Over the past few years we’ve been hit by a wave of new eco-friendly product labels, designed to help consumers pick out the most sustainable brands.  But in the long list of certifications, one of them stands out as the most comprehensive: Cradle to Cradle.

Pioneers in the realm of sustainable design and green building, architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart have started one of the most all-inclusive product certifications.  Made famous by their book by the same name, published in 2002, their entire approach to sustainability trumps all others because they envision products that can be entirely recycled or biodegraded at the end of their life cycle.

What’s more, a product can only be certified by Cradle to Cradle if the company adheres to principles of social justice in its relationship with employees and the community at large.   One of the founding principles of the C2C philosophy is that industry and the environment can be compatible; capitalism and ecological goals can and should work simultaneously in the new industrial age.   Waste does not need to exist.   Smart design is good for the planet, the people, and the economy.   They call it the New Industrial Revolution.

Cradle to Cradle has concentrated its efforts on certifying green building products, although one of its most recognized customers is the U.S. Postal Service, which uses paper and a manufacturing process that are incredibly sustainable.  Its green building companies include Steelcase, ACCO brands, TimberSIL Wood Products, Centria, Herman Miller Inc., and Eagle Corporation concrete products.  From small to large, companies the world over have to meet extremely rigorous qualifications to get this prestigious certification.

Take IceStone LLC, a Brooklyn-based company that manufactures countertops from reclaimed glass and operates by a triple-bottom line approach to business (people, profit, and planet).  What exactly did they have to do to get their Silver Cradle to Cradle product certification?  The five main categories in the criteria program are material health (i.e. no harmful chemicals), material reutilization (i.e. can it be recycled at the end of its lifecycle?), water usage in the manufacturing process, energy use, and social responsibility.  The company must generate or buy a significant portion of its energy from clean sources.  The water used in the industrial process must be limited to grey water systems and have strict chemical quality standards.

From a design standpoint, the material reutilization component is one of the most interesting and challenging; most companies haven’t received the Gold rating yet because designing for complete reintegration into the environment is something very new in industry.  Still, all Cradle to Cradle products like IceStone countertops have been given a thorough life-cycle analysis and take the environment into account at every step of the industrial process, from manufacturing to shipping to how well the company treats its employees.  Most eco-labels are not yet this comprehensive.

McDonough and Braungart have a special interest in materials and surfaces, from carpets to house siding.  Centria is a C2C-certified brand that specializes in roofing and siding materials.  Its innovative roof panels, for example, are not only made with recycled materials and meet the rigorous manufacturing qualifications, but their insulating capacities will increase the energy efficiency of the building they’re installed on.  The company’s EcoScreen products are perforated screen walls that provide air circulation and ventilation for indoor or outdoor applications.

Cradle to Cradle’s innovation in design, sustainability and industrial philosophy have helped it become recognized as one of the most comprehensive and prestigious certification systems available.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Cradle to Cradle Certification: Sustainability at its Finest.

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We can pretty much all recognize that particular odor, the ‘new carpet’ smell. Whether in a new office building or a renovated room in the house, it’s usually advisable to immediately ventilate the space so that head-ache inducing smell can dissipate. So what is causing that, anyway?

New carpets can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) used in the latex backing and adhesives, as well as the carpet itself. The particular ‘new carpet’ odor is usually caused by 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH) which is emitted from the styrene butadiene rubber that is used to hold carpet fibers and backing together. Some of these chemicals can adversely affect indoor air quality, and can cause occupants to feel dizzy or have trouble breathing. Since we spend approximately 90 percent of our time indoors, indoor air quality is becoming a critical component of staying healthy and re-affirming the importance of using green products in our environments.

The Carpet and Rug Institute conducts research to bring manufacturers, designers, architects and home-owners accurate information about carpets and carpet adhesives. They put together a program in 1992 called the Green Label program, and have recently added the Green Label Plus program which tests carpet, cushions and adhesives for VOCs. Their research enables customers to buy products with the lowest VOC emissions on the market, thus improving their health and surrounding environment.

FLOR, a company selling modular carpeting by the square, is innovative both in its environmental practices and its design. They manufacture 19.7 inch square carpet tiles, which can be mixed and matched to create unique, personalized design solutions for any size space. If a house guest accidentally spills some red wine on the new carpet it’s not a problem. Just pull up the tile, send it back to FLOR for a replacement, pop in the new tile and it’s as good as new. These tiles are not only beautiful and versatile, but also extremely eco-friendly.

Not only do most styles of FLOR meet the CRI’s Green Label Plus program, but they go a bit further to try to participate in a closed-loop product cycle. The tiles are originally made from renewable and recycled materials, and when a customer is done with their carpeting (or decide it’s time for a design change), they can send the tiles back to FLOR where the old carpet will be recycled into new products. Rather than sending old carpet directly to the landfill, FLOR is working to dramatically reduce waste and to keep their products both beautiful by design and by indoor air quality standards.

