Canadian Environment Week (June 3-9, 2007)

"Believe it. The actions YOU take make all the difference."

• Commuter Challenge (June 3-9)
• Clean Air Day (June 6)
• World Oceans Day (June 8)

World Environment Day - June 5, 2007

"...is one of the principal vehicles through which the United
Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political
attention and action.

The World Environment Day slogan selected for 2007 is Melting
Ice – a Hot Topic? In support of International Polar Year, the WED theme
selected for 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar
ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the
world."

77 Ways to Celebrate - http://www.unep.org/wed/2007/english/Information_Material/Alphabet.asp

Foster + Partners Winery - Ribera del Duero, Spain

"The building is partially buried in the landscape, hiding itself around the natural topography of the site. That design choice allows, for instance, for the grapes to be poured straight down into the beginning of the wine production process. The different volumes of the building relate to the specific stages of wine making, with the areas that are sunken into the ground providing the best conditions for the fermentation process.

...diminish the impact on the environment... partial burial of the building thermal combined with a green roof on top to control the temperature, and photovoltaics on the roof seal the deal."

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/05/29/foster-partners-spanish-winery/

GM 1st LEED-Gold for Auto Manufacturing Facility

"August 3, 2006) — General Motors’ new Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant has received a gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The building is the only automotive manufacturing plant in the world – as well as the largest facility and the most complex manufacturing site -- to ever receive any level of LEED certification.

Over the first ten years of operations, the facility is expected to save over 40 million gallons of water and 30 million kwh of electricity.

Rainwater from the 1.5 million square foot is collected in cisterns above rest rooms and is used to flush toilets at the new GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant."

Source: http://www.acppubs.com/article/CA6447615.html

Green Building Exchange - Redwood City, CA

"Green Building Exchange provides the information and contacts necessary for the public or business professionals to realize any green building project, from initial design to completed structure. The public benefits by having a large choice of qualified vendors in one locale. Ease of selecting appropriate materials, services and qualified professionals for your buildingproject ultimately translates into reduced time and project costs."

Lots of interesting information.

Solar Living Institute - Hopland, CA

"The Solar Living Center (SLC) began as a shared vision among the workers of Real Goods Trading Corporation and company founder and President John Schaeffer. It was a vision of a permaculture oasis where the company could demonstrate the culture and technology of solar living.

The Center’s beautiful main showroom was designed by architect Sim Van der Ryn of Sausalito, California."

Another place to learn how to live and build green AND a building following their prinicpals. Can't wait to go someday!

Green Building Institute - Jessup, Maryland

Another place to learn how to build green. If you go to one of their classes, let me know how it was.

Sustainable Building Sourcebook

Lots of great information... for FREE...
but geared to the Austin, Texas climate and lists their regulations so will need to think before you blindly follow if you are designing elsewhere. Topic organization is a little strange too to me but since it's free I won't complain.

Everdale screening - "Escape from Suburbia" documentary

The next film after "End of Suburbia"... a must see and think film.

A fundraising Event being held for Everdale Organic Farm and Environmental Learning Centre.
$8.00 admission at the door.

1. Tuesday, June 12, 7 pm - 9 pm at the Erin Cinema, Centre 2000
   
2. Thursday June 14, 7 pm - 9 pm at the University of Guelph- Vet College, Rm 1714
   Map & Directions: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/directions.shtm
   

http://escapefromsuburbia.com/

Canada's First LEED Certified Library (Silver)

Surrey, BC
January 2004
(and I only found out about it now...)

Toronto's CNE Hydrogen Village

I don't usually go to the EX but I guess I will be this year!

More information:

• http://keetsa.com/blog/eco-friendly/torontos-hydrogen-village-at-the-ex/
• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070526.wxhydrogenvillage26/BNStory/Front
  

Nader Khalili's Eco-homes

Cool!!!!

At the CalEarth Institute, students discover how to build homes which are literally dirt cheap (around $3200 for the design) and some of which are powerful enough to withstand an earthquake. The total cost of one of the larger, more elaborate homes — which can be built and completed by three people within the space of a week — is around $90 000.

Source: http://cooltech.iafrica.com/features/900389.htm

Vote for Your Seven Wonders of Canada

http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/index.html

Cornwall, Ontario - First Green/Sustainable Facility

Local News - Friday, May 25, 2007
by Elisabeth Johns

Ron Chenier joined with Chris Markell (LEED accredited builder), of Bourgon and Associates, to develop Place Dominion Place Inc., a nearly 54,000 square-foot, four-storey building that will incorporate initiatives like: wood from sustainable forests, low flow toilets and in-door bike racks for commuters, complete with change rooms and showers.

