FacilityBlog » The Environment

FSC 100 Million Acres Strong

Anne Vazquez — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:00:19 +0000

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) reports the area of forests managed according to its environmental and social standards has surpassed the 100 million acre mark.

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Hospitality Group Joins EPA Program

Anne Vazquez — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:03:24 +0000

Accor North America has joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP).

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NEW PRODUCT FLASH: Natural Furniture Polish

Anne Vazquez — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:57:25 +0000

Olive oil-based furniture polish from Earth Friendly Products cleans and conditions.

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State Of Maine To Increase Carpet Recycling Efforts

Anne Vazquez — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:48:13 +0000

The state has entered an agreement with the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) to divert its used carpet from landfills and promote the use of products containing post-consumer content.

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Missouri Campus Implements Second Use For Cooking Oil

Anne Vazquez — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:05:17 +0000

Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO has announced several environmental initiatives at its 328-acre campus.

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Video Shows Green Practices to Manage Stormwater Runoff

Anne Vazquez — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:08:13 +0000

Produced by the EPA and the U.S. Botanic Garden, the film highlights green techniques that were on display in 2008.

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AIA Releases Rebuild and Renew Plan

Anne Vazquez — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:41:28 +0000

Schools, Green Buildings, and Historic Preservation are among key initiatives.

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Weird Wednesday: Climate Controlled Sand

Anne Vazquez — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:06:40 +0000

Forget the flip flops. Just cool the sand. That's what the developers of Palazzo Versace Hotel and Condominiums in Dubai are planning to offer.

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New Business Unit Launches With LEED Platinum Project

Anne Vazquez — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:02:21 +0000

Shangri-La Industries introduced its newly formed business unit, Shangri-La Construction, at the unveiling of its inaugural project.

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NSF Accredited As Greenhouse Gas Verifier

Anne Vazquez — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:23:22 +0000

The group's Strategic Registrations arm has obtained Greenhouse Gas accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

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Allsteel Joins Forces To Increase Reuse Of Facility Assets

Anne Vazquez — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:54:31 +0000

The company has become the first U.S. manufacturer to partner with Green Solutions North America, Inc.

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WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Used Mattress Design Competition

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:59:15 +0000

Fms with an excess of used mattresses can now transform this massive burden on the waste stream into something positive, thanks to a design competition sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and Rubicon National Social Innovations.

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WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Read Any Good Vases Lately?

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:56:54 +0000

A London-based graduate student has collected offcast books and turned them into pieces of furniture with an unusual sense of beauty and purpose. She has also discovered a creative way to reuse secondhand books that are typically unacceptable in the recycling process due to their glue content.

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Nation’s First Green Building Code Sets the Stage for Increased Litigation

Heidi Schwartz — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:03:07 +0000

In response to the nation's first state-level green building code adopted by the California Building Standards Commission earlier this year, developers are increasingly aware of the nature of these regulations as well as their potential legal pitfalls.

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WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Plant Yourself A New Facility

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:22:19 +0000

An international firm comprised of scientists, horticulturists, and designers is going back to its roots—literally—in its quest to create structures that are truly "one with nature."

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EPA Considering Carbon Regulation Options

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:12:34 +0000

In an exclusive interview with CarbonInsider.com, the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change Division indicated that the agency is anticipating widespread carbon regulatory restrictions on business. EPA is moving ahead with preparations that could well include imposing on industry mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions which experts have said lead to global warming. Investors and corporations are watching closely to see how regulations are eventually structured.

In her interview with Carbon Insider, Dina Kruger, Director of the EPA’S Climate Change Division noted that as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision, the agency is studying

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EDF Launches Independent Guide To Carbon Offsets For Businesses

Heidi Schwartz — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:00:01 +0000

To help bring transparency to the fast-growing voluntary carbon offset market to combat climate change, Environmental Defense Fund has announced the launch of CarbonOffsetList.org, an online resource that will help businesses identify and purchase carbon offsets that represent real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets allow buyers to offset, or neutralize, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced from their own activities by funding projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere. Developed through a rigorous review process in collaboration with a committee of external experts in the fields of science and policy, the Web site identifies 11 pre-screened,

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Nanoscale Silver: No Silver Lining?

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:22:31 +0000

Widespread use of nanoscale silver will challenge regulatory agencies to balance important potential benefits against the possibility of significant environmental risk, highlighting the need to identify research priorities concerning this emerging technology, according to a new report.

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High Performance School Projects Recognized

Anne Vazquez — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:44:28 +0000

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) has chosen four school programs for its Green Apple Awards.

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Friday Funny: Another Toilet Story

Heidi Schwartz — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:50:39 +0000

At the beginning of the tourist season, a major new attraction was grabbing headlines at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. What was it? You guessed it...a toilet

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WEIRD WEDNESDAY: Got Landscaping Issues? A World Class Tree Climber Can Help!

Heidi Schwartz — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:34:09 +0000

While the world is currently in a sports oriented mindset, it would be remiss to overlook results from one exciting non-Olympic event—the International Tree Climbing Championship

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Guest Commentary: What to Do About Pending “Green” Legislation

Heidi Schwartz — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:36:12 +0000

The bottom line is that green building legislation is coming—and companies, their CEOs, their SVPs of Real Estate, and their facilities managers need to get ready.

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EPA Focuses On Recently Acquired Facilities

Anne Vazquez — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:47:40 +0000

An interim policy offers incentives to new owners who correct environmental violations at recently acquired regulated facilities.

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AT&T Joins Green Grid to Promote Data Center Energy Efficiency

Heidi Schwartz — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:40:00 +0000

AT&T Inc. announced its affiliate, AT&T Services Inc., has joined The Green Grid, the global consortium dedicated to advancing energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. AT&T also announced it will supply data center performance information to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in developing a new ENERGY STAR rating for data center infrastructure.

Membership in The Green Grid and participation in the ENERGY STAR data center initiative underscore AT&T’s commitment to minimize the environmental impact of its operations and to work collaboratively with industry organizations and suppliers to identify optimal solutions and best practices.

The

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