floor Covering, a division of Milliken & Company, sends zero waste to landfill from carpet manufacturing, uses alternative energy and offers its customers a No Carpet to Landfill Pledge. All Milliken carpet products are free of PVC and may be reused or recycled.

Leonardo Academy is a charitable nonprofit dedicated to advancing sustainability and putting the competitive market to work on improving the environment.

New House Caucus Focuses on Green Schools

A new caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives has formed to raise awareness of and promote the benefits of green schools and their ability to foster learning, protect students’ and teachers’ health, save school districts’ money, and reduce their impact on the environment. The goals of the Green Schools Caucus are to raise awareness of the benefits of green schools, lead the policy discussion on the topic in various forums, create legislative opportunities for the collective efforts of the caucus members, and provide members of Congress with constituent outreach resources.

The Caucus was created in October 2007 by founding co-chairs Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. Caucus members and their staff will participate in educational programs to learn what is going on nationally and in their districts, including site visits to green schools and educational panels with teachers, architects, and school officials from across the country.

“As a former teacher, I am thrilled to lead the way in Congress in forming the Green Schools Caucus,” Hooley said. “Through collaborative partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, we will work to raise awareness among the public and members of Congress of the benefits of building green. By using alternatives to toxic chemicals, pursuing green building and maintenance practices, changing resource consumption habits, serving nutritious food, and teaching students to be steward of their communities, we’ll help put future generations at the forefront of sustainable development.”

“Schools are vulnerable to the sky rocketing costs of energy,” Matheson said. “When their energy budgets take a hit, kids’ education suffers. By encouraging green school buildings, we help save money, demonstrate the latest technology, and increase educational opportunities for the kids who spend much of their day in that building.”

“The Green Schools Caucus is an outstanding opportunity to help our schools save money, help society save the environment and, ultimately and most importantly, help make sure our children are attending classes in the safest indoor environments possible,” McCaul said. “As a father of five children, making sure our children can learn in safe, clean, and efficient schools has always been and always will be a top priority.”

Fully 20% of Americans go to school every day. Too often, the schools they attend are unhealthy, inefficient, and not as conducive to learning as they could be.

Green schools create a nurturing learning environment, decrease student and teacher absenteeism from respiratory and other illnesses, and provide models for teaching the world’s future leaders about sustainability to benefit communities for generations to come. They create new hands on learning opportunities for students. And they save money through reduced water and energy bills.

A 2006 study sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists and USGBC found that building green would save an average school $100,000 each year in energy costs alone – enough to hire two additional full-time teachers, purchase 5,000 new textbooks, or buy 500 new computers. According to “Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits, 2006,” it costs on average less than 2% more – about $3 extra per square foot – to build a green school rather than a conventional school. The payback occurs within one year based on energy savings alone.

For more information on green schools, including their benefits, resources for promoting green schools, and case studies of schools that have already gone green, visit this link.

Port Authority In Ohio Marks One Year With Solar Powered Camera

The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority originally deployed the system in 2005 as a property management tool to watch construction of Kaiser Drive at the Central Ohio Aerospace & Technology Center (COATC). The camera system, developed by the Port Authority, passed the one year mark since solar power improvements were made. In that year, the system never lost power as it captured and delivered real-time video and digital images to the Web.

The Port Authority set out to continuously improve the camera system it first developed three years ago. In addition to the 2005 construction project, this same system was used to monitor construction of James Parkway which opened in May 2007. Also, Samuel Manu-Tech’s corporate officials in Toronto, Canada used it in 2006 during construction of the company’s new 151,000 square foot building on the COATC South Campus.

The system can be viewed live on the Internet, during daylight hours, at http://coatc.com/cam.

“You don’t normally think of a government engaging in research and development projects, but I’m proud of our team’s success,” said Rick Platt, executive director of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority. “Our team was given a challenge to stretch our in-house capabilities, and they succeeded. One year of running something with so many possible uses and value, just on the power of the sun, is a major accomplishment.”

