Manchester Essex High School Green Scholars Remove 300lbs of Litter from Local Beaches

by Isabella Hickey and Sarah Reed

On November 15, 2014, the Manchester Essex High School Green Scholars and Interns participated in Green Apple Day of Service. Scholars and Interns spent the day cleaning Black and White Beach located in Manchester, MA and Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA. We met at Manchester Essex High School at 10am and continued to clean beaches until 2pm. Scholars found a lobster trap at Black and White Beach, and two lobster traps at Good Harbor. We collected a total of 1,888 pieces of garbage which included; cigarette butts, glass, plastic, fishing rope, soda cans, plastic bags, and many other items as well. Our total weight of garbage was approximately 200 pounds without the weight of the lobster traps. Our scholars found great happiness and success from cleaning the beaches, and once again of Green apple Day of Service was a great hit and achievement for our program.

Our efforts were highlighted in the Gloucester Times

Clark University Saves Energy through Behavior Change

by Eli Goldman

Clark University’s Climate Action Plan calls for our campus to become carbon neutral by 2030, something that we are well on track to achieving. While Clark has invested over $2 million in technology upgrades, continues to invest in technology improvements, and has two LEED certified buildings; there is no doubt that more can be done. Much of Clark’s campus depends on old buildings that are not ideal for energy conservation technology. These old buildings house most of the staff and departmental offices. Clark’s student body is very active in pursuing ways to conserve energy. We routinely perform Green Room and Green Office Audits, have a team of hard-working Eco Reps, and, with the help of USGBC MA and National Grid's Green Apple Day of Service Mini Grant, this student-managed initiative will provide a checklist designed to help our faculty and staff save energy in their offices through behavior change.


The ‘Energy Saver’ checklist is a simple tool that provides clear direction for behavior change. The checklist is embedded in a monthly calendar. Concise checklist items aimed at helping to promote energy awareness and energy reduction in offices all over campus include: turn off all lights, close window shades, and turn off space heaters, etc. The decision to present the checklist in a calendar format was made carefully. We see calendars almost daily. We are used to them. Because of their familiar format the calendar becomes a helpful aid in promoting behavior change. Also, using the format of a calendar allows for the checklist to be adapted to the season as energy conservation strategies change. 

The benefits of a checklist designed to help power down offices are impressive. Checklists allow for the individual to focus on his or her usual daily tasks without putting much thought into the bulleted list. Thus, time, money, and general effort can all be saved with the help of a good checklist. On Green Apple Day of Service, we distributed the calendar to Clark University’s 652 faculty and staff members. Faculty and staff who return all months of the supplied calendar with their checklist completed to Clark University’s office of sustainability will receive an honorable prize – lunch with our President, David Angel. The goal is to have a measurable impact on Clark’s Climate Action Plan goals.

The ‘Energy Saver’ checklist aims to promote behavior as a means of increasing energy awareness and personal efforts toward energy reduction. Clark University students and Eco Reps have illustrated that powering down really does make a difference. The students of Wright Hall, one of our freshman dorms, reduced energy 67% in a Thanksgiving Break Powerdown contest; all the dorms averaged a 48% reduction! Supporting behavior change among faculty and staff with this student-led initiative is the next step. While they are by no means insignificant, the numbers cited above mean little if they only come about because of a one-time event. Instead, the hope is that the ‘Energy Saver’ checklist will allow for daily power downs to happen almost subconsciously when faculty and staff leave their offices and head for home – they will even take the habits home with them. Saving energy and reducing climate change is up to everyone, at work and at home.

As a result of the research and audits, I realized that while continued technological improvements are important, wide-spread community behavior change is necessary to make a long-lasting difference in our energy use. Clark University Physical Plant has agreed to help fund my project and to match the value of a Green Apple Day of Service Grant.

Sustainable Design Leaders: Healthy Building Materials Summit

Over 130 members of our green building community came together on Friday, 11/14, to learn and share knowledge about healthy materials in buildings.

We gathered at Google's Kendall Square (Cambridge) offices - in their new "bridge space" on the fifth floor. They have an extensive audio-visual set up and we enjoyed filling up the entire theater.

