The Empire State Building received its LEED Gold certification in September, 2011.

Many individuals and organizations continue to shy away from sustainability efforts because they maintain the misconception that such efforts are financially infeasible or overly complicated to execute. While it is true that the financing structure for renewable energy initiatives or carbon trading can rapidly perplex novices and spiral into abstract territory, there are also many examples that demonstrate the ease with which sustainability can be integrated into everyday life or business operations.

The Empire State Building, specifically chosen due to its iconic status in American culture, is one such showcase. The landmark is currently receiving a serious facelift (internally) in order to dramatically increase building efficiency and achieve LEED Gold status. It goes without saying that installing hybrid regenerative elevator braking systems is costly, requires significant technology upgrades, and isn’t applicable for most commercial buildings, let alone single-family homes. However, Radiator Labs, a Columbia University-based startup, is working to create a small-scale solution that is also being applied at the Empire State Building. The concept essentially uses reflective paneling to ensure that steam heat from radiators is sent towards building interiors, rather than being lost to exterior walls. This simple solution can have potentially dramatic impacts on energy usage, and provides a short-term payback, proving again that sustainability can be simple and financially sound.

Kohl’s provides another green-building example worthy of applause. With its recent foray in GRI Sustainability Reporting, the United States’ 20^th largest retailer revealed that it is working diligently towards achieving some rather impressive goals. Over 800 of the chain’s 1100 stores are LEED certified, with 121 of them producing some of their own power through rooftop photovoltaic arrays. As solar products edge ever closer to achieving market parity, many retailers have made strong moves to include solar arrays on their properties. Additionally, another big-box executive recently mentioned that “By doing it the right way, on our large rooftops, we’ve been able install [solar] without relying on tax incentives, and are still able to get an ROI of two or three years,” which easily exceed the traditionally expected payback periods of 6-10 years.

Again, most homeowners, don’t have space for photovoltaics to make sense, and many small businesses would be turned off by the idea of such a capital expenditure (particularly if involved in a short-term lease), but America’s biggest buildings are leading the way to show that energy efficiency, independence, and cleanliness can be achieved profitably. It’s important to view these case-studies as the large-scale grandiose campaigns that they are, but also to reflect them down into the lens of our own personal lives. By starting at the bottom, and thinking in the simplistic terms of overall efficiency, we can easily see that sustainability doesn’t need to  a complicated investment of time and mental energy.

According to a new report from Pike Research, the development of energy efficient homes, including both new construction and retrofits, is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 42% between 2012 and 2020.  By 2020, annual market value is predicted to reach $84 billion with nearly 120 billion square feet of energy efficiency housing created.

Japan’s final operating nuclear reactor, at the Tomari plant on the northern island of Hokkaido, was finally taken offline this past Saturday in response to public distrust of the energy source spurred by the Fukushima Daiichi disaster.  In an effort pre-empt potential power shortages in the coming months, the government has tested, evaluated, and recommended the re-opening of reactors that could withstand the magnitude of stress induced by last year’s earthquake and tsunami.  The general public has not responded favorably to this plan of action.

On Wednesday, California proposed new regulations that would allow carbon permits to be traded across borders with Quebec.  The rules will be voted on by the California Air Resources Control Board at the end of June, and if approved, the first auction for California and Quebec companies would be held in November.

The EPA has announced that it will be phasing out the systems in place gas stations that capture harmful gasoline vapors during refueling, as modern vehicles are designed to adequately capture the emissions.  According to the agency’s press release, “This final rule is part of the Obama Administration’s initiative to ensure that regulations protect public health and the environment without being unnecessarily burdensome to American businesses.”

The EPA has recently joined forces with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to develop a free tool that will make it much easier to identify potential sites for renewable power generation. The tool is a downloadable Google Earth file that contains combined information from wind and solar databases to assist anyone who might be looking for a place to develop a renewable energy generation site. Focusing on properties that are currently uninhabited, the program works to suggest dually efficient land-use practices. Targeting brownfields, abandoned lots, vacant rooftops, and unused parking lots, the interactive mapping tool provides a wide variety of local options that could provide the space required to develop renewable projects large and small.

Cumulatively, the effects could be tremendous, as brownfields and other abandoned lots can generally be obtained or leased below market value, thus increasing the financial payback period required for renewable development. Combined with the increasingly reduced costs of developing solar, market parity for renewables could be achieved in the very near future with the use of the EPA’s new toy.