“Everything in it is commercially available right now,” said Port Authority facilities manager Bruce Boylan in describing the nuts and bolts of the system. He and project manager John Vermaaten are credited with development and improvements to the solar and Internet camera device. “We found a pretty economical way and, yes, hitting the mark of one year running only on sun is pretty extraordinary too.”

Going forward, the Port Authority is considering development of a low maintenance solar camera system that would be mounted on a trailer system and could be used by local governments and agencies in Licking County. The final product would be a mobile camera system useful for public events, safety, homeland security, and other uses.

New Standard Provides for Assessment of Potential for Vapor Intrusion into Structures

Vapor intrusion from contaminated soil and groundwater into structures can potentially create significant liability and have a material impact on property value. Because of this, accurately determining whether a property has vapor intrusion issues is a concern for property owners, prospective purchasers and environmental professionals conducting due diligence.

ASTM International Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment has now approved a new standard, E 2600, Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions, which will provide guidance for vapor intrusion testing. The standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E50.02 on Real Estate Assessment and Management.

Anthony J. Buonicore, chair of ASTM Task Group E50.02.06 on Vapor Intrusion, says E 2600 defines good commercial and customary practice for conducting a vapor intrusion assessment on a property parcel involved in real estate transactions.

“The specific intent was to establish a methodology to determine whether or not there is a reasonable probability that vapor intrusion could present an environmental risk and liability,” says Buonicore. For commercial real estate transactions, Buonicore notes that the vapor intrusion investigation, as defined by E 2600, could be used independently of, or as a supplement to, E 1527, Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.

The evaluation process, as described in E 2600, consists of four tiers. The first two screening tiers are used to assess the potential for a vapor intrusion issue to exist, so that properties with a low risk can be screened out quickly and inexpensively. The third tier provides for more site-specific and comprehensive investigations if the potential for vapor intrusion cannot reasonably be eliminated at the Tier 1/Tier 2 levels while Tier 4 addresses mitigation alternatives.

According to Buonicore, because timeliness may be more important than investigation or mitigation costs during real estate transactions, an E 2600 user does not need to proceed sequentially through the tiers in the standard.

“In most cases, however, it is expected that it would be more cost effective and sufficient time would be available in the real estate transaction to conduct at a minimum a Tier 1 screening evaluation and, if necessary, a Tier 2 screening evaluation before proceeding to a more costly and time-consuming Tier 3 investigation or to Tier 4 mitigation,” says Buonicore. He also notes that the process described in E 2600 is designed to complement existing federal and state vapor intrusion policies or guidance.

“ASTM was selected as the best venue to develop the standard because of ASTM’s internationally recognized consensus-based process that has been used so successfully over the years,” says Buonicore. “ASTM is able to bring together stakeholders representing all sides of an issue and work with them to achieve consensus.”

ASTM International standards can be purchased from customer service (phone: 610-832-9585).

WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Earth Day Goes to the Worms, So What?

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced winners of the 2008 national Professional Awards on April 15 in Washington, D.C. Culver City-based ah'bé landscape architects was selected for an Honor Award in Communications for the short film So What?, which chronicles the planning and implementation of an art installation composed of 2/3 ton of paper waste generated by the firm over a 12-week period.

The film, which was hailed by the professional awards jury as "an incredible message that speaks beautifully to designers and the public about an important issue, was produced by firm president Calvin Abe, FASLA, and created and directed in-house by Evan Mather, an award-winning filmmaker and landscape architect who has a unique insight into the design process and the core issues raised in ah'bé's recent series of art installations.

"The basic premise of the film, and indeed of the installation itself, is that the term 'sustainability' has been overused to the point of becoming meaningless, and that it is time to reflect on the true meaning of the word," says Abe. "The firm created towers of shredded paper that were exhibited at a local gallery space in the form of a reconstructed forest to create a provocative statement on the nature of sustainability. By manifesting the concept of sustainability in a uniquely entertaining fashion, the film seeks to educate viewers and spur them to action.

