USGBC to Obama Administration: Yes we will

Nation’s Green Building Leader Promotes Green Jobs as the Cornerstone to Reviving and Restoring America’s Economy

In his first full week as president, President Barack Obama is moving swiftly and boldly with the full support of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to chart a new course for our struggling economy – a path that invests in our buildings, from our homes to our schools, and that creates millions of new green-collar jobs and saves Americans billions in energy.

Expanding on its 16 years of work to transform our nation’s buildings and communities, USGBC is engaging closely with the Obama administration to demonstrate that immediate and long-term investments in green building and in the green economy are the down payment needed to restore America’s economic leadership. 

From the East Room of the White House on Wednesday morning, President Barack Obama urges support and swift passage of an economic recovery package “so that we can climb our way out of this crisis.” 

 

 

Whether meeting directly with the administration on its economic recovery plan, providing strategic advice to senior energy and environmental officials on transforming the country’s built environment, or presenting bold new ideas on expanding the green economy, USGBC is advancing green building as a central plank to rebuilding a healthy and sustained economy while putting Americans back to work. 

Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, and Valerie Jarrett, a White House senior adviser, after President Barack Obama’s speech Wednesday in support of his economic recovery plan. 

“Our member companies across the country provide examples of success to an administration that is seeking new answers and a new direction,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC President, CEO and Founding Chairman. “USGBC will continue to deliver innovative and deliberative plans of action that will simultaneously create millions of green-collar jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advance proven opportunities to deliver greener, more energy-efficient buildings.” 

Read Rick’s public policy ideas in Roll Call »

USGBC is actively monitoring and informing deliberations about the economic recovery package urged by President Obama and now under development in Congress. Even with passage in the House yesterday, the specifics of the plan are not yet final—and are currently the subject of debate and negotiation in both the House and Senate. Nevertheless, the following elements of the packages proposed by both chambers hold particular promise for green building and represent an important recognition of the transformative potential of existing buildings:

• Green Schools: The House and Senate economic recovery plans currently provide multiple billions of dollars for modernization of K-12 and higher education facilities, with preferences or requirements for green improvement projects.
• Green Federal Buildings: Both the House and Senate plans currently include several billion dollars for the General Services Administration’s Federal Buildings Fund, with green or energy efficiency requirements for funded facility projects.
• Weatherization Assistance Program: Both plans would provide multiple billions of dollars for and expand the reach of the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides weatherization services to help improve the energy efficiency of homes and enable lower energy bills for low-income families.
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants: The House and Senate plans currently provide multiple billions of dollars for block grant funds for states, localities, and tribes for energy efficiency projects.
• Public Housing: Both packages currently provide several billion dollars for the Public Housing Capital Fund to support improvements to public housing developments, including authority or priority for energy efficiency incentives and projects.
• Green Job Training: Both plans would provide billions of dollars for job training programs, with a preference or requirement that portions of such funds be used to prepare workers for jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors.

USGBC will continue to support the new administration, working to ensure the final passage of an economic recovery package that taps the full potential of green building to advance the new green economy of the future.

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Starting January 1, 2009, per the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, homeowners can benefit from new tax credits for energy efficient home improvements (windows, skylights, doors, roofs, insulation, HVAC, biomass stoves and non-solar water heaters).

There are also tax credits for vehicles (hybrid gas-electric, bio-diesel, diesel, battery-electric, alternative fuel, or fuel cell), solar energy systems,small wind energy systems, and fuel cells.

Home Improvements
Home improvement tax credits are now available for home improvements “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009. Any qualified home improvements made in 2008 are not eligible for the tax credit.

Home improvement tax credits are available for insulation, replacement windows, water heaters, certain high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, and biomass stoves. See chart. The maximum amount that a taxpayer may claim from all of these tax credits combined is $500 over the lifetime of the tax credit (2006, 2007 & 2009).

If you are building a new home, you can qualify for the tax credit for photovoltaics, solar water heaters, small wind systems and fuel cells, but not the tax credits for windows, doors, insulation, roofs, HVAC, or non-solar water heaters.

Learn more about the program at Energy Star.

ReBuilding Exchange Grand Opening Party

I thought that involvement in this important non-profit event might be of interest our readers.  The GreenWerks team is a proud supporter of the initiatives of the Delta Institute. Please see info below on the Grand Opening Event and Benefit of the ReBuilding Exchange, a new initiative of the Delta Institute

The ReBuilding Exchange is a new initiative of the Delta Institute to divert used building materials from landfills and make them available to the public for reuse, at a very low cost.  The waste diversion activities of the ReBuilding Exchange protect community health, create jobs, and save resources. Additionally, the ReBuilding Exchange promotes sustainable deconstruction practices, provides educational resources, and creates programming that builds community and rebuilds Chicago’s neighborhoods.
 
