Federal Government told to cut own greenhouse gases 28 percent

FEBRUARY 01, 2010

WASHINGTON — Saying he wants to lead by example on global warming, President Barack Obama on Friday directed the federal government to reduce its emissions of heat-trapping gases by 28 percent in the next decade – a goal that exceeds targets for the country as a whole.

As the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, Obama says the government spent more than $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel in 2008. He says achieving the new pollution goal would cut federal energy use by the equivalent of 205 million barrels of oil, the same as taking 17 million cars off the road for one year.

Obama’s announcement comes a day after the United States pledged to address global warming by cutting the nation’s emissions of greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020. The commitment to the U.N. climate body must get approval from Congress, which is not guaranteed.

The initiative on federal agencies follows an executive order Obama issued last October and requires agencies to set targets for reducing climate-altering pollution from buildings and fleets. The initiative does not apply to the emissions of companies that supply the federal government or those from federal employees’ commutes.

Obama said the initiative would lower costs, reduce pollution and shift federal energy expenses away from oil and toward renewable energy.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012902117.html

Rooftop gardens protect Grand River

by Molly Waite GVL Staff Writer

1/20/2010

On the third floor of Mackinac Hall, the view from the philosophy department office windows does not include a gray, concrete rooftop but rather a lush expanse of plants. The grasses and other flora did not grow there by mistake but through the careful planning and efforts to reduce Grand Valley State University's impact on the Grand River.

As an important part of the university's commitment to sustainability, green roofs provide a natural and cost-effective way to manage storm water. Storm water is the run-off caused by man-made surfaces such as parking lots, sidewalks and building roofs. The water also carries chemicals and other pollutants with it, causing harm to the Grand River and other local ecosystems.

"We like to show people that we have a green roof and that we're serious about storm water management," said John Koches, associate research scientist of the Annis Water Resources Institute at GVSU. "Having the green roofs is just one way to deal with storm water that would ordinarily flow off the roof. It also prevents storm water flow from the parking lots, cleaning out chemicals that would end up in the river. We've made a conscientious effort to curb all of our storm water flow."

Green roofs are layered with sand, gravel, loam and other coarse textiles to naturally filter out pollutants and absorb excess water flow. Koches said the plants chosen for green roofs are called succulents: low-maintenance, drought tolerant plants with deep root systems.

Norman Christopher, executive director of the Sustainable Initiative, said the plants are put on the roof in trays, so if a group of greenery does not thrive, it can be removed and replaced without serious cost or effort.

"We're still learning about the benefits of green roofs," Christopher said. "The green roofs help us understand the whole concept of waste water management and lessening the impact on our environment."

Green roofs are not the only way GVSU reduces its impact on the Grand River. Indigenous plants strategically placed around campus to form rain gardens function in much the same way to cleanse pollutants picked up by run-off water.

"A lot of people just see them as a beautiful garden, but actually the indigenous plants and flowers, which naturally grow in Michigan, process storm water," Koches said. "A lot of people don't understand that these are not just gardens, but engineered structures with a purpose. There's more to it than just planting pretty flowers."

The installation of green roofs not only limits storm water flow into Grand River but reduces GVSU's carbon footprint.

James Moyer, assistant vice president for Facilities Planning, said green roofs have the ability to sequester carbon, making them a part of the 2010 Climate Action Plan released last Friday. Green roofs also insulate buildings, reducing the costs of heating and cooling.

Some 33,800 square feet of green roof have been planted on four buildings across campus to date and GVSU is also scheduled to install an additional 2,500 square feet of green roof on two more buildings this spring.

"I think that what we've discovered is that these processes are very cost effective, easy to implement and low-maintenance," Koches said. "We're handling water discharges internally and adding the water back to the groundwater systems where they would have ordinarily gone back without man-made structures. It leaves the functions of the landscape intact, serving to keep the campus environmentally friendly at a low cost while maintaining the natural integrity of the sites they manage. The university has really bought into this process, and I think that they're doing a very conscientious job."

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Eden Environments Recognized by CORP! Magazine as Green Industry Innovator

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (February 2, 2010)—Eden Environments, west Michigan’s sustainable design center, received a 2010 Going Green Award from Corp! Magazine.

Eden Environments’ commitment to environmentally-friendly practices, coupled with its contributions to technologies, products, and services that promote sustainable business strategies led to the company’s recognition as a Green Industry Innovator. Honorees were selected from Michigan-based businesses and nonprofit organizations in one of the three following categories:

·         Green Initiative Champion

·         Green Industry Innovator

·         Green Organization

A licensed architect and a LEED Accredited Professional with two decades of design experience and an entrepreneurial spirit, Denise Hopkins, opened Eden Environments (www.EdenEnvironments.com), west Michigan’s first sustainable design center in 2008.