The film, which follows the project from start to finish, when the "trees" were fed to worms to create compost, forces viewers to confront the impact even small businesses have on the environment. As the narrator informs us, American companies produce enough paper every day to circle the globe.

According to Abe, the impact of the installations has been surprising: while many viewers were amazed or amused, most expressed a profound sadness at witnessing the quantity of paper generated by a small company in such a short period of time. "These installations are not only temporary 'gardens,' but awakenings."

Animal Planet Channel Forging Partnership With Zoos And Aquariums

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Animal Planet channel today kicks off a strategic partnership that will support wildlife conservation and connect Animal Planet viewers to up-close experiences at AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums.

"The connection between Animal Planet and great zoos and aquariums is a natural fit," said Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager, Animal Planet Media. "Both Animal Planet and the members of Association of Zoos and Aquariums are committed to great animal care and to the protection of wildlife."

More than 100 of the top zoos and aquariums across North America are throwing a Party for the Planet™, making it the largest combined Earth Day celebration in North America. Festivities will feature environmental education activities, amazing animal encounters, and fantastic family fun.

The John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago which held its "Party" events on April 20 and today, April 22, is also the site of The TFM Show Facility Tour today.

"Party for the Planet Earth Day events spotlight zoos and aquariums as the ideal place to connect with conservation in communities across North America," said AZA president and CEO Jim Maddy. "Animal Planet is a great partner for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums because we share the important mission of connecting people and animals."

The new three-year Proud Partner relationship will feature a number of key elements, including an on-air commitment by Animal Planet to highlight the conservation work of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums. Zoos and Aquariums will host interactive on-site technology using Animal Planet content to enhance the visitor experience. Animal Planet is the exclusive national media sponsor of Party for the Planet™.

About APM
Animal Planet Media (APM) is a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications. Via multiple platforms, APM offers the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

About AZA
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. With its more than 200 accredited members, the AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation.

Earth Day Coverage: Study Indicates Lack of Standards is Slowing Green Data Center Initiatives

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. is reporting results from a new study of green data center trends that show significant changes since 2007. The findings are based on a survey of senior decision makers at leading North American corporations who are directly responsible for data center strategy, planning, and technology. Digital Realty Trust conducted a similar study in 2007, one of the first in-depth analyses of green trends in the data center industry.

“When we conducted our first green data center study last year, respondents expressed concern about the lack of industry standards for green data centers. The impact of that concern is very evident in this year’s survey. Companies are looking for leadership and clarity on how to define a green data center, how to design their green data center plans, and how to put them into action,” said Jim Smith, vice president of engineering at Digital Realty Trust. “In the past, the question may have been how to convince companies of the value of green data centers. The good news is that is no longer a problem. Companies are convinced. The challenge is that the data center industry needs to step up and show the way with clear standards.”

Key findings from the research study are provided below:

• 51% of companies have a green data center strategy, a decline since the 2007 study when 55% of companies answered the question affirmatively. This indicates that corporate adoption of green data center strategies has stalled or perhaps taken a step back since last year.
• 82% of companies say there is no clear industry standard for green data centers. This figure is up from 75% in 2007, indicating that there is more ambiguity than clarity in the industry. One area where there was broad agreement was in what elements an industry standard should comprise. The top two responses were: 94% agreed that a standard should outline how to achieve efficient power usage (i.e. maximizing energy delivered to IT equipment by the facility); and 83% agreed that a standard should also outline how to enhance HVAC systems to use energy more efficiently. 
• In the absence of green data center standards, companies site LEED certification as the best alternative. More than 60% of companies look to LEED general building standards as a model for their green data center initiatives. The Green Grid was also cited as a resource for green data center initiatives, indicating that the consortium is gaining visibility and momentum in the industry.
• Of the companies that do have a green data center strategy, 82% are taking a holistic approach that encompasses not only servers and other datacenter hardware, but also facility design and data center operations. This is nearly identical to the 2007 metric (81%), indicating that companies understand the value of taking a comprehensive approach that maximizes energy efficiency by addressing not just the equipment in the data center, but the facility itself.
• Only 18% of companies are planning to include carbon credits in their green data center plans, down from a figure of 25% in 2007. This indicates that companies are focusing on directly reducing their data center energy consumption rather than displacing it through carbon credits solutions.

