GreenClips.193 06.05.02 U.S. REPORT EMPHASIZES ADAPTING TO INEVITABLE CLIMATE CHANGE In a stark shift for the Bush administration, the United States has sent a climate report to the United Nations detailing specific and far-reaching effects that it says global warming will inflict on the American environment. In the report, the administration for the first time mostly blames human actions -- primarily the burning of fossil fuels -- for recent global warming. But while the report says the US will be substantially changed in the next few decades -- "very likely" seeing the disruption of snow-fed water supplies, more stifling heat waves and the permanent disappearance of Rocky Mountain meadows and coastal marshes, for example -- it does not propose any major shift in the administration's policy on greenhouse gases. The document, "U.S. Climate Action Report 2002," emphasizes adapting to inevitable changes and fits in neatly with the climate plan Mr. Bush announced in February. He called for voluntary measures that would allow gas emissions to continue to rise, with the goal of slowing the rate of growth. Yet the new report's predictions present a sharp contrast to previous statements on climate change by the administration, which has always spoken in generalities and emphasized the need for much more research to resolve scientific questions. Download report: http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/car The New York Times, 3 June 2002, p A1, by Andrew C. Revkin. TWO HOTEL CHAINS NOTED FOR COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has received the 2002 Energy Star Hospitality Partner of the Year award from the US Environmental Protection Agency. The company's environmental achievements include investing over $8 million in energy conservation projects in 2001; reducing energy use by over 167 million Btus and water use by over 135 million gallons; installing over 30 ozone laundry treatment systems that have significantly reduced use of hot water and chemicals; installing two fuel cells in hotels in New Jersey; and rolling out networked guestroom energy management systems to reduce energy use while the rooms are unoccupied. Several properties have achieved ISO 14001 certification and many are working to achieve the internationally recognized standard. Meanwhile, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts' Green Partnership Program is now considered by many, including National Geographic Traveler, to be the "most comprehensive environmental program in the North American hotel industry." In addition to retrofitting lighting from incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs and developing a corporate policy for purchasing environmentally friendly products, the company is exploring ways to reduce its food waste stream through composting. All Fairmont-owned golf courses are currently enrolled in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System. In addition, the company created The Green Partnership Guide, a handbook for employees wishing to make an environmental difference. Green Hotelier, May 2002, p 24 & 38. VICTORIAN BUILDING GETS ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE MAKEOVER Nearly four years ago, architects Cate Leger and Karl Wanaselja purchased a Victorian-era home and adjacent shop on a bustling commercial street in Berkeley, California. The two-and-a-half-story home was "basically a wreck," says Cate. They jacked up the house, built a new commercial space below, and remodeled the entire project, resulting in a compound of two street-level commercial spaces (an annex and the bottom story) and two residential units (on the second and third stories). The annex, formerly an antique shop, is now home to the couple's architecture and general contracting firm. The couple's office and 1,000-square-foot home exemplify their design objective to make architecture functional, beautiful, and ecological. "With this project, I would like people to really consider the impact of remodeling a house or building an addition -- or even just buying cabinets or staining the floor," says Karl. Living spaces were made sunnier and more spacious, while double-pane windows and cellulose insulation conserve energy and block street noise. Kitchen counters were crafted from recycled glass and wood sliced from a storm-fallen bay laurel. Old truck tailgates and car windshields make elegant awnings and deck railings. The couple honored the property's history by turning an old water heater from the project into a rainwater catchment, and laying bricks from the old foundation into the garden patio. Natural Home, Jul-Aug 2002, p 39, by April Thompson. [More: http://www.lwarc.com ] OLD GLASS FINDS NEW LIFE IN TILES FROM US MANUFACTURERS In the United States, large tile manufacturers and small glass shops are turning trash into glass tile masterpieces. In Carlsbad, California, Oceanside Glasstile makes tiles from 85 percent recycled glass, while Sandhill Industries of Boise, Idaho, buys broken and discarded glass from local window manufacturers to create a uniform tile that's 100 percent recycled. Seattle's Bedrock Industries' tiles, which have a handmade appearance, vary slightly in size, shape and color, depending on the glass that the company culls from curbside waste. The beauty of glass comes at a price, however. Artisan-quality glass tiles start at about $20 to $30 per square foot, while granite and marble cost about $15 per square foot, and good quality standard tile can be had for as little as $4 per square foot. Instead of creating tiles entirely from glass, several companies substitute recycled glass for materials that would otherwise need to be manufactured or mined. This summer, Wausau Tile will begin producing a line of terrazzo tile products made of glass chips instead of stone. And Terra Green Technologies mixes glass from automobile and airplane windshields with a ceramic base to create tiles with a recycled content ranging from 55 to 70 percent. The tiles possess a glassy luster and are available for just $10 per square foot. More: http://www.bedrockindustries.com ; http://www.glasstile.com ; http://www.sandhillind.com ; http://www.terragreenceramics.com ; http://www.wausautile.com . Natural Home, Jul-Aug 2002, p 61, by Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GreenClips is free of charge thanks to individual members and these sponsors: C&A FLOORCOVERINGS We choose not to just make carpet but to also make a difference. http://www.powerbond.com EPA'S ENVIRONMENTALLY-PREFERABLE PURCHASING PROGRAM Greening the government, one purchase at a time. http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp GREEN BUILDING SERVICES http://www.greenbuildingservices.com Green Building Services offers environmental design and energy efficient consulting services to help you design, build and market high-performance commercial buildings, through design charrettes, energy analyses and the entire LEED certification process. INTERFACE, INC. More than a carpet company. Much more. http://www.interfaceinc.com SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL, LLP (SOM) http://www.som.com/opener.cfm SOM brings architectural and engineering expertise together to design state of the art facilities. 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