Eden is the sustainable design resource for businesses and homeowners across Michigan and the United States. Their expertise in architecture, interiors, and landscape design will enhance your physical and emotional well being, improve your indoor air quality, and lower your costs for energy, health care, insurance, and maintenance. In addition to design consultation, clients will find beautiful sustainable choices for insulation, siding, boards, flooring, no-VOC paints, counters, cabinets, and furnishings – virtually everything for the built environment. Eden Environments thoroughly researches their recommended design solutions and products—saving their clients time and effort. Eden Environments was also named Best Small Business in 2008 by the Michigan Small Business Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC) Region 7 and received Business Review West Michigan’s Inaugural Green Award for Small Business in 2009. Eden Environments is located at 5747 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546.

http://www.corpmagazine.com/EventsandCommunity/CorpEvents/GoingGreenAwards/GoingGreen2010Winners.aspx

LEEDing the show

Thursday, January 28, 2010 - MiBiz 

By Joe Boomgaard | MiBiz       This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

WEST MICHIGAN — Leaders in the greater Grand Rapids area have long touted the region as a nationwide center of excellence for LEED-certified buildings.

Despite those grand claims, however, there hasn’t been a way for interested people from within or outside the region to see those buildings up close and learn more about the tangible, real world benefits of the LEED certification process.

But that’s about to change. The West Michigan Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, the issuing body of the LEED program, is partnering with local building owners, as well as students at local colleges, to not only showcase the region’s green buildings, but also put some dollar figures behind the LEED program.

The need for a local green building showcase was even suggested by a national representative of the USGBC in town for a local chapter retreat.

 “Because we have so many LEED buildings in this area, (the showcase) has been on our minds for a while, and we’ve been wanting to have case studies,” Renae Hesselink, VP of sustainability at Nichols Inc. and chair of the board of directors of the USGBC West Michigan Chapter, told MiBiz.

While numerous case studies have highlighted the benefits of LEED buildings, none of them had been done locally.

“People would pay more attention (to LEED) if people in their own backyard have proven that LEED works better,” she said.

Hesselink connected with local LEED building owners to gauge their interest in being a part of the showcase and in participating in the case study. Local colleges and universities with LEED projects immediately jumped on board, and she’s obtained commitments from Spectrum Health, Steelcase, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Herman Miller, Bazzani Associates, the Grand Rapids Art Museum and Dwelling Place, among others.

The local chapter has also linked with students at the University of Michigan’s MBA program to perform case studies and analyses of what the LEED certification means to those building owners. The aim, Hesselink said, is to come up with real dollar figures that building owners were able to save by following LEED protocols in the buildings. That information could be a powerful persuader for others in the area thinking of building a new building or renovating an existing structure.

Armed with the case study information, the West Michigan chapter plans to publish a book on the region’s green buildings. The book wouldn’t necessarily be limited to the buildings featured on the tour, either, but rather encompass LEED projects out of the city area and into Holland and Muskegon, for example.

One of the challenges in setting up the showcase thus far has been timing. Some building owners — like the public school system — will have to work around the tours. The solution might be to hold a two-day tour on a Friday or Saturday. The group is aiming to hold the event some time in September or October.

Hesselink said while the chapter was initially thinking the tour would be marketed to a broad Midwest or national audience interested in or working with green buildings, the group is also considering opening the tour to the public.

For the inaugural showcase, she’s hoping 200 to 300 professionals will attend.

And while the buildings certainly are the stars of the showcase, the chapter also expects the event could be used as an economic development tool.

“If we prove this is a healthy place to live and work and a good place to send kids to school, why would it not be an economic development tool?” Hesselink asked.

The planning for the showcase kicks off at a time of transition for the local chapter. In 2009, the national USGBC body changed the way it structured its professional accreditation and that impacted a key revenue stream for the local chapters across the country.

From the start of the USGBC program, local chapters like the one in West Michigan had been offering exam preparation classes to would-be LEED APs. Under the restructuring, the national body does not allow the local chapters to hold those courses, choosing instead to provide them through the national organization.

“There was pretty much an uproar across the country,” Hesselink said. “Most of us (at the local chapters) depended on that income.”

In part, revenue from those prep classes supported the hiring of an executive director, Linda Frey, who had been with the organization for the past two and half years. But with the main revenue stream cut off and with memberships down from peak numbers — the organization currently has about 300 members, down from 344 in the middle of 2009 — the local USGBC had to go back to being an all-volunteer organization. It currently has three paid interns from local colleges.

Several local foundations also contribute to the chapter’s funding, and none of them have dropped off since the downturn in the economy, Hesselink said.

However, “new opportunities dried up” once the downturn really started to hit last year.

