Ocean waves near Freeport, Texas (Photo: National Weather Service)

Ocean waves off the coast of Texas may soon provide the first commercial wave power in the US to generate electricity and desalinate water.

Renew Blue Inc. said today that the Texas General Land Office has granted it the first-ever state off-shore wave energy lease. The company said it will use ocean water and waves to produce desalinated water; the first 100 percent fossil-fuel-free bottled water.

Renew Blue, a wholly owned subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Independent Natural Resources Inc., is the first licensing entity of SEADOG Pump, a technology that uses ocean waves to generate electricity. The company plans to operate in the Gulf of Mexico near Freeport, Texas, to produce 3,000 gallons a day of desalinated water and will bottle and distribute it under the brand Renew Blue.

This will be a small demonstration of what SEADOG Pump technology can do in providing electricity and clean water to regions all over the world that lack fresh water and energy but have an abundance of ocean waves along their coastline.

“Texas is proud to be the initial site of this wave-powered energy innovation,” Rene Truan, deputy commissioner for professional services at the Texas General Land Office, said in a statement. “Renewable energy production on the Texas coast means renewable revenue for the school children of Texas. The SEADOG Pump is another great example of the exciting opportunities that exist and that the Texas General Land Office is working hard to take advantage of.”

Renew Blue will place an off-shore modular platform about one mile off the coast of Freeport, in roughly 25 feet of water. The company said it expects the platform, which is currently being manufactured outside of Houston, to be installed in the fourth quarter of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010.

Independent Natural Resources Inc. said it sees major advantages in the SEADOG Pump system, which is powered solely by the wave energy it harnesses. The company says electric power accounts for 40 to 50 percent of the operating costs in the desalination process, meaning the new pump system should provide significant cost savings and minimal environmental impact compared to the large-scale use of power generated by fossil fuels.

“For the past seven years the SEADOG has been fine-tuned to produce this major accomplishment as the first commercial wave power generation in the US,” Mark A. Thomas, CEO of INRI, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to showcase the SEADOG to the world as an innovative yet simple technology illustrating the ability to extract wave energy at low cost, with high levels of efficiency resulting in immeasurable benefit to humankind.”

By Deborah Wrigley

HOUSTON (KTRK) — Development has created more opportunities for Houston, but it also costs land that wildlife used to call home. But, in southwest Houston, near South Post Oak, it’s coming back. As it turns out, all it needed was a little space courtesy of a flood control project. >> Read the full story

Somewhere in between the sleep-away camps, beach excursions and baseball games of summer, kids and parents alike generally see the appeal of the sand-free floors and refrigerated air of a good museum. Institutions across the country know this is a great time to squeeze some education into kid-friendly, entertaining exhibitions; here’s a list of some of the best nature-oriented attractions for vacationers who’ve felt a bit too much heat this month.

The skies are getting cleaner thanks to efforts made by Continental Airlines in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation/CFM International, and Honeywell’s UOP. In early January of this year, Continental Airlines conducted the first biofuel demonstration flight by a commercial carrier in North American. Wednesday, Continental Airlines said it was “very pleased” in announcing its analysis of the flight.

The 90-minute test flight, taking off from, and then returning to, Houston, successfully completed many necessary flight operations. Engine 1 operated on 100 percent jet fuel, while Engine 2 of the Boeing 737-800 operated on a blend of 50 percent jet fuel and 50 percent biofuel. The biofuel was made from a combination of algae and jatropha plants, which do not impact food harvests, water resources or contribute to deforestation.

While reducing the amount of traditional jet fuel used was an accomplishment because it potentially reduces dependency on crude oil — the use of biofuel provided an even greater benefit in lessening air pollution.

“Overall life cycle greenhouse gas emissions related to using a biofuel like the one used on our demonstration flight are estimated to be reduced by 60 percent to 80 percent as compared to traditional jet fuel,” said Susannah Thurston, Corporate Communications Manager at Continental

“We are very pleased with the findings of the demonstration flight,” Thurston said Thursday.

As far as when travelers can expect biofuels to be used on commercial flights, Susan Gross with UOP Communications expects it to be another three years. UOP expects to receive the licensing rights at the end of this summer. It will then take an approximate two-and-a-half years until the fuel is produced in commercial quantities and widely used.

