"LED City" program - Raleigh & Toronto

"Canada's largest metropolitan area has joined Raleigh, NC in fostering a city-wide program to use and evaluate LED lighting. [LEDCity] initiative fosters collaboration among municipalities as they deploy energy-efficient lighting to deliver cost savings and environmental benefits. LEDs appearing throughout parks, parking garages and in architectural lighting over the coming months. Toronto already hosts a number of high profile LED installations, including LED streetlights at Exhibition Place, the Harbinger color-changing installation, and of course the CN Tower (CN Tower ... LED lighting... is designed to use 60% less energy than the Tower's lighting did in the 1990s). LEDs provide an energy-efficient, mercury- free solution helping to preserve the environment, while delivering more- flexible and longer-lasting lighting than traditional
lighting technologies."

Source: http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/4/7/9

WIRED Living Home (CA)

• Living Homes with WIRED Magazine
  
• Architect: Ray Kappe
• Cost: $4 million modernist home in Los Angeles
• Size: 4,000 sq ft
• Features: LEED® Gold rating, passive heating and cooling, solar power, automated theatre, temperature, and lighting...
  
• Open later this year for public tours
• For the family that wants all the toys but wants to be as green as they can about it (perfect for my friend DW... if they could just make one half the size at an affordable price!)
  

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/07/06/prefab-friday-wired-living-home/#more-4903

Live Earth Concert 07/07/07

"Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.
Live Earth concerts will be broadcast to a live worldwide audience by MSN at www.LiveEarth.MSN.com."
Showing on Bravo starting at 9am

Gaia Napa Valley Hotel (CA)

"World's First and Only" - Gold LEED Certified- Hotel
Also... you'll find a copy of Al Gore's book, "An Inconvenient Truth", in each of the rooms for your reading pleasure."

See features at: http://www.gaianapavalleyhotel.com/html/green-lodging.asp#americancanyon-ca-feature

Google Campus - Solar panels

"It’s a good time to be green, and Google is leading the way. Last year, the search giant Google announced that their installation of the solar panels on their campus, which are expected to provide around 1,600 kw/h. And keeping with their green commitment, they recently launched the Google solar panel project webpage which will help anyone track how much power their solar panels are generating. And now, their newest green initiatives include everything from plug-in hybrids and car-powered homes to carbon neutrality. And to top it off, Google has just announced that it expects to become carbon neutral by 2007. They will do this via a mixture of energy consumption reduction, carbon offsets, and use of renewable resources. They will also be submitting themselves to an independent audit to make sure that they meet this goal every year."

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

June 14, 2007
The leaders of 284 colleges and universities from around the country (45 states and represent about 15 % of US higher education institutions) officially unveiled this week the The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, a pact that urges educational institutions to eliminate their greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Begin development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality ASAP;
2. implement 2 or more actions from a list of ways to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed;
3. make action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Mitch Tomashow, president of Unity College in Maine, ...signing the commitment was a "no-brainer," but ...the sub-section of the commitment that requires making climate change and sustainability part of the curriculum for all students posed an entirely different challenge. Tomashow said. "Moving the curriculum so that every engineering student, every medical student, takes these types of classes -- that's a much bigger challenge, but that ultimately will need to happen."

Bank of America's new headquarters - One Bryant Park

Interview by:
Matthew Wheeland
"will be the first LEED Platinum skyscraper in the country, and it's been called the world's "most sustainable skyscraper." The project's architects, Cook+Fox, have incorporated the most cutting-edge green technologies:

• 2.2 million square feet
  
• cost of water has gone up 40 % since we started the project
• waterless urinals will save 3 million gallons of potable water a year
• collecting rainwater ...to reuse ...for landscaping and washing the sidewalks, but we're really using it for flushing the toilets and for the cooling tower
• the cost of energy is not going to go down
• 5.1 megawatt cogen plant ...use that energy to make ice at night... melting ice in the middle of the day... less energy to create the air conditioning"

4000 LEED Student Residence beds (CA)

"American Campus Communities Inc., an owner, developer and manager of student housing, has been selected by the University of California, Irvine (UCI) to begin the planning process for the development of up to 4,000 on-campus beds...(using) LEED silver or higher certified rating."