When it comes to purchasing new carpet for a renovated room, or a new house, make sure to do your green homework. The Carpet and Rug Institute has given us the means to make more sound, environmentally-conscious decisions while companies are getting in line to produce the most beautiful, versatile, and green products on the market.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at How To Be Healthy and Love the Environment When Buying Carpet.

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July 5th Ruminations:

Parades, picnics, fireworks, add family and friends—seems like a perfect 4^th of July.  As I watched and experienced all the events yesterday, I wondered what we could have done differently.

The small town parade was exactly what it should have been:  fire engines blaring their horns, wildly decorated motorcycles and go-carts spewing exhaust as they weaved along the parade path, cleverly decorated floats with their riders tossing candy, and horses and horses and horses…  When it was over, there were piles of garbage everywhere.  Same for the picnics; good food, good conversations, and lots of trash.

Now the fireworks were enchanting and all the kids thought they were just great.  And they were.  I couldn’t help but wonder how much junk they were putting into the air.  I sure could smell it.  I wonder how debris is actually being generated and falling to the ground.  If it were daylight when the firework displays were lit, I’ll bet we’d be more disgusted because we’d see it.  Besides, I don’t know about you, but with every “bomb bursting in air” and with each “ooohhh and aaahhh” there is some meter or calculator in my head adding up how much each one of those things must cost.

Now I’m feeling like the Grinch who stole the 4^th of July.  But I feel like I owe it to my country (how’s that for patriotic) to stop and analyze what we do and see if there isn’t some way to have a great time, but do it in a more environmental friendly way.  We’ve been doing the same traditional things forever.  Is there a better way?  Gotta be.  There has to be a way to have equal amounts of enjoyment and fun with friends, family and community without so much damage.  Send me your ideas and I’ll be working on my own.  Check back next 4^th.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at A Green July Fourth.

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So you thought it was that swarm of cars on the freeway or that refinery’s smokestack belching black fog that was the major contributor to CO2 emissions.   Well it turns out that it isn’t cars or even industry that is the biggest contributor to this CO2 mess….it’s buildings.

Take a look at these charts and graphs from the U.S. Energy Administration.   If you add both residential and commercial real buildings together, a new picture of the energy drain emerges.    The website Architecture 2030 has parsed some of the data from the US government in a slightly different way.  Their pie chart shows that 48 percent of U.S. energy consumption goes to buildings.

There is regular discussion about developing countries, particularly China, and their increasing appetite for fuel and energy.  Once again increasing car ownership and fuel consumption in China usually get the lion’s share of attention.  Yet building is a major contributor, perhaps the largest overall contributor, of CO2 emissions.  Why isn’t this the topic for the evening news?  If you have close to 50 percent of the problem being generated around the world by our houses and our office buildings, green building and re-building should be at the top of the list.

I’m irritated and inspired by this information.  Irritated that there isn’t more attention given to green building.  Irritated that the general public—me included—have spent a lot of time wringing our collective hands over transportation issues (cars and fuel) when I should have been more focused on homes and buildings.  I’m inspired by all the options for green building and rebuilding.  I feel like this is something that every person can actually do something about.  I’m probably not qualified to develop hydrogen fueled cars, but I can analyze my own home and start making changes.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Change of Focus — Green Building.

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More and more people are certainly finding a way.  Consider the experience of the Porters of Massachusetts. Through creativity and good old fashion hard work the Porters were able to fulfill a dream and a commitment to the environment by building their green home.  They acknowledge that they spent a fair amount of time scouring second hand shops, viewing websites and “how to” manuals, not to mention dealing with multiples of contractors (trying to get the best “green” systems and products) and of course, navigating through all the bureaucratic language to assure they build within government parameters and LEED certification standards.

They regularly used a calculator to determine how much each system would cost and how much they could ultimately save.   “They tell you you have to be rich to go green,” states Erin Porter.   “You hear it everywhere.  You have to fight the perception.”   The Porters succeeded in proving that perception wrong.  See how they did it: http://hollistonleedhouse.blogspot.com/

Frank Schiavo’s remodel of his home in San Jose, California, shows how a budget-minded person can capitalize on passive solar heating and cooling.  Frank’s home features conservation techniques and in the process he has reduced his electric and gas bills to just a few dollars a month.  Frank does have a background in environmental studies and he has put it to good use.   Are you successful at reducing your garbage output to zero?  Frank is.   Frank is a regular guy doing some pretty amazing things with a very small building budget.

Have you been successful and building or rebuilding green?  Are you one of the ones that can show the rest of us the way?  Write me and let me know.  I’d love to showcase your efforts and your expertise.  Let’s share the wealth of green.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Can the average person really afford to build green?.

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I imagine that if you are reading this blog you are already well aware that reducing CO2 emissions requires much more than just a few less miles in your SUV.  In fact, restructuring our transportation economy, which accounts for only 27% of US energy consumption, is only a quarter of the solution. The real culprit is the US building sector, which accounts for a startling 48% of US energy consumption. What we  really need in order to slow and stop global warming is a complete revolution of the US building economy.

