Be Wise! Be Healthy!
Be in the know about Sustainable Living and Green Building, Products & Experts
|
July/August 2008 Issue
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Elaine Ireland and the Josephson Institute
What is character? How can it be sustainable? And how do you consciously develop and build it — in kids, in business, in sports, politics — any walk of life? If you were hiring a new CEO, what are the most important qualities you'd look for? Character Counts!? is an educational framework for teaching universal values and a national coalition of organizations that support each other. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
Back to school season starts with buses gearing up to get greener. Meanwhile, kids find their own way to fresh air on the bus.
|
|
 |
General Features |
|
|
|
|
|
| In a survey of 10,300 college applicants, 63 percent said that a college's commitment to the environment could affect their decision to go there. See what's happening on campuses across the country. And check out Princeton Review's top 11 schools in its "2009 Green Rating Honor Roll" and George Washington University's Green Shopping List For College Students. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| in Kentucky and Pennsylvania: Louisville students & parents get a sneak peek at their green school. In the suburbs of Philadelphia, a school is getting a $12.7M green renovation. Both with energy efficiency savings and at least one scheduling for LEED certification. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Did you know that childrens' lunches create 3.5 billion pounds of garbage each year? Read about one creative solution two women came up with to resolve the problem and set an example of conservation for their children, empowering them to be the models of change for the future. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Sarah More McCann
The largest ground transportation system in the country is gearing up again, and that means confronting the rising cost of fuel. School buses shuttle some 25 million kids on school days, and while most districts have had a summer’s respite from gas prices, those bills will start coming due again soon. So why not switch to a fuel that’s not only cheaper, but greener as well? (read on) |
|
|
|
|
"Actions, looks, words and steps form the alphabet by which you may spell character."
(Johann Kasper Lavater,
Swiss poet and pastor,
1741 - 1801)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Bob Egelko
California's largest school bus operator has agreed to renovate more than 2,000 buses in California to run cleaner, settling a lawsuit that accused it of exposing children to diesel exhaust in leaky passenger cabins. Diesel exhaust, a mixture of gases and particles, has been listed as a cancer-causing substance by the state since 1990. The lawsuit accused Laidlaw of violating Proposition 65, which requires companies to warn the public about exposure to chemicals that can cause cancer or birth defects. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
Global Warming & Outdoor Issues |
|
|
|
|
|
| Until recently scientists have only had conventional oceanographic monitors such as ships, satellites and drifting buoys to collect data for understanding climate change. But these could not provide observations under sea ice. Elephant seals regularly swim under Antarctic sea ice and can now help them to calculate how fast sea ice forms during winter. Check out the journey of these elephant seals. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Great Lakes region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario) holds 30 percent of North America's forest lands certified for sustainability. Certifications in the region have "undergone another wave of growth, and further accomplishments are expected before the end of 2008." As of June 2008, slightly more than 60 million acres in the Great Lakes region are now certified through FSC and SFI. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| The Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is planning to propose global guidelines for the labeling of carbon footprints for foods and daily goods, or the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the product lifecycle. Japan is hoping that the proposal will allow the country to be better positioned amid moves to set global standards under the international carbon footprint labeling initiative. (read on) |
|
|
|
Building & Construction |
|
|
|
|
| Builders can pass California's solar rebate directly to buyers at closing to use with their down payment or as an interest-rate buy down to lower monthly payments. As part of its million solar roofs initiative, the State of California targets 50 percent of all new houses built in the state over the next decade to be solar homes. Available for primary residences, the Solar Home Program supports homebuyers who want to take advantage of this clean, renewable energy. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
by Gregory M. Lamb
Factory-built homes have a PR problem: too often they conjure up the image of tiny, temporary dwellings that are poorly constructed and potentially dangerous. This summer, two exhibitions of modular houses — at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) — have put a spotlight on how off-site building techniques can shrink the carbon footprint of a new house. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Compelled to turn their new home into a showcase for modern green building practices, this North Carolina couple began construction on their green home project this summer. Deciding not use any fossil fuel, they opted for a geothermal system. For additional energy savings, the project utilizes closed crawl space technology and a slightly different drainage system than most conventionally built homes. As an additional green feature, these homeowners are also sourcing their hard and softwoods locally. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Demonstrating leadership and a commitment to sustainability and the environment, California's Sacramento County officials have successfully commissioned a 100-kW solar array atop the County's Health and Human Services building. The solar energy system, which greatly offsets the electricity used by the facility, is the largest such system on any public building in Sacramento County. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| The ESL Federal Credit Union rising soon in downtown Rochester showcases not just one new green building plan but PAETEC Holding Corp. showcases the second. The downtown area, on the upswing, is helping to lead the way in popularizing environmentally friendly buildings in upstate New York. Bravo Rochester! (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| NSF International has created a new certification standard to identify sustainable flooring. This will help consumers navigate the maze of green claims for flooring allowing us to evaluate claims of environmental friendliness from materials providers. NSF International is an independent, not-for-profit organization, committed to making the world a safer place for consumers since 1944, evaluating and certifying such products as bottled water, food equipment, home water treatment products, home appliances, plumbing and faucets, and even pool and spa components. (read on) |
|
|
Green Products |
|
|
|
|
|
| A plant-based wood finish that contains no volatile organic compounds, is engineered to apply in one coat and produces an extremely durable, lasting finish on a variety of surface applications. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Roof$ense is a web-based lifecycle analysis program that enables building owners to calculate the potential energy savings that can be realized from an energy efficient roof design for the next 10, 20 or 30 years. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| Conventional particleboard isn't part of the green-building pantheon because its resin glue contains formaldehyde. California Air Resources Board has set an emissions standard for particleboard, effective Jan. 1, 2009 requiring emissions standards which may remedy that. (read on) |
|
|
|
|
|
| A new environmentally-friendly milk bottle is set to go on sale with an outer shell made from recycled and recyclable paper cardboard and an inner thin plastic liner. (read on) |
|
|
Calendar of Events |
|
|
Dozens of Green Events Around the World to Participate in |
|
Where Every Issue is a Green Issue
