Top News and Other Green Events
GREEN BUILDING ALLIANCE IS MOVING!
Green$ense 2008: Post-Conference Wrap-Up
Spring into GBA Membership
Pennsylvania Green Building Legislation Update
USGBC Targets Lodging Industry with LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M
Construction Industry Viewpoint: Green Building is "Good"
Request for Applications: Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
March 26: Rivers Club Professional Speaker Series - Hands on Pittsburgh
April 5: Global Warming Conference 2008 -
Cool Pennsylvania: Solutions for a Warming Planet
April 10: GBA Presents - LEED for Schools Breakfast Briefing
April 7-11: Affordable Comfort Home Performance Conference 2008
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NEWS AND OTHER GREEN EVENTS
Green Building Alliance is Moving!
We’re moving! The Green Building Alliance has been working hard to fit-out new office space at River Walk Corporate Centre to meet LEED® requirements. Please update your records to reflect the new address, effective March 26, 2008:
River Walk Corporate Centre
333 East Carson Street, Suite 331,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone and fax remain the same: 412-431-0709 (phone) and 412-431-1432 (fax).
Our service capability will be significantly limited during the move, and GBA staff will be unavailable via regular phone or e-mail from March 25-27. For urgent matters only, please call (412) 977-8259.
Look for more information soon about an open house at GBA's new office space in late Spring.
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Green$ense 2008: Post-Conference Wrap-Up
The Green Building Alliance welcomed over 400 participants and 20 exhibitors to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on March 5 for this annual conference, which featured John Knott and Rick Fedrizzi as keynotes speakers.
During the conference luncheon, the Shades of Green Leadership Awards were presented, recognizing the efforts of businesses, non-profits, government officials, and individuals in Western Pennsylvania who have contributed to the region’s environmental transformation through green leadership within the built environment.
The 2008 winners were Pittsburgh-based Centria (business); East Liberty Development, Inc. (non-profit); Washington County Commissioner J. Bracken Burns (government official); Kathy Greely and Guy McUmber, Northwestern PA Steering Committee Co-Chairs; Peter Spinelli, Chair of Laurel Highlands Branch Steering Committee; and Bill Cagney, Business Manager and Financial Secretary of the International Union of Operating Engineers.
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Spring into GBA Membership
If you weren’t among the members enjoying a significant discount at GBA’s recent annual Green$ense conference (a smashing success with a record-breaking attendance of 400+), you still have time to join and take advantage of many benefits during 2008. Members receive discounts on education programs and tours, qualify to serve on GBA committees, benefit from networking at members-only events, and will soon receive a members-only quarterly update on relevant legislative activity. Make an investment now to advance your knowledge base and be connected with other cutting-edge green building leaders. Join your friends and corporate partners whose support ensures GBA’s continued efforts in this region.
[More Info]
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Pennsylvania Green Building Legislation Update
Recently, Special Session HB1, legislation that will promote green building in the state of Pennsylvania, passed in the State House. GBA worked with GSP Consulting and its partners in Harrisburg through the Green Building Forum to successfully insert language into this energy bill. The important legislation passed its first hurdle with strong support by a vote of 126 to 74, and now awaits action in the State Senate. You can help make this happen...
Chief among the bill's provisions is $25,000,000 in grants for high performance building projects that meet a number of criteria. These projects must be consensus-based, and include, among others, performance-based categories aimed at fostering optimization of energy performance, the use of environmentally preferable building materials, and waste reduction. Developers pursing these grants must also employ third-party post-construction review and verification of the achievement of standards and have a performance record of certified green buildings in the United States.
GBA needs your help in contacting members of the Pennsylvania State Senate and urging them to support this important language in the final version of the General Assembly’s energy package.
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USGBC Targets Lodging Industry with LEED® for Existing Buildings: O&M
When the USGBC announced revisions to the LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System late last year, it was good news for hotel owners and operators. Now called LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, the system is a better fit for hotels and is attracting the interest of many of the country's leading hotel companies. Most are seeking LEED-NC certification, but the number of U.S. building owners pursuing LEED for Existing Buildings: O&M is accelerating quickly. In the last nine months, the interest level expressed by hotel companies in LEED has picked up considerably. Hotels ranging in size from 100 to 2,200 rooms are participating.
[Read More]
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Construction Industry Viewpoint:
Green Building is "Good"
According to investment banker FMI’s "2008 U.S. Construction Overview," construction industry stakeholders are increasingly recognizing green building capabilities as “good”—and being a necessary part of a firm’s best practices. Green building is no longer a niche sector, and three major trends are pushing green building to the forefront of the construction industry.
This annual FMI publication forecasts the growth or decline in each market segment, noting both short- and long-term considerations.
[More Info]
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Request for Applications: Smart Growth Implementation Assistance for Your Community
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications
for free technical assistance under the Smart Growth Implementation
Assistance Program. This program provides contractor support to
communities, regions or states that want help with either policy
analysis or public participatory processes. Selected communities will
receive assistance in the form of a multi-day visit from a team of
experts organized by the EPA and other national partners to work with local
leaders.
The application deadline is May 8, 2008. The application for assistance
can be downloaded here.
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March 26: Rivers Club Professional Speaker Series - Hands on Pittsburgh
Learn how a sustainable environment in Pittsburgh can benefit your personal, business and
social life. Discover how to immediately apply simple,
eco-friendly tips that can make a big impact.
George Hoguet, director of Affinity Marketing for NativeEnergy,
Inc., will present a slide show from the
global warming film, “An Inconvenient Truth.” He is one
of 1,000 volunteers in the U.S. who have been trained
to present the work of former Vice-President Al Gore.
This effort is known as The Climate Project.
[More Info]
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April 5: Global Warming Conference 2008 -
Cool Pennsylvania: Solutions for a Warming Planet
Join PennFuture for their Global Warming Conference 2008 at La Roche College on Saturday, April 5 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Speakers include Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation; David Foster, executive director of Blue Green Alliance; Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, Union of Concerned Scientists; policy experts; representatives from wind and solar companies, and from the Green Building Alliance and Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture. Steel City Biofuels will make biodiesel in the conference center. For more information and to register, visit: http://www.pennfuture.org/events.
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April 10: GBA Presents - LEED for Schools
Breakfast Briefing
Green schools are healthy for students,
teachers and the environment. Built right,
they are productive learning
environments with ample natural
light, high-quality acoustics,
and air that is safe to breathe. Learn more about the benefits of green schools and how to become involved. For a full schedule of GBA's 2008 education programs, see http://www.gbapgh.org/GBA_Events.asp.
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April 7-11: Affordable Comfort Home Performance Conference 2008 Featuring "Green Building Products Alley" (Discount for GBA Network Members!)
Attend North America's premier educational event for high performance homes, and explore practices and opportunities for energy efficiency in residential buildings. Learn from respected presenters and gain access to the most dedicated professionals of the building science industry.
This full-day program provides key concepts needed for successful participation in the LEED for Homes initiative. Walk through the rating system and learn green design and construction practices, certification and verification procedures, and benefits and costs of LEED homes. Details can be found at www.affordablecomfort.org.
Participants in GBA’s Green Building Products Initiative receive a special exhibit discount ($50 off the $800 fee) in the Green Products Alley. If interested, contact Machal Forbes at mforbes@affordablecomfort.org or 800-344-4866, ext. 13.
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