In regards to the cost of biofuel in comparison to traditional jet fuel, Susan Gross says “at this time, we are unable to predict the actual cost.” There are two large factors when computing the cost of the biofuel, 85% is directly related to the cost of the products used and 15% is the cost of refining the fuel. The refining cost will stay the same. For example, the two alternatives used in the Continental demonstration flight, algae oil and jatropha plants, are more expensive than crude oil at this time. UOP hopes that with increasing demand for alternative fuels, more plants will be harvested and the prices will be comparable.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

You know your car is a gas hound. But what about the water it requires?

Keeping a car clean, whether you rinse it off in your driveway or get it scrubbed at a professional wash, uses buckets of agua, more than you might realize.

If you’re careful, washing your car at home might use 10 gallons of water, but probably more like 25 or 50. A car wash can use much more, in the range of 75 to 100 gallons.

The International Car Wash Association says car washes are not a problem because the water consumed at car washes is recycled and reused. Water is properly disposed of via the sewer system where it can be treated and returned to circulation, the association says. (This is not the case with home car washing, which we’ll get to.)

However, just as foregoing paper is more effective at saving forests than using recycled paper, the greenest car wash is the one that doesn’t use water at all.

The cutting edge of the car cleaning biz has been spawning products that clean and polish your car without water, and lately, car washes that do the same.

Take Houston’s new car detailing service and car wash, Eco-Suds Hand Car Wash.

This new service in Northwest Houston, uses a water-based cleaning solution that is non-hazardous and biodegradable. The formula dissolves dirt and the residue is easily wiped off with a microfiber cloth. The process doesn’t scratch because polymers enwrap the dirt. The car is wiped clean and buffed, leaving it smooth and shiny (see photo above), says Kevin Dunn, co-owner of the Eco-Suds Hand Car Wash.

Dunn touts the service as eco-friendly on two counts — it avoids toxic runoff because the cleaning solution does not contain any oil, mineral spirits or kerosene, harmful chemicals that turn up in competitor’s formulas. And, the process is virtually water-less (there’s some water in the solution), saving the community dozens of gallons of water for each car and truck cleaned.

“According to our estimates, we believe we have saved roughly 90,000 gallons since we opened in mid-February,” he said. “Not too bad for one single location in just three months.”

As the Eco-Suds website notes, conventional car washes cannot compete with that level of water conservation because even their recycled water is typically mixed with 40 to 80 gallons of fresh water for each new car washed.

Eco-Suds is frugal with natural resources, but uses significant human capital, employing hand washers. It competes with both mass-market and luxury detailing services, with packages starting at $25 for an exterior wash and interior cleaning, ranging up to $225 for the “platinum package” with various levels in between.

Eco-Suds bills itself as the nation’s “first full service, eco-friendly car wash and detail” — and it is a unique stand alone facility — but it is not the first enterprise to try to create a greener model for the car wash business.

Several have gone eco by switching to greener cleaning ingredients and polishes and adding water recapture capabilities, but they’re still using large quantities of water.

A few select car washes are getting more aggressive about water use.

The Eco-Pit in San Diego is another virtually water-less car wash that uses a line of Earth-friendly products.

Seattle has Advanced Mobile, a car detailing service that uses biodegradable soaps and comes to clients, washing their cars at their location and reclaiming all the water used. The mobile aspect of this business throws a wrench into the process of assessing its carbon imprint (would it be more or the same as a drop in car wash?), but the EPA was impressed enough with its water conservation to award it a Water Efficiency Leader award in 2006.  Advanced Mobile also has outlets in Portland and Chicago.

In Nevada, the Southern Nevada Water Authority promotes car washes that reclaim or recycle their water on its Water Smart program by offering coupons to these businesses on its website.

Now, about washing your car at home. The Environmental Protection Agency and some state agencies warn against it. At least, they tell us not to wash the car or truck in the driveway because the runoff is hazardous to  the environment. The phosphates in some soaps can harm fish down the line, because they act as fertilizers, making algae grow and choking off oxygen for aquatic life. And that oily sheen you see in the rivulets running toward the storm drain (from undercarriage goo and petroleum distillates) can be a real problem for many life forms.