The Sustainable Design Leaders of New England organized the entire program and Blake Jackson of Tsoi/Kobus Associates (a Chapter Sponsor) served as the MC.

We heard brief presentations from a panel of six experts on various aspects of healthy materials choices in the design and operation of buildings - from the owners' side, manufacturers and advocates. Below is Nadav Malin from BuidlingGreen and to the left are:

• Bill Walsh from the Healthy Buildings Network
• Heather Henriksen of the Harvard Office for Sustainability
• Denis Darragh from Forbo Flooring
• Melissa McCullough from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute 
• Scott Tobias of ASSA ABLOY

We had a great turnout of many of the leaders of the green building industry in Massachusetts and beyond. The "unconference" aspect was especially engaging. The program was made possible by the contributions of many, especially the sponsors:

• Premium Sponsors:
• A Better City
• Armstrong
• ASSA ABLOY
• Bergmeyer
• Forbo Flooring
• Google
• Knauf Insulation
• Nelson
• USGBC MA
• Sponsors:
• Boston Society of Architects
• Gensler
• Goody Clancy
• Hydrotect
• Sasaki
• Sustainable Minds

The entire group broke out into three rooms and pairs of the speakers toured around, 30 minutes with each group, participating in a crowd-derived conversation. A lot of specific exploring occurred. How can manufacturers declare their EPDs w/o losing market share due to "first-declaring penalty?" How can builders start to look at the longevity of their products? What is the trade off between longevity and toxicity? Maybe some products could actually be designed for shorter utilization periods and not have to be so durable, in the way durability efforts generally drive more and more complex and potentially dangerous chemistry...? 

Hat's off to the Sustainable Design Leaders of New England, Healthy Materials Summit Organizing Team!

Congratulations Arjun Mande of Goody Clancy, Mihir Parikh of A Better City, Anastasia Huggins of Gensler, [me] and Blake Jackson of Tsoi/Kobus!

I'm sure we're already looking ahead to next year's Summit!

USGBC MA Hosts Senator Eldridge for Discussion on Net Zero Energy Buildings

by Michael Sigmon, Sterritt Lumber, FSC Sales Broker

            On November 10^th, the RGBC had the pleasure of hosting Senator Jamie Eldridge (D – Acton) for our monthly presentation. This highly anticipated event did not disappoint. In a true roundtable discussion fashion, Senator Eldridge gave us insight into what the legislature is doing for green building in the residential community.

            Senator Eldridge’s commitments to the environment, and green building in particular were made very clear from the start. As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, he seeks “to investigate the issues involving global warming and climate change, including but not limited to carbon emissions, greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energies.” Senator Eldridge also serves on the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, where he focuses on renewable energy. It is very clear he is committed to “greening” the Metro West!

            Some of Senator Eldridge’s accomplishments include filing bill S.1587, to  promote zero net-energy buildings in the Commonwealth, by requiring a 30% more energy efficiency standard than the international code. Also, Eldridge was instrumental in passing the 2010 PACE legislation.

            While Senator Eldridge actively advocates for investing more in green energy, he acknowledged we can still do much more. Education for the general public can always be improved, and he seeks to limit confusion on energy codes for the masses. Other topics discussed included deep energy retrofit programs, tax incentives for green building, and progressive residential champions, such as Carter Scott’s initiatives. We also learned that when a bill is “put to study,” it is a nice way of saying it is “put to pasture!”

            Most importantly, the group discussed what we can do as citizens and colleagues to help advocate for bills beneficial to green building. Senator Eldridge was receptive to scheduling a visit to the statehouse where experts could speak to the bills and issues, and recognized it is these individuals that can make a huge difference in educating the masses. To stay up to date with Senator Eldridge’s initiatives visit http://www.senatoreldridge.com/issues/environment.

Thank you Senator Eldridge!

And now for some good news.....

