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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Governor’s Action Defies Logic and Economics
Last Friday, I went to work just like any other day at my firm, Fore Solutions, here in Portland, Maine. I fired up my computer, but instead of the normal updates on projects and industry newsletters, I was greeted with eye-popping subject lines. “Main…
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A Year of Chapter Advocacy Efforts: Part One
Despite the long list of challenges that governments face today – the down-economy, which drives budget constraints, which drives partisan politics, which drives gridlock, which fails to deliver basic government services, which can impact the economy… – our green building conversation continues to resonate with diverse audiences. In August, USGBC released a report detailing some of the conversations that took place in 2011 and how these conversations translated into real world policy impact.
Green Retrofits on the Rise: LEED for Existing Buildings Surpasses New Construction Projects, Echoes Industry Shift
The U.S. landscape is covered by more than 60 billion square feet of existing buildings, many of them hogging inordinate amounts of resources and energy due to outdated infrastructure. The potential to green this building stock is vast, and more import…
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Americans Care About Green Schools
As a former teacher, I’ve seen first-hand the transformative effect that great educational environments can have on teacher motivation, student performance and community engagement. I also know that parents are unfailingly dedicated to their children’s education and will do just about anything to give their kids an advantage in life.
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Good COP, Bad COP
Cross-posted from GreenSource’s The Green Source: A Blog of Sustainable Building
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Scaling up Energy Efficiency Financing
Here at COP17, some experts have said that the single most important outcome that can emerge from Durban is an agreement on the design of the Green Climate Fund – the new long-term mechanism for dispersing billions of dollars of climate finance for clean technology, adaptation, and capacity-building.
Square Footage of LEED-Certified Existing Buildings Surpasses New Construction
Uptake signals green building market sea change
Washington, DC – (Dec. 7, 2011) – LEED-certified existing buildings are outpacing their newly built counterparts, according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As of this month, square footage of LEED-certified existing buildings surpassed LEED-certified new construction by 15 million square feet on a cumulative basis.
Demonstrating the Benefits of Green, Inclusive Housing at the UN Climate Talks
COP-17 has made me proud to be South African for several reasons. First, hosting of the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) here in Durban, South Africa, has helped to remind the world that the impacts of climate change are already dis…
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Can the Private Sector Play a Bigger Part at COP17?
Cross-posted from GreenBiz.com
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres summed up this weekend the hope and frustration that the climate change negotiations — also known as COP 17 — uniquely embody.
Speaking this weekend to jet-lagged executive…