Greensulate - Mushroom Insulation

Source: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/05/11/insulation_tec.html?category=technology

"An engineer with an agricultural background recently developed a new kind of "eco-friendly" building insulation using mushroom spores. The "Greensulate formula [is] an organic, fire-retardant board made of water, flour, oyster mushroom spores and perlite, a mineral blend found in potting soil...A 1-inch-thick sample of the perlite-mushroom composite had a 2.9 R-value, the measure of a substance's ability to resist heat flow. Commercially produced fiberglass insulation typically has an R-value between 2.7 and 3.7 per inch of thickness." Clearly this is a way to avoid carcinogenic materials and petrochemicals in the walls of our homes and offices, and it also demonstrates the extent of what's possible when we innovate across disciplines."

Source: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/006892.html

"Bringing the insulation to market is still at least a year away though, said McIntyre, and will require much more research and work, not to mention more sophisticated equipment and a better work space."

Source: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070624/eco_mushrooms_070624/20070624?hub=SciTech

Burj al-Taqa ("Energy Tower")

A Zero-Energy Tower in the Desert
Sarah Rich
June 21, 2007 3:04 PM

German architect, Eckhard Gerber, who currently holds CAD drawings for the tallest zero-emissions, zero-energy skyscraper in the world.
"a giant 68-story building projected to rise to a lofty height of 322 meters (1,056 feet), which would make it number 22 on the list of the world's tallest buildings."

Smarterhomes (New Zealand)

"A smart home is one that’s good for its occupants and for the environment. Being smart includes being energy efficient and using resources wisely. It means choosing materials that are sustainable. It means designing and building homes that maximise occupants’ health and comfort, while also costing less to run."

• Why choose a smart home?
• Why should building and property professionals offer smart homes?
• What can smart homes do for the environment?

Source: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0706/S00443.htm

Green Homes & Sustainable Communities 2007 (USA)

The Annual National Symposium on Green Affordable Housing & Community Development
The Fairmont San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
July 19 - July 20, 2007

• "Many affordable housing developers are building green developments for lower income families on a cost effective basis while reaping monetary, marketing and mission benefits
• Most state housing agencies now encourage sustainable development practices in their 2007 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit qualified allocation plans. In some states the practical reality is that incorporating green development is necessary to receive allocations
• Renewable energy tax credits and other incentives are being used to finance energy-saving enhancements to housing and community development projects
• More capital providers are looking for “triple bottom line” lending and investment opportunities that deliver financial, social and environmental returns
• The strategies and benefits of green development at scale extend beyond individual projects into communities, cities and regions"

Source: http://www.ipedinc.net/epages/ipedinc.storefront/46787fbd0825f2f6273f3f76589806ec/UserTemplate/19?prodno=1086-1

"Green" Credit Union ranch (Kitchener, ON)

"This is Libro's third "green" branch. Its design has received 4 out
of 5 Green Globes, a third party environmental building rating system. The
designation showcases Libro's leadership in energy efficient and environmental
design practices," says Jack Smit, President and CEO, Libro. "We are committed
to building "green" when we can. We know the importance of reducing our impact
on the environment. We may be new to the Williamsburg neighbourhood but we're
committed to its sustainability!"

See complete list of green features in the article at: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/19/c6518.html

LEED vs Green Globes Study

Something to consider (affordable over high profile) especially for low or tight budgets...

"A 2007 University of Minnesota study compared LEED to Green Globes. The study found that Green Globes is less costly, easier to work with and less time-consuming than LEED."