The cost for the state-of-the-art building is an estimated $5 million, which will account for a number of green building supplies that will cost more initially, but reduce energy costs, Chenier said. They hope to attain a silver rating for Dominion Place, Markell said.

ABC News - What 2100 Might Look Like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XClNHfmFDog
Dr. James E. Hansen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen

"The Heat is On" (U.S.A. Waking Up)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQNwh4nLxws
http://www.heatison.org/content/index

2007 AIA Convention Emphasizes Building Green

Convention and Design Exposition concluded with a keynote presentation by former Vice President Al Gore on the importance of architects taking all necessary steps to help curb climate change. Dr. David Suzuki, environmentalist and author also addressed the convention about steps people can take to help lead a more sustainable lifestyle with less negative impact on nature.

AIA 2007 National Convention and Design Expo

In five years, all buildings -- new and existing -- will be green

May 23, 2007
by Randyl Drummer

"The takeaway from the (Chicago 2007) ULI conference was that we’re at a tipping point," Lord said. "In five years, all buildings -- new and existing -- will be green. Unlike new construction, the greening of existing buildings has to be implemented by the building property management team. New green buildings are about design and construction. Existing green buildings are about operations."

The average building certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program uses 32% less electricity, 26% less natural gas and 36% less total energy. LEED-certified buildings in the U.S. are reducing CO2 emissions by 150,000 metric tons each year -- equal to taking 30,000 passenger cars off the road. Yet the vast majority of the 715 buildings and tenant spaces certified under the LEED program in the U.S. are new construction. Only about 50 are existing buildings.

Source: http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=59F5177C83639C28FF1697AF358BE671

NASA Earth Observatory - Potential Effects of Global Warming

Very interesting section to the NASA Earth Observatory site (ie not a politician or celebrity or even unknown with an ax to grind) with all the famous graphs and global images used elsewhere. This is one of several chapters presented.

The most obvious impact of global warming will be changes in both average and extreme temperature and precipitation, but warming will also enhance coastal erosion, lengthen the growing season, melt ice caps and glaciers, and alter the range of some infectious diseases, among other things...

Also see their section:
Predicting Future Warming (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/GlobalWarmingUpdate/global_warming_update5.html)

The 11th Hour (documentary)

http://www.11thhourfilm.com/

2007 feature film documentary created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprionatural environment. Directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners. Financed by Adam Lewis, Pierre André Senizergues and Doyle Brunson. Distributed by Warner Independent Pictures. World premiere at the 60th Annual Cannes Film Festival.

To be released Fall of 2007.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Hour_(documentary)

Al Gore - Role of Government in Changing Business Practice

Severn Suzuki @ Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro (1992)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAedbD2pIwY

Doors Open Toronto (May 26/27, 2007) - The Green List

Free admission to all sites. Some only Saturday, some only Sunday, and some have photograph restrictions (wow) so check before you go.

From the 150 buildings participating, here's a list of all those showcasing green/sustainable design ideas or principles:

• Beach Solar Laundromat
• Bloorview Kids Rehab
• Cecelia Murphy Building
• Design Exchange
• Eco-suite at Tridel's Element Condominium
• HOK
• Horse Palace: Green Roof
• Levitt Goodman House
• Mountain Equipment Co-op
• Ravina Project
• Robertson Building
• SAS Building
• St. Gabriel's Passionist Parish
• Thomas L. Wells Public School
• University of Guelph-Humber
• University of Toronto: BCIT
• University of Toronto: Multi-faith Centre - Koffler Institute
• Zeidler Partnership Architects Building

Maybe I'll see you at one or two! Can't wait.

Off-grid Oregon community (USA)

Behind the manned gate of the Three Rivers Recreation Area lie 4,000 acres of property and 450 homes, but not a single phone or power line.

Residents in this subdivision of full- and part-time homeowners are entirely off the electrical and telephone grid, proud of it and wanting it to stay that way. They rely on solar power to provide houses with electricity.

Most people in the neighborhood have the same kinds of appliances and devices that people in an urban area would have.

Source: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12796

Green Daycare (UK)

Meanwhile Gardens by Constructive Individuals

• green roof
• timber surfaces
• south window and skylights
• super insulated walls and roof of cellulose fibre insulation
• rain and grey water recycling system to run the toilets

Suffolk, The eco-house (UK)

Clinton Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program

Wow! Look what you can do when you're no longer in office. Have I mentioned how much I like this Clinton fellow...