If you must wash at home, park on grass or gravel, so the runoff can be reabsorbed by the soil, the experts say. And use a phosphate-free soap.

It’s better to use commercial carwash, the EPA notes, because that water can be recycled and will be cleansed by local water treatment facilities before being returned to the water system or the environment.

Charity groups should do the same. Instead of setting up a DIY venture in a school parking lot, school and church groups should operate on grass or gravel, or partner with a local commercial car wash.

Even better — work with a commercial car wash that doesn’t use water.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Count the city of Houston among the growing number of municipalities and groups gathering up old stuff — to keep it out of the landfill and recycle it for new uses.

In this case, Houston is now accepting donations of construction and home materials, which will be made available to any nonprofit organization at no charge.

A $150,000 grant helped to created the Building Materials Reuse Warehouse. Construction workers or home builders simply drop off extra ceiling fans, faucets or anything left over. The products then get a new home at a nonprofit organization instead of filling up the landfill. More than one-third of the waste in Houston is directly related to construction and demolition material.

The warehouse is currently mostly lumber and the grand opening is not until June in hopes of obtaining more donated materials.  Visit the website to see the hours of operation for the warehouse and rules for donating and shopping.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Let there be light. Places of worship throughout the world are taking this phrase to heart.

The US Green Building Council counts 43 religious projects registered with them, pending LEED certification. The projects include five Jewish temples, 36 Christian churches, one monastery and one seminary.

Not to be outdone is the epicenter of Catholicism, Vatican City, which has worked since 2006 to become the first carbon neutral state. A rooftop garden of solar panels above the Pope’s audience hall was turned on in November 2008. The panels on the 5,000-square-foot roof produce 300 kilowatt hours of energy, creating enough electricity to heat, cool and light the entire building year-round. The Vatican also is in the process of growing a 37-acre forest in Hungary to offset its annual carbon dioxide emissions.

Here is a look at some of the major projects around the nation:

Every little girl dreams about the perfect wedding growing up. Missing from that dream is the large amount of waste caused by that wedding. When it came time for 29-year-old Tara Brown-Selders to walk down the aisle, she could not imagine having an event that produced so much waste. “When I learned how much waste is produced by a single event, I knew I could not have the traditional wedding,” she said.

Her then-boyfriend, 31-year-old Michael Selders,  proposed with her great grandmother’s diamond that had also been used by her mother. By reusing the diamond, the couple had a green start to their wedding. GreenKarat also has earth friendly options for engagement rings and wedding rings using recycled metals and fair trade gems.

When it came time to plan the wedding, Tara knew that she knew nothing about planning a green event. She had always been passionate about recycling and eco-friendly initiatives, but knew nothing about planning a green wedding. After doing some research, she came upon Green Lily Events and it was a match made in heaven. Green Lily Events is based in Houston and is an eco-friendly event planner. Together Tara and her wedding planner Jessica Zapatero started to find ways to make every aspect of her wedding green.

“There is a common myth that eco-friendly events are more expensive but that is not true,” said Tara. “Although many green products and services can cost more, some do not and it’s about making wise, informed decisions.”

The wedding and groom’s cake were made by an organic baker Monica’s Divine Delights. They saved a total of $400.00 based on the quote they received from a non-organic baker in town. The choice was clear for Tara, and she said “the cakes were delicious, organic and fabulous.”

One wasteful aspect of the wedding can be the invitations. After doing some research, they discovered Invitesite an low-impact invitation company. Tara and her fiance would be saving $600.00 by using the earth friendly company. Not to mention they invitations were printed on tree free paper and post consumer recycled paper. “We did not have to sacrifice elegance for an eco friendly invitation, rather I was just the opposite,” she said. They also used the same company for their menu and place cards. Other companies such as Earthly Affair, Green Field Paper Company and Twisted Limb Paper all offer earth friendly options to the invitations.

The couple also made sure that they had an eco-friendly option to the flowers in the wedding and reception. They contacted a local florist and expressed their desire for an eco-friendly option. They were able to get some flowers from local Texas farms. After the ceremony was over, some of the flowers were reused in the decor for the reception. After the wedding, the floral centerpieces were donated to a local senior care center so they were not wasted. By using a local florist, they reduced their carbon footprint and helped out the local economy.