The ReBuilding Exchange will celebrate its grand opening with a fundraiser on Friday, February 13th, 6-10pm with live music, food, and both a live and silent auction.  We would like to extend an invite to you and your organization for this exciting event! Tickets area suggested donation of $25, which supports the operations and programming of the ReBuilding Exchange. Please go to www.delta-institute.org/rebuildingexchange   to register for the event.
  
Again, we believe this event provides a great networking opportunity for local and sustainability oriented businesses and invite you to consider a donation of an item or service to our silent auction as well.   You’ll get great exposure at our event and we’ll add a link to your business on our website so event attendees and website visitors can learn more about you!   (A silent auction donation form is attached).  We are also seeking event sponsorships. Please let us know if you’re interested in this opportunity and we can provide more information about the many benefits of sponsorship.
 
For more information about the ReBuilding Exchange, please visit www.delta-institute.org/rebuildingexchange

Free Museums in Chicago- Free things to do!

About a block from our office is a Harris Bank. They had a few free things that you can do around Chicago displayed on their window.

• Monday- The Chicago History Museum
• Tuesday- LUMA the Loyola Art Museum
• Wednesday- The Green City Market in Lincoln Park
• Thursday- Peggy Notebaert Museum
• Friday- Museum of Contemporary Photography

 

This inspired us to dig a little deeper and find where else you can go on a free budget. You can stop in the Art Institute on Thursday evenings from 5-8pm, Second Monday of the month at the Field Museum on Target’s dime. The Science and Industry offers free days on a somewhat random schedule that can be seen here.

Finally it’s a little known fact that the Chicago Public Library offers passes to the various Museums around Chicago. Each Library holds a handful of passes that are checked out like books and gets you free access into all the hottest museums in town. Learn more on the Chicago Public Library website.

Always Free:

 

CenterSpace Gallery at Gallery 37
66 E. Randolph Street
312.744.8925
gallery37.org

Chicago ArchiCenter
224 S. Michigan Avenue
312.922.3432
architecture.org

Chicago Beaches and Parks
Various locations
312.742.PLAY (7529)
chicagoparkdistrict.com

Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington Street
Chicago Cultural Center

Chicago Tourism Center
72 E. Randolph Street
312.744.6630
Chicago Office of Tourism

City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower
806 N. Michigan Avenue
312.742.0808
cityorchicago.org

Chicago Public Library’s Harold Washington Library Center
400 S. State Street
312.747.4300
chipublib.org

DePaul University Art Museum
2350 N. Kenmore
773.325.7506
museums.depaul.edu

Garfield Park Conservatory
300 N. Central Park Avenue
312.746.5100
garfield-conservatory.org

Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art
756 N. Milwaukee Avenue
312.243.9088
outsider.art.org

Jane Addams Hull House
800 S. Halsted Street
312.413.5353

Lincoln Park Conservatory
2400 N. Stockton Drive
312.742.7736

Lincoln Park Zoo
2200 N. Cannon Drive
312.742.2000
lpzoo.com

Martin D’Arcy Museum of Art
6525 N. Sheridan Road
773.508.2679
darcy.luc.edu

Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum
1852 W. 19th Street
312.738.1503
mfachicago.org

Museum of Broadcast Communications
78 E. Washington Street
312.629.6000
museum.tv

Museum of Contemporary Photography
600 S. Michigan Avenue
312.663.5554
mocp.org

Navy Pier
600 E. Grand Avenue
312.595.PIER (7437)
navypier.com

Newberry Library
60 W. Walton Street
312.943.9090
newberry.org

The Oriental Institute Museum
1155 E. 58th Street
773.702.9520
oi.uchicago.edu

The Peace Museum
100 N. Central Park Avenue
773.638.6450
peacemuseum.org

The Renaissance Society of University of Chicago
5811 S. Ellis Avenue
Bergman Gallery, Cobb Hall 418
773.702.8670

The Smart Museum of Art
5550 S. Greenwood Avenue
773.702.0200
smartmuseum.uchicago.edu

The Smith Museum of Stained Glass
Navy Pier
700 E. Grand Avenue
312.791.6049

 

 

 

Free Days Offered:

 

The Adler Planetarium
1300 S. Lake Shore Drive
312.922.STAR (7827)
adlerplanetarium.org
Several various days

The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S. Michigan Avenue
artic.edu
312.443.3600
Free on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Chicago Children’s Museum
700 E. Grand Avenue
312.527.1000
chichildrensmuseum.org
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Free on Wednesdays

Chicago Historical Society
Clark Street at North Avenue
312.642.4600
chicagohistory.org
Free on Mondays

Clark House Museum
1827 S. Indiana Avenue
312.326.1480
Clarke House Museum
Free on Wednesdays

DuSable Museum of African American History
740 E. 56th Place
773.947.0600
dusablemuseum.org
Free on Sundays

The Field Museum
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
312.922.9410
fmnh.org
Free 2nd Mondays of the month

Glessner House Museum
1800 S. Prairie Avenue
312.326.1480
glessnerhouse.org
Free on Wednesdays

