Sustainable Development Focus
San Jose Mercury News - Aug 28 Under a landmark bill sent to Governor Jerry Brown last Wednesday requiring far steeper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions than anything the state has ever attempted, the next 15 years will likely see big changes for California residents. Experts say the possibilities include rules requiring automakers to make hundreds of thousands of electric cars, new tax credits and incentives for solar farms and wind power, tighter building-efficiency standards on windows, heating, and water systems in homes and businesses, landfills that are required to capture natural gas and use it to heat homes, and a big push for batteries to store energy at homes. Under Senate Bill 32, California is required to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, despite population and economic growth. The measure, builds on AB 32, a law signed in 2006 by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that required the state to cut emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.
GreenBiz - Aug 23 Current discussions on how to improve education have focused on better teachers, better technology, and more funding. But consider that each year K–12 schools spend more than $8 billion on energy, more than they spend on computers and textbooks combined. With energy costs averaging about $300 per student per year, cash-strapped districts have found improving energy performance as the best way to lower operating and maintenance costs. RMI and New Buildings Institute believe schools are a prime market for net-zero energy design and operation, in both new construction and deep energy retrofit projects of existing buildings. Even in the absence of bond funding, numerous ways exist to finance and achieve the goals of net zero energy, such as energy performance contracting, power purchase agreements, and other public institution energy-efficiency financing mechanisms.
RCR Wireless - Aug 24 San Diego’s Petco Park expects to cut operating expenses by 25 percent over the next five years, thanks to real-time monitoring of its energy and water use. The park is not installing new pumps or meters, instead adding sensors and gateways to its current infrastructure to create a smart stadium. “We can see exactly how much water, power, and gas each operation uses ballpark-wide, and can work with our operators and tenants to manage usage and increase the reliability and overall performance of the venue,” said Randy McWilliams, senior director, facility services for the San Diego Padres.
Proud Green Building - Aug 22 In 2007, the Five Borough Technical Services Division of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation installed its first green roof system atop its headquarters on Randall’s Island. Nine years later, the green roof is one of the largest in New York City and the planet’s largest multi-system green-roof, covering 35,000 square feet, according to community organization 100 Resilient Cities. The green roof comprises 30 distinct growing systems, and it’s the only roof of its kind with different plant systems side by side. The roof is full of native plants and sedum that can withstand extreme heat, wind, and rain.
Environmental Leader - Aug 26 In May, Nike, in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of its global supply chain, said its expanded European Logistics Campus in Belgium would include several sustainability features including using 100 percent renewable energy, recycling 95 percent of the onsite waste, and optimizing transportation routes to reduce emissions by 30 percent. Last week, the company made another supply chain announcement that hits closer to home. Nike said it has partnered with Apollo Global Management and that the private equity firm will create a new apparel supply chain company that will “revolutionize apparel manufacturing in the Americas,” according to Nike chief operating officer, Eric Sprunk. “The new company, under Apollo’s leadership, is committed to embedding sustainability and transparency into the business, investing in new technology, vertically integrating critical elements of the supply chain, and delivering the best Nike performance product to our retail and sports partners,” Sprunk said in a statement.
San Diego Union-Tribune - Aug 28 San Diego’s Climate Action Plan calls for slashing the city’s greenhouse-gas emissions in half. The vision relies heavily on state and federal mandates designed to shrink emissions from California’s largest source: transportation. In fact, thanks to those regulations, the city will be able to meet the 2020 emissions benchmark set forth in its climate plan even if it fails to get any reductions from local efforts. City officials stress that San Diego has committed to rolling out its own programs to curb emissions, most notably by moving toward a greener electrical grid and striving to greatly limit the number of vehicle trips within city boundaries. To reduce tailpipe emissions, the city’s climate plan calls for 22 percent of all commuters in transit corridors, those who live within a half-mile of a major transit stop, to bike, walk, or take public transportation to work by 2020. The figure rises to a whopping 50 percent by 2035.