The story also brings to mind the development of certain renewable energy projects in Massachusetts as well. In 2006, just a mile from Nantasket Beach in Hull, a 1.8 Megawatt wind turbine was installed atop the hill constructed from the town’s landfill. The project was the second wind turbine installed in the town. Combined, the two provide enough electricity each year to satisfy roughly 12-15% of the town’s demand. Together, the turbines have received awards from the USDOE, EPA, MMA, and AWEA, primarily due to siting on previously undesirable land. If the EPA’s interactive mapping can create more opportunities that are similar to this, we may finally be successful in finding a good use for brownfields, and a financially viable model for renewables.

The EPA released a list of 28 chemicals and 2 viruses that will be monitored by 6,000 public water systems between 2013 and 2015 as part of the agency’s program to monitor unregulated contaminants.  The program aims to gather data on contaminants that are suspected to be present in drinking water but don’t have health-based standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

On Wednesday, Greenpeace released its evaluation of supermarkets’ sustainable seafood policies in the 2012 “Carting Away the Oceans” report.  Topping the list were Whole Foods, who recently made a controversial decision to stop selling seafood that it does not determine to be sustainable, and Safeway. 

The Australian government announced that for the first time the koala is being listed as a threatened species.  Under “serious threat” from both climate change and urban sprawl, koala populations in Queensland, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory have been placed on the country’s list of vulnerable species.

Last week, the American Lung Association released its annual State of the Air report, which examines the air quality of cities and counties across the country and identifies the areas with the cleanest and dirtiest air. 

The study reported promising air quality improvements over the last year, with many heavily polluted cities seeing their lowest pollution levels since the report’s inception.  According to President and CEO Charles D. Connor, “State of the Air shows us that we’re making real and steady progress in cutting dangerous pollution from the air we breathe.”  While these results are encouraging, over 41% of Americans (over 127.2 million people) reside in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone and/or particle pollution.

How polluted is your city or county?  Check out the report’s interactive map tool to see the ozone and particle pollution levels in your area. 

Is Target winning the Big Box war over sustainability? The company has been focused on efficient building operations and internal recycling since the early 1990’s. It’s also been over two years since the retailer unveiled community recycling stations at its stores, providing consumers an easy way to avoid landfilling not just their bottles and cans, but potentially toxic e-waste from MP3 players and other consumer electronics. Target (along with Levi’s, Armani, and several others) was also among the early adopters in banning sand-blasted denim products sourced from unsafe factories in the Middle East.  

Now, Target has taken to engaging some of its most sustainably focused brands, highlighting the positives of their journey, focusing on the positives, and avoiding the “don’t do this because it’s bad for the world” rhetoric that seems to permeate so many environmentally and socially focused conversations. Prominent profiles of Method (leaders in green-cleaning), Burt’s Bees, and others can all be found in Target’s e-zine at www.abullseyeview.com. The company has been lauded for its positive approach to sustainability, and its willingness to highlight positives and guide consumers, rather than pushing out a forced campaign that might be labeled as greenwashing. Instead, Target is allowing the sustainability experts to carry the sustainability conversation, instead of potentially tripping over themselves and garnering some bad press.

This strategy contrasts deeply with Wal-Mart’s push for sustainability over the last several years. Without getting too deep into an apples and oranges comparison of big box policies, we can simply contrast Target’s recent slew of positive measures, with the backlash now facing Wal-Mart. While the world’s largest retailer was initially praised for its commitment to improving its own sustainability, and that of its suppliers, it has now come under fire for having controversial, and potentially hypocritical policies. Criticism has focused on the downside of Wal-Mart’s size, and its ability to “redefine” what it means for food to be “local” or “organic” by continually sourcing products from industrial agriculture, rather than small farms that consumers generally associate with. Other critics have also highlighted the fact that Wal-Mart’s GHG emissions have increased over the past several years, and the company is well behind on its renewable energy goals.

Ultimately, its important to keep in mind that both of these organizations still rely on consumerism at the base of their business model, and will inherently always struggle to be seen as truly sustainable. The products which they seek to market towards the general populace however, do reflect the core values of the company, and with its recent association with respected B-Corporations, it’s clear that Target has indeed hit the bull’s-eye in big box sustainability.

Happy Arbor Day!  In addition to of course planting a tree, here are 11 additional ways that you celebrate.

Well Fargo announced plans on Monday to devote $30 billion in investments and loans aimed at developing a greener economy and $100 million in community-based environmental grants by 2020.  The company also articulated its goal of achieving a 40% increase in internal energy efficiency.

California’s Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) is offering a new way for customers to support renewable power… at an extra cost.  The new “Green Option,” announced on Tuesday, will provide 5 million customers with the opportunity to shell out a small additional fee on their monthly bills (an estimated $6) that will be used by PG&E to buy renewable energy credits.

