The History of Climate Change

I just watched a great online lecture "the discovery of global warming" which follows the history of climate change since the discovery of the greenhouse effect in 1824. It's a bit lengthy but the page is cool since you can click on individual slides and jump around the presentation:
http://csuci.hosted.panopto.com/CourseCast/Viewer/Default.aspx?id=6ee495f0-719d-4d5a-a525-b12d37e918fc
The link was published on Terrapass footprint: http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/a-history-of-global-warming

one of the last slides really resonated with me:

Humans started global warming...and we can stop it
It's easier than lots of things we've done
It's not a scientific problem now... it's a political problem

(chew on this: Who thinks global warming is really happening? 45% of republicans, 86% of democrats)

BREEAM, LEED, Green Star comparison

Hi All,

Came across this article that compares BREEAM, LEED and Green Star rating systems. I thought it was interesting to compare the numbers. Of course it doesn't get as indepth as our research.

http://www.climatechangecorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=6094

Adrienne

Health Risk Concerns with Smart Meters

Apparently, electromagnetic radiation and radio waves that are emitted from Smart Meters, may pose health risks, especially to those individuals with sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation. Pacific Gas & Electric's smart meter installation project set to begin in July 2010 (California), has been halted because of raising health concerns. Pacific Gas is arguing that the low levels emitted are actually safe and are no cause for concern - the company also believes that part of the complaining is due to consumers not being educated enough about the role of smart meters and how the help to conserve energy.

SmartMeter

Petition to open LEED to other certified forests

Hi All,

I came across this link in "Green Source Magazine" where we are able to petition the USGBC to open LEED to other certified forests. As we all know, LEED currently only recognizes products certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Let your voice be heard and petition on the link below:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/leed/

Thanks,
Adrienne

The Weed Brings Affordable Solar Power Worldwide

Wake Forest University's Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials is currently developing a new solar cell that is low-cost and will make solar power more accessible. The common pokeberry plant, a native weed to North America, South America, East Asia, and New Zealand, is used to coat solar cells to create a more efficient fiber-based solar cell. Coating fibers with the pokeberry, will help it to absorb more sunlight. Researchers discovered that fiber-based solar cells coated with the pokeberry generates twice as much power than current technology.

weed

First Offshore Windfarm in US Approved

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar approved the first offshore windfarm off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass. The 130 turbine windfarm will be constructed off the coast of Nantucket. This could pave the way for future windfarms and hopefully lead us to a more sustainable energy future. The project was largely controversial, and several key politicians, such as the late Ted Kennedy opposed the farm. This is mostly due to the fact that the Kennedy's residence is on Martha's Vineyard, close to the project and some of the windmills are seen as eyesores to the public living near them.

Here's the article from the Post today:

http://views.washingtonpost.com/climate-change/post-carbon/2010/04/salazar_approves_cape_wind_project.html?hpid=topnews

University of Tennessee to launch first e-bike sharing program in the US!

By late this summer, the Univ of Tennessee will launch an innovative e-bike share program using pedal assisted solar powered electric bikes. The university specifies a 25 % decrease in CO2 emissions from campus transportation activities. This program was modeled after Sanyo's recently installed community bike share program in Tokyo using 100% solar energy.

e-bikes

"Global Solar Report Card"

This solar report card examines strategic evidence and potential for the use of solar energy. It looks at continents and regions that would most efficiently use solar technology. The report also scores countries progress towards developing solar energy. Well, the report was not too optimistic. There was only one A, with Germany receiving an A-. Poland and Russia received received grades of F with no initiatives whatsoever involving PV and marginal efforts in developing other renewable initiatives. Other countries suprisingly lagging are China, the UK, and Canada, with all three countries earning grades of D. The purpose of the report is to encourage investment of 50 billion dollars or more over the next 2 or 3 years in solar energy. The report stresses that today's solar technology can meet today's annual energy demand four times over. There are several categories for which countries (and California) are graded upon.

-Nick

http://globalgreen.org/climate/initiatives/solarreportcard/

CDC on Healthy Communities

I just came across this article about a recent workshop the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held to help improve health in the US. The American Society of Landscape Architects helped the CDC put together a report detailing the best methods for creating healthy communities. The workshop drew from a variety of organizations including the AIAS, ASLA, Congress for New Urbanism, and the National Association of Home Builders just to name a few. HERE's the article from the ASLA.

I thought this was an interesting article, but upon further investigation I discovered the CDC's site on healthy places which yielded even more information. Click HERE for this site.

Biz Markie Does Earth Day

Hey Everyone,

Nick Roldos posted this on my facebook wall and I thought you'd all get a kick out of it.