Digital Realty Trust is also publishing results from a Europe-focused study of green data center trends. The European survey shows that green data center initiatives currently have greater momentum in the U.K., Germany, France, the Netherlands and Ireland. For example, 60% of European companies have green data center plans, more than 70% plan to make green upgrades to existing facilities, and a significant portion have already begun requiring their data center vendors to have a green strategy that meets their standards. The European study does, however, find that companies in those countries see a similar lack of industry standards, an issue that could slow momentum as it appears to have done in North America.

Plan a Spring Garden Makeover Now for Big Summer Savings

Water costs continue to rise. However, smart landscape design and simple watering habits can significantly reduce utility bills. By planning now, facility managers can save hundreds of dollars and thousands of gallons of water this summer. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends the following steps for a water-saving garden makeover:

Start Early. Plan ahead so that all new plantings take place in the spring. It keeps you out of the summer heat and plants require much less water to get situated compared to the warmer months.

Go Native. When deciding what to install, consider native and drought resistant plants. They typically require less maintenance and little watering once established (sometimes none at all!).

Must Mulch. Use compost when planting and cover the area with mulch afterwards. Compost helps keep the water by the plant’s roots and mulch prevents evaporation. Make sure to leave some space around the base of each plant and resist creating mulch mounds around plants and trees.

Less Lawn. Consider replacing grass with an attractive groundcover which is drought resistant, covers a large area, and requires zero mowing.

Super Soak. Up to a third of all water from sprinklers can evaporate during the heat of the day. Instead, give your plants fewer, heavy soakings. If you must use sprinklers, only use them in the morning.

Grey is Good. Recapturing grey water or rainwater can provide a free source of garden irrigation. These systems can be easily installed and even incorporated into irrigation systems.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip irrigation systems water plants right at the root and serve as an efficient alternative to sprinkler systems. Be sure to get a timer for maximum effectiveness.

Studies Confirm Superior Sale, Rental, And Occupancy Rates for LEED, ENERGY STAR Buildings

Two recently released studies, one by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and one by CoStar Group, have validated what the green building community has known all along: third party certified buildings outperform their conventional counterparts across a wide variety of metrics, including energy savings, occupancy rates, sale price, and rental rates.

In the NBI study, the results indicate that new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25% to 30% better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use. The study also demonstrates that there is a correlation between increasing levels of LEED certification and increased energy savings. Gold and Platinum LEED certified buildings have average energy savings approaching 50%.

To download a PDF of the study, click this link:
NIBS.pdf

Energy savings under EPA's ENERGY STAR program are equally impressive: buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR label use an average of almost 40% less energy than average buildings, and emit 35% less carbon. But beyond the obvious implications of reduced energy use and reduced carbon emissions, the results from both studies strengthen the "business case" for green buildings as financially sound investments.

According to the CoStar study, LEED buildings command rent premiums of $11.24 per square foot over their non-LEED peers and have 3.8% higher occupancy. Rental rates in ENERGY STAR buildings represent a $2.38 per square foot premium over comparable non-ENERGY STAR buildings and have 3.6% higher occupancy. And, in a trend that could signal greater attention from institutional investors, ENERGY STAR buildings are selling for an average of $61 per square foot more than their peers, while LEED buildings command a remarkable $171 more per square foot.