By Kevin Dufour, Chapter Member; LEED AP O+M

As an environmental scientist and sustainability consultant, I try to stay current with the latest research about our environment and in particular, climate change.  Often times the flow of information is relentless and sometimes downright depressing.  Constantly hearing such stories as how the California drought and Australian Heatwave have been definitively linked to to climate change, or, that birds ranges have been pushed further toward the poles and that many species may face future extinction can eventually get you down,  Why even the mangroves, that iconic symbol of the tropics, have been relentlessly marching away from the equator due to warmer winters.  It can be hard not to devolve into pessimism.  

A Reason for Hope.

However, I recently had an enjoyable and encouraging conversation about climate change. The information was correct, current, and even nuanced. My partner in conversation knew about ocean acidification, the natural drivers of climate change, attempts at mitigation and resiliency, feedback loops, and the basic principles of atmospheric science. He was ten years old. If he is that knowledgeable, then perhaps, others in his generation are so informed. This is a cause for optimism indeed. I thought that I should share some positive stories and that such would help those of us in the vanguard of the green movement carry forward. Perhaps such items would help keep the wolves of despair at bay for a while longer.

Positive Efforts

There have been several news stories that have focused on the potentially positive efforts.  These include stories of technological innovation and political will.  I was particularly encouraged by the development of floating solar panels. What a great idea.  This helps solve the issue of devoting so much productive land to solar power generation.  These panels can be deployed on reservoirs, industrial/agricultural lagoons, even at sea.  Obviously care must be taken to not disrupt the ecosystems with the shade these will create but it can turn non-productive water areas into electrical generators.

Greener Ag.

A second area of innovation that i believe may hold much promise is in the area of agriculture.  Agriculture is often vilified due to its impact on erosion, chemical run off, and the detrimental effects of mono culture cropping.  Major advances have been made that go a long way to minimizing those impacts.  A consortium of companies and governments has launched the climate smart agriculture initiative.  This seeks to use technological and agronomic best practices to both work with a changing climate, and to mitigate it impact, as much as possible.  This will be vital to continue to produce food, in as sustainable manner as possible, to feed the world despite the increasing pressures climate change will present..  There are critics, and such a program would need to monitored, but, its about spreading best practices around the world, increasing yields, and reducing or eliminating environmental impacts.  All ideas must be on the table and this is a good start. 

The precision agriculture movement works hand in hand with Climate smart agriculture by leveraging technology to minimize impacts and maximize productivity.  At first glance this seems like science fiction but it is real and it is being used today.  Precision agriculture involves the use of advanced sensors to detect drought stress and pest pressure on crops.  It uses guided applications of nutrients, pesticides, and water to alleviate those issues.  Rather than using a crop duster to bombard a field or broadcasting fertilizer where it may not be needed, the applications are targeted to the individual plant in need.  Water is only applied exactly where needed and in a manner to minimize evaporation.  The end result is greater productivity, less costs, and far less impacts than current practices.  As I mentioned, this is being done now.  The higher yields and lower use of nutrients and chemicals reduces cost to such an extent that the return on investment can be as little as 2 to 3 years. No matter how you slice it, that is good news.

China, Business, and Citizens stepping up.

Another area of positive movement is world wide acceptance  of the challenges we face. That is no more evident than in the burgeoning environmental awakening taking place in China.   Make no mistake about it, China is a mess and will continue to be a mess for a long time.  That said, they are making  dramatic strides in a developing environmental protection system.  They have begun instituting trial cap and trade systems. They have banned all coal burning in Beijing by 2020 and placed limits on coal burning power plants.  Most transformational of all has been their establishment of  a system that allows for public interest lawsuits as a means of driving environmental change.  Even if they are harvesting "low hanging fruit", China is making substantial gains and putting the US to shame.

While I have been disappointed by the United States congressional lack of leadership on climate change, I have been heartened by the actions of its citizens. A huge crowd gathered in NYC to march for climate action. Ironically just a couple of days earlier Gov. Christie - who pulled New Jersey from the Regional Green House Gas Initiative - was in NYC to speak before a donor convention for the climate change denying Koch brother backed Americans for Prosperity super PAC. I guess its two steps forward, one step back.   Students have taken the lead in advocating for college endowments to divest themselves of carbon intensive investments.  This strategy is not just ethical investing from the days of combating apartheid but it also makes simple economic sense.  If, in order to meet the 2 degrees C climate benchmark, we must leave large amounts of oil, gas, and coal in the ground - do proven reserves have any value?  Even the Rockefellers, of Standard Oil fame and fortune, have announced plans to divest up to 50 Billion from fossil fuels including tar sands. 