Biz Markie recorded an Earth Day Remix of his song "Just a Friend"

Enjoy!

SEED

I came across this while looking up some info on LEED for Homes. I can't quite tell how their goal is different from that of LEED and what they are trying to do. This could possibly be another standard to investigate. http://www.contractdesign.com/contract/design/New-Standard-SEEDs-1348.shtml

Green Technology Patents

Wired Magazine ran a piece today about clean energy and the costs associated with producing a patent. One example given was a Chinese car manufacturer complained about making a hybrid car low cost because of the fees associated with paying for use of a patented technology. In addition, federal law is making it difficult for patents, especially those funded and produced at universities to enter the open market without exclusive rights for one company. Hopefully, this impasse does not stall green technologies and the creation of cheaper, cleaner alternatives. Here's the link to the article: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/04/climate-desk-patents-ouellette/

Appliance Discounts for the Swift: Energystar Update

Nationwide 300 million dollars in rebate money has been allocated by the federal government. the money is being allocated to 56 territories and states to get residents to buy appliances that have the government's Energy Star Label. Hopefully that means the Energy Star program has made some changes in their system for accepting appliances as Energy Star products.
The rebates have their ups and downs since most states are facing long lines waiting for rebates, failed rebate websites and long lists of dropped calls.

Interesting note: Colorado is offering 15,000 dollars back for installing a commercial solar thermal system. This offer began this monday by now the rebate offer is most likely over.

Michelle Navarro

Earth day on the National Mall

Hello,
On Sunday, April 25th from 11am-7pm there will be a climate rally.
It will host Sting, John legend, the roots and more.
Of course on Thursday, April 22nd there will be earth day 40th anniversary events form 11am to 7pm. Two days to celebrate earthday. Sounds fun.

Michelle N.

This is an ecohouse in Australia, claiming to be self sufficient. The images are really most interesting and show the use of windows and day lighting quite nicely. The article also mentions the use of "edible landscaping" which I thought was something a little different than the same sustainability techniques we've been seeing in other homes.

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/04/ultra-green-hill-end-ecohouse-brisbane.html

The Civic Hybrid Model of E-readers?

So a software developer has decided to take on the notion of the e-reader and match the expectations everyone has of what a newspaper should be. By creating this ultra-light media screen, this "tech" tool would allow people to utilize the thin surface just like a newspaper.

I guess you could argue that this is for those people who really don't have to have an IPad to read their paper, but this seems a lot more technologically savvy than that.

http://inhabitat.com/2010/04/19/the-page-flat-foldable-e-reader-protype/

LEED GA Prep

Hey all,

I wish I had come across this before the exam, but here is a link that gives the 411 on all the study materials available. I can say from experience, the LEED Core concepts and study guide are not all that need to be studied unfortunately. http://www.reallifeleed.com/

Education: Sustainability Comes of Age

New York City College has begun a master's program in sustainability in the urban enviroment. What makes the program so interesting is students will be able to focus on either arcitecture-sustainability issues relating to buildings and parks- or engineering where recycling and clean power will be important.
The program is interdisciplinary so people with different backgrounds work together.
Architecture and enginnering students working together in school. This should be more common.

Michelle N.

Polystyrene Insulation Doesn't Belong in Green Building

Here's an interesting article criticizing ICFs (insulated concrete forms) for the hazardous chemicals that are found within the insulation.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/polystyrene-insulation-green-building.php#ch02

Passivhaus in America

I have been looking at articles recently regarding the Passivhaus method of energy-efficient focused building. This one article on Treehugger offered some critiques on the Passivhaus system. As we all know there are more extreme temperature swings on a seasonal basis in many areas of North America when compared to the more stable European climate from which the Passivhaus standard originated. One critique on the system is that there is a bias towards smaller housings because the system is based on energy used per square foot and offers no "penalties" for building large and smaller houses are apparently harder to certify. The standards for retro-fitting and certifying existing buildings are also apparently very stringent and therefore discouraging to those thinking of renovating. I am glad there are articles describing the negative aspects of a particular rating system so that we can learn the areas of weakness and not accept a standard as infallible.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/passivhaus-too-rigid-for-america.php

Terrapass Green Driving Tips

Green Driving Tips, some suggestions:
Don't have a lead foot... accelerate slowly.
Don't carry excess weight in your car.
Slow down in advance before a corner.
Try to coast as much as possible... watch for red lights ahead in the distance and avoid the gas.
Also, check your tire pressure.
http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/green-driving-tips-you-actually-use

Roofing Materials: Cooking oil and Chameleon-like tiles

Scientists Develop Efficient Roof Coating That Can Switch Roles From Season to Season:
Roofing material made from waste cooking oil can supposedly reflect sun in summer and absorb heat in winter... of course the article doesn't mention how...
http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/finishes-and-surfaces/scientists-develop-efficient-roof-coating-that-can-switch-roles-from-season-to-season.aspx