Toronto is among 15 cities (Bangkok, Berlin, Chicago, Houston, Johannesburg, Karachi, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, New York, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo) that will be cutting carbon emissions through a project spearheaded and funded by former U.S. president Bill Clinton's foundation.
"The big difference in Toronto comes from the fact that our biggest single contributor of the greenhouse gases is heating and cooling our old buildings. It's about 60 % of Toronto's contribution." Miller told CTV

Source: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20070516/clinton_green_070516/20070516/?hub=TorontoHome

Clinton's Foundation:

75%

of emissions come from cities

50%

of cities’ emissions are generated by buildings

40

global cities partnering with CCI to fight climate change

Strawbale Mobile Home

What a lovely idea and given the popularity of the 'modular' home trend... timely.

First mobile home in the world (in East Yorkshire, England) made from straw. A cosy, one bedroom straw cabin with renewable electricity, solar hot water and a host of environmentally friendly features.

ecoAUTO Rebate Program and Car list

OK... not a building product but most of us drive and it's money back!!!...

As part of the Government of Canada’s plan to protect the environment, the ecoAUTO Rebate Program encourages Canadians to buy fuel-efficient vehicles. How? It offers rebates from $1000 to $2000, to people who, beginning March 20, 2007, buy or enter a long-term lease (12 months or more) for a fuel-efficient vehicle.

Source: http://www.ec.gc.ca/EnviroZine/english/issues/72/any_questions_e.cfm?Issues=May2007

1st Zero-carbon and Zero-waste City

How cool is this (although the picture makes it look rather dank and dingy)! And when can I move to one in Canada? lol

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/05/09/norman-fosters-green-desert-utopia-in-dubai/

World Sustainable Building (SB) Conference 2008

World Sustainable Building (SB) Conference series, which is held every 3 years, is the peak gathering of the world’s leading technical experts and researchers on sustainable built environments.

September 21 - 25, 2008
Melbourne, Australia

The event provides the opportunity for the world’s leading technical experts and researchers to advance their knowledge by focusing on technical developments and case studies; 17 countries showcased projects to over 1,800 delegates at the 2005 conference (Tokyo, Japan)

Source: http://www.cmhc.ca/en/inpr/enews/enews_001.cfm

Canadian Solar Buildings Conference

32^nd Annual Conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada is held jointly with the 2^nd Conference of the newly formed Solar Buildings Research Network that brings together top researchers from 10 Canadian Universities to develop the solar-optimized building of the 21^st century.

June 10 – June 14 , 2007
Calgary TELUS Convention Centre

Source: http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/evca/evca_002.cfm?event=561&fr=1176490091656

CDN Architect

Measures of Sustainability site:

• Embodied Energy
• Operating Energy
• Exergy
• Durability
• Externalities
• Ecological Footprint
• Eco-Labeling
• Life Cycle Assessment

Greener Carpeting Choices

Carpeting is not a very 'green' thing to do not just because of the air quality issued caused by off-gassing but also for it's high embodied energy and the garbage created when thrown out. But... if you really have to use carpeting:

• Tandus - recycled content
  
• Shaw - EcoWorx backing
  
• Interface - Cool Carpet (offsets ghg emissions)
  
• Milliken (harvets local landfill methane for energy)
  
• Mohawk - Encycle (polyvinylchloride free)
  

Source: Eco-structure Magazine MARCH / APRIL 2007 issue - Correspondence

Ray Anderson (CEO of Interface) on Sustainability from YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcRDUIbT4gw

Zero Carbon House in Scotland

The Zero Carbon House is a low energy demonstration project to show how renewable energy can create a unique living experience on a remote island in a severe climate. A holistic approach has been taken to eliminating household carbon emissions that would normally result from heating and powering the home, running the family car and growing and transporting food.

Source: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/zero_carbon_hou.php

The IPCC report: Fighting climate change

IPCC released its third of four reports Friday May 4th. This one recommends how the world can fight climate change. This can happen, they say, but the following measures must be adopted, among others:
Source: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070501/ipcc_part3_070501/20070502/

See more at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/v/8UrOV_gi7vI

2006/7 EcoSchools Guide

EcoSchools is a (Toronto District School Board) school greening program with a very broad scope. It addresses what is taught, how we run our schools and how we design and use our schools grounds. Its central focus is supporting students and staff in caring for and protecting the environment where they spend so many hours every week. EcoSchools asks us to examine the decisions we make in our schools, inside and out — from modifying practices in our classrooms, offices, and boiler rooms to designing the school ground as a place for healthy, enriched learning.

