On Nov. 29, 2011, I began a week-long trip to Constanza, La Vega in the Dominican Republic. I am the project director of the Healthy School Environments project at the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and was invited to partici…
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Tapping the Zoning Code to Enable Greener Buildings and Communities
Many communities are opening up their zoning codes to identify and remove barriers, and adopting language that will encourage greener building and greener living outcomes. You wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Portland, Oregon has been greening its z…
LEED Professionals: Don’t let your credential expire; remember to renew every two years
You know the hard work and dedication of time it took to earn your LEED Professional ial. It’s important to remember that there is also a renewal process every two years. Renewing your LEED credential renews your sense of personal accomplishment as w…
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Life as a Green School Fellow at Sacramento City Unified School District
Over the last six months, my life has changed dramatically. Not only did I relocate from Colorado to California, but I was given a position in an organization that I respect, in a school district that I admire, doing a job that I love. In July of 2011…
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Seattle 2030 District: The NEXT Big Thing in Green Building
The green building movement has made great strides in recent years, but it’s not enough. In order to put up a good fight against ever-increasing environmental and economic pressures, we need a united front of the public and private sector, and to approach issues at the city — or district — scale.
District sustainability currently experiences the same limited level of awareness that individual green buildings did a decade ago, when the U.S. Green Building Council announced its first 12 LEED Certified projects, of which there are now over 11,000.
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USGBC Explains Who’s Who at COP17 for Green Building and Climate Change
When our delegation of green building council representatives arrived in Durban for the COP 17 climate conference, we hoped we had what it took to help change the world. The diverse group seemed to possess that peculiar mixture of naiveté, enthusiasm and focused passion that can distinguish successful from merely aspiring troublemakers. Through participation and attendance at a variety of different events I was, as usual, impressed with the astounding effort on the part of various individuals and organizations to bring to scale energy efficiency and green building solutions.
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Learn Green Schools Conference and Expo Recap
On November 11, the Learn Green Schools Conference and Expo and Lessons Learned Workshop took place at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, attracting over 900 attendees from all over the state of Florida and the country. There were 90 presenters, 88 exhib…
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A Year of Chapter Advocacy Efforts: Green Schools
As we at USGBC wind down 2011 – and gear up for a promising 2012 I am pleased to have the opportunity to reflect on what an incredible year it’s been for green schools. With the help of our seemingly tireless volunteer and chapter network, the Center for Green Schools at USGBC has had a first year that has exceeded many expectations. Even heading into a time of year when things typically seem to slow down, USGBC’s volunteers continue to be hard at work on behalf of green schools.
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Higher Education Green Schools: An Intern’s Perspective
After an invaluable six month run with the U.S. Green Building Council as an intern, it was time to publish my final podcast. Though I’d produced podcasts with USGBC before, this was the first time I was able to use my unique position as a University of Florida student. Having spent three months at USGBC’s headquarters in Washington D.C., the time had come to head back to school in Florida and continue the internship via telecommute.
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Q&A: Rep. Ron Kind on Healthy Kids Outdoors Act
Representative Ron Kind (WI), alongside Senator Mark Udall (CO), recently introduced the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act. This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out programs and activities that connect Americans, especially children…