A Roof That Changes Color?
These tiles are white in summer for high reflectance and turn black in winter to absorb heat. This one is more believable... but quite pricey no doubt.
http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/news/2009/10/a-roof-that-changes-color.aspx

Mexico City Reductions in Air Pollution

In what is surely a step in the right direction, Mexico City has had significant reductions in air pollution. From the city that was labeled as one of the dirtiest cities in the country, this is a major step for all others to follow. Emissions from buses were cut, and building was done more environmentally and steps were taken to reduce waste and contaminants. If Mexico City can start cleaning up and work toward a cleaner solution, many other cities should follow and do the same.

Here's the link to the Post article

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/31/AR2010033103614.html

-Anthony

The Hazards Lurking at Home

I was reading an article in Time magazine called "The Perils of Plastic. There was also an interesting illustration not directly related to the article called the hazards lurking at home. I found it interesting how this can also relate to building materials and how people assume products are safe, but in reality, there just isn't enough testing to determine whether these materials are safe or not. In some cases there are known unsafe chemicals used, but the claim is that they use a "safe amount" of these toxic chemicals.

Plastics article:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1976909_1976908,00.html

Illustration:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1976909_1976895_1976914,00.html

Greening NYC

Hello All,
Global Green's website has been a bit slow at putting up interesting news so I wanted to comment on this article from The New York Times regarding NYC's goal to become more energy efficient. It starts by describing an adaptive reuse like project, the Hearst Tower which is the first skyscraper to be built since September 11th. It is surprisingly the cities first green commercial building, earning a LEED gold certification. Since the Hearst Tower nearly every new commercial project in the city has been LEED certified. The article then describes how city officials are troubled by the poor energy performance of old/historic existing structures. Thousands of existing structures need to be upgraded with better insulation and mechanical systems (future career opportunities). Four new bills have been set in motion to revise codes related to retrofitting existing buildings. There has been much red tape however and a review of the 111 or so new/modified codes will take some time. This article is important to us as young architects as much of our future work will be adaptive reuse (I am not in the 601 adaptive reuse studio or anything.....).

-Nick

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/05/05greenwire-nyc-begins-hard-long-slog-to-energy-efficiency-78815.html?pagewanted=2

"new urban century"

I found an interesting article on CNN about 5 different cities and a few of the things they are doing to develop the downtown areas using green technology and other approaches. It is pretty interesting and has a lot of great images.

The article is called "Americans Rebuild for the 'New Urban Century'"

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/01/infrastructure.rebuild/index.html?hpt=C2

enjoy
Michelle C

Green Myths "Debunked"

This is a really fun article describing explaining various green myths in all categories of life. LIke who knew organic local food might no be the best food option!? Or that beef produces a large amount of the green houses gases in the world (I do not know how accurate that is). Many of these facts were new to me and very interesting. This class has really made me think about sustainable behavior in all aspects of my life. Check out the article, many of the things I thought were sustainable are apparently not....

-Nick


http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/1003/gallery.green_myths.fortune/10.html

Green House Taken Too Literally?

So this house has been a project under-works for approximately 8 years and as a result has become an almost entirely "green" clad building.

To me this raises the question of what really is to be considered "green" architecture, as when one first looks at this all you are able to synthesize about the house is that it is plant material and windows, which really challenges the notion of how we consider the exterior skin of buildings. Typically, when a green wall is incorporated into a facade it is just that- one wall, not the entirety of a facade with the exception of windows.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/30/gorgeous-green-house-wrapped-in-a-vertical-garden/

Audit Finds Weakness in the energystar program

The 18 year-old EnergyStar program was set up to guide the public on energy-efficient choices. However there have been a series of product approvals and company registrations with Energy Star that should not have taken place.

One Example: A gasoline alarm clock with dimensions the size of an electric generator.
The approval was done by an automated system and was not reviewed by a human being.

Second example: A company that was registered with Energystar could download the logo from the government's website and then paste it on any of their products.

Third Example: The stimulus bill allows tax breaks for people who buy energy star products. However not all products approved by energystar are actually energy efficient.

This is troublesome because companies with energystar are getting more business (governmnet agencies are required to buy energystar products) however their products can potentially require more energy. How was this not being regulated for so long? This encourages me to do my own research when comparing products to not be fulled into buying products with false logos.

A sustainable strip mall?

Well, according to this link, the most sustainable/ green shopping center in the US has been created in Missouri. It is a little odd though that somehow the "greenest" shopping center in the US with the ranking of LEED Platinum is a completely NEW shopping center on a site the seems to have been previously undeveloped. Even more interesting is that this "green" shopping center is one that still has a good amount of on site surface parking.

