February 8, 2012
by macko
in EBS News, Energy, Value
*Submitted as a Federal Public Comment in support of PACE – see line at bottom of Post
To Whom it May Concern,
On behalf of Environmental Building Strategies we would like to show our support for PACE as a creative financing mechanism that would greatly enhance our ability to affect a more positive impact on the built environment through the commercial and residential real estate clients we serve. One of our greatest strengths is proving financial viability of sustainability initiatives – we do so with the use of other creative financing mechanisms such as Commercial Local PACE districts, On-Bill Financing, Off-Bill Financing and PPAs.
We believe there are reasonable ways to mitigate the financial risks associated with tiers of debt instruments and the loan organizations who issue those instruments. That said, governmental effort, support, creativity, and collaboration are needed to help shape a program of this magnitude and even more importantly we’ll need the gall to work with those who oppose it for strictly monetarily motivated reasons. The PACE program and ideal it creates is too strong and the environment too important to let it fail again.
Thank you
–The EBS Team
Post your PACE Comments here: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/01/26/2012-1345/mortgage-assets-affected-by-pace-programs#addresses
February 5, 2012
by Environmental Building Strategies
in Sustainability
Top 10 Myths about Sustainability
1. Nobody knows what sustainability really means…
a. Not true
b. Entered the lexicon in 1987
c. “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
d. You learned what it meant in Kindergarten – “don’t take more than you share”
2. Sustainability is all about the environment.
a. The concept around sustainability originally dealt with income gap issues surrounding poverty by giving disadvantaged countries access to natural resources in order to create a more balanced lifestyle/world
b. “We have an economy where we steal the future, sell it in the present, and call it GDP.” - Paul Hawken (among others) – This debate isn’t whole heatedly about the environment, climate change or the polar ice caps; sustainability touches so many more aspects of our lives including the recent global financial crisises which were created by money hogs breaking rule 1.d. above…
c. Sustainability is definitely about the environment though…
i. We borrow money from the future to buy oil, degrade land in the process, spill it in our oceans, drink that water, burn that oil, make that plastic, pollute our homes, air and water with the plastic chemicals, throw out the plastic, pollute land and water when it doesn’t bio-degrade, drink the water, eat the food, and the process starts all over again when we consume more.
3. Sustainable is a synonym for “green.”
a. Some overlap but i whole heatedly disagree that they are or can be used synonymously.
i. Green usually means some preference for natural over artificial where as sustainability is a systems based thinking approach to lasting human creations – economic systems, enviro systems, building systems, etc.
4. It’s all about recycling.
a. Yes it is true that a more efficient use of pretty much anything is a step in the right direction towards sustainability.
b. However in terms of sustainability, the most important areas are as follows:
i. Energyii. Transportation
c. If you think you are living green or being sustainable by recycling you are gravely mistaken my friend
5. Sustainability is too expensive.
a. Only true when you try to fit a square peg in a round hole
i. Forcing the situation when something is already in place is no way to solve a need for intelligent systems based thinking
b. When thought about and applied early early early in a decision process, the most sense is derived.
6. Sustainability means lowering our (the American) standard of living
a. Not at all true – standards of living should be measured by the happiness of the people living. Americans are among the most UN-Happy people in the world yet hold the highest standard of living on a wealth-based system.
b. “Addressing climate change is the biggest job creation program there is.”
c. Technology and Innovation stem from the principles of sustainability
7. Consumer choices and grassroots activism, not government interventions offer the fastest, most efficient routes to sustainability.
a. CO2 global reductions need to happen from leadership – whether that be corporate or government, we need leaders in this area.
b. Carbon Tax Emissions – while they would be wildly unpopular, their is little doubt is most economists minds that their effectiveness would yield the results we need.
i. Think about it this way… – At this current point in time, you can negatively impact the future (smoking, burning, polluting air & water, and most importantly, consuming) as much as you’d like and not pay for it. * As a side note, a federal consumption tax along with environmental taxes would curb all of the above issues.
c. Free market thinkers don’t like this because it potentially stifles freedom. I would agree however I realize the importance. One of the greatest free market thinkers of all time – Milton Freedman – agrued that government should only step in and exert their effect when 3rd parties are affected by an outcome. He said that we shouldn’t be regulating seat belts and air bags as their presence in the car has no potential adverse affect on a 3rd party in a car crash between 2 people. Makes sense and I agree. Pollution and/or financial corruption (as seen in the recent market crash) affects everyone and therefor humanity is the 3rd party. We need government intervention in those cases.
