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Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Using large volumes of water increases maintenance and life-cycle costs for building operations and increases consumer costs for additional municipal supply and treatment facilities. Utility savings, though dependent on local water costs, can save thousands of dollars per year, resulting in rapid payback on water conservation infrastructure. [Source: GreenerBuildings.com]
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A reflective roof system reduces both the building's internal heat loads and its contribution to the urban heat-island effect. [Source: GreenerBuildings.com]
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To create a more intimate educational environment, two smaller schools have been designed, each located in a 300-student wing joined by a gallery bridge. [Source: GreenerBuildings.com]
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One of Manhattan's great family-owned commercial development firm is greening the city's skyline, making environmentally intelligent building strategies a competitive requirement. [Source: GreenerBuildings.com]
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Green Communities is a five-year, $550 million initiative developed through a partnership between the Enterprise Foundation/Enterprise Social Investment Corporation and the Natural Resources Defense Council to ensure smarter, healthier homes for Americans with limited incomes. The goal of the Initiative is to transform the way communities think about, design, and build affordable homes. The Initiative will provide financing, grants, and technical assistance to developers to build more than 8,500 rental and for-sale homes that promote health, conserve energy and natural resources, and enhance access to jobs, schools and services. The Initiative offers grants to help cover the costs of planning and implementing green components of affordable housing projects, as well as tracking their costs and benefits. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
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The Temper of The Times Foundation promotes the use of standard marketing concepts to increase environmental awareness. Recognizing that organizations working to protect the environment in general have limited access to paid media, the Foundation provides funds to underwrite advertising designed to promote the conservation and restoration of native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems in the United States. Grants may be used to fund the production of print, radio, or television ads, to pay for advertising space or airtime, or to produce or distribute pamphlets, books, videos, or press packets. The application deadline is October 15, annually.
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British study finds childhood cancers linked to air pollution in early life. Low levels of airborne particulate matter increased the likelihood of hospitalization for respiratory infections, according to Toronto study. University of Cincinnati study finds 'stop and go' traffic increases infant wheezing. [Source: Environmental Protection E-News]
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Health care facilities play a critical role in treating illness, but some contend they may be contributing to human and ecological illness in the process. Jessica Boehland of Environmental Building News explains in an article published in June, but only recently made available to nonsubscribers. By jessica@buildinggreen.com. [SEJ: Environmental Journalism Today]
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A provision in the federal transportation bill has cleared the way for California hybrid owners to use the carpool lane. But only the most efficient hybrids -- three models, none of which are American made -- will qualify. [NPR Topics: Environment]
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Debra Lynn Dadd stopped using chemical household cleaning products, and as soon as she made the switch, her symptoms disappeared. [Environmental Health News]
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Via the Society of Environmental Journalists:
The number of people in the US who are allergic to some common substances has risen dramatically in recent years, according to a federal study published in the August 2005 Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The findings have raised a red flag for many people, including environmental health officials.
Allergies are a serious health concern. Severe allergic reactions can be disabling and, in rare instances, fatal. Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the US, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology.Chronic disease affects more than 90 million Americans, according to the CDC.
The recently published study found that more than 54% of the population is allergic to at least one of just 10 tested plant and animal substances (such as dust mites, cockroaches, white oak, and peanuts). The median number of substances to which any one individual was allergic was three. Simply testing as allergic doesn't mean that an individual always has blatant symptoms.
The latest results were based on data from 1988-1994, and were anywhere from 2.1 to 5.5 times higher than in the previous study, based on 1976-1980 data. However, the researchers caution that the techniques and substances aren't always directly comparable between the two studies. The next round, covering 2005-2006, will include more data on indoor allergens, asthma, and other allergic diseases.