At least according to them they were able to save 40% of the trees on the site by siting the shopping center the way that they did.

http://www.hufft.com/#/greencircle

The seemingly small things add up!

We all know that excessive packaging is one of the main sources of trash in the world. Well if that packaging is not recyclable then that makes the problem all the more worse. Global Green recently posted an article on their website about a poultry manufacturing plant that recently switched to FBA packaging (Fibre Box Association certified recyclable boxes), though this might not seem like a big deal at first it becomes important in that it encourages other manufacturers to ship not only poultry but produce, and seafood in these boxes. The currently used wax cardboard boxes cannot be recycled and end up in landfills. The recyclable boxes at this company alone save millions of gallons of water yearly as well as the equivalent of 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being created annually. The article also cites that 1.5 millions tons of un-recyclable wax-coated boxes are used annulay in the US alone each year. If these new FBA certified boxes were used in the US it would be the equivalent of taking one million passenger cars off the road and save 63 million dollars annually in trash removal fees. An amazing fact considering we are simply talking about cardboard boxes.

-Nick

http://www.globalgreen.org/press/135

Wood Products, Sustainable Forestry and such..

Professor Bennett was kind enough to send me this link:
Plywood vs OSB (oriented strand board)
http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/green-products/greening-the-shell.aspx
which essentially gives pros and cons for both products.
In a nutshell:
OSB: more enviromentally-friendly (made from small strands of lumber and uses the entire log), ave. $7 cheaper per sheet, but doesn't hold up well when exposed to extreme moisture (humid climates)
Ply: not as sustainable (uses thin sheets of wood peeled from larger, older trees, and leaves the center spindle of the tree as waste), costs more, but holds up better with moisture exposure

Also:
Wood Groups Dislike USGBC's Third Try To Write Rules on LEED Points
http://www.ecohomemagazine.com/news/2010/03/wood-groups-dislike-usgbcss-third-try-to-write-rules-on-leed-points.aspx
"At present, only FSC[Forest Stewardship Council]-certified lumber qualifies for points" LEED does NOT recognize points for other sustainable wood groups like SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) This is problematic since "..many LEED builders who chase points will turn away reputable third-party certified SFI wood which is grown in their backyard, in the U.S. and Canada, and instead turn to FSC-certified wood--the vast majority of the FSC's global supply comes from overseas and often from countries without effective social laws." This is a good example to show that using the LEED system may not always be the most sustainable option.

And:
Terrapass has taken part in a forestry project in McCloud Forest on Mt. Shasta, California. http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/terrapass-first-forestry-project I was a little unsure about how the "buying carbon offsets" thing works and this article helped me to understand better. Terrapass footprint sells carbon offsets, and the money goes (in part) to fund sustainable forestry practices. Carbon reductions involve planting trees, forest management, paying people not to cut down trees, protecting rare species, etc. "The idea of locking up carbon in trees makes sense — after all, 20% of the climate change problem comes from deforestation" Terrapass claims that the conserved trees will be "permanent", however, they claim that they will be protected "far in the future" and imply over 10 years. I'm unsure how this can be guaranteed but I suppose having a goal is a good start.

Get 'em started while they're young.

The green fad has apparently found it's way into design for children, which makes sense I suppose. The site inhabitots.com is a affiliated with inhabitat and focuses on sustainable design geared for children. Get 'em started while they're young.

The site recently made it's way to the popular page on digg.com with a post about a Lego concept based in a eco-dystopia (link). It makes a lot of sense to start teaching children about sustainability as early as possible. The programs at my elementary school ran about saving the bay definitely made an impact on me. However, it makes you question whether something like the above mentioned toy generates more fantasy then real concern, and how sustainable the toy actually is. At least, Legos are inherently re-usable.

Hope everyone's spring break is off to a good start

-Dave

LEED Green Associate Exam

When applying for the LEED Green Associate Exam, it can take up to 10 days to get approval for student pricing and you are not allowed to scedule time to take the exam until after you have received the student price approval from GBCI (unless you decide to pay the full price or you are already a USGBC member). For those of you that were planning to take the exam over Spring break, I suggest registering with GBCI asap and hopefully they will respond soon.

I was under the assumption that the student price of $150 was for taking the exam up to 3 times. After further reading, it states that the price to take the exam is $150 per exam appointment. Therefore if you don't pass the exam the first time, it will cost another $150 to sit for the exam again.

Happy studying everyone.