At least, that is the case presented by Architecture 2030, and I am inclined to believe them. According to Architecture 2030, “Seventy-six percent (76%) of all power plant-generated electricity is used just to operate buildings.” That percentage is a startling percentage. Therefore, in order to keep global warming under 1 degree centigrade, Architecture 2030 is encouraging everyone to adopt “The 2030 Challenge.”

The challenge is simple:

“All new buildings, developments and major renovations shall be designed to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

“At a minimum, an equal amount of existing building area shall be renovated annually to meet a fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance standard of 50% of the regional (or country) average for that building type.

“The fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings and major renovations shall be increased to:

• 60% in 2010
• 70% in 2015
• 80% in 2020
• 90% in 2025
• Carbon-neutral in 2030 (using no fossil fuel GHG emitting energy to operate).

“These targets may be accomplished by implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, generating on-site renewable power and/or purchasing (20% maximum) renewable energy and/or certified renewable energy credits.”

But the word challenge is operative here. Unlike LEED, which sets a standard, has a means of measurement, and provides ratings and certification, The 2030 Challenge asks only that you adopt the challenge and strive to reach it. The list of adopters and supporters is impressive, with the mayors of Chicago, Miami, and Seattle, the state of New Mexico, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the EPA among others. You can add your name to the list by adopting the challenge here and pursuing the set standards in your personal building projects.

I tend to be a bit pessimistic about lofty endeavors with high-goals and limited practical advice, such as Architecture 2030. It has plenty of prescriptions for energy efficiency and carbon neutrality levels, but offers little information on how to get there. However, if you are looking for the highest benchmarks for your next remodeling or building project, Architecture 2030 is the place to go. And with or without practical advice, Architecture 2030 is right, the only way to US energy sustainability is through revolutionizing our building sector.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Architecture 2030: Revolutionizing the Building Sector.

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In 2000, Battery Park City expanded its building guidelines to require all buildings to meet LEED certification requirements. A risky move at the time, it has since proven to be a boon to the neighborhood. With 8 residential buildings and one commercial building now LEED certified, some of the biggest developers moved into the area, and apartments going for 4 or 5 percent above average, Battery Park City seems to be proving that New York City is ready and eager to go green. According to Leticia Remauro, spokeswoman for the Battery Park City Authority, “People have demonstrated they prefer to live in a healthier building. They show this by their willingness to pay higher rents. We have literally changed the marketplace.”

With the most recent addition of The Visionaire residential community, developed by the Albanese Organization, Battery Park City can now boast to be home of America’s most sustainable residential community. The Albanese organization announced earlier this month that The Visionaire has been LEED platinum certified by the USGBC with the highest score of any residential community in the United States. The aesthetically pleasing and well-located building features a roof garden for rain catchment and insulation, solar panels for energy harvest, natural gas powered central heating and cooling systems, and in-building water filtration and wastewater treatment systems, too name a few. And this is the only the most recent of the Albanese Organization’s sustainable developments in Battery Park City. They also developed LEED Gold certified residential community The Solaire and the first LEED Platinum certified residential high rise in the U.S., The Verdesian. With the combination of the highest standards of sustainability, perfect design, and prime Manhattan location, The Visionaire and its siblings are proving that sustainable is not only doable in the big city, but also comfortable and stylish. So thank you, Battery Park City, for leading the way.

Check out some of the other LEED certified buildings in New York City: Archstone Clinton, The Octagon, and the Kalahari.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Battery Park City: Leading the way with LEED.

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The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has developed a set of guidelines, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), in an effort to provide a national standard for green building design. The pilot version of these guidelines was introduced in 2000 and has continually been expanded and revised. The current version for LEED New Construction and Major Renovation is Version 2.1. Standards also exist that specifically target Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell, Existing Buildings, and Residential Buildings.

The LEED rating system is based on achieving a certain number of points, which are allocated for design choices defined within the standard. There are 6 sections to LEED that target specific design criteria:
1. Site Selection
2. Efficient use of Water
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovative Design

Depending on the number of points achieved, the building can attain Platinum (52 – 69 points), Gold (39 – 51 points), Silver (33 – 38 points) or LEED certified (26 – 32 points) status. The intent of the LEED standard is to provide a design guideline and third-party certification tool for green buildings. Therefore, products cannot be LEED certified – only buildings can be. An architect or designer can make product choices that will help a building qualify for LEED points.

A few Contractors have concerns that their already narrow profit margins will shrink even more as the demand for “green” buildings increases and more and more environmentally responsible systems are added to specifications.
However, many mechanical contracting and engineering firms have found that going green can be a selling point. The group quickly gained notice after working on a building expansion that promotes building sustainability for businesses and residents through education, research, and technical assistance. It’s become a recognition tool for companies willing to research the Green Building movement and the LEED program, complete a project that satisifes LEED Certification – companies within the construction community that demonstrates the ability to successfully design, build, and support LEED project will become noticed and likely contacted for the many future GREEN building projects which will qualify for LEEDS Points.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Learn how to score with LEED.

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