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Green Patriarch urges respect for Mother Nature as planet reaches ‘limits’

Harriet Blake — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:39:20 +0000

It’s not just environmental lobbyists who are gearing their words toward strong action at the upcoming Copenhagen climate change negotiations.

At a recent appearance in New Orleans, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, dubbed the “Green Patriarch” by Al Gore, minced no words about the urgency of addressing climate change:

“We have reached a defining moment in our history…the point where absolute limits to our survival are being reached,” and we “instead of living on income, or the available surplus of the earth, we are consuming environmental capital and destroying its resources as if there is no tomorrow.”

The Patriarch was speaking at the opening address for the 8th Religion, Science and Environment (RSE) Symposium that began Oct. 20. The RSE, a non-governmental organization based in Athens, began in 1995 with the mission to protect the planet by providing common ground among the worlds of religion, science and the environment. His All Holiness Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Christian Orthodox Church, oversees RSE.

The symposiums look at the future of global waters, which cover 7/10 of the planet’s surface. Scientists, environmentalists, policy makers and representatives from the world’s major religions have developed what RSE’s website describes as “a vibrant environmental ethics movement.”

In addressing the symposium, entitled “Restoring Balance: The Great Mississippi River,” the Patriarch said, “We stand in solidarity with the people of New Orleans and all people who seek a better life. And we are present with you to call for a renewed consciousness for environmental responsibility, and an awareness of what such a consciousness entails.”

Blessing the Mississippi, His All Holiness Bartholomew and Cardinal McCarrick

Referring to the Mississippi, the Patriarch said, “this river comprises a microcosm of our planet. In its waters, we observe many of the world’s ecological issues. We are humbled in its presence. We have come to listen to its story, to learn from its history…As the Mississippi links the prairies to the sea, we ourselves form the link between the past and the future.”

The symposium, said RSE spokesman Paul Brown, “was one of the last major gatherings before the critical climate talks to be held in Copenhagen in late November and early December.”

Although there are indications that the United States and China hope for success, “many feel that the world’s politicians do not understand the urgency of the situation, or the need for radical thinking and action,” he said.

The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader to 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, echoed this thought in his opening address, where he spoke of the need for change and for humans to recognize that we are at “a defining moment in our history.”

Brown said the group hopes the serious tone is not lost on policymakers.

“Climate change,” Brown said, “does not respect national boundaries…Religion and science should transcend national boundaries: both forces need to make their voices heard and galvanize the politicians at Copenhagen into action.”

His All Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew has led other symposia around the world, featuring the Danube and Amazon Rivers, the Aegean and Black Seas.

DOE funding solar projects in 16 cities

Tom Kessler — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:58:13 +0000

From Green Right Now Reports

The Department of Energy announced $10 million has been awarded to 16 cities for 40 new Solar America Cities Special Projects. The funds, made through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will enable the cities to increase solar energy use in their communities through innovative programs and policies that the government believes can be replicated across the nation.

The cities chosen for these awards came from the group of 25 large U.S. cities that are part of the DOE’s Solar America Cities program, which recognizes the participating cities as partners highly committed to solar technology adoption at the local level. Those cities already have been given millions of dollars in funds and technical assistance to accelerate solar adoption.

To this point, the cities have used the funding to develop solar financing models, improve solar permitting processes, and create training courses for solar installers, among other uses. The DOE said this new award will enable the cities to scale up their most promising projects and concepts to overcome key barriers to urban solar energy use. The DOE plans to share the lessons learned and best practices from these projects with local governments throughout the nation through a substantial outreach effort planned to launch in early 2010.

The DOE has selected the following Solar America Cities Special Projects:

Austin, TX

Solar Curriculum Development and School Demonstration Projects

Berkeley, CA

Smart Solar Regional Expansion and Solar Map Enhancements

Boston, MA

Solar Evacuation Route

Madison, WI

Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis – Saint Paul, MN

Solar for District Heating and Cooling

New Orleans, LA

New York City, NY

Portland, OR

Salt Lake City, UT

San Diego, CA

San Francisco, CA

San José, CA

Santa Rosa, CA

Clean Energy Advocate

Seattle, WA

Community Solar Financing through Municipal Utility

Tucson, AZ

Brad Pitt and Make It Right show the world that going green is Big Easy

BKessler — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:01:15 +0000

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

The US Green Building Council has pronounced New Orleans home to the biggest green neighborhood in the world, thanks to the efforts of Brad Pitt and the group Make It Right who have built 13 LEED Platinum certified, storm-resistant homes and are planning another 150 more in the Lower 9th Ward .