8. New technology is always the answer.
a. Not always…
b. Proper tire inflation in your car is a conservation technique that requires no new technology and is one of the fastest way to return value.
b. Battery exchange programs are incredibly effective ways of utilizing continued resources.
c. Turning up/down thermostats to appropriate settings or turning off heating/cooling systems when not in use is another conservation technique that requires no new technology – just common sense and a memory.
9. Sustainability is ultimately a population problem.
a. Yes to some extent…
b. But that will take generations
i. We don’t have that time
10. It’s just too hard…
a. Creating a sustainable fuel source from corn based Ethanol is too hard and converting every car in the world is too hard but
i. Energy intensity of producing fuel from corn
b. Tradeoffs needs to be analyzed by detailed Life Cycle Costing Models
Once you understand the concepts, living sustainably is a wonderfully rewarding experience
February 2, 2012
by victor
in Green Building, Sustainability
Originally written by Ashley Halligan, a software analyst
Prepare to be shocked. Or at a minimum, informed. Occupancy behavior is holding us back from reaching environmental building performance goals. Not funding. Not awareness levels. Just behavior.
Every day, new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified and energy-efficient facilities are built and/or modernized. But as eco-friendly a design may be, achieving performance goals is impossible without tenant participation. Therefore, methods and strategies to boost tenant compliance must become an integral part of green building, before and after occupancy.
Through interviews and “green” building research, I’ve compiled five ways to encourage behaviors that align with environmental performance goals.
Engage Occupants Before They Move In
In the design phase, architects, contractors and civil engineers work together to establish projections, calculate expected energy usage and determine environmental efficiency goals. Many high-performance buildings will host an eco-charrette, a kick-off meeting of sorts, including members of the design team along with the general contractor, maintenance staff, tenants and neighbors to collaboratively contribute ideas to the building’s design and functions.
By engaging tenants, as well as others involved in an eco-charrette, there’s a predisposition to understand the functionality and importance of established performance goals. Including future occupants, when possible, in planning processes is a valuable means to ensuring their commitment from the beginning stages.
Take A Holistic Approach
Josh Radoff, Principal at YR&G Sustainability, believes that a holistic approach to encouraging occupant compliance is ideal.
“There’s a mistake of focusing solely on energy and water. While they’re important for a lot of people, they’re abstract ideas. It’s hard to get too far only focusing on energy,” says Radoff.
Some organizations are having success by offering holistic programs that emphasize overall health and well-being. These may include cooking classes, composting, instruction on sustainable foods and more. By establishing holistic ideals in an organization, the occupants become more likely to participate in energy-saving campaigns.
“Communicating about sustainability isn’t only about austerity. A holistic view is far more likely to bring people in,” concludes Radoff.
Measure with New Technologies
One innovation that’s demonstrating a positive response is a software product from Lucid called Building Dashboard. It’s a social energy management tool that helps occupants compare their energy use with their peers. It sets reference points, or benchmarks, encouraging compliance and competitiveness among tenants.
Lucid’s journey began in 2002 at one of the nation’s first modern green buildings at Oberlin College.
“Our goal was to engage occupants and visitors by showing real-time environmental performance of the building and landscape,” says Michael Murray, Lucid’s CEO and Co-Founder.
Lucid’s Building Dashboard has several interactive applications that are both engaging and user-friendly. For example, attractive graphs display current trends in energy and water use. They reveal real-time energy use, measuring kilowatt-hours, BTUs, gallons, carbon dioxide emissions and the actual cost of energy.
Building Dashboard also integrates social networking, allowing a a seamless connectivity to Facebook and Twitter, which makes occupancy usage accessible and publicly visible. Facilities management software can be a valuable tool in managing environmental performance goals.
Provoke Competition
With social media integration and dashboard implementation, facility managers can create competitions between occupants, whether it be within a single building, among several buildings, or even between floors in a high-rise.
By clarifying goals, occupants are more likely to participate. For instance, a building may establish a goal to reduce the overall carbon footprint by 20%. With live data reporting in dashboard features, competitors can view up-to-date statuses on consumption levels in comparison to opponents.
Lucid shares an analogy that helps put this in perspective (and substantiates the idea):
“Consider the Prius Effect: when you can see how your car is performing in real time, you tend to fine-tune usage in order to improve, sustain and eventually surpass your current level of performance. This phenomenon is especially true when friends, family and spouses get involved, each competing to outperform the recent mile-per-gallon ‘winner.’ By analogy, the outcome of using Building Dashboard is like the social and psychological effect produced by using the energy monitor in a hybrid vehicle.”