"Green Homes Face a Red Light"

Hello All,
I saw this article on CNN Money regarding appraisal difficulties for green home projects. Real estate appraisals are a tricky business because the appraiser can only appraise something based on the demand of the market. So if you plan on putting a 100,000 dollar PV system on your roof the appraiser might only appraise that for 50,000 dollars based on the demand in the particular area. So if you need to borrow 500,000 for your house and the appraiser will only value your PV system for 50,000 the bank will only approve a 450,000 loan. So if you need to come up with 20 percent down to avoid PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) or a second "piggyback" mortgage you will have to come up with 140,000 dollars cash for the bank. If the PV was given a full appraisal for its value of 100,000 dollars than you would only have to come up with 100,000 dollars for the 500,000 dollar loan. (Sorry if that was confusing, real estate is that confusing) Some areas of the country though are not as affected, apparently in Seattle green homes carry the premium that they deserve. The article though describes that green homes just need more time for people to value them which would in turn drive up demand for green systems. Many developers and builders though will not incorporate intensive green systems until the current trend starts to demand green homes.

-Nick

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/10/real_estate/green_homes_redlight/index.htm

Outsourcing Emissions

This article talks about a report showing That countries such as UK, US and China import a significant amount of their products, meaning that they outsource the manufacturing of the products to less developed countries where manufacturing prices are much lower.

For example the products imported by the UK are equivalent to 4.3 extra tones per person on top of the official per capita emissions of 9.7. Also countries such as Switzerland outsource more carbon emissions than they release in their country.

Shouldn't each country be responsible for the carbon emissions they generate regardless of the of the location?

In my opinion, the argument in favor of a more global policy where final consumers elsewhere will account responsible for a portion of the emissions is the one that makes more sense.

http://www.climatebiz.com/news/2010/03/09/outsourcing-emissions-hides-countries-true-carbon-footprints

DC Environmental Film Festival

For whoever is interested.

They have a wide range of films.

http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/

As if there were any doubts....

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/evidence-of-man-made-global-warming-grows-stronger/19384663

This article states that a recent paper by Britain's Met Office (the country's national weather service) that analyzed 110 studies on global warming since 2007 shows increasing proof that global warming is indead caused by man. One thing I do not understand about this issue is why there is any doubt at all? Even though there have been falsified reports exaggerating data those account for only a small percentage of the total studies.

-Nick

Warmest January, ever

http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/warmest-january-ever

Global warming still happening, in spite of snow in winter...
this January ("global average temperature") was hotter than any previously recorded January (dating back to 1850)

Stopping Sea Level From Destroying Land- Creating Floating Islands

So the small island nation of the Maldives (a series of almost 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean) has taken a very aggressive role in dealing with the impending doom that will be caused by rising sea levels. As a nation that has no land really more than 6' above sea level, the nation is active in education, reduction and preserving their environment as much as possible.

Unfortunately, there efforts can be found to be undermined by other nations who are not as concerned or noticing the effects of their actions. The nation is touting itself as carbon neutral however because we all share all of the resources of the Earth they are only as good as the weakest link.

The country has teamed up to begin creating floating islands that will begin to become a refuge if sea levels begin to rise above a safe threshold. Built practically as a floating version of Atlantis, this design is fairly interesting, but the article does not fully address how these floating cities would be capable of sustaining life without contact to outside land, nor does it address issues of fuel or waste disposal.

Still, I suppose this can make those living in low lying areas rest slightly more comfortably.
http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/05/maldives-to-fight-rising-sea-levels-with-floating-islands/

Wilkinson Residence

Here's a residence that defines a new meaning to tree house. The home was designed by organic architect Robert Harvey Oshatz in 2004 as a house that blends in well with the landscape. The house is located in the forest of Portland, OR and is made of local building materials of wood and glass. Connections are made between the house, nature, and a musical theme that the client wanted integrated into the overall design. The house sits on a steep lot which allows a greater connection with the tree canopy. Overall an interesting way to make a design, but I wonder how sustainable the systems are other than the connections with nature. Here's the link to the architect's site and web-urbanist where I first came across the house:

http://www.oshatz.com/text/wilkinson.htm

http://weburbanist.com/2010/03/03/organic-architect-robert-oshatzs-wowsa-wilkinson-treehouse/

Headline: Architects are often the last people needed in disaster reconstruction

Ok this is great...
UK daily newspaper the Guardian posted an article with the headline: Architects are often the last people needed in disaster reconstruction: Most of them focus on buildings rather than people, and will be of little use in Haiti
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/03/architects-disaster-reconstruction-haiti-chile#start-of-comments

The author asserts: "the role of architects in these circumstances is "marginal at best". In fact, most architects are taught almost the exact opposite of what is needed. Architects are taught to focus on the product (a building), whereas humanitarian practitioners major on the process (involving people)."