The Rockefeller Fund is not the only corporate citizen pushing for action on climate change.  Many corporate citizens have stepped to the plate.  You can argue whether or not it is ethics or profits that drive this new found idealism but I care not, the end result is the same.  Both Google and Microsoft and even News Corp.  have announced plans to withdraw all funding and support from the climate change denial bill mill of the American Legislative Exchange Council.  A sure sign that corporate citizens are viewing climate change as a risk to their bottom line is the alliance between Henry Paulson, Michael Bloomberg, and Tom Steyer.  This project, funded by heavy hitters from all sides of the political spectrum illustrates how climate change can, if thoughtfully addressed, cross all political boundaries.  The Risky Business project "focuses on quantifying and publicizing the economic risks from the impacts of climate change." In my mind, it's the action that matters more than the motivation.  I don't care if climate change is addressed to preserve corporate profit and minimize risk or if it is being done to save the world, so long as action is taken.

Positive Results.

We are starting to see some positive outcomes from actions that have already been taken.  This past year, 2014, is the first year that we have not recorded a single exceedence of the Ozone standard (Smog) in Massachusetts.

In fact, air quality all over Massachusetts and the united states has been getting steadily better and better.  This is a clear testament to the impact that forward thinking governmental policies can achieve when driven by an educated and motivated populace.  The image below and the fantastic animation at this link shows the reduction in air pollution over the last several years as imaged from a NASA satellite.

Finally, the antarctic ozone hole, remember that, has been healing itself.  Ever since the Montreal Protocol banned chlorofluorocarbons and other stratospheric ozone depleting chemicals, the earths atmosphere has been steadily healing.  This again is illustrative of the fact that concerted collective action can effect great change.

  Even the Economist has pointed out that the greatest advances in climate change have come from large governmental action including treaties, energy standards, efficiency, and even building codes. Progress is happening and its happening in unlikely places and with unlikely partnerships.  Hey, even the Economist is covering climate change, that's a reason to be hopeful.

Kevin Dufour is an Environmental Scientist with Viridis Advisors. He collaborates with Tom Irwin on creating greener greenscapes. The opinions expressed by member bloggers are their own and not necessarily those of the USGBC Massachusetts Chapter.

 

Recognizing Sponsoring Partner: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

About Simpson Gumpertz & Heger

Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) is a national engineering firm that designs, investigates, and rehabilitates structures and building enclosures. Our award-winning work encompasses building, transportation, nuclear, water/wastewater, and science/defense projects throughout the United States and in more than 30 other countries. 

SGH Employees are star volunteers with the Chapter:

Mark Webster has supported our outreach and cultivation of nodes of green building market transformation throughout the state on our Regional and State-wide Advocacy Committee. "RASOC" has enabled groups to come together in western MA, Worcester County, and on Cape Cod. Mark also is part of our Building Science working group.

David Bliss, another engineer at SGH, has been instrumental with our Advocacy Committee and created our Voters Guide this year to provide stakeholders insight into how to grill candidates on our issues - what and how will they support our mission of green buildings for all within a generation? David is also supporting our website redesign with attention to our graphics and mapped representations of green buildings and green building activity.

Thank you to SGH for being a valued and hard-working supporting Sponsoring Partner with the USGBC MA Chapter!

In Memorium of a Green Building Champion: Mayor Tom Menino

by John Dalzell, Boston Redevelopment Authority; USGBC National Board of Directors

Remembering Mayor Thomas M. Menino

Before LEED and USGBC became a globe movement, Mayor Menino set Boston on a path to lead the nation in green building.  From the 2007 first-in-the-nation green building zoning requiring large scale projects to meet LEED certification, to promoting green affordable housing, to greening municipal buildings and operations, Mayor Menino transformed practices and the local market place.  And from hosting the 2008 GreenBuild Conference, which brought 28,000 sustainability leaders to Boston, to partnering with the Center for Green Schools to place a sustainability Fellow within the Boston Public School system, the Mayor brought green building to every citizen and student.

