White Roofs Can Save 15% on Energy Costs
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu this month announced a series of initiatives underway at the Department of Energy to more broadly imlplement cool roof technologies on DOE facilities and buildings across the federal government. Cool roofs use lighter colored roofing surfaces or special coatings to reflect more of the sun's heat, helping improve building efficiency by reducing cooling costs and offsetting carbon emissions.
Under the Executive Order on Sustainability, the federal government has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2020. As part of that effort, Secretary Chu has directed all DOE offices to install cool roofs, whenever cost effective over the lifetime of the roof, when constructing new roofs or replacing old ones at DOE facilites. With cool roofs, these federal buildings will consume less energy, offset additional carbon emissions, and save money.
Roofs and road pavement cover 50 to 65 percent of urban areas. Because they absorb so much heat, dark colored roofs and roadways create what is called the "urban heat island effect," where a city is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. Cool roofs significantly reduce the heat island effect and improve air quality by reducing emissions. A recent study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) found that using cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can help reduce the demand for air conditioning, cool entire cities, and potentially cancel the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.
source: Environmental Leader
World Cup Responsible for 2.7M Tons of CO2 Equivalent
The total carbon footprint for the recently concluded 2010 World Cup came to 2,753,250 tons of CO2 equivalent, according to a recent study by Ernst & Young, an eight-fold increase over the last World Cup in Germany.
The Ernst & Young study was part of an effort to plan for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with an eye toward reducing its carbon emissions. Since the German World Cup in 2006, FIFA has been developing "The Green Goal," an official program aimed, among other aspects, at reducing CO2 emissions. It focuses on four aspects: water, waster, energy and transport.
Given Brazil's location and its size, the Ernst & Young study suggested that carbon emissions from international travel will likely not change very much in 2014. But the report named several steps FIFA could take in Brazil to reduce the next Cup's footprint. Among some of the transportation solutions mentioned in the study are the use of energy-efficient eco-taxis to ferry spectators to the games, the creation of bike and pedestrian paths to discourage the use of automobiles, and increasing the efficiency of existing public transportation options. Using vehicles that run on biodiesel or ethanol were also recommended.
The study also recommended steps to increase the energy efficiency of facilities built for the Cup, including having new construction certified under internationally recognized design auditing programs, such as LEED, Acqua and Breeam certification, which would help reduce the CO2 emissions in both the construction process and in the use of the buildings. Establishing carbon offset programs associated with the tournament could be another way to reduce the net effect of its carbon emissions, the report said. London is currently struggling with similar issues as it tries to reduce the carbon footprint of the 2010 Olympics.
source: Green Web
Colleges Selling Their Green Bona Fides to Students
Colleges are using their green credentials to burnish their reputations with prospective students, according to a report in USA Today.
The paper reported that according to 2010's College Sustainability Report Card, 69 percent of colleges and universities are now including environmental pitches into their admission and enrollment systems, a massive increase from the 27 percent from the year before. The College Sustainability Report Card is produced by the Sustainable Endowments Institute in Massachusetts.
Texas Am& M publicized that is has managed to reduce its energy intensity by 33 percent while expanding the size of the campus. The University of California, San Diego touted the $900,000 it saved by incorporating an energy dashboard. Even many college athletic departments are starting to see their environmental footprints as a top priority.
Over half of the schools surveyed by the College Sustainability Report Card have made a carbon reduction commitment. Increased attention to climate change is reflected at an impressive 58 percent of the schools through a commitment to carbon reduction. Fifty-two percent of the schools have signed the Presidents' Climate Commitment, while 23 percent made carbon reduction commitments in addition to, or instead of, the Presidents' Climate Commitment.
Nearly half of the schools produce renewable energy on campus. Facilities for producing solar, wind, bio, or geothermal energy are in operation at 45 percent of the schools.
Source: Environmental Leader 7/10
Left untouched, contaminated sites create public health and safety risks, drag down property values, drain the tax base and tend to attract criminal or other undesirable activity. While many sites can be cleaned up and reused as residential, commercial, or conventional industrial facilities, blighted and abandoned sites that are not readily put to these uses may be perfectly suited for solar arrays, wind farms, geothermal installations, or manufacturing centers for renewable energy components. According to one high ranking political appointee, "Re-powering is not just a win-win; it's a triple win because communities are fully engaged, economy flourishes with new jobs and renewed hope, while forgotten or abandoned eyesores are given new life."
Marjorie Buckholtz, Environmental Consulting Solutions