According to a new report from Ceres and Sustainalytics, only 26% of companies are integrating sustainability in to their management and governance systems and only about 33% have set greenhouse gas reduction targets.  The report was based on responses by 600 U.S. companies.  Said Ceres president Mindy Lubber, “While there are encouraging pockets of sustainability leadership in the U.S. business community, far too many companies are only taking small, incremental steps.”

An official in China’s land and resources ministry spoke out this week about more potential issues with the controversial Three Gorges Dam.  Due to rising water levels in the reservoir, the adjacent land has become increasingly unstable and the threat of landslides has mounted.  The conditions could force the government to relocate an additional 100,000 residents from surrounding areas.

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) announced the installation of a 505 kW solar photovoltaic system on the airport parking garage.  Part of a large $19.4 million energy reduction program at the airport, the project is expected to produce more than 600,000 kilowatt hours (KWh) of electricity each year.

On Thursday, Mexico’s senate passed a climate change bill that will aim to cut emissions by 30% by 2020 and 50% by 2050.  Approved by a 78-0 vote, the country will become just the second nation in the world to put long-term climate change goals in to law. 

This Sunday, May 22 is Earth Day!  Visit the Earth Day Network online for information about Earth Day’s history, events, and ways that you can get involved.

L.A. topped the list for the 4th year in a row.

Los Angeles and Washington, DC topped the EPA’s annual list of the metropolitan areas with the highest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2011.  Los Angeles, which has held the first place spot since 2008, is home to 659 Energy Star certified buildings that see annual cost savings of $149.8 million, and the nation’s capital has 404 certified buildings that see annual cost savings of $118.6.  Rounding out the top 10 are Atlanta (359 certified buildings), Chicago (294), San Francisco (270), New York (261), Houston (231), Dallas-Fort Worth (178), Riverside, CA (164), and Boston (161). 

Celebrating its 20^th birthday this year, the Energy Star program included 16,500 certified buildings at the end of 2011.  In order to achieve Energy Star certification, commercial building must perform in the top 25% of comparable buildings across the country and be verified by an independent professional.  According to the EPA, certified buildings typically use 35% less energy than average buildings.

According to a new report from Pike Research, the U.S. market for industrial energy management software and services is expected to increase from $960 million in 2011 to $5.6 billion by 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate of 21.6% as companies seek to manage costs, maintain market share, and stay competitive.  Said Pike Research’s Clint Wheelock, “There is a definite shift taking place in the way industrial companies view energy procurement and use internally, and how its management and use is perceived externally by the company’s customers and supply chain.”

Which G-20 member is winning the clean energy race?  According to research from the Pew Charitable Trusts and Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the United States overtook China as the most successful country at attracting private investments in clean energy in 2011, which totaled $48 billion.  In all, global finance and investment in clean energy increased 6.5% in 2011 to $263 billion.

The Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine unveiled 10Green, its new interactive web tool that allows individuals to enter their geographic location and look up the health of their community as ranked on a 0-10 scale.  Rankings are based on factors such as carbon monoxide, large and small particulates, ozone, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases and pollutants. 

The White House announced on Friday the establishment of an Interagency Working Group to Support Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources.  As pointed out in a New York Times piece, the Executive Order coincides with the EPA’s plans to release draft regulations addressing air pollution from the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”).

Firms within the solar industry have been under fire since the economic downturn in 2008. However, in spite of global struggles, the industry as a whole has maintained profitability and strong growth trends as solar technologies have become more efficient, and government subsidies provided corporate and private consumers with adequate financing options. That being said, some developing market trends, combined with the contentious collapse and bankruptcy of Solyndra late last summer, have contributed to create a tumultuous industry experiencing some significant growing pains at this time.

Under particular pressure are firms based in the U.S. and Europe, who relied significantly on government-funded programs to help make their products more affordable. As economic conditions have been slow to recover however, national and regional budgets have been tightened, and many clean-energy subsidy programs have been suspended, significantly reducing the return on investment for consumers pursuing investment in solar technology. Recently, the Solar Trust of America was forced to file for bankruptcy, after its parent company (the German-based Solar Millenium) filed for insolvency, cutting out the majority of Solar Trust’s equity backing. Another German firm, Q-Cells, also filed for bankruptcy, after experiencing losses of approximately $1 billion in 2011. The recent failure of both firms is also linked to the proliferation of solar development in China and Taiwan, where economies of scale and lower overall manufacturing costs allow for cheaper production with which the American and European firms cannot compete.

In addition to these recent bankruptcies, solar installations are stalling, and industry revenues are predicted to drop by roughly $18 billion in 2012. In spite of  the austere proceedings to date, forecasters remain optimistic for global solar for a variety of reasons. Developing markets in throughout Asia, Africa, and South America, are all expected to experience significant growth from 2017-2022. Additionally, lenders have performed extensive research into asset-backed securities, and Wells Fargo and SunPower are expected to lead the way for smaller scale residential and commercial lending by offering “renewable bonds” for those looking to pursue solar installation at their property.