Today, Boston is home to over 150 LEED Certified Projects spanning almost 40 million square feet of building and including the first ever E+ (energy positive) LEED Platinum homes.  In the process, Mayor Menino taught us "it's not just about the buildings themselves - its about the people inside."  Although Mayor Menino's leadership will be missed; his inspiration will carry us forward.

Below: at the LEED ceremony for Atlantic Wharf, Boston's first LEED Platinum Skyscraper

"Living With Water" Design Competition Launch at ABX in Boston

Boston's Mayor Walsh kicked off a new design competition today at ABX - the Boston Society of Architects' (BSA) annual convention at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. 

"Boston Living with Water" will draw on the collective talent of architects and planners globally to explore how rising sea level can be an opportunity rather than a threat to Boston. Three types of scenarios are in the contest: mid-size multifamily building on the waterfront, a vacant lot area in the Seaport, and Morrissey Boulevard on the Dorchester waterfront which already floods regularly. 

More info on the contest is here.

Hundreds of people attended to hear the announcement, which also included remarks by Brian Swett, Chief of Environment for the City, describing a leadership summit on climate resilience to be hosted at UMass Boston in the spring.

The Mayor was joined City Manager Rossi of Cambridge, Manager Ash of Chelsea and Marc Draisen, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission to announce a new regional effort to help prepare Boston and the metropolitan area for the impacts of climate change. 

Also in attendance (below) were the leaders of the BSA Eric Wilson (Executive Director) and Emily Grandstaff-Rice (current President of the BSA) among other state and local officials.

Chapter all-stars included Phoebe Beierle (Boston Public Schools), John Dalzell (Boston Redevelopment Authority), [Grey Lee], and Brian Swett (City of Boston).

From Devastation to Restoration - a tour of Mississippi's "Katrina Coast"

As Greenbuild draws to a close, the local Louisiana Chapter of USGBC hosted a few tours of their city and state so attendees could see more of the situation of green buildings in the area. Folks could check out the Make It Right projects in the Lower Ninth Ward, green buildings at Tulane, the Broadmoor neighborhood and other locations throughout New Orleans.

The Mississippi Chapter provided a big tour out into their gulf coast areas affected by Katrina and other weather events. I joined this tour to see a school, a fire house, a community center and some homes that have been re-built to FEMA 361 standards (seriously heavy duty) and are helping the communities recover and become more resilient.

We got on the bus at 8am on Saturday to head east. First we took a little tour of the Pearl River to see some of the local fishing communities. And some alligators.

 Then into Hancock County, Mississippi to see the new LEED-certified elementary school.

 The kids are very happy to be in a LEED building, and learning about sustainability every day.

 The cafeteria was built to be an emergency shelter in the event of a major hurricane or tornado situation. The glass is half an inch thick and the roof can withstand a direct hit from an oil barrel full of concrete.

We went on to see the new firehouse at Bay St. Louis on the coast. This was also built to FEMA 361 standards for rigor in the event of a major storm - wind and/or flooding event. We did not get to try the firepole.

The apparatus bays (the garage) and the facility have features to improve the safety of the first responders and create a secure location to manage disaster intervention communications. One interesting note was that about half the firefighters have the last name "Farve..." yes, we are near a famous quarterback's hometown and these are all his relatives.

Here I am next to Shannon Stage, my friend and colleague who is the executive director for the Lousiana Chapter of the USGBC.

The last stop of the day was also in Bay St. Louis where a drainage ditch (similar to below) near the old coastal train tracks (which are actually still in use) has been re-designed into a community asset - a beautiful pond.

Nowadays, the area has become a major local attraction - there are ducks & geese and plenty of benches to observe. It was a great installation. Notice the cypress trees right there in the water! 

It was a great day and tour of some wonderful and hopeful places. I hope I can visit again sometime, and maybe spend some time on the beautiful Gulf Coast Beaches we saw!