Home at 1631 Tennessee (Photo: Concordia)

The neighborhood, already impoverished, was among those hardest hit by post-Katrina flooding when New Orleans levees failed after the 2005 hurricane.

Pitt and Make It Right Executive Director Tom Darden accepted an award for their rebuilding accomplishments at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York on Thursday.

“In transforming the Lower 9th Ward, Make It Right is showing us how we can transform those parts of our nation that have fallen behind the most, whether through neglect, poverty or disaster,” said President Clinton.

“Make It Right offers a blueprint for how to build homes that instill pride and combine to form communities of hope and opportunity. By following the Make It Right model, we can generate the green collar jobs our economy needs to move forward and advance building practices that reduce carbon emissions…”

Home at 1744 Tennessee (Photo: Kieran Timberlake)

Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council, said the Make It Right project “proved that green building can be both affordable and high performing.”

“In facing our nation’s unprecedented economic and environmental crises, we must change the way the places in which we live, work, learn and play are built and operated. What we’re seeing with green building goes beyond energy-efficiency to a transformation of entire communities – and the lives of the people who live there,” he said.

Fedrizzi presented the award, a LEED plaque to Pitt, Darden and Make It Right resident and Katrina-survivor Deidre Taylor, noting that Platinum certifications achieved in the neighborhood are the highest possible.

Make It Right is a collaboration between actor Brad Pitt, Steve Bing, Graft Architects, Cherokee Gives Back and William McDonough + Partners. Make it Right plans to have 50 homes up and running by December and 150 by December 2010.

Home at 1843 Tennessee (Photo: Billes Designs, New Orleans)

Digging into nature in air-conditioned comfort

John DeFore — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:10:59 +0000

By John DeFore
Green Right Now

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.

Tests show how toxic substances turn up in Americans’ blood

BKessler — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:35:30 +0000

By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

We hear every day about dangerous chemicals in household products that are linked to cancer, infertility, autism and other diseases – yet many Americans may not realize just how many of these harmful substances they’ve actually ingested in the course of everyday living.

The answer? About 48. That’s according a study by the Environmental Working Group and Rachel’s Network, in which five leading minority women environmentalists from different parts of the country volunteered to have their blood tested for toxic substances. The results, say EWG experts, show that regulation of chemicals in the U.S. is weak and “antiquated” and needs a major overhaul.

The tests, performed by four independent labs in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands, looked for traces of 75 common chemical contaminants that might turn up in people because they are used in household goods, plastics, beauty products and food and water.

It found, in the aggregate, traces of 48 chemicals in the women, notably flame retardants (used to treat some furniture and clothing), synthetic fragrances (from body care products and perfumes), the plastics ingredient Bisphenol A (found in bottles, canned food liners and other products) and the rocket fuel perchlorate (which has been found in some drinking water).

“We are fighting the things we know that are there, the things (pollutants) outside,” said Suzie Canales, founder of Citizens for Environmental Justice in Corpus Christi, which has pushed for a cleaner environment in a city with a concentration of oil refineries. “But it’s a double injustice to find out that the products put on the market are also killing us.”

Canales report showed that her blood contained traces of chemicals from BPA, musks, rocket fuel, lead and mercury. The profiles of the other women tested also turned up several chemicals, at levels above average, that have been linked to harmful health effects; though the toxic mix varied by individual.

The findings made concrete the suspicion that all Americans are being exposed to a daily brew of chemicals that advocates now call our chemical “body burden”.

“I was frustrated to learn about the industrial chemical contamination through this study. I am a mother and I have a 7 year old daughter. I try to live a sustainable life style,” said Jennifer Hill-Kelley, a member of the Oneida Nation who’s worked to clean up environmental pollution outside of Green Bay, Wisc. “… I don’t have the information about the personal care products or the plastics I use…and I feel that as a consumer I deserve that information to be shared with me.”

Beverly Wright, a New Orleans sociology professor working to fight pollution in the heavily industrialized Lower Mississippi River Valley area, said she was “disturbed” to discover that her tests showed a high level of musks, which are potentially hazardous compounds in synthetic fragrances.

New Orleans schools reborn in a green image

Shermakaye Bass — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:34:29 +0000

Photo: Global Green USA
Global Green upgrades will save the International School of Louisiana an estimated $21,781 in utility costs and reduce the carbon emissions by 177,109 pounds annually.

