GreenClips.16 02.15.95 NEW APPROACH TO SUBURBS A high-density Canadian housing project, the Village of Montgomery in Orangeville, Ontario, offers an alternative to suburban sprawl. Marvin Green, president of the builder's parent company River Oaks, suggests that "high densities, such as the ones in Montgomery, produce economies that support public transit, affordable housing where people can work at home and where the households can manage with one car because of the proximity to everything". The houses are designed to accommodate home offices, and the community will have a local area network for communicating by personal computer. -The New York Times, February 12, 1995, p. 26, by Albert Warson. INTEREST IN GREEN BUILDING GROWS Interest in green building is spurred by several issues-waste generation, resource limits, energy consumption, social trends and health. About 20-26% of trash headed for landfills is construction waste. Buildings account for about 40% of raw materials, by weight, entering the global economy each year. And, they use 36-45% of the nation's energy output. -The Christian Science Monitor, February 11, 1995, p. 10, by Mark Trumbull. ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WAL-MART While some things about the Lawrence, Kansas Wal-Mart are the same as its predecessors-buildings surrounded by seas of parking-many things are different. This environmentally friendly store built in 1993 with the help of green architect William McDonough features a variety of innovative and ecologically sensitive elements of design and construction. According to Geraldo Ruiz, a company spokesman, the purpose of the store "is to gain experience so we can find out what it is that works and then we can roll that out to other stores across the country." -The New York Times, February 5, 1995, p. 28, by David Goldstein. DOES IT PAY TO BE GREEN? A study by Stuart L. Hart makes a strong case for pollution prevention. Hart analyzed the effects of 1988-89 pollution reduction on 1988-91 financial performances of 127 companies from Standard & Poor's 500 stock index. He concludes that most companies could slash emissions as much as 70% before hitting a point of diminishing returns. Hart is director of the corporate environmental management program at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor business school. -Business Week, February13, 1995, p. 80. CONTRACT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT This opinion piece argues that Republicans and Democrats should consider new approaches to environmental protection, and offers New Zealand and The Netherlands as models. The Dutch, for example, hold producers accountable to comprehensive long-term goals, rather than short-term regulatory mandates. They rely on voluntary covenants that include formal commitments to specific targets, but also allow companies flexibility to incorporate new technologies and practices. -The Christian Science Monitor, February 1, 1995, p. 18, by Brad Crabtree. SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING Members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will vote in October on an addition to its code of ethics. The change would require engineers to perform services that help sustain world resources and meet long-term human needs. Guy Nordenson, a principal in the New York office of Ove Arup & Partners, sees a future that will require architects and engineers to design deconstruction into buildings so that they can be dismantled and recycled routinely. -ENR, January 30, 1995, p. 65, by Nadine Post with Tom Ichniowski. GREEN BUILDER PROGRAMS The Colorado Green Program joins a growing list of home rating and home certification programs-City of Austin's Green Builder Program, Edison Electric Institute's E Seal, and Southern Electric International's Good Cents Environmental Homes. -Environmental Building News, January/February 1995, p. 6. STUDY FINDS NATURAL HABITATS IN DECLINE While attention has focused on the plight of individual species, a new study finds that vast stretches of formerly vibrant natural habitat have declined to the point of endangerment. The National Biological Service, a research organization within the Interior Department, conducted this first full review of the health of the American landscape. -The New York Times, February 14, 1995, p. 1, by William K. Stevens.