NEWS

Pittsburgh's Dragon Boat Festival
Congratulations to all participants
of the 2006 races! GBA's Emerald Dragon Boat finished FIRST in the Mixed E Final, an impressive showing for just our second annual appearance. Thanks to everyone who helped make us a winner! For some great photos, please visit here.
For more information on the festival, click here.
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GBA Receives "Green Power Leader" Award
Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) held its seventh annual Green Power Awards on September 21. During the event, GBA was presented with a Green Power Leader award for promoting environmental building practices in the Greater Pittsburgh area and across the nation. Twenty-seven individuals, private industries, government agencies and public interest organizations that are building Pennsylvania's thriving renewable energy market were honored at the luncheon. More information can be found here.
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Engineering Sustainability 2007: Conference Abstracts Due October 20th
Papers for Engineering Sustainability 2007: Innovations that Span Boundaries, to be held in Pittsburgh, PA next year are due this month. Authors may submit papers for all subject areas related to green construction and the sustainable use of water. Contributions that demonstrate cross-disciplinary and/or cross-cultural collaboration are specifically desired. This conference aims to bring together scientists and engineers from academia, government, industry, and non-profits to share the results of cutting-edge research directed at creating a more sustainable built environment. More information can be found here. 
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Federal Buildings Going Green
New federal government buildings in the Washington, D.C. area would become models of green buildingdesign under a bill approved by a Senate committee last week. The legislation would set up a new office to encourage the General Services Administration to make environmentally-friendly features, such as solar heat and recycled water, a high priority when the agency awards contracts to architects. GSA officials say they are already making great strides towards designing green buildings. The Senate bill would reinforce a 1999 executive order requiring more environmentally-friendly features in federal buildings. High fuel costs are adding to the GSA's emphasis, officials there said.
Read more.
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Jeffords' Green Building Legislation Wins Committee Approval
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2006, clearing the bill for consideration by the full Senate. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., authorizes $25 million over five years to develop environmentally-friendly green buildings. Read More.
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GSA Report Concludes LEED "Most Credible" Rating System
A recently completed report by the General Services Administration (GSA) comparing five different green building rating systems concludes that LEED is the "most credible." GSA submitted the report to Congress on September 15, 2006 in response to a request from the Committee on Appropriations to "report to the relevant congressional committees on the progress and next steps toward recognition of other sustainable building rating systems."

GSA is the federal government's landlord and the largest real estate organization in the country, with more than 340 million square feet of buildings and an additional 90 million square feet currently under construction. GSA was the first federal member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and currently requires all new buildings and substantial renovations to earn LEED certification, with a target of LEED Silver
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October 5 - Driving Down the Cost of LEED, Driving Up the Value of Your Building
This workshop will provide the skills, tools and knowledge needed to deliver LEED-certified projects within expected economic and environmental project goals. Who should attend? Design and project management professionals who are working on either public or private large building projects. More information can be found here.
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October 17 - GBA Member Event
GBA is hosting its first member networking event at the South Side's Club Café.  Members: mark your calendars and get ready to enjoy two hours of the Club's intimate atmosphere and sophisticated music.  Be our guest while you catch up with friends and colleagues on the green scene. More information on membership can be found here. RSVP to Karen by e-mail or at (412) 431-0709.
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October 30 - GBA and PHLF Present: The Greening of Historic Properties National Summit

Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation and
Green Building Alliance invite you to participate in this fall event. A national forum will explore preserving historic buildings, while simultaneously making smart improvements to promote their efficiency, occupant health and the environment. More information.
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October 31 - Using LEED-NC on Historic Projects
Held in conjunction with the National Preservation Conference, this half-day workshop will cover the adaptive reuse of historic projects, how to minimize impact on historic resources, leveraging LEED-NC concepts into historic projects, and implementing green strategies and modifications necessary for a sustainable design. The course instructor is Ralph DiNola of Portland, OR. Register online.
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November 9 - Green Advantage Program for Contractors
This training consists of one fullday program with two highly experienced trainers,one representing the construction/contracting perspective and the other representing the architecture/design perspective. You will engage in a range of interactive activities and discussions that address practice and theory. The course follows the building process and addresses the roles and responsibilities of the contractor throughout. More information can be obtained here.
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November 28 and 30 - Green Roof Design 101 and 201
Sponsored by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, these two one-day intensive courses will teach you how to determine major functions and components of a green roof, identify factors that influence costs, how to utilize an integrated design process in your project for maximum benefit, and much more. GBA members are extended a courtesy $50 discount on registration for either course. Click here for more information.
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