Ultimately, these developments simply show what some economists and financiers have always believed, that the solar industry was not as mature as some firms believed, and that undergoing substantial structural changes will be necessary to create an industry that sustainably serves the market into the future.

According to a new report issued by Ceres and Citi Investment Research & Analysis, meeting new national gas mileage and emissions standards could mean higher profits for automakers, potentially amounting to almost $2.5 billion for GM, Chrysler, and Ford.  According to Ceres’ Carol Lee Rawn, “Given the volatility of gas prices - and the likelihood that they’ll head through the roof again - it’s clear that customers want better fuel economy and delivering it means a better bottom line for the industry.”

A report by the NRDC on states’ preparedness to face new climate change-induced problems such as rising sea levels, droughts, and water shortages found that 9 states have already implemented plans, policies, and strategies to deal with these anticipated issues.  On the flip side, 29 have done little to nothing. 

Between 2007 and 2011, electricity generated from coal dropped nearly 4% each year, while nuclear power fell slightly as well, said new research from the Earth Policy Institute.  On the rise were natural gas and hydropower, which saw annual increases of 3 and 7% respectively, and wind-generated electricity led the pack with 36% annual growth. 

With the arrival of spring, many building owners and property managers are preparing for their annual spring clean up to remove the dirt and debris winter has left behind.   Many standard building exterior and landscape practices may beautify our properties, but we often fail to take into account their effects on our environment.

Environmentally preferred best management practices require you to look for alternatives that will minimize the impact on the local ecosystem and that will reduce our exposure to contaminants.

To follow the more environmentally preferred practice (EPP) for your spring cleanup this year, check out these tips below:

• Replace power equipment with manual labor as often as possible, and use manual tools for cleanup such as brooms, rakes, and window squeegees.
• If powered equipment is used, opt for emission-reducing electric powered equipment, low-water & low-energy usage equipment and equipment with noise and emission controls in lieu of standard fossil-fuel-powered machinery.  Also look for equipment with minimal disturbance/compaction of the soil to reduce erosion and waste-recycling equipment such as mulching mowers or water reclamation power-washers.
• When gas-powered equipment must be used, make sure to look for equipment that has direct fuel-injection engines with exhaust-power valves and uses low-smoke oil, to reduce emissions of air pollutants.
• If you are power washing the building exterior or hardscape, minimize the use of cleaners and use only water, or opt for water/vinegar mixes or low-impact cleaning agents over conventional dish soaps or chemical cleaning solutions.  Green Seal (www.greenseal.org) and Environmental Choice (www.ecologo.org) offer a variety of low-impact options.   The EPA also provides guidance on making environmentally preferred purchases at http://www.epa.gov/epp/.

By following these environmentally preferred best management practices, you will not only keep your properties looking beautiful, you will be doing your part in keeping Mother Nature beautiful as well!

A flurry events has brought the Clean Air Act to the forefront of the national environmental compliance arena in recent weeks. The action began in Coffeyville, Kansas, where Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing has agreed to pay fines of approximately $1,000,000 for violating EPCRA, superfund, and Clean Air Act regulations. In addition to the fines, the refinery will also be required to implement over $4,250,000 in pollution control technologies, and undergo significant changes to its operating processes. These changes will allow the facility to reduce its emissions below more stringent limits, and improve operational quality to prevent breakdowns and other situations where fugitive emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide may be accidentally released.

This enforcement action came on March 6, 2012, just a few weeks before the EPA announced its new program for carbon emissions from newly constructed power plants. The Carbon Pollution Standards are designed to emphasize the use of U.S. based technologies that will limit carbon emissions derived from fossil fuel burning power plants. Power plants constructed after January 2013 will be the first that are subject to these new regulations, as all current construction projects have already been permitted and designed to utilize the technologies. The standards are intended to be flexible, but still provide the first real standard for carbon pollution reduction from power plants, which comprise the largest point-source contributor to carbon emissions in the United States.

Although the regulations will apply to newly constructed power plants in general, there does seem to be a specific focus on coal burning plants. With all of this in mind however, there are coal-free advocates who believe that these steps are a hollow display that will not effectively reduce pollution levels. They may have a very good point. Shiny state-of-the-art power plants are not the area we need to be focusing on. The worst offenders that produce CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions are the older facilities that burn less efficiently and fail to scrub harmful pollutants from their emissions. While the EPA should be applauded for trying to create a cleaner environment, it does seem like they deserve a bit of criticism for not attacking the most pressing areas of concern when it comes to air pollution.