Going forward, Hesselink said the local chapter has several options for revenue, including offering study groups for LEED Associate certification as well as continuing education programs for LEED APs, all of whom need to get continuing credits to recertify. She said the chapter is also considering charging for courses to professionals in facilities management and other building-related fields.

“We want to have another director, and we hope within a year to have someone back at least part-time that would have strong fundraising skills, too,” she said. “We’ve always thought of ourselves as a trade association, and we’re not. We’re a nonprofit here to serve our members and in part to move this mission forward.”

MiBiz

http://www.mibiz.com/ absolutenm/templates/default. aspx?a=16753&template=print- article.htm

Zeeland Lumber Obtains FSC Certification

"We are proud to announce our certification to the FSC standards. We are now able to meet that increasing market demand and ensure our products come from responsibly managed forests." says Zeeland's FSC Program Administrator Greg Jacques.

The FSC Certification process requires system-wide changes, including isolating the certified products, using special labels and diligently maintaining the chain of custody for each piece of wood that they purchase and sell.

To qualify for FSC Certification, Zeeland Lumber Company was independently verified by Scientific Certification Systems, an FSC-accredited certification company. SCS examined Zeeland's record-keeping and systems, certifying Zeeland to work within the FSC system and label its products with the FSC logo.

For more information go to www.zeelandlumber.com

Green building: Healthy, global and growing

http://www.mibiz.com/absolutenm/templates/template5.aspx?articleid=16735&zoneid=169

GVSU moves toward carbon neutrality

January 18, 2010

ALLENDALE, Mich. — Grand Valley State University has unveiled a plan that will help it reduce carbon emissions with the hopes of becoming carbon-neutral by the year 2037. 

The plan was created over two years after the university signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment in October 2007. The plan was submitted to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education on January 15.

"When we signed the Climate Commitment, we made a pledge to reduce Grand Valley's carbon footprint by as much as possible as quickly as possible," said Grand Valley President Thomas J. Haas. "This plan offers a map for the university to reach carbon neutrality by setting interim targets that we will hold ourselves accountable for reaching."

The plan has three phases. The first phase, which runs from 2010-20, focuses on conservation and reduction. The second, spanning 2020-2030 will shift the focus to bringing more renewable energy to campus, while a third phase from 2030-2050 will tap into efficiencies created through innovation — technologies we may not even know about yet.

Grand Valley is increasingly known as a national leader in sustainability. Peterson's "Green Jobs for a New Economy: The Career Guide to Emerging Opportunities" listed Grand Valley among the "top 50 four-year schools with great green programs." Grand Valley offers some 200 individual sustainability-themed courses, as well as natural resource management, environmental studies, earth and environmental theme, liberal studies sustainability major, and new courses like green chemistry. Grand Valley was one of the top 25 cutting-edge green and environmentally responsible colleges in the United States as listed in the 2009 Kaplan College Guide. It also received the highest "green" rating among Michigan’s colleges and universities, according to an annual report by the Princeton Review.

See the full document:

http://main.gvsu.edu/cms3/assets/0913B5BC-CE61-FEB3-13904B53A8A65302/documents/2010_climate_action_plan.pdf

Grand Valley State University's Campus Dining has Implemented Composting Project

January 12, 2010

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Grand Valley State University's Campus Dining has implemented a composting project to help the campus community reduce landfill waste. 

Two of Grand Valley's dining locations -- Fuel, inside the Commons building, and Kleiner Commons -- now offer guests the opportunity to compost food waste, serviceware and packaging. Fresh Food Co. also composts pre- and post-consumer waste but due to the style of service and use of china and silverware, does not offer guest composting. Thanks to the initiative, pre-consumer waste (from cooking and preparation) and post-consumer waste are both composted and diverted from landfills. 

Posters hang above receptacles at Fuel and Kleiner to indicate items that can be placed into "landfill" and "composting" bins. The collection receptacles are lined with biodegradable bags. Bags are transferred to separate collection points for recycling, composting and landfill. 

"More than half of the items we use for service and packaging can be composted, so this project is a natural fit," said Penny Ibarra, Kleiner manager. "Changing student habits is the hardest part of composting. A lot of students are already on board and hopefully more will participate when they see how easy it is."

Campus Dining employees are trained to explain the composting project and can offer help understanding the process. 

According to the U.S. EPA, food is the No. 1 least-recycled material. To enhance Grand Valley's sustainability efforts Campus Dining has kicked off a composting project that will help recycle food and other items. Composting is the most efficient type of recycling because it breaks waste down into the soil; there aren't chemicals or large amounts of power used.

Grand Valley State University is nationally recognized as a leader in sustainability and has made a commitment to foster economic, social, and environmental sustainability both inside and outside the classroom. The university received the highest green rating in Michigan in an annual report by the Princeton Review and is the only Michigan school cited in Kaplan College Guide 2009's list of "cutting-edge green" colleges and universities.