Click here for the full report: http://www.thegbi.org/gbi/Green_Building_Rating_UofM.pdf
Click here for a comparison chart: http://www.thegbi.org/gbi/pdf/ProcessComparison.pdf

Proposed Standard 189P (USA)

"Being developed by a partnership between the USGBC, ASHRAE, and IESNA ... say the baseline standard, which will apply to new commercial construction and major renovations, will be fleshed out by 2007.

The new standard will be largely based on LEED, with prescriptive measures for environmental performance drawn from its five categories.

code agencies could adopt Standard 189P as a baseline, while mandating additional sustainability measures as they see fit. This would relieve states and municipalities from needing to draft special legislation to mandate green buildings by, for instance, referencing LEED or other voluntary rating systems."

Also see: http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1647

"Currently the standard is open for public comment and comments will be accepted through July 9, 2007 at www.ashrae.org/publicreviews. The committee plans to release the standard by late 2007. Upon completion, Standard 189 will be an ANSI-accredited standard that can be incorporated into building codes...(just as Standard 90.1... has been almost universally adopted as a baseline standard for energy efficiency)"

AccessOn: Built Environment

OK... so apparently slightly off-topic but since this is the area of my paid consulting work and the "Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act" now requires all public buildings to be accessible (green or not) this new AccessON web site created by the Ontario Government might be of some assistance to those of you not as well informed about the subject or simply used to following the minimums in the OBC (Ontario Building Code).

Oh... and the 2006 OBC code is in many ways just as inaccessible as the 1997 version. Go to most cities in Ontario and see how much higher their accessibility standards are (we were/are actually involved with writing many of them which is really cool).

And if you think about it... how "sustainable" can a building be if people as they get older can't use it (often the forgotten aspect of accessibility).

Read about province wide progress: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/12/c3699.html

CBC-TV: The Nature of Things: Build Green

Cool!!!

AIRING:
Sunday, June 17, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBC-TV

REPEATING:
Saturday, June 23 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBC Newsworld

The Lighthouse - Net-zero Carbon Home

Also see: http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=959

Apart of BRE Innovation Park

"Containter City" Ultimate recycled home

Reusing shipping containers as the start for pre-fab housing... smart! Lots more cool projects on their site but these are their 2 "city" ideas:

• Container City I
  
• Container City II

Source: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/06/08/prefab-friday-container-city/

World's Greenest Museum - California Academy of Sciences

"We wanted our building to really reflect our institutional commitment to the environment and its sustainability," said Frank Almeda, senior curator of the academy's botany department.

When completed (2008), it's expected to be the first museum to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's "platinum" certification (LEED) —the highest rating for environmentally sustainable construction, academy officials said. Design by Italian architect Renzo Piano.

The museum will feature... energy-saving technologies... roof will be bordered with solar panels that will provide a portion of its electricity needs... lights will automatically dim and brighten in response to daylight... rooftop skylights and side windows will open and close automatically to heat and cool the building."

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_6095255

Minto Roehampton - Green Apartments

"Yonge and Eglinton is now home to Toronto's first Green apartment building. Minto Roehampton is a 16-storey sustainable rental building, designed and built to embrace healthy living, promote energy savings and sustainability and protect the environment.

Minto Roehampton is a LEED(R)-Canada candidate for Gold Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Minto has also been selected among the very best in the country to construct an environmentally-friendly home as part of the CMHC Equilibrium Housing Initiative."

Source: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2007/07/c2277.html

GreenPoint Rated Homes (California)

"GreenPoint Rated is a program of Build It Green, a professional non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient buildings in California.

An independent, third-party rater verifies that each project satisfies green building standards. Certified GreenPoint raters are experienced professionals who have completed extensive technical training and passed written and field exams. GreenPoint ratings are now available for single-family and multifamily new construction projects."

