water

=========================================================== GreenerBuildings News: January 31, 2008 =========================================================== Welcome to the latest edition of GreenerBuildings News. We are committed to bringing you the latest information and resources on the full spectrum of environmental issues related to buildings and facilities. Log on to http://www.GreenerBuildings.com for more up-to-date news, tools, case studies, and other resources related to greener building practices. A full-color, graphic version of this newsletter is available online at: http://www.greenerbuildings.com/enewsletter

=-=-=-=-=-=-= JUST RELEASED: STATE OF GREEN BUSINESS 2008 =-=-=-=-=-=-=

In this landmark report, Joel Makower and the editors of GreenBiz.com answer the question: How are U.S. businesses doing in their quest to be more environmentally responsible? It introduces the GreenBiz Index, 20 indicators of progress, tracking the resource use, emissions, and business practices of U.S. companies: carbon, materials, energy, and toxics intensity, clean-tech investments, e-waste recovery, paper use, employee commuting, and more. Download it for free at: http://www.stateofgreenbusiness.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE LATEST NEWS & FEATURES =-=-=-=-=-=-=

Water Management Strategies to Boost the Triple Bottom Line By Tom Ash Smart water management can be a simple improvement to facilities, but one that can help real estate portfolio owners achieve LEED certification, protect and improve property value by eliminating water-related property destruction and liabilities, save costs and improve the environment.

The Importance of Measuring Building Energy Use By Brandi McManus With companies rapidly seeking out every possible way to improve their environmental performance, many are finding that tracking down inefficiencies in building energy use is a quick and easy way to make a noticeable difference.

Clorox and Sierra Club Announce Branding Partnership
The Clorox Company has formed a partnership with the Sierra Club as part of the company's launch of Green Works, a new line of natural cleaning products made from plant-based ingredients.

Three Trends Push Green Building From Niche to Mainstream: Report A new report pins attributes the growth of green building to government initiatives, demand for green residential housing and better sustainable building materials.

CIA Campus Embraces Green Building The CIA is working on its newest, greenest campus, with a vegetated roof, energy- and water-saving measures, and special parking for carpoolers.

Completing the Puzzle

As landscape architects get on board with sustainability, our hopes for a clean and healthy world grow.
by Susan S. Szenasy

The long line snakes then redoubles at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. At their annual meeting, appropriately titled “Designing with Nature: The Art of Balance,” landscape architects are eager to learn about a program that is sure to change the way they practice their profession. Walls are moved out of the way, and room is made for the overflow crowd. We settle in to learn about the Sustainable Sites Initiative, developed by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the United States Botanic Garden, and other organizations. The new metric will expand our growing knowledge of the built environment as put forth by USGBC’s LEED rating system, which on its own has begun to shift the methods of construction along with land use. ...

More at: http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3089

Illustration: Lisa Maione

Though this post is not about green building per se, think of it in the general category of irrigation. I think you will thank me if it compels you to see the new movie "Sharkwater." Not only is this an extremely important topic, but it's an amazing story and a beautiful movie. Of course I am biased, because our own Tippy Bushkin and Jeremy Stuart were key members of the production team, working closely with director Rob Stewart to tell the story of his international journey to save and demystify sharks.

A series of trailers on the website will give you glimpse.

And if you live in the SF Bay Area, below you will also see an invitation to the San Francisco premier for Tuesday Oct 30-- it is a private screening, but I've been given permission to extend the invitation to you.

And in the meantime, I hope you are enjoying water week at Building Green TV!

SHARKWATER MOVIE PREMIERES IN SAN FRANCISCO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: sharkwatersf@yahoo.com

Since premiering to great acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival, SHARKWATER (www.sharkwater.com) has gone on to win 21 awards at film festivals all over the world.

We would like to invite you to attend a private screening and be one of the first to see the film on the west coast and meet director Rob Stewart who will be on-hand for a Q & A session after the screening.

Private Screening

Roxie Theatre, San Francisco

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

VIP @ 6 pm

Screening @ 7:30 pm

For tickets and more information visit:

www.roxie.com

About SHARKWATER:

SHARKWATER takes you into the most shark rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding the world’s shark populations.

In an effort to protect sharks, director Rob Stewart teams up with renegade conservationist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Their unbelievable adventure together results in pirate boat rammings, gunboat chases, mafia espionage, corrupt court systems and attempted murder charges, forcing them to flee for their lives.

Through it all, Stewart discovers these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how if something is not done to protect them, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed and the barbaric practice of shark finning.

Here are some facts to consider:

~Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, and bleeding to death, the shark suffers a slow death where 95% of the animal is wasted.

~Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.

~The shark population is down 90% over the last 30 years and experts estimate that within a decade, most species of sharks will be lost because of finning.

SHARKWATER opens nationally on November 2, 2007. Please visit www.sharkwater.com for more information and to sign the petition to save sharks. Most importantly, help support the cause by forwarding this email to all your friends.

Thank you,
Sharkwater staff

By now we all have practical, water-saving shower heads installed in our bathrooms, right? But those of us who consider our bathing rituals to be one of the great pleasures of the day might want to take it one step further. Kevin's outdoor shower is a fun feature that sees daily use by humans and canines returning from walks on the beach. You can get a simple, attractive portable model at Target, for $89, and if you want an outdoor shower that heats itself for free, you can have one for about $10, though it won't win any beauty contests.

But for pure aesthetic appeal, it's hard to beat the Dream Light showerhead from Jaclo, pictured, which The Hardware Aisle dubs "the Xanax of Showerheads." Programmed LEDs provide a chromatherapeutic light show while you bathe. A boon for the coming Seasonal Affective Disorder months.

You can find out more about showers in Episode Nine, which is all about water, and check out new video all this week.

Dear Kevin,

My husband and I would like information on windmills, solar panels, and reusing water. How to build a house that runs itself? We have access to water.
If you could help answer any or all of these questions I would appreciate it.

Natalie

Dear Natalie,

You are talking about living “off the grid.” That is, without tapping into any municipal services. If you’re thinking about going off-grid, you might enjoy this article from Home Energy Magazine, which is a great place to start your research.

Stay in touch and let us know what you build!

Regards,
Kevin

photo susanne wunderlich