The group analyzed more than 1,300 LEED Certified and ENERGY STAR buildings representing about 351 million square feet in CoStar’s commercial property database of roughly 44 billion square feet, and assessed those buildings against non-green properties with similar size, location, class, tenancy, and year-built characteristics to generate the results.

Safer Detergents To Be Recognized by EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) Program has announced the Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI). Through SDSI, the DfE Program will recognize environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of safer surfactants. These surfactants are defined by the program as those that break down quickly to non-polluting compounds and help protect aquatic life.

DfE will recognize businesses engaged in the production or use of surfactants, as well as those involved in the purchase or distribution of products containing surfactants. Others, including non-profit organizations, may qualify through actively encouraging the use of safer surfactants.

A fact sheet on the initiative and an application for recognition are available for download on DfE's web site at www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/formulat/sdsi.htm.

Applications must be submitted no later than May 30, 2008. Awards will be presented in late 2008 in Washington, DC.

Whatever your role, the awards can help to identify detergents that can be used to help to protect our natural environment.

Interested parties can contact David DiFiore at EPA by sending an e-mail to: difiore.david@epa.gov

CFOs See Financial Benefits in Adopting Environmental Sustainability Practices and Metrics

In the first in depth study of its kind, CFOs and other senior finance executives overwhelmingly report that environmental sustainability is an increasingly important issue for their companies, and that a range of significant financial benefits are achievable for companies that can implement strategies that truly reduce their impact on the environment.

Conducted by CFO Research in collaboration with leading global commercial real estate and money management firm Jones Lang LaSalle, the study surveyed 175 corporate CFOs and senior finance executives.

Among the key findings of the report:

• More than half of finance executives believe their companies are “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to increase revenue, reduce operating costs, improve investor returns and shareholder value, and improve employee retention through sustainability. The most often cited benefits were reduced risk (“very” or “somewhat” likely to produce benefits at 78% of companies), enhanced brand and reputation (77%), customer retention (72%), and improved employee health and productivity (68%).
• The highest priority objectives in corporate sustainability are regulatory compliance (ranked as a high priority for 61% and a mid-level priority for 26% of respondents), improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (a high priority for 47%, mid-level for 32%), and reducing the environmental impact of operations (45% and 32%).
• The greatest barriers to incorporating sustainability into financial strategy include the inability to measure the effects of sustainability on shareholder value (ranked among the top three challenges by 46% of respondents), inability to document the effects on financial performance (37%), and a lack of standard decision-making frameworks that consider environmental factors (36%). The least significant challenge was organization resistance, ranked among the top three barriers by just 20% of respondents.

Although most finance executives acknowledged that their own role in driving sustainability was limited, the survey results point to a tremendous opportunity for CFOs to guide their companies to sustainable strategies that bring financial success, according to Lauralee Martin, global chief operating and financial officer at Jones Lang LaSalle.

“Most CFOs believe sustainability can lead to cost savings, increased revenues, greater customer retention and a competitive advantage, so clearly this is an opportunity that can not be ignored,” Martin said. “The question each of us should ask is whether we are taking an aggressive enough position, given the rapidly approaching tipping point of this issue.”

Results of the study are detailed in “The Role of Finance in Environmental Sustainability Efforts.” To download a PDF of the study, click here.
CFO%20-%20JLL%20Sustainability%20Report%20.pdf

California Group Receives $20,000 Grant To Combat Waste

StopWaste.Org in Alameda County, CA has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help expand its “Use Reusables” campaign beyond the County borders and into selected partner communities throughout the Bay Area in California. StopWaste.Org is the Alameda County Waste Management Authority and the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board operating as one public agency.

The Use Reusables campaign is focused on educating and aiding businesses in obtaining the resources they need to adopt reusable transport packaging and reduce their impact on the waste stream. StopWaste.org was awarded the $20,000 in the competitive program that funds innovative projects that address solid waste reduction and management.