They couple originally wanted to have their wedding at a boutique hotel, but that did not pan out. The Four Seasons hotel in Houston was more than happy to help the couple with their green wedding vision. The hotel already had a few eco initiatives like compact fluorescent bulbs and was a member of Chef’s Collaborative Association, which promotes sustainable cuisines and local cooking. They hotel worked with the local recyclers and Tara insisted on training the staff to recycle for her big day.

If the wedding venue you have selected does not offer organic food, find a company in town who does organic and have them cater the event. When planning for the big day, make sure you make arrangements ahead of time for the leftover food to go to a homeless shelter or another organization. The key to waste free successful green wedding is planning.

The couple knew they would be having lots of out of town guests and wanted to reduce the carbon footprint. By having the wedding and the reception at the same location, the guests would waste less gas. The hotel offered pick up service from the airport, which meant that the guests had no need to rent a car.

Tara’s environmentally sensitive favors consisted of potted plants and lavender seeds. “Several of them told me that they planted their seeds since the wedding and love to watch the lavender grow,” she said. Other green favor ideas include organic chocolates, reusable cloth tote bags, or seed packages.

It was very important to Tara that her dress was made of natural fibers. She was able to locate the perfect dress at Paloma Blanca, a bridal gown company located in Toronto, Canada. Some other green dress ideas include wearing a vintage dress or a family members dress.

No wedding is complete without the time honored tradition of throwing rice at the bride and groom. This practice simply just wastes rice. Ecofetti is a great alternative to rice. It is biodegradable and water soluble and available in a wide variety of colors.

“There are green alternatives to almost every aspect of a wedding,” said Tara.

Tara also says that planning a green wedding no more stressful than planning a wasteful wedding. “Planning a green event does not add any additional stress. Sometimes is almost makes things less stressful because you know that your actions are not causing extreme harm to the environment,” she said.

Tara did have one piece of advice for green brides-to-be, is hiring a green wedding planner. “The best thing about hiring an eco event planner is that they are there to serve not only you but the planet as well,” she said.

After the wedding, Tara decided to start her own recycling pick-up service. Recycle4U and Tara are helping to make recycling easier in Houston. What more could you ask for a fairy tale ending?

(Photo credit: Green Lily Events)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

MORE FROM GRN

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Foodies love to talk about “pairings” – usually they’re discussing the best wine to compliment an entree and there are those wine/chocolate pairings everyone seems to be buzzed about.

Houston gourmands have begun exploring a more fundamental pairing: They’re bringing top chefs together with local farms, within 150 miles of the city, as part of a celebration of local food.

The FM 150 Farm to Table Dinner series kicked off this past weekend at the Bellaire studio of photographer Ralph Smith, where tables were set up in the courtyard around a candle-lit pond.

The first featured chef was Randy Evans, former executive chef at Brennan’s, which Houstonians and many people beyond will recognize. Since Brennan’s burned down, Evans has become the co-owner of a new green restaurant called Haven, which is set to open this summer. Haven will feature local food and other green features, like a shade garden inside the restaurant.

For the dinner Evans worked with local farmers, and specifically with Gita Van Woerden owner of Animal Farm in Cat Springs, Texas, (no we didn’t make that name up).

The result: Evans with the help of sous chefs, Van Woerden and Gulf of Mexico shrimpers fulfilled everyone’s hopes, and tummies, with a delectable spread of Gulf shrimp with Tabasco sorbet, a hot house tomato arugula salad with goat cheese vinaigrette, iron seared Gulf shrimp and carmelized pork shoulder followed by a colorful Baked Alaska with a chocolate beet cake base.  Alas, we don’t get to taste. But please take a look.

Learning not to waste – whether it’s food, electricity or water – is not only good in these economic times, but even more important, it’s beneficial for the environment.

The Nalgene Least Wasteful City Study, released this week, ranks the country’s 25 largest metropolitan areas on wasteful behavior. San Francisco led the group with the least wasteful habits, while Atlanta ranked at the bottom.

The survey of 3,750 people, commissioned by Nalgene (the maker of reusable water bottles), looked at 23 waste-focused habits of city dwellers ranging from recycling and use of public transportation to shutting off lights and eating leftovers. The results were weighted, says Eric Hansen, senior business manager of Nalgene-Outdoor. “We gave more credit to behaviors that had an immediate and significant impact on the planet, such as reduced driving and recycling trash.”