Source: Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative http://www.trec.on.ca/

Eco-Friendly Middle School - LEED platinum certification

by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., recently opened its new sustainable middle school and is seeking to earn LEED® Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The three-level, U-shaped, 70,000-square-foot school renovates an existing middle school and merges it with a new wing, forming one green-designed structure. Sustainable materials are implemented throughout the exterior and interior. An open courtyard defines the building structure by integrating the campus with the local landscape. Philadelphia-based KieranTimberlake Associates worked with Sidwell to incorporate the school’s Quaker philosophy—to be stewards of the Earth—into the green design. The new school and its campus will also serve as a sustainable education tool for students.

Source: http://www.aia.org/aiarchitect/thisweek06/1027/1027d_pw_sidwell.cfm

Argington Modern Children's Furniture

Sustainable Design
Thoughtful and intelligent design is essential for sustainability. Our furniture is designed with longevity and reusability as an essential criterion. We offer adjustable seating that grows with your child, table tops that are reusable and also are adjustable, cribs that convert to toddler beds, space saving trundle beds, and storage solutions that are multifunctional and adaptable to a myriad of styles and conditions. We create designs that are crafted to be timeless and can easily be passed from one child to the next.

Source: http://www.savvymom.ca/index.php/newsletter/tor_available_now/

Great but wouldn't it be even better if the furniture was made of FSC and formaldyde free wood...

How Colleges can be Forefront of Green Movement

May 1, 2007
Elia Powers

In “Degrees That Matter: Climate Change and the University,” (MIT Press) Ann Rappaport and Sarah Hammond Creighton, both leaders of Tufts University’s Climate Initiative. The co-authors responded to questions from Inside Higher Ed about their latest project.

Q: How can you best tell if a college’s environmental promise has teeth or is just empty rhetoric?

A: We are concerned that individual high-visibility projects can be confused with a comprehensive climate action effort. We suggest a set of activities that are the basis for a credible effort. These include:

• The campus master plan includes sustainability.
• Energy management systems are in place.
• Funding for energy efficiency is provided.
• Standards are in place for new construction.
• No old lighting technology is on campus (no incandescent or T-12 lamps).
• A recycling program is in place.
• The curriculum includes robust discussion of climate change and energy.
• A program to address single-occupancy vehicle use is in place and automobile alternatives are developed and implemented.
• A baseline inventory of the institution’s greenhouse gas emissions is conducted and published. The inventory needs to be updated periodically to show progress toward an established goal. A program that’s transparent and effective will provide the numbers that document progress, not just the anecdotes.

Source: http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/05/01/climate

Kinark Sustainable Living Centre

Minden, Ontario, Canada

"Our vision is a world in which there are many opportunities to learn about sustainable development. A world where a skilled population makes informed decisions in their home, community and working lives and in their leisure activities. A world where people understand and take responsibility for the impact they have on the quality of life of other people, locally and globally."

Dubai - DIFC Lighthouse Tower

66-story office tower nicknamed ‘The Lighthouse.’ Conceptualized by Atkins Middle East, The Lighthouse strives to make low carbon commercial towers a reality in Dubai by reducing the total energy consumption up to 65% and water consumption up to 40%. The height and shape of The Lighthouse play pivotal roles in its goals for low energy consumption, allowing for the instillation of three enormous 225 KV wind turbines (29 meters in diameters), and 4,000 photovoltaic panels on the south facing façade.

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/05/01/the-lighthouse-dubais-1st-low-carbon-commercial-tower/

Arctic Ice Retreating 30 Years Ahead of Projections

The study, "Arctic Sea Ice Decline: Faster Than Forecast?" will appear Tuesday in the online edition of "Geophysical Research Letters." It was led by Julienne Stroeve of the National Snow and Ice Data Center and funded by the National Science Foundation and by NASA.

September marks the yearly minimum of sea ice in the Arctic. Newly available data sets, blending early aircraft and ship reports with more recent satellite measurements that are considered more reliable than the earlier records, show that the September ice actually declined at a rate of about 7.8 % per decade during the 1953-2006 period. The fastest rate of September retreat in any individual model was 5.4 % per decade.