To read about what some suppliers are doing to minimize transport packaging, see, "Reducing Waste, Coming And Going," which appeared in the February 2008 issue of TFM.

“We’re very excited about being able to take our program to the next level,” says Justin Lehrer, program manager for the Use Reusables campaign. “Businesses generate thousands of tons of waste each year in Alameda County alone, so extending beyond county borders and educating entire supply chains on the financial and environmental benefits of reusables is an incredible opportunity.”

In the coming weeks StopWaste.Org will be working with EPA staff to develop a workplan and relationships with partner jurisdictions who are interested in joining the campaign.

StopWaste’s Business Assistance program launched the Use Reusables campaign as a culmination of several years of nationwide research and development on the most beneficial, enduring and replicable practices for commercial waste prevention. Over 60 waste prevention practices were identified, and reusable transport packaging surfaced as the most promising group of practices for preventing waste. Reusable transport packaging replaces one-time (and limited-use) pallets and boxes with reusable totes, bins, and pallets.

The campaign was developed in partnership with the Reusable Pallet and Container Coalition (RPCC), a non-profit trade association representing manufacturers, distributors, and others in the reusable transport packaging industry.

New Site Offers Higher Ed FMs Information On Environmental Compliance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a new Web-based compliance assistance center for colleges and universities. The site aims to provide comprehensive environmental compliance assistance and pollution prevention information. The Campus Environmental Resource Center was developed by the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officials with support and funding from EPA.

The Web site was designed to make it easier for school officials to learn about applicable environmental regulations and ensure a safe and sustainable environment for their students, faculty, and staff. The online center provides information on topics including waste management, air and water resources, drinking water, and public safety.

Users can find out what types of campus activities are regulated by EPA, see how best to comply with environmental regulations, query federal enforcement and compliance data, learn how to apply for federal grants, and e-mail comments to EPA on regulations under development.

Facility professionals not in higher education may find EPA's 15 other Web-based compliance assistance centers useful. These centers address agriculture, auto repair, automotive recycling, chemicals, construction, federal facilities, health care, local government, metal finishing, paints and coatings, printed wiring board, printing, transportation, tribal, and U.S. borders.

All compliance assistance centers, including for colleges and universities, can be accessed at: www.epa.gov/compliance/assistance/centers/index.html

For Those Who Take Green Travel Seriously

RezHub.com has launched a green travel search that incorporates Green Score ratings and information in every hotel search. Travelers now have a quick and easy way to learn about environmentally friendly lodging options without having to spend extra time researching and reserving their trips at multiple Web sites.

Hotels who have earned a RezHub.com Green Score now appear in all search results highlighted in green along with their Green Score rating and information about the steps they are taking for the planet. Green Scored hotels are also highlighted in map view results as a green arrow to make travel planning exceptionally simple (standard hotels appear as a blue arrow).

As a part of their mission to bring green travel to everyone and for every trip, RezHub donates 20% of the proceeds from every trip booked at their Green Travel Hub to a customer chosen, environmental non-profit group. They make that donation whether the travel booked is standard travel or travel that is actually labeled green.

The site offers bookings with eco friendly hotels in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Germany and the UK. The list of Green Scored hotels grows daily and continues to spread worldwide.

How do hotels earn a RezHub Green Score? RezHub came up with a list of Green Amenities or steps that a hotel can take to help protect the planet. They give each Green Amenity a points value of 1, 2, or 3 (an amenity with 3 points takes a lot more effort for a hotel to achieve than an amenity with 1 point). Next, they add up the points for each hotel and give them a Green Score. Each hotel is awarded one Green Branch for each score level they achieve.

Hotels need to show that they are participating in or incorporating at least one of the Green Amenities to get started in the program. Some examples of green amenities are: Participation in an Energy Conservation Program, Donating to Non-Profits, Serving Organic Food, Using Compact Fluorescent Lighting, and the list goes on.