One conclusion of the study is that the easier and more convenient an action, the more frequently it’s practiced. Convenience trumped prudence, the report says. Shutting off lights was easier to do than hanging clothes on a clothesline.

“This study highlights habits that our society has adopted out of convenience, but on a whole can have a huge impact on the sustainability of the planet,” says Hansen.

The survey also notes that despite the economy, saving money is not the main reason urbanites are changing their wasteful ways. More than half of those surveyed said it is their responsibility to ensure the health of the planet for future generations. “Being frugal and helping the planet, these behaviors tend to go hand in hand,” says Hansen.

The top five least wasteful cities were San Francisco; New York City; Portland, Or.; Seattle and Los Angeles. The five most wasteful major cities were Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, Houston and St. Louis.

The good news, according to the study, is that urban Americans are increasingly taking everyday steps to cut waste. The top five areas where most people comply: saving leftover food to eat again; shutting off lights when not in the room; turning off water when brushing teeth; using energy efficient light bulbs; and recycling glass, metal, plastics on regular basis.

The areas where people are less likely to be concerned with wasteful ways: avoiding drying clothes in a dryer, using a rain barrel, composting, taking public transportation and not driving a car for trips that are less than two miles from home.

These latter five areas are what the top cities had in common. For instance, San Francisco residents were not only good about turning off water, but also excelled at not using their car for short trips. The cities that did not score well, were not energy efficient with even the simple things such as recycling. In Atlanta, residents threw out more than two bags of trash each week and didn’t use as many energy efficient light bulbs.

The study, which was compiled over two months by the independent research firm Greenfield Online, also had several recommendations for folks – urban or not – on reducing waste:

• Small changes such as reusable containers and water bottles (not surprising, since that is what Nalgene manufactures) or walking instead of driving.
• Compost yard trimmings and food leftovers. The EPA estimates that 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream is made up of yard trimming and food leftovers. Composting avoids filling the landfills and is environmentally beneficial.
• Rain barrels. Even in the city, rain barrels can be installed in a building. They save money on water that can be used to water the yard.
• Bikes. Help the environment and get some exercise by skipping the car.
• Public transportation. Even if using public transportation a few times a week, this has an impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
• Buy used or Freecycle. Thrift stores, libraries, used book stores are all good ways not to waste and to support local businesses. And if there’s a Freecycle group in your zipcode, that’s another good way to avoid waste.

Related story:

• See the full list of America’s least wasteful cities

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

With the Environmental Protection Agency back in full action again after years of humming in neutral, things are happening, and some important beneficiaries could be America’s school children.

USA TODAY reports today that the EPA is expected to run tests of the air quality outside some 62 schools in 22 states to see whether the sites are polluted beyond healthy thresholds. (See the list of schools.)

The EPA’s sampling comes in response to a USA TODAY investigation that found many schools were located in “toxic hot spots.” The newspaper’s investigating reporters used government records to determine that some 435 schools across the nation were surrounded by air more polluted than that found at a school in Ohio which had been shut down because of its poor air quality.

“Your stories raised important questions that merit investigation and that’s what we’re doing,” EPA administrator Lisa Jackson told the paper on Monday. “We want parents to know that the places their children live, play and learn are safe.”

The testing will take place at schools in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and several smaller cities and will cost an estimated $2.25 million.

Many of the schools identified in the USA TODAY package as being in high air pollution zones sit near busy freeways or freeway junctions, or near industrial polluters like steel foundries and cement plants. In some cases, the schools have been located in industrial zones for years; in others, they were recently sited there because no better land could be found or because the land was less expensive. Needless to say, the series pointed out that air laden with smog, heavy metals and other pollutants can be especially harmful to kids whose lungs are still developing.

And that school that was closed? It was Meredith Hitchens Elementary, in Addyston, Ohio — shut down in 2005 after the Ohio EPA found levels of carcinogens 50 times above what the state considered acceptable.

Sure there will be people who say the EPA will just be spending money for naught. Actually, there are already people saying exactly that in comments on the USA TODAY website. We Americans love to trash our federal government.