Although the links between environmental sources and the sharp jump in allergies in the US and around the world in the past few decades are not fully understood, many studies suggest substantial connections. To touch on just a few of these, check out:
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The New York Public Interest Group has a new consumer guide on how to power your home -- without polluting the environment. By By Donna Jackel. [Stateline.org RSS - Energy]
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Michael Burnham of Sustainable Industries Journal examines Seattle's vision for a high-density downtown, considered by some to be a first in the nation in terms of "green" standards. He also explains why Seattle is looking to the Canadian city of Vancouver for guidance, 8/16/05. By mike@celilo.net. [SEJ: Environmental Journalism Today]
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A thigh-high pile of dirt loaded with arsenic and lead sits in a back yard in Washington state. It's been there since workers dug up the yard to clean up smelter contamination. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Robert McClure reports it's the kind of thing Americans are increasingly likely to see unless the EPA does a better job of ensuring that companies have the money to clean up if they go bankrupt. 8/18/05. [SEJ: Environmental Journalism Today]
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The world could run out of time to develop cleaner alternatives to oil and other fossil fuels before depletion drives prices through the roof, contends a leading Dutch energy researcher. Details from Reuters reporter Anna Mudeva, 8/18/05. [SEJ: Environmental Journalism Today]
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Energy--United States--Statistics Source: EIA Just Released, Annual Energy Review 2004 "The Annual Energy Review 2004 records U.S. energy history from 1949-2004 in data tables and figures. All major forms of energy (fossil fuels, nuclear electricity, and renewable energy) and total energy by activity (e.g., production, consumption, trade, stocks, and prices) are covered. Also included are financial indicators related to energy; international energy; environmental indicators; and data unit conversions. Key long-term trends are graphically illustrated in a special section called 'Energy Perspectives.'" [ ResourceShelf]
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Via sustainablog:
Now, there's a phrase that brings some ugly pictures to mind, but in this case, it's a good thing. From GreenBiz via Earth Vision, a report on Vancouver, WA-based The Holland, Inc. (owner of Burgerville and Noodlin' fast-food restaurants) and its commitment
to provide 100% of its electricity needs, both at its chain stores and also at its corporate headquarters in Vancouver. The adoption of wind power for the company's Burgerville restaurants represents the largest national implementation of renewable wind power within a quick-service restaurant chain. Apparently, this is not the first action The Holland has taken in the direction of creating more sustainable fast food:
"Our approach to running a successful restaurant is based on putting guests, employees and communities first," said Jeff Harvey, chief operating officer, The Holland, Inc. "From the innovation of our food concepts, to the use of fresh and sustainable local ingredients, and now with the selection of wind power for our restaurants and offices, we remain committed to business practices that benefit our guests and enhance the communities we live in." Seems like a logical next step for this company (and other fast-food companies) might be converting their used cooking oil to biodiesel. With as much frying as they do, this could be a profitable sideline.[sustainablog]
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Conservation--Planning
Source: Yale University, Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry
Protecting Biodiversity: A Guide to Criteria Used by Global Conservation Organizations (PDF; 1.85 MB)
"A new study provides a comprehensive examination of the scientific criteria used by conservation organizations in setting global forest conservation priorities. The study, Protecting Biodiversity: A Guide to Criteria Used by Global Conservation Organizations was designed to explore the major approaches to conservation planning at a global scale and compare them across a range of variables, including scale, targets, criteria, and implementation." [ResourceShelf's DocuTicker]
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Greenpeace International released a report Wednesday documenting extraordinarily high levels of toxic contamination at electronic waste recycling centers in southern China and in the New Delhi suburbs. [Environmental Health News]
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WEEE: Wishing Won't Make It So. My colleagues Pam Gordon, Michael Kirschner and I have been writing and advising clients for several years about the European Union's upcoming electronic products directives, WEEE and RoHS. Well, WEEE has up and come, and we've written an OpEd commentary in today's Wall Street Journal 'Business Europe' column: Wishing Won't Make It So It begins:
The 'train wreck' facing the electronics industry this week -- owing to many companies' failure to keep up with increasing global requirements for environmental performance -- was completely avoidable. It raises concerns about the level of fiduciary duty exercised by business leaders who should have done a better job of seeing it coming, and of preventing it. And concludes:
Sadly, this train wreck was not only both foreseeable and avoidable -- and perhaps avoidable at a profit -- it is not unique to the electronics industry. The electronics industry is just one example of an industry failing to keep up with increasing environmental-protection requirements; there are other potential train wrecks on the landscape as governments push inexorably to combat other perceived crises such as climate change. The challenge to senior executives and boards is to steer away from the collision course with a set of global trends that many have evaluated incorrectly. You can read the connecting logic in the full article for the next seven days (at which point I think DowJones will charge you for it). And you can talk with us any time about regulatory insulation and the business strategies that can provide it. [Gil Friend]
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© Copyright
2005
Laura L. Barnes.
Last update:
10/25/2005; 12:11:33 PM.
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