BUT THE BEST thing about this article isn't even the article itself.. but the ENORMOUSLY long list of comments at the bottom. The third one down says: "...Architects are usually 2:1 students who like pretty pictures and little more. Not as dumb as psychology students, but not bright enough to do law. So there is no chance that an architect would manage to make a building safe. The normal practice is for them to draw a pretty picture which is then handed over to some poor bastard of an engineer who has to work out how to make the pretty picture a realistic design. If you're lucky he will then think about how to make it Earthquake proof. " (although keep in mind, the uk doesn't exactly have building codes like we do)

Luckily, some of the following comments are more redeeming and help to defend the role of [some] architects.

While I don't think it's wise to make broad generalizations bashing any group of people (let alone architects) I appreciate that this topic is getting a rise out of people... I guess it's an effective way to spur people into action and help others... maybe even help the planet, too. I most certainly think that architects can potentially help in the planning and rebuilding of devastated communities... I think that people/architects/whoever who genuinely care and want to contribute to a humanitarian cause shouldn't be criticized so harshly for their efforts.
What do you think?

Philly-Based Firm to Design New Us London Embassy

A light filled cued by Philadelphia based architectuew firm Kieran Timberlake has won the competition to build the new US embassy in London. It will be one of the greenest and most expensive diplomatic buildings in the world.
It's exterior is to be lined with energy-absorbing material, the roof is covered with solar panels, and the building will collect and store London's rainwater to be self-sufficient in water use.
Article Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/23/world/AP-EU-Britain-US-Embassy.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Philly%20London%20Building&st=cse
Michelle N.

100% Renewable Energy in Australia

Here's a fun proposal from an Australian advocacy group, Beyond Zero Emissions, claiming that in 10 years all of Australia's energy can come from renewable energy sources. I find this hard to believe...

At the moment 80% of Australia's energy comes from coal power plants, with less than 2% from wind and solar energy. This plan calls for 60% of total energy to be produced by concentrating solar power plants and the other 40% to come from wind turbines. This seems like a wonderful plan, but putting these proposals into effect will take forever, not to mention the cost of building these facilities.

Here's the link.

Glacier Ice Loss/Rising Sea Levels

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8357537.stm

Our talk on Tuesday about the melting ice caps inspired to read some articles about the subject. I found this article on BBC news that analyzes the many facets that compose the topic. The article specifically focuses on the Greenland ice sheet. In addition to the loss of reflectivity from the ice sheets when the surface of the ice melts it absorbs more heat hastening the ice melt. The whole process is very much a self-destructive cycle. A loss of the entire Greenland ice sheet would cause global sea level to rise by 20 ft. to put into perspective the massive volume of water contained within the glaciers. The article also mentions an analysis of the potential sea level rise for this century is 28-43 cm based on a 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. This is an important topic we should all keep an eye on.

-Nick

15 Creative House & Home Conversions

Here's a fun glipse at 15 Creative House & Home Conversions.

Make sure you check this out. There isn't much info on each project, but some of them are hilarious (as well as inventive).

Should Port-au-Prince be Recycled?

This article brings an interesting subject on recycling construction materials from natural disaster.

It sounds like a pretty good idea specially if take into account the cost of shipping materials to the island to reconstruct the city.

Is anyone more familiar with the process of recycling construction materials?

Why is this not being done more often?

http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/03/01/port-au-prince-recycling

"World's Greenest Skyscraper"

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/22/technology/zeb_pearl_river.fortune/index.htm

I found this article on CNN's business section. It talks about a proposed ZEB skyscraper in China. ZEB stands for "zero energy building" which was something I learned in this article. Apparently it is extremely difficult to design sustainable skyscrapers due to their lack of roof space to effectively position solar panels. (If you look at the diagram 2 in the article you can see the tiny area allocated for solar panels) Apparently though the main feature is a 8" air cavity in the external facade of the building. I am glad SOM is innovating in this project because density is crucial to sustainable urban environments.

-Nick

I keep seeing different approaches to temporary housing and shelters for Haiti. Some reuse shipping comtainers while others are designed to ship flat and then be assembled when they get to Haiti. Here are the links to the different projects that are addressing this issue. they are all very interesting and take different approaches, focusing either on make the houses and inexpensive as possible, or on being more sustainable for the future.

Flat Pack Haiti Cabins

Shipping Container Houses

Sustainable Housing for Haitians

Haiti Earth Bag House

More Shipping Container...

Is this REALLY a sustainable?