And after all, what can be done? It’s not like the U.S. could fine air polluters, say under the Clean Air Act. Or cause them to pay for dumping into the atmosphere, through a cap-and-trade or carbon tax program. Or build more public transportation, or cleaner cars, or buses with reduced diesel emissions.

Seems this one issue does raise “important questions” — dozens, or even 435, of them.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

The  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized 25 U.S. cities for having the most Energy Star buildings in 2008.

The top 10 are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta and Seattle.

Los Angeles ranked first with 262 buildings earning the Energy Star rating, which can be applied to rehabbed and new properties. San Francisco had 194 buildings; Houston, 145; Washington D.C., 136 and Dallas, 126.

Energy Star, the EPA’s label for high efficiency, sets standards for everthing from light bulbs and appliances to buildings.

“An Energy Star building,” says Energy Star spokesperson Maura Beard, “uses 35 percent less energy and emits 35 percent less greenhouse gases than average buildings.”

Looking at the list, it might surprise some to see cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston — known more for their air quality challenges than for green building — at the top of the rankings.

Ms. Beard explains that the list reflects improvements in buildings, which will be reflected in air quality gains later on.

“In terms of this list, we looked specifically at [a building’s] reductions in greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. This is a big concern in states like California and Texas where there is a lot of demand on their infrastructure,” she says.

There were some standout buildings in each of these three cities, she says. She praised a retrofit of a JC Penney store that was built in 1969 in Downey Calif., in Los Angeles County. “They did a beautiful job improving the building’s energy efficiency, starting with its operating characteristics,” says Beard. (Also this week, JC Penney, an early adopter of the Energy Star program with 52 stores that have earned the label, won the first Energy Star Award for Sustained Excellence in Energy Management.)

In Houston, the Green Valley Elementary School involved the student body in its transformation. “Here the kids formed patrol teams making sure lights weren’t left on in the cafeteria and elsewhere when not in use,” says Beard. And in Dallas, the Hines real estate firm, won the Energy Star rating for its Galleria North Tower office building.

The Galleria office building is attached to a spacious, upscale, air-conditioned mall, which raises the question: What about the energy efficiency of malls in general?

“Shopping malls are difficult [structures] to measure efficiency in,” says Beard. “For Energy Star, we collect data from the Department of Energy, then build a model. There are 12 different types of buildings included in the Energy Star ratings. For example, you can’t compare a hospital to a small store. Your have to compare peers, apples to apples.

“For now, we can just measure the efficiency of the anchor stores at a mall. It’s difficult to measure each of the many small stores. We are working with the Simon group, who manages many of the country’s malls, to improve this.”

The EPA reports that in 2008, more than 3,300 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants earned the Energy Star rating. This translates into a savings of more than $1 billion in utility bills and more than 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The structures range from schools and hospitals to office buildings and assembly plants.

More than 6,200 U.S. buildings have qualified for the Energy Star rating in total, says EPA spokesperson Enesta Jones. This represents an annual savings in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 2 million cars off the road.

Depending on the climate and location, buildings, homes and offices and workplaces, are estimated to be responsible for about 40 percent of the world’s GHG gases.

The Energy Star rating system for buildings is similar to the green certification system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council known as LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Efficiency and Design. But Energy Star is more focused on onsite power savings, while LEED looks at how building materials are sourced and considers broader environmental issues like how close a building is to mass transit opportunities.

“LEED certification tends to be more for new buildings and includes everything, green roofs, supplies and materials, recycling, even the commute,” says Beard. “Energy Star is purely about energy efficiency.”

“It works best if the two [certification systems] are used hand in hand,” she says. “Energy Star is more rigorous in terms of energy efficiency. With LEED, you can get a bunch of points for many different attributes. If a building doesn’t score highly on energy efficiency, it could still earn LEED certification because it might score well on other levels.” (Though LEED standards are currently being tightened and it would be difficult for a building to earn the highest level ratings without being energy efficient.)

EPA’s new chief Lisa P. Jackson is pleased with the results of the Energy Star cities. In a statement released yesterday, she said, “EPA commends all of these cities…[that] are now using more energy efficient appliances and dwellings. They are saving energy, saving money and protecting our environment.”

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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