GreenClips.183 01.16.02 SALT LAKE CITY TO HOST SUSTAINABLE CITIES CONFERENCE DURING OLYMPICS At this year's Winter Olympic Games, in addition to watching curling and luge events, visitors will have a chance to explore the world's best offerings in sustainable design, from renewable energy to renovated riparian habitats. Stephen Goldsmith, Salt Lake City's planning director, is organizing "The Physical Fitness of Cities: Vision and Ethics in City Building," a conference and exhibition that will coincide with the games. Some of the best minds in the sustainable-design world including Moshe Safdie, Bill McDonough, Ray Suarez, Wolf Daseking, Michael Sorkin, and Peter Calthorpe will meet to discuss the future of green design in urban environments. Conference topics include green buildings like the Olympic Oval speed-skating arena and Bill McDonough's European headquarters for Nike. Many of the 84 countries participating in the Olympics have sent examples of local approaches to sustainable design for the exhibition from multiuse neighborhood revitalization in Hakata, Japan, to bioswale gray-water treatment in Freiburg, Germany. And the hall that will hold a display of historic Olympic torches will also house exhibits on more energy-efficient forms of lighting. Goldsmith hopes to inspire fellow Salt Lake City residents to begin envisioning a more sustainable future. Metropolis, Feb 2002, p 28, by Tess Taylor. [More: http://www.fitcities.org] NEW ELECTRIC HAND DRYER SAVES ENERGY, OUTPERFORMS PAPER TOWELS Excel Dryer, Inc.'s new XLerator hand dryer for public lavatories gets hands dry in one-third the time, and uses about one-third the energy of conventional dryers. By providing air at a higher temperature than that of standard dryers, the XLerator dries hands in 12 to 15 seconds. Conventional dryers take 30 to 45 seconds. In addition, the XLerator draws only 1,500 watts instead of the usual 2,200. And a life-cycle analysis performed by Sylvatica, Inc. and Franklin Associates, Ltd. shows that on the basis of energy use, electric hand dryers perform far better than paper towels. Drying one's hands with virgin paper towels consumes 743 kilojoules (kJ) per use, with recycled towels 460 kJ/use, with a standard electric dryer 222 kJ/use, and with the XLerator dryer 76 kJ/use. Environmental Building News, Jan 2002, p 6, by Nadav Malin. [Full text: http://www.buildinggreen.com/products/xlerator.html] HANDS-ON SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM INSPIRING NEW GENERATION OF DESIGNERS The Ecosa Institute, an architectural design school in Prescott, Arizona, that introduces students to sustainability through hands-on projects, graduated its second class in December. Founded by Tony Brown, an architect and Prescott College (Arizona) professor, Ecosa's mission is to create a new generation of architects, urban planners and designers who understand the importance of sustainability, and how to incorporate its principles into their building and community designs. Over the course of last semester, the 14 Ecosa students split into groups and designed three different projects: a proposed children's alternative energy museum at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; a proposed conference hall at Prescott College; and a proposed living and learning center for a local Aboriginal Living Skills School. Many of the students enrolled at Ecosa sought out the program because other schools don't offer much guidance in sustainable design. Eventually, Brown hopes to offer a two-year master's degree in sustainable design at Ecosa. Currently, it runs one semester each year in the fall; Prescott College offers undergraduate credit for the course. The cost of the program, which features guest speakers and Prescott College faculty members, is $3,800. The Daily Courier (Prescott, Arizona), 7 Dec 2001, p 1C, by Chad Simpson. [More: http://www.ecosainstitute.org] THREE PROGRAMS AIM TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF SHIPPING Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) has established two working groups to address shipping-related environmental issues. The Clean Cargo Group, which is comprised of nearly 20 percent of the top US importers, hopes to develop cost-effective environmental specifications for marine carrier service providers that can significantly improve air quality and reduce the introduction of aquatic nuisance species via ballast water. The Green Freight Group, which focuses on truck-based shipping, aims to bolster the market for alternative fuels and low-emissions commercial vehicles and to develop logistics models that optimize load capacities and minimize empty miles. In addition, this spring the US Environmental Protection Agency will launch the Ground Freight Transportation Initiative, a voluntary program that will work with shippers, carriers and manufacturers to identify and implement technologies and management practices that can significantly cut fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Business Letter, Jan 2002, p 1. [Clean Cargo Group: David Monsma, dmonsma@bsr.org; Green Freight Group: Erin Carlson, ecarlson@bsr.org; Ground Freight Transportation Initiative: Jennifer Dolin, Dolin.Jennifer@epa.gov] BOSTON SCHOOL OFFERS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN The Boston Architectural Center (BAC) has launched a certificate program in sustainable design for architects and interior designers. Offered through the BAC's continuing education department, the certificate may be earned at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Required courses address topics such as site design, energy and air quality, interiors and materials selection, and LEED certification. Electives include courses in energy use simulation and HVAC systems. New England Real Estate Journal, 21-27 Dec 2001, p 13D. [More: http://www.the-bac.edu/ce/cecertificate/cesust/cesust.html] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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