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GLOBAL GREEN USA WINTER 2009 NEWSLETTER
Pre-Oscar Party Launches National Green School Initiative
 Global Green launched its National Green Schools Initiative with a star-studded Pre-Oscar party at the Avalon Hollywood to raise funds and awareness. The event featured musical performances by Sheryl Crow, Gavin Rossdale, and Blackcowboy, and celeb attendees like Leonardo DiCaprio, and Neil Patrick Harris.
“All Americans can do something about climate change, and protect our most precious natural resource - our children - by responding to the call to create green schools and healthy classrooms” said Matt Petersen, Global Green USA President and CEO.
“Sadly, schools in America pay more for energy bills than for textbooks and computers combined. Green schools put more money into our classrooms by reducing high energy bills. Green modernization or new sustainable school construction also creates green jobs today, while educating and inspiring kids about the green jobs of tomorrow.”
Check out our green carpet arrivals photo gallery.
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President Gorbachev Pushes for Solar Energy in San Antonio
 On March 30, Green Cross International Founder Mikhail Gorbachev urged world leaders and the private sector to make big investments in solar energy swiftly as a way out of the current economic crisis and as part of an emergency response to climate change. Mr. Gorbachev addressed a press conference in San Antonio, Texas, where he was also addressing the 33rd NPRA International Petrochemical Conference.
“This economic crisis must mark the beginning of a new sustainable development path that has been long overdue," stated Gorbachev. "Solar power needs big investments to expand and create significant effects. For the 2 billion people currently living without electricity, the sun is the best hope.”
Talking about the enormous potential that tapping solar energy holds, Mr. Gorbachev referred to the Global Solar Report Card, the first of its kind, analyzing 16 countries’ investments in solar energy. The full report can be found at globalgreen.org/solarreportcard.
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Construction Progress at the Holy Cross Project in New Orleans
 The Holy Cross build has seen a lot of activity within the last quarter. All four single family houses have had their foundation piles driven. The two 2-story houses are well underway - the framing with the borate treated wood is complete and the roofers are already at work.
Construction on the two 1-story houses will begin in earnest in about one month. The multi-family building is also getting ready to break ground, and should take approximately 10 months to build. See our photo blog of the build here.
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Build It Back Green Program Gets New Staff
Three Americorp Vistas (Volunteers in Service To America) joined Build It Back Green in January. With our increased capacity, we will be expanding our outreach services and workshops.
In this phase of programming, one on one technical assistance to homeowners is a central service Build It Back Green is providing. Through informal energy and green audits of homes Build It Back Green sees the potential for significant positive impacts for New Orleanians.
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Green Urbanism Leaders Summit
This past February, Global Green hosted its Green Urbanism Leaders
Summit, which brought together key academics, practitioners, artists,
scientists and thinkers to identify and develop the core principles of
Green Urbanism, and their corresponding strategies for implementation.
Held at the California Endowment’s Center for Healthy Communities in
downtown Los Angeles, the two day summit resulted in a healthy and
vibrant discussion, ultimately creating action plans for how to most
effectively design and create post-carbon cities, green-collar jobs,
ensure environmental equity, secure clean water and produce
sustainable energy. In the weeks to come, the Green Urbanism team will
work to structure these findings and determine the most appropriate
next steps towards creating truly sustainable communities.
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Assembly Bill 212 - Net Zero Energy Buildings
Global Green is sponsoring landmark green building legislation in California. The legislation, Assembly Bill 212, would require that all new residential buildings below a certain size be built as zero net energy homes starting in the year 2020. The term “zero net energy building” describes a building that implements both energy efficient design features and clean onsite energy generation that combine to result in no net electricity purchases annually.
Zero net energy buildings have an array of benefits including: drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and significantly reducing the burden of rising energy costs on consumers. AB 212 was introduced by Assembly Member Lori Saldana of San Diego will face its first hurdle in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on April 13th.
Tom Friedman wrote about the critical need to build net zero homes in his op-ed column - read it here
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Security and Sustainabilty Program Removes Nukes From the Stimulus Bill
The Security and Sustainability Program was successful in removing two major funding initiatives from the federal Stimulus Bill which would have ironically supported the nuclear weapons and nuclear power development. In coordination with the Arms Control Advocacy Collaborative in Washington, Global Green USA was able to remove $1 billion in support for the nuclear weapons laboratories, and another $50 billion in loan guarantees for the nuclear power industry.