International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N. Lakeshore Drive
312.642.6502
imss.org
Tuesdays are free

Museum of Contemporary Art
Tuesdays 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
220 E. Chicago Avenue
312.280.2660
mcachicago.org
Free on Tuesdays

Museum of Science and Industry
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
773.684.1414
msichicago.org
List of Free Days

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Drive
773.755.5100
naturemuseum.org
Thursdays are suggested donation days

The Shedd Aquarium
1200 S. Lakeshore Drive
312.939.2438
sheddnet.org
Shedd Discount days

Spertus Museum
618 S. Michigan Avenue
312.322.1747
spertus.edu
Free on Fridays

Swedish American Museum
and Children’s Museum of Immigration
5211 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
773.728.8111
samac.org
Second Tuesday of every month

Green Your Office

Many people have written to us asking for our advice on how to make an office eco-friendly. We’ve heard your pleas for help and so we have created this list of ten green office tips. Hopefully you can take some of these ideas and lead the green crusade at your office!

1. Make sure you’re recycling paper, bottles, and cans. Have separate bins in the office for recycling. If you office building does not recycle, try speaking with the office manager. Or, you can create a weekly schedule for sharing the work of taking a recycling bin home each week.

2. Make sure you’re using compact fluorescent or LED lights throughout the office. CFs use ¼ the energy and last up to 10 times as long as standard lights. LEDs are even more energy-efficient. You can find a huge variety of lighting options right here. If your building is in charge of the lighting, talk to your building manager and make sure that they understand the money they can save from buying CF or LED lights– they may not care about the environment, but they do care about cold, hard cash!

3. Get lighting motion sensors for offices, conference rooms and bathrooms. There’s no reason for lights to be one when there’s no one in the room.

4. Just like mom said, turn off the lights when you leave. And shut down your printers, faxes and computers. Some people are under the false impression that it’s more efficient to leave computers on over night. This is not true– shut off all the electronics when you leave the office.

5. If possible, use laptop computers rather than desktop computers. Energy Star models use up to 90% less energy.

6. Ditch the bottled water habit. Americans throw out over 35 BILLION plastic water bottles every year. Offices are major offenders in this area. Just think how many water bottles your office uses in a year! You can sign up for a water delivery service, or get a big Brita filter, and have everyone use a ceramic or glass cup. This is an easy thing to do and has a big impact!

7. On the same theme, stock your office’s kitchen with reusable ceramic plates and mugs rather than paper toss-aways.

8. Use recycled/recyclable office papers and other office products. You can get paper, envelopes, folders, pads, post-it notes– everything comes in a recycled version now. You can find many of these options at the Staples, OfficeMax and Office Depot, and you can also find them online at Green Earth Office Supply or at The Green Office.

9. Get a programmable thermostat. This device will help you keep your building warm/cool when the people there and save power and money when the people are away.

10. Investigate green power options. Many local utilities offer the opportunity for you to pay just a few dollars extra per month to buy “green power” that comes from wind farms and other sustainable sources. Talk to your building manager about this as an option– and you might offer to have your company pay the minimal extra fee.

Do any of you have other suggestions? We’d love to hear them. Please comment below and thank you!

Energy Star Money Saving Podcasts

As an ENERGY STAR builder our goal is to build awareness of how great the program is and some of the things they offer. We stumbled upon these great podcasts with simple tips to save money and go green. You can listen to the podcasts streaming or download them and put them on your ipod.

The ENERGY STAR podcast is a collection of conversations about energy efficiency. EPA staff talk with a variety of business analysts, technology experts, policymakers, and media. These recordings cover market trends, consumer preferences, energy reduction solutions, new products and efficiency standards, and even some retail training information.

2010 Prius is a Winner

The 2010 Toyota Prius was officially released today at the Detroit Auto Show, and if you liked the current-generation Prius, then you will love the new model. Highlights of the 2010 Prius include an improvement of 4mpg over the current version to 50mpg and an overall sportier, more attractive design. Here’s what you need to know from this AP article:

“The highly anticipated 2010 Prius boasts a 4 mpg improvement over the current model, which already is the most fuel-efficient vehicle ranked by the Environmental Protection Agency. When the Prius first was sold in the U.S. in 2000, it got 41 mpg. The 2010 version shown in Detroit will be sold in 80 countries.

The new Prius has a more aerodynamic design, but its exterior is easily recognizable as a Prius. It has a larger and more powerful 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, which Toyota says helps improve fuel economy on the highway.

Toyota also will offer options such as a moonroof with solar panels to power the ventilation system. The system uses an electrically powered air circulation fan that doesn’t need the engine to work. It prevents the interior air temperature from rising while the vehicle is parked.

The ventilation system also can be remotely operated, so drivers can adjust the interior temperature before getting inside. Toyota says this remote air conditioning system is an industry first.”

Photo from Jalopnik- they also have an outstanding photo gallery of the 2010 Prius here.