2007
Extra, extra: Read
all about it
Hoping to attract readers and advertising revenue from manufacturers
and retailers who are suddenly walking the Earth-friendly path, publishers
like The Washington Post, National Geographic and others are increasing
their offerings of “green” content.
“If you looked at 10 new markets to go after right now, this
would probably be close to the top, because the number of companies
advertising green stuff will explode in the next couple of years,”
said Josh Bernoff, an online media analyst with Forrester Research,
a consulting firm. “And having an established company behind
it is a good way to kick something like this off.”
Ten Best Green
Buildings Announced
The American Institute of Architects celebrated the best examples
of sustainable architecture and environmental design by recently
announcing the 10 Best Green Buildings. The competition drew 95
applicants, up from 54 last year.
The winners are: EpiCenter, Artists for Humanity, Boston, Mass.,
by Arrowstreet Inc; Global Ecology Research Center, Stanford, Calif.,
by EHDD Architects; Government Canyon Visitor Center, Helotes, Texas,
by Lake/Flato Architects; Hawaii Gateway Energy Center, Kailua-Kona,
Hawaii, by Ferraro Choi and Associates; Heifer International, Little
Rock, Ark., by Polk Stanley Rowland Curzon Porter Architects, Ltd.;
Sidwell Friends Middle School, Washington, D.C., by Kieran Timberlake
Associates; Wayne L. Morse U.S. Courthouse, Eugene, Ore., by Morphosis
and DLR Group; Whitney Water Purification Facility, New Haven, Conn.,
by Steven Holl Architects; Willingboro Master Plan and Public Library,
Willingboro, N.J., by Croxton Collaborative Architects; and Z6 House,
Santa Monica, Calif., by LivingHomes.
New York City
looking to go sustainable
During an Earth Day speech, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced
“the broadest-scale attack on the causes of global warming
and environmental degradation that any city has ever undertaken.”
His plans include the planting of one million trees, converting
asphalt lots into grassy athletic fields, generating electricity
from garbage, building a public plaza in every neighborhood, and
more than 120 other sustainability goals.
Coke implementing energy savings
The Coca-Cola Company recently announced that it will begin implementing
measures to reduce energy consumption at its two-million-square-foot
world headquarters by 23 percent, and reduce its water consumption
by nearly 15 percent. These efforts could eliminate more than 10,000
metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year—the equivalent
of removing 2,000 cars from the road.
The company’s efforts to protect the Earth’s climate at
its Atlanta headquarters include an approximate $3 million investment
in energy-efficient lighting and air conditioning equipment, rainwater
harvesting techniques and advanced irrigation control systems. Additionally,
Coca-Cola will continue to enhance its state-of-the-art building automation
system to increase the effectiveness of these improvements.
China's prime
minister sets environmental goals
The prime minister of China has made it a personal goal to repair
the country’s disastrous environmental record, after previous
efforts were repeatedly blocked by local government officials obsessed
with economic growth.
Wen Jiabao’s decision to head a new task force focusing on
the environment was made at a meeting of the state council, the
country’s cabinet, state media reported.
The announcement followed three major setbacks in a week for China’s
plans to shift its focus from economic growth to “sustainable
development,” including leaner and more efficient use of resources
such as oil, coal and water.
A recent internal study said climate change would have started to
result in greater flooding in the east and droughts in the north
and west by 2020, with a significant effect on agricultural production
in the following years.
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