Greenbuild General Report

Greenbuild 2014 in New Orleans was a very positive experience for our community. Once again, we gathered as a professional force to address how the built environment can be improved for greater social benefit. Hundreds of educational sessions explored the technical, financial, regulatory, and even philosophical aspects of green buildings and sustainability in communities.

New Orleans and surrounding communities in the Gulf Coast were prime examples of how green building know-how can help communities. Especially important this year was the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Summit which highlighted the work happening in New Orleans. We heard from the Make It Right foundation - Brad Pitt's organization responding to post-Katrina community challenges with LEED Platinum homes. Also, the Broadmoor community which re-created itself after utter destruction with an "education axis" and from I-SEEED, of Oakland CA, about using community knowledge to solve design challenges.

Dozens of Massachusetts Chapter colleagues were able to attend this year - a few made it to the group photo shot on Thursday. A great group of folks!

One of the engaging topics during the week was the "Chapters Evolution" discussion on Wednesday. The USGBC Chapters Staff and the volunteer Chapters Steering Committee is looking at how to evolve the 75-Chapter network to become a stronger organization and more effective body of advocates for market transformation. Over the past couple of years, many of the chapters have been losing members and declining in financial health, while a few large chapters based in large cities like New York, San Francisco and others have been growing into very effective entities in the network.

The Massachusetts Chapter has been growing significantly over the past few years and the Boston-based real estate market is a strong host for our high-performance green building industry. It seems that USGBC wants to support a stronger grassroots network with a more focused and repeated advocacy voice, and to improve efficiencies across the Chapters. Our Board of Directors and I are monitoring the situation to understand what the USGBC is aiming at and how we can be a leader in whatever "evolution" of the Chapters network turns out to mean.  

Meanwhile, members of the Chapter continued to hustle from one session to the next. Here we bumped into Kevin Bright, formerly of the Chapter having worked at Harvard University, and now Sustainability Coordinator at Colby College. Jim Newman, Board Chair, myself, and Darien Crimmin (also a member), of Winn Development, are also in the foreground. 

But who is that in the background?...is that really?...of all the 23,000 people who could have been walking by... Amazingly, I think LEED Fellow and chapter member Leo Roy of VHB seems to have photobombed this pic. Hey Leo! Great to see you!

Some of the sessions were more esoteric - here we see Mike Schiller, ED of the Pittsburg Urban Green Alliance, hosting the "Storytelling" session where we heard from half a dozen folks to help us see how to present your history and your vocation as a story to engage with your listeners for longer lasting and stronger impressions.

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Chapter held a get-together at "The Warehouse" pub on the way to the main Opening Celebration at the Superdome. We were able to play a few rounds of "corn hole" before heading to the big show.

At the Superdome, we heard a great talk with Paul Hawken (pictured) and other notables. It was a little slow, but being in the Superdome was entertaining in its own right.

Soon enough, the party got going and we heard from Trombone Shorty and then The Alabama Shakes (below) - it was some fine and strong music!

I bumped into New York Upstate Chapter Tracie Hall and USGBC Advocacy Coordinator Jeremy Sigmon (among others) while listening to the show.

On Thursday evening, I stopped at the major donors party and heard from David Gottfried (below) who spoke about engaging with our passion and staying balanced while we pursue our mission. He is always a powerful communicator with a heartfelt message.

The Closing Plenary provided us with the opportunity to hear from David Brooks who had a very important gift for us. He explored the moral imperative of our work and how buildings can be moral instruments. Each building and each community we work on has a message to its users and its surroundings. We have an important role to ensure that the moral power of the buildings is expressed for the benefit of the most people, and especially to the people of the future. I very much enjoyed his presentation, as did the large crowd.

All in all, Greenbuild continued to prove that it is a tremendous way to re-charge and rejuvenate for our work. The plenaries, the educational sessions, the exhibition hall with the hundreds of presenters and mini-shows, and of course all the product samples, was an absolutely impressive feast for every green building professional. I think we can all look forward to going again - and in 2015, Washington DC will host the event. I'm sure we can rally a really large crew from Massachusetts to head down there to pick up even more knowledge and stronger connections. See you then!