Source: http://www.stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=474

GreenPoint Rated Projects:

• GreenCity Lofts by Green City Development, Emeryville // Rating: 82
• Freeda Court by Habitat for Humanity, Hayward // Rating: 95
• Hammond Home by Hammond Fine Homes, Petaluma // Rating: 147
• Gate 48 by Shasta Production Services, Oakland // Rating: 76
• Avignon by Centex Homes, Pleasanton // Rating: 104
• 288 3rd Street, Oakland by Signature Properties // Rating: 57

University of Waterloo Sustainability Project

"...a service run by student volunteers from various disciplines. The primary purpose of UWSP is to improve the state of sustainability on campus as well as raise environmental awareness among students, faculty, and staff. UWSP is comprised of different working groups each targeting specific aspects of sustainability."

Working Groups

• Clearing a Path
  (trying to have University of Waterloo commit to Talloirses Declaration)
• Green Roofs Over Waterloo (GROW)
• Naturalistic Landscaping Team (NLT)
• Sustainable Technology Education Project (STEP)
• Waste Management
• FootSteps to Conservation
• Zimride
• Campus Sustainability Assessment Framework (UW CSAF Project)

Source: http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1475&Itemid=59&issuedate=2007-06-01

Talloires Declaration

"Composed in 1990 at an international conference in Talloires, France, this is the first official statement made by university administrators of a commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education. The Talloires Declaration (TD) is a ten-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities. It has been signed by over 300 university presidents and chancellors in over 40 countries."

Canadian Universities and Colleges include:
Carleton University, Concordia University, Dalhousie University, McGill University, Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Simon Fraser University, UBC, University of Guelph, University of Ottawa, University of Saskatchewan, University of Victoria, University of Western Ontario, and York University
See full list here: http://www.ulsf.org/pdf/TD_resourcekit.pdf

EarthCraft House certification (Atlanta, GA)

I think this is a little large for what I'd consider "low footprint". Greenwashing???

"EarthCraft House is a green building program that serves as a blueprint for healthy, comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment. EarthCraft House is a partnership between the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Southface, government and industry partners."

EQuilibrium Housing - CMHC

"CMHC is pleased to announce that the Net Zero Energy Healthy
Housing initiative has been officially branded EQuilibrium Housing. It reflects
the objective of balancing our country's housing requirements with the need to
preserve and protect our natural environment."

The Five Principles:

1. Health
2. Energy
3. Resources
4. Environment
5. Affordability

12 Demonstration Projects: http://www.schl.ca/en/inpr/su/eqho/eqdepr/index.cfm

Rubloff Hall - Saint Xavier University's (Chicago, IL)

by: Kelly Hladek

• $9 million, 37,000-sq-ft Rubloff Hall, opened fall 2006
• LEED Silver certified
• high-efficiency lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, insulation systems, green and reflective roofing, building computer system (BCS)
• 90 % lighting comes from natural sources
• heating units are 90 %more efficient and 50 % smaller than more traditional units
• 100 % of building's required power purchases are generated from "green sources"
• construction materials- adhesives, sealants, paints and carpets all required the "green" stamp of approval
• construction crews recycled over 80 % of scrap materials
• if constructed in traditional manner, energy costs - $90,000 annually
  New hall will cost - $60,000 annually

Ontario Gov't - LEED for New Buildings and Green Roof Pilot

June 1, 2007
"LEED certified buildings have energy consumption 25 to 60 % less than ones built to the Canada’s Model National Energy Building Code standard.

The province will also be piloting a green roof project to cut costs for heating and cooling, reduce the heat island effect of cities in summer time, help clean the air and prevent rain water runoff. This will help reduce the government’s carbon footprint."

FCM-CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Awards

"The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and CH2M HILL Canada Limited honoured the 10 winners of the FCM-CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Awards at a recognition ceremony at FCM's 70th Annual Conference and Municipal ExpoTM in Calgary today (June 2, 2007). The Awards recognize municipal leadership in sustainable community development and give
national recognition to projects that demonstrate environmental excellence and
innovation in service delivery."