This article was mostly images that were about a new proposed tower for Miami that would rival the presently closed Burj Khalifa. While it is always interesting to read about these massive undertakings it does really raise the question of whether or not this kind of building could be considered a sustainable example of architecture. Particularly interesting is that Miami is still dealing with the effects of the housing crisis and it seems that this large of an infusion in the city would be a bit overkill in an area that is so prone to hurricanes.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/01/miapolis-leed-eco-city-could-be-next-worlds-tallest-building/miapolis5/

In addition to the blog, there was an interesting piece in the Washington Post this weekend about a potential loss of the cap and trade agreement proposed by certain members of Congress. Cap and trade allows certain businesses to buy and sell pollution credits and sets a strict limit on the amount of greenhouse emissions that could be produced by a certain company. Opponents say that this is a tax on energy use by corporations and will hurt business.

Due to wavering senators, a new proposal called cap and dividend is beginning to take shape. Under this scheme, three sources of emissions would be targeted: electric utilities, transportation, and industry. Power plants would be restricted to a certain amount of emissions and there might still be a carbon tax for motor fuel.

The legislation is less stringent than the cap and trade to appease moderates in Congress and its hope is to be passed through by the end of the year. The bill will need bipartisan support in order to clear the hurdles it currently faces in congress. Here's the link.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/26/AR2010022606084.html

-Anthony

Real Life LEED

Joel McKellar, an architect in South Carolina came up with this blog to document his experiences with LEED. The blog documents changes and the general process with the system. There are valuable links to some green building sites some of which the class is already following. Some of the posts are a little in depth to the specific credits earned from LEED, but overall I think this is a valuable blog to look into the process of LEED certification of a building.

http://www.reallifeleed.com/

-Anthony

SunChips Compostable Bag

I'm sure most of you have seen this sunchips commercial... they also have a clever billboard.
http://www.sunchips.com/advertising_television.shtml
The bag is made out of a plant-based polymer called PLA (poly lactic acid) made from corn and other starchy vegetables. Supposedly, in an "active compost system" the bag will completely decompose in about 14 weeks. I was thinking of compost yesterday during our solar decathlon meeting with living systems engineers. Among other things, we talked about bioremediation ponds with plants for treating greywater, green walls, edible gardens, and, of course, compost. Our concept submission for SD2011 is due in 2 weeks, and I think part of this concept will embody the idea of a home that functions like an ecosystem... generating its own energy/food, and recyling/reusing its waste. (we realize this is not fully possible but is an admirable goal, I think) Just thought you might like to know! Anyway, hopefully other companies will follow sunchips and begin implementing similiar environmentally-friendly initiatives.

I came across an article in Reader's Digest called "Climate Engineering." Reader's Digest is not the most scientific credible source, but the article does raise some interesting questions. I wonder how far governments will go to stop globing warming without correcting the real problem. I feel the solution is eliminating carbon emissions, not manipulating the weather. What drastic negative impacts could this have on a global scale when you try to control mother nature? Some of the global cooling options listed in the article include aerosols (blasting chemicals into the stratoshere to reflect the sun's rays), spaced mirrors (orbiting lenses diffuse sun's rays), artificial trees (absorb CO2 from the air and store it underground), and cloud brightening (spraying seawater to create clouds to reflect sun's rays. In the time line in the article, it says that Chinese meteorologists desperate to end a drought in Feb 2009, loaded rockets with chemicals and fired them in the sky, which caused snow to fall in Beijing. In Oct 2009 China also claims to have prevented rain during its 60th anniversary parade by sprinkling liquid nitrogen into the clouds. So what do you think?

Link to article (you may have to copy/paste into browser):

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/quick-study-climate-engineering/article175278.html

Adrienne

Trading Trees II

This one explains it better.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/carbonwatch/2010/01/trading-trees.html

Trading trees

I heard this story on NPR. It talks about companies buying trees and getting credits for the carbon dioxide that is stored in them. (I was completely unaware of this new trend!)

It turns out that every time you cut a tree or a tree is burned, it releases back to the air all the carbon dioxide it absorbed during its lifetime.

Brazilians figure out a way to measure how much carbon is stored in a tree, and they are selling them to companies allowing them to collect credits that "helps" them reduce their carbon footprint. The video goes into much more detail, it is quite interesting.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/carbonwatch/moneytree/

Enjoy!

PS: There's a follow up of this story tomorrow that is going to talk about the impact of this new trend has on brazilian communities.

"Clean Coal" not so clean after all

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0224/Report-Contamination-from-coal-ash-waste-is-worse-than-EPA-says

Next time I see a "Clean Coal" commercial I will think of this article

-Nick

Behind the Scenes of Shipping Containers

After reviewing all the images of Shipping container architecture, I became interested in how these structures were actually created and what needed to be done in order to design with them. I found this article to be helpful.