Create Transparency
Energy usage and measurements can seem abstract. And a lack of understanding often results in a lack of interest. By making things clear, polished and simple, occupants are more likely to embrace the idea of energy conservation.
Radoff explains, “It’s sociology. People do not respond well to austerity measures, but they do if it’s packaged in a way that’s appealing. Then it’s more likely to be well-received.”
Encourage engagement by providing tenants with the actual costs stemmed from energy use and charts demonstrating usage patterns. Demonstrate exactly how their habits affect overall consumption-and how changes in behavior can make a positive impact.
Once occupants are familiar with performance expectations, they can act as allies-always keeping their eyes on things that may need improvement or to suggest ways to become more efficient. This provides the opportunity for occupants to provide valuable feedback to facility managers.
Truth be told, occupant compliance in green-initiative projects is new territory that’s still being fine-tuned and heavily researched. Keeping in mind that all properties are unique, there’s not one answer that fully resolves occupancy issues. But with collaborative effort, environmental performance goals become far more achievable.
Do you manage a zero-energy or sustainable building? What strategies have you put in place to boost occupant participation in meeting environmental performances goals? What strategies have proven successful and which ones have not? Feel free to share your comments below.
Read more: http://www.propertymanagementsoftwareguide.com/blog/occupant-behavior-five-keys-to-meeting-environmental-performance-goals1011812/#ixzz1lGoz7pbS
July 11, 2011
by macko
in Green Materials, Lifestyle, Sustainability
So I’m cruising around the internet deciding what to read before bed. I realize after a documentary last night that I don’t know enough about what they are talking about…. The movie was called “Food Beware” and I saw what they listed as food’s chemical makeup, I knew the name and types of chemicals but I didn’t truly know what those chemicals were and their true (unbiased) effect on humans and greater life.
I decided to do some research. What I found was some of what I expected but certainly something that deserves to be published again!
I started with “Endocrine Disruptors.” I know a bit about the endocrine system from 8th grand biology but what the fuck is an endocrine disruptor…. Well that research led me down the path. Unfortunately that path hasn’t stopped in the past 3 hours since I started googling! However I will say I am more informed.
Essentially here is my research as summated by Wikipedia:
Endocrine Disruptors: are chemicals that interfere with endocrine (or hormone system) in animals, including humans. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. Specifically, they are known to cause learning disabilities, severe attention deficit disorder, cognitive and brain development problems, deformations of the body (including limbs); sexual development problems, feminizing of males or masculine effects on females, etc. Any system in the body controlled by hormones, can be derailed by hormone disruptors.
PCBs: PCBs were used as coolants and insulating fluids (transformer oil) for transformers and capacitors, especially in components of early fluorescent light fittings and electrical transformers, and as plasticizers in paints and cements, stabilizing additives in flexible PVC coatings of electrical wiring and electronic components, pesticide extenders, cutting oils, reactive flame retardants, lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, and sealants (for caulking in schools and commercial buildings[7]), adhesives, wood floor finishes (such as Fabulon and other products of Halowax in the U.S.),[7] paints, de-dusting agents, water-proofing compounds, casting agents, vacuum pump fluids, fixatives in microscopy, surgical implants, and in carbonless copy (“NCR”) paper.[2]
PBDE: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDE, are organobromine compounds that are used as flame retardants. Like other brominated flame retardants, PBDEs have been used in a wide array of products, including building materials, electronics, furnishings, motor vehicles, airplanes, plastics, polyurethane foams, and textiles. They are structurally akin to the PCBs and other polyhalogenated compounds, consisting of two halogenated aromatic rings. PBDEs are classified according to the average number of bromine atoms in the molecule. The health hazards of these chemicals have attracted increasing scrutiny, and they have been shown to reduce fertility in humans at levels found in households.[1] Their chlorine analogs are polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs). Because of their toxicity and persistence, their industrial production is to be eliminated under the Stockholm Convention, a treaty to control and phase out major persistent organic pollutants (POP).
Phalates: Phthalates, or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride. Phthalates are being phased out of many products in the United States, Canada, and European Union over health concerns.
So why only 4 concerns listed???? Well there are simply just too many. The fact is that you absolutley need to do your own research into what you put into and on your body. Most everything you regularly come to think of is probably chemically treated at a minimum. Search the Cosmetics’ Database at: www.ewg.org/skindeep for more information on just about anything and everything available.
It isn’t just cosmetics boys!
Their list includes sunscreens, body wash, shampoo, deodorant/antiperspirant, soap, mouthwash, etc so don’t be a woose – take care of your body and health. Do your research and make a difference!
–The EBS Team–
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