HOMEBUILDERS COMMIT TO WOOD POLICY, NEW URBANISM
In a major achievement for environmental activists, two of the nation's largest homebuilders, Kaufman & Broad and Centex Homes, have publicly committed to eliminating their use of wood from endangered forests. Both statements were announced days before an April 1 "Day of Action" planned by the Rainforest Action Network and other organizations against the two companies. K&B has been actively engaged with the Natural Resources Defense Council for eighteen months, working to reduce overall wood use and reliance on wood from sensitive sources. Centex plans to rely on any of several certification schemes to back up its commitment, even though many environmental groups consider certification schemes promoted by organizations other than the Forest Stewardship Council as little more than an endorsement of business-as-usual practices. Meanwhile, projects in Florida and the Carolinas are showing that production homebuilders can adapt to the demands of new urbanist construction, which emphasizes narrow lots, greater density, traditional architectural styles and simpler floor plans. Homebuilders active in new urbanist projects include David Weekley Homes, Saussy Burbank, Centex Homes, American Heritage Homes, and DiVosta Homes. Saussy Burbank and David Weekley Homes stand out because they build several traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs) simultaneously and are poised to make this work a regular part of their practice. Bob Rohde of David Weekley Homes acknowledges that building in TNDs is more expensive, but sees consumers becoming more willing to pay the premium for buying community rather than just a house. - Environmental Building News, Apr 00, p 6 (wood policy article); New Urban News, May-Jun 00, p 1 (new urbanism article). [Full text from EBN: http://www.buildinggreen.com/news/ran.html]

3M TO DISCONTINUE SCOTCHGARD
The 3M Company announced that it would stop making many of its well-known Scotchgard products after tests showed that the chemical compounds used to make the products linger in the environment and in humans for years. 3M said that Scotchgard, a spray that protects clothing, fabrics, upholstery and carpets from stains and other damage, was safe and that the chemical compounds pose no health risk to humans. But production of products relying on perfluorooctanyl chemistry will end by the end of the year. 3M is the only US manufacturer of the compounds. Affected home-care products include Scotchgard protector for fabric, upholstery, rugs, carpets and leather. Affected commercial products include 3M-brand carpet protector, and carpet and upholstery concentrate. "These products have been safely used for 40 years and they continue to be safe," says William E. Coyne, head of research and development at 3M, which is based in St. Paul. "But the best decision we can make now is to stop adding to the environment. This is a corporate responsibility issue. This product does not decompose, it's inert--it's persistent; it's like a rock." The company plans to reformulate Scotchgard fabric treatment, but to discontinue most other businesses that relied on the compound. - The New York Times, 17 May 00, p. A17, by David Barboza; Star Tribune (Minneapolis), 17 May 00, by Terry Fiedler.

TWO PRODUCTS RECEIVE CLIMATE-NEUTRAL CERTIFICATION
Two very different products--Interface's Solenium flooring and guest rooms operated by Saunders Hotel Group--recently obtained certification from the Climate Neutral Network. The climate-neutral certification means that any greenhouse gas emissions (primarily CO2) associated with the product or service are eliminated or are offset by reducing greenhouse gases elsewhere. To certify a product, a company must provide detailed emission inventories; demonstrate meaningful emission reductions in production processes or operations; and offset remaining emissions through investments in external emissions-reduction projects. Interface accounted for greenhouse emissions by measuring the embodied energy of Solenium's raw materials and the transportation emissions at each stage of production. Interface's research revealed that emissions from the sales team's auto fleet, corporate air travel, and other corporate activities were a significant factor in Solenium's overall emissions. To offset Solenium's emissions, Interface sponsored 10 schools in the Philadelphia Green Schools Program and the installation of a new high efficiency natural gas boiler in a school in Alameda, Oregon. Saunders Hotel Group offset emissions associated with some of its guest rooms in Boston's Copley Square and Lenox hotels by purchasing solar and methane-generated power from AllEnergy Inc. More: http://www.climateneutral.com. - Environmental Building News, Apr 00, p 5. [Full text from EBN: http://www.buildinggreen.com/news/cnn.html]

FIRST LEED-CERTIFIED BUILDINGS ANNOUNCED
At its March 30 Federal Government Summit, the US Green Building Council presented the first 12 buildings to receive LEED certification. [LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a self-assessing system for rating the environmental performance of new and existing commercial,institutional, and high-rise residential buildings.] The 12 buildings, which were certified under the pilot program standards of LEED 1.0, are: Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois; Brengel Technology Center, Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Energy Resource Center, Southern California Gas Co., Downey, California; Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Duquesne, Pennsylvania; Kandalama Hotel, Aitken Spence Hotels, Ltd., Damulla, Sri Lanka; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, South-Central Regional Headquarters, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Nidus Center for Scientific Enterprise, Monsanto Co., Creve Coeur, Missouri; KSBA Architects Office Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Phillip Merrill Environmental Center, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Annapolis, Maryland; Sundeck Restaurant, Aspen Skiing Co., Aspen, Colorado; Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, California; and Oquirrh Park Speed Skating Oval, Salt Lake City, Utah. Ballot approval of the official LEED 2.0 rating system is pending. Meanwhile, USGBC committees are working to expand LEED into other applications, including interiors, renovations and residential buildings, and are also planning a LEED rating for building operations. More: http://www.usgbc.org. - Environmental Building News, Apr 00, p 7.

NAVAL CENTER 'LEEDS' THE WAY IN GREEN DESIGN
The recently completed Bachelor Enlisted Quarters complex at Great Lakes Naval Training Center is one of eight initial sustainable design projects showcased by Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC). Located in Great Lakes, Illinois, the $65.6 million complex houses 1,850 sailors in seven buildings comprising 365,000 square feet. NAVFAC used the US Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building Rating System to define and measure the project's sustainability in terms of environmental impact, energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and other criteria. A key design goal for the project was to minimize energy consumption. The final design reflects a projected energy use of 179.77 kW/m2/year, representing a 6% savings over energy consumed by a typical, comparably sized building. Energy-efficient strategies included increased roof, wall, and foundation insulation; high-performance windows; maximum use of daylighting; high efficiency electric lighting with dual settings; use of the existing steam system for heating; a DDC remote control system; variable-speed drive motors on mechanical equipment; and energy-efficient transformers. The project's comprehensive commissioning program will help ensure proper turnover of the building to facility managers and optimal operation and maintenance of equipment and systems. - Energized (newsletter published by Dept. of the Navy Energy Program), Oct 99, by John Lippert; and Environmental Building News, Apr 00, p 7. [More: http://energy.navy.mil/awareness/newsletter.html]

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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER Sustainable design consultant Chris Hammer publishes GreenClips in San Francisco. Ms. Hammer helps her clients with environmentally responsible approaches to urban planning and development, and to building design, construction, and operation. GreenClips is written by Chris Hammer and Jennifer Roberts.

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