Winners:

• Québec City, Québec - Bibliothèque de Charlesbourg (Building)
• City of Calgary, Alberta - imagineCALGARY (Sustainable Community Planning)
• City of Toronto, Ontario - Making Green Roofs Happen (Wastewater)
• Town of East Gwillimbury, Ontario - Energy Star Standards for new homes
  (Residential Development)

Source: http://www.exworld.org/environment.htm
FCM Centre for Sustainable Community Development: http://sustainablecommunities.fcm.ca/Home/

Ontario's RE Feed-in Tariff - Progress Report

"It's been 6 months since ... Ontario started its Standard Offer Program (SOP), which created the first feed-in tariff (FIT) in North America for renewable energy in over 20 years.

Since last November (2006), OPA has received applications under the new FIT for 65 wind, solar, biomass and hydropower projects totaling roughly 330 megawatts (MW) of capacity.

... a FIT sets a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of generated renewable energy that is high enough to properly compensate the generator and make a project profitable."

Source: http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=48565

Ontario Power Authority - Ontario's Standard Offer Program

• Solar PV Projects - 42 cent/kWh
• Waterpower Projects - 11 cent/kWh
• Wind Projects - 11 cent/kWh
• Biomass Projects - 11 cent/kWh

Green Roof Design 101 - Toronto June 4, 2007

Green Roof Design 101 Introductory Course (2nd Ed.)
In this revised introductory course you will learn about the components and benefits of green roofs, how to design a project for maximum benefits, how to cost estimate for different types of projects and much more. The new course includes the most up-to-date green roof research and design practices as well, as new case studies from this rapidly expanding industry. Tuition: $395

Check their site for other dates in other cities: http://www.greenroofs.net/index.php

Richard Rogers' Oxley Park "Flexi-Houses" - Milton Keynes, U.K.

"The first tranche of houses at Oxley Woods in Milton Keynes, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, ... go on sale at £199,995 for a two-bedroom property this week."

Source: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c87d0b08-fc36-11db-93a4-000b5df10621,Authorised=false.html

"The homes are constructed from sustainable materials and employ unique features including an ‘EcoHat’ – allowing hot air to be re-used to optimise energy consumption and provide passive solar water heating.
...houses represent a reduction of approximately 27% in carbon dioxide emissions, compared with a conventional new-build house of similar size. This reduction rises to almost 40% with the inclusion of the EcoHat"

Sources:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/richard_rogers_1.php
http://www.rsh-p.com/render.aspx?siteID=1&navIDs=1,4,25,1361,1363

Integrated Learning Centre: Queen’s University - Kingston, Ontario

• 80,000 sq.ft. (7,400 sq.m.)
• four-leaf rating through the BREEAM/Green Leaf program (aka Green Globes)
• Designed by B+H Architects of Torontocompleted in 2004
  

World Green Building Council moving to Earth Rangers Building

"The World Green Building Council is a union of national councils whose mission is to accelerate the transformation of the global property industry towards sustainability. Current members are GBCAustralia, CanadaGBC, EmiratesGBC, IndiaGBC, JapanSBC, MexicoGBC, New Zealand GBC, TaiwanGBC, United KingdomGBC and the USGBC. Collectively, these nations represent over 50% of global construction activity, and touch more than eight thousand companies and organizations worldwide."

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.

Green Enterprise Toronto - Business Member Directory

Place for consumers in and around Toronto to find businesses in their area (including architects it seems) that are 'green'. Looks interesting...

CMHC's Design Faculty Summit and CaGBC's Greening the Curricula

May 17 and 18, 2007
University of Manitoba — Fort Garry Campus

The events are free but registration is required. Please note the complementary activities, which also require an indication of your interest in participating.

In addition, there will be a dinner/discussion the evening of May 18 supported by the Canadian Design Research Network (CDRN). The CRDN will sponsor this workshop on the research agenda for sustainable design in architecture, building and other design professions.

This Old House: The Austin House

by Alexandra Bandon

"The architecture may be old at This Old House's new project in Austin, Texas, but the thinking is thoroughly modern. For the first time, the show is going totally "green"—using as many environmentally friendly building products and methods as possible—and creating a functional home for a contemporary blended family.