By Shermakaye Bass
Green Right Now

In late summer 2005, the city of New Orleans suffered a horrific blow when Hurricane Katrina howled in from the Gulf of Mexico, inundating the 300-year-old city and severely crippling its infrastructure and its collective psyche. But if anything positive surfaced after Katrina, it’s that the storm gave New Orleans an opportunity to go green.

Crescent City transplant Brad Pitt has taken a high-profile role in rebuilding the poorest parts of the city, with a focus on energy efficient, eco-friendly affordable housing. And Global Green USA, an offshoot of Mikhail Gorbachev’s non-profit Green Cross International, also has made headlines with green reconstruction of devastated districts such as the Ninth Ward’s Holy Cross neighborhood.

Less known is the fact that post-Katrina NOLA has positioned itself to become one of the country’s national leaders in terms of green school construction – both in retrofitting old ones and building new ones. Turning rot and ruin into hope and rebirth, organizations like Global Green (GG) and the Clinton Climate Initiative are helping locals change the landscape of public education, one “brick” at a time.

The city is updating, retrofitting, renovating or constructing from scratch more than 25 public schools. Currently, at least ten are in varied stages of greenification in the city’s Recovery School District (RSD) and the Orleans Parish School District (ORSD), and several more have been tagged for major renovation or ground-up construction.

Many are getting a kick start from Global Green’s Green Seeds Schools Initiative – which offers $75,000 grants for retrofitting – such as A.P. Tureaud Elementary (pictured), circa 1939; Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary; and the recently relocated International School of Louisiana. Two others will be part of the nonprofit’s Model Green Schools program receiving around $300,000 each: Andrew H. Wilson Elementary, built in 1928, will be a major renovation project, and another new school will be started from scratch.

Five others in the Recovery and Orleans parish districts are currently either under renovation or are in the design stages, says Lona Hankins, director of capital improvements for RSD. They are: Langston Hughes Elementary, Lord Beacon Landry High School, Greater Gentilly High School, Fannie C. Williams Middle School and Edward Hynes Elementary.

“The goal for all new schools and major renovations is to achieve LEED Silver certification,” says Hankins. “The master plan is, over the next four or five years, to have completed 20-plus projects. Global Green is assisting, but we also have a wonderful relationship with the U.S. Department of Energy (grants). … However, most of our funding is coming from FEMA, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Clinton Climate Initiative. There also will be a relationship with Global Green going forward, as it relates to (adding solar power) the schools.”

As it all comes together, New Orleans should emerge with a network of new and refurbished schools that use 30 percent less energy.

Mid-size cities go green

BKessler — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:51:50 +0000

By Kelly Rondeau
Green Right Now

Move over Seattle, Portland, and Austin and other green heavyweights — make room for some like-minded newcomers.

Columbus, Ohio; New Orleans, La., Syracuse, N.Y., and Louisville, Ky., residents might not be wearing Birkenstocks and basking under solar tubes. But they are living in some of the growing number of mid-sized American cities that are making impressive green strides, changing their attitudes and getting smarter about eco-choices.

Syracuse, led by Mayor Matthew Driscoll, is becoming a greener “Emerald City” of New York with its sustainability website, partnerships with area universities and an impressive number 17 placement for 2008 on Popular Science’s list of the 50 Greenest Cities in the U.S..

“Going green makes sense — we’re the third largest collegiate community in America — we have major research institutes all right here. We’re a plethora of green activity, making green-collar jobs available,” Driscoll said. “Just ten years ago, I was talking about going green and people didn’t really get it. Now, with people paying four bucks a gallon in gas at times, people are listening. They’re very much in tune with conservation and transitioning into a green city.”

Also looking at a greener horizon, Mayor Michael B. Coleman is easing Columbus toward the earth-friendly forefront. “There are many, many green initiatives going on right now. We have an award-winning green fleet program, and we are making our city buildings green. We have a new “Green Spot” program with over 650 businesses and community groups signing up so far to make sure our city is making greener choices,” he says.

“I was an early supporter of going green in Columbus. I believe we must tackle our environmental issues head on, and I’ve created “The Green Memo”, which lays out a plan for making our air and water cleaner, and for attracting new, green jobs in our city,” he said.

With conservation becoming a must, and urban areas trying to find ways to save money like never before, going green is presenting simple and attractive solutions. Here are the most buzzed-about green happenings for these four locations, some of which are garnering national attention:

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus didn’t make the Popular Science list, but it’s got its own ambitious list of green initiatives and could develop into an unlikely green champion of the Rust Belt.