The Bush Administration had requested some $100 million in funding in the last two Defense and Energy Department requests for initial development of a new nuclear warhead, the “Reliable Replacement Warhead.” The Security and Sustainability Program was successful in removing these funds in both the fiscal year 2008 and 2009 appropriations bills. Learn more about the program here.
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Green Cross & Global Green at World Water Forum
 The 5th World Water Forum was held in Istanbul, Turkey, March 16-22, 2009. There was strong participation of Green Cross, including Finn Longinotto from Global Green USA. You can read Finn's blog from the event here.
Known to be the most important event on water in the world, World Water Forum 2009 organizers expect an attendance of over 15,000 people from 150 countries to discuss the strategies and solutions regarding water in the world. Green Cross has long been involved in transboundary water issues and an active participant in World Water Forums since their inception.
World Water Day took place this year on March 22, 2009. The theme for World Water Day in 2009 was "Shared Water - Shared Opportunities," with special focus on transboundary waters.
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Global Green's New York Office Launches New Recycling Initiative
 On March 1, Global Green's Coalition for Resource Recovery program announced the launch of an initiative with the Hunts Point Distribution Center in New York City, the world’s largest food DC, to substitute all of its nonrecyclable transfer packaging with recyclable packaging.
If successful, the program would reduce greenhouse gases by 103,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to taking 19,000 car off the road - and save businesses $3 million-plus per year. Global Green also hopes the initiative will set the standard for “greening” transfer packaging throughout the world.
Due to demands on the strength of food packaging for shipping purposes, such as moisture or extreme cold, the material is often not recyclable because additional coatings must be applied to the cardboard.
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UPCOMING EVENT:
Global Green USA's 13th Annual Millennium Awards
in Los Angeles
The Millennium Awards recognize and herald those whose lives and livelihood embody Global Green USA's mission of fostering a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure world.
This year, the Awards are being held on Saturday May 30th, 2009. Our honorees include:
- Wallis Annenberg/The Annenberg Foundation
- Marc Nathanson
- Zem Joaquin
- Jeff Skoll
Find out more about the event, and purchase tickets.
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Jake Gyllenhaal helps out
at Manual Arts High School
Jake Gyllenhaal lent a helping hand in cleaning up an organic garden during our volunteer Day of Service at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles last month, where he joined Matt Petersen to help launch our National Green Schools initiative.
The actor spoke about his experience, saying, “What I learned is that something like this is possible. I had always thought this is possible on a mass scale. This is possible within a massive city like Los Angeles!”
Watch video from the event here.
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TOP TEN REASONS TO BUILD GREEN SCHOOLS
Green Schools protect one of our most precious resources - our children. The Top 10 reasons for building green schools include:
INCREASE STUDENT PEFORMANCE
Studies have shown that student test scores can improve up to 20% when kids learn in green classrooms.
PROTECT HEALTH
Schools built with more natural daylight, better ventilation and healthy green building materials such as non VOC carpets and paints, can improve student and teacher health and result in fewer sick days, higher teacher retention and improved student attendance.
SAVE MONEY
Operating costs for energy and water can be reduced by 20% to 40%, allowing more money to be used for teacher salaries, textbooks and computers.
REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
Green Schools significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions. In Los Angeles alone, building 34 new green schools will reduce 94,000 tons of CO2 or the equivalent of eliminating more than 15,000 cars from the road every year or planting more than 280,000 trees!
Find out the others here.
Sign our green schools letter to President Obama.
Watch our video about the importance of green schools.
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Green Schools Projects
in New Orleans
Global Green continued providing technical support to the Recovery School District and the design teams for our Model Green Schools--Andrew Wilson Elementary and L.B. Landry High. Lighting upgrades were completed at our third Green Seed School, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School and, the fourth Green Seed School was selected.
In addition, Global Green worked with a Louisiana Senator and Representative to include green schools language in a bill submitted for a state schools facility authority and a state schools facility fund.
Global Green also conducted a green schools workshop in February 2009 in Baton Rouge, with over 100 participants.
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SUPPORT GREEN SCHOOLS TODAY!
With every green school, we are affecting the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of students and scores of teachers and administrators.
With your support, our efforts to create more healthy green schools that save money, improve students’ academic performance and health, and reduce CO2 emissions that cause global warming become a reality.
Green schools create green jobs today, while educating and inspiring kids about the green jobs of tomorrow.
Help with a donation.
Or become a Global Green member TODAY.
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