The Austin Green Building Program, one of the oldest in the country, will rate the project for its use of eco-friendly materials. Photovoltaic cells on the roof, rainwater collection for irrigation, spray-foam insulation, recycled-glass tile and countertops, and formaldehyde-free wood composites are just some of the resource-saving strategies and eco-friendly materials planned for the project."

More information: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16840020/site/newsweek/

"How big are the savings? Richard Morgan of Austin Energy's Green Building Program estimates that an average family of four would generate $1,300 in electricity bills a year in the old house—versus $1,000 in the larger, green one. "Factor in the solar panels they've added," he says, "and the total comes down to $577."

Pope puts focus on climate change, environment

The Age - Australia
John Vidal and Tom Kington, Rome
April 28, 2007

THE Vatican has added its voice to warnings from churches around the world that climate change and abuse of the environment is against God's will.

At a Vatican conference on climate change, Pope Benedict XVI urged bishops, scientists and politicians to "respect Creation" while "focusing on the needs of sustainable development".

Workshop: Straw Bale Construction

This is the same workshop I took back in the summer of 2001 (the pictures on the top of their page are the ones I took and gave them and I'm in the picture on the right sitting on the ground, far left with blue shirt and straw hat). They are a non-profit organisation and were willing to be flexible with their fees when I went as a poor student... don't know if that's still the case:

Everdale Farm
Straw Bale Construction: Hands-On Weekend

Date/Time: July 13-15
With Ben Polley of Harvest Homes

Straw bales can be used to build homes and other types of buildings that are extremely durable, beautiful, energy efficient, low cost and well suited to our four-season climate. Lots of theory and practical experience building a small straw bale cabin. (This will not include cement lime or earthen plastering. We recommend you take the plastering and finishing workshops set in August.)

GreenerChoices.org

Products for a Better Planet

GreenerChoices.org, launched on Earth Day 2005 by Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is a Web-based initiative to inform, engage, and empower consumers about environmentally-friendly products and practices. GreenerChoices.org offers an accessible, reliable, and practical source of information on buying “greener” products that have minimal environmental impact and meet personal needs.

We created GreenerChoices.org to address the lack of credible, in-depth information on green products, services, and lifestyles, especially on the Web. Environmentally conscious consumers are faced with a huge amount of “green washing” by companies that want to capitalize on and exploit the growing interest in environmentally-friendly products, health, pollution and toxics.

AIA/COTE 2007 Top 10 Green Project Awards

In presenting the Top 10 Green Awards, the American Institute of Architects celebrated the best examples of sustainable architecture and environmental design.

"What few people realize is that buildings have the greatest impact on climate change -- more than transportation and industry -- because they consume so much electricity and natural gas, and they're all powered by power plants that themselves produce carbon emissions," Scott Frank, the group's spokesman

Source: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12641

S.F. hopes to set example with new green tower

SF Gate
John King, Chronicle Urban Design Writer
Friday, April 13, 2007

San Francisco's Civic Center is the proposed home of a government tower that city officials say will be more energy-efficient than any large office building in the United States.

Wind turbines stacked behind glass panels would generate energy for the 12-story PUC building.

Read about it at:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/04/23/san-franciscos-civic-tower-greenest-of-them-all/

Change in blog use

My girlfriend blogs weekly and I've been reading her blog every time she tells me there's something new of note. So nothing new there but today she emails that she has a new posting AND has a new 'subscription' available that will notify me automatically when she's posted. COOL!
So I went and signed up and now I have a subscription tool too.

I'm doing this for 2 reasons, keeping the e-mail address list up-to-date is work and why not let others sign up if they find this useful? So I hope you subscribe and find it useful.

Because we can do it this way now, I'll be posting what I find here instead of sending those e-mails. I hope it will actually be easier and a way to log what I've found along the way.

Enjoy!