Climate change trends: carbon emissions giants

This is more a statistic than an article, but it has important information on countries with top coal reserves, atmospheric CO2 concentration, population growth etc.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121240453

An "Ugly" building is not a sustainable building....

For those that attended James Wines' lecture last night it certainly was an entertaining experience. James talked about how the aesthetics of a building are just as important to sustainability as the technology incorporated within. He mentioned how people will tear down the building as soon as they can if it is not aesthetically pleasing which is one of the least sustainable thing that could happen to your building. I thought that statement was quite interesting.

-Nick

Highly Absorbing, Flexible Solar Cells With Silicon Wire Arrays Created

This new solar cell is created by a team of scientists at California Institute of Technology. This new solar cell that is created only uses 2% of silicon (1/50 of silicon compared to the conventional solar cell) and the rest is polymer. The flexible material allows for manufacturing it in rolls, which will lowering the cost. You can read more on it in the link below.

Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140259.htm

Everyday Grass Could Provide Green Fuel

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216221301.htm

This article is from Science Daily.

Amanda

The technical side of green building....

One of the magazines I have been following for the past month has been the Journal of Light Construction, on loan from Professor Bennett. There is an interesting article titled, "Blower Door Testing"! Very Exciting. I actually found out though that air leakage accounts for 30 to 50 percent of the heat loss in some homes. So to analyze this there is a contraption that gets mounted in a doorway and exagerrates air leaks allowing a skilled technician to find the leaks. I learned about some ways of measuring this air leakage through CFM and ACH. ACH is air flow changes per hour, with homes maintaining 5-6 ACH per hour at 50 Pa (pascals) pressure considered "tight" and those over 20 ACH per hour being "loose." Very riveting. CFM or cubic feet per minute is sometimes a better measure to use because ACH might make a small space seem "leaky" and a large space "tight" just by the nature of the spatce volume. CFM is also easily obtained through single point tests. (Where they measure the air in one location) The article goes on describing the specific steps in the measurement process, which involves turning off certain building systems, etc. I think this magazine provides a good technical contrast to articles that describe things in a more general manner. I recommend taking a look at this magazine! Come find me to see it.
-Nick

Shipping Container Homes: The Daily Green

Last class we briefly discussed building with shipping containers. Here's a great slide show of container homes & offices that shows some innovative uses and configurations.

Recycled Building Materials

Hi all,

Here is the link from an article on Inhabitat that leads to Inhabitots- the child centered branch of Inhabitat.

http://www.inhabitots.com/2010/02/22/the-santa-cruz-familys-plastic-bottle-palace/

While this is designed to be a somewhat fun take on reusing recycled products to construct an entire house, it is a pretty interesting concept of using items that you would find in a recycling bin to design and construct an entire dwelling. This also brings up an idea of the potential for utilizing these bottle house (or even aluminum can houses) as a temporary fix to housing/ dwelling issues throughout the world that would be able to be stored as a kit of party in a variety of different conditions without really worrying about the way that water and mold are impacting the structure.

"Out of the Ruins, a More Sustainable Haiti"

Hello All!
I am excited for our class blog! I have been following globalgreen.org as one of my publications. Global Green is an environmental non-profit that has helped with rebuilding in New Orleans after Katrina. I found an interesting article on their website regarding the re-building of Haiti. (The article was originally at TreeHugger) The disaster offers a unique opportunity to rebuild in a sustainable manner. The article describes many of the challenges prior to any new construction starting in the country. Standards in building practice and code need to be put in place before building can start. There are also dangers of exploitation by hiring inefficient financially-motivated government contractors. Also, many of the temporary structures set up will also ultimately be used by the Haitians as permanent settlements. Clearly there are many challenges ahead for the country. Many do not even know if many of the people that left the capital for the countryside will come back. The president of Global Green wonders whether it would be better for the country to move towards a more agrarian economy. There are so many questions and challenges listed in the article, one architecture question I had is listed below.

I wonder if there is a way to design a temporary structure that has the potential to be converted to stable long-term housing?

Just a thought.
-Nick

Researchers Unveil Green Rating Systems for Roads

Hi Everyone,

So this is the article I shared in class the other day about green roads rating. The link to the article is http://greensource.construction.com/news/2010/100211Green_Rating_System.asp#

and the link to the actual document in found at http://www.greenroads.us/14/manual.html. The manual is also available for download. There are also other resources on the site, including videos and presentations.

Amanda

Hello All

Arch418M students, this is our brand new class blog. Hopefully it can serve as a new class bulletin board so we will not have to print out as much. This way, we can look at all the posts in one place (and even open the page in class on the projector). Expect e-mails inviting you all to be authors. Make sure you sign up for the blog's RSS feed so you can see when someone makes a new post.

Cheers,
Dave O.