Interested in learning more about the newest green office buildings being constructed in and around San Diego? Check out the San Diego Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. The group was formed in order to influence the design of new buildings in order to make them LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, and has completed over 19 projects thus far.
The group currently consists of over 335 members dedicated to improving the quality of life for office workers and residents living in the San Diego area. It regularly holds workshops, seminars, and meetings for professionals interested in getting involved with the project. Its annual San Diego Green conference is a leader in green fundraising, and collected a total of over $41,000 dollars at its 2007 event.
According to the group's website, properly built LEED certified buildings can reduce waste by up to 50%. The improved air and water quality of the buildings generally saves companies around $58 billion in sick pay, and have also been shown to increase worker productivity by $180 billion.
Major events coming up in 2008 include the 1 Year After the Fires GreenMeet on October 15th, as well as the GreenBuild 2008 event taking place on November 19th in Boston, MA. December 1st will round out the year with a Winter Gala. New members can choose from a number of different committees to join, including Finance, Advocacy, and Marketing. Interested individuals can follow this link to learn more about membership options.
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Would you recycle more if you could actually see the results of placing your paper and plastic products in the blue recycling receptacles that seem to be ubiquitous around the office today?
If you live in Britain, seems you would be. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP – and why couldn’t we Americans have come such a lovely and clever acronym for a recycling effort?) surveyed more than 1,500 households across the Pond and found there were "four main barriers to recycling."
Respondents told surveyors they don’t recycle because it’s inconvenient, they’re too busy and they don’t know what can be recycled or not. Another reason cited was respondents’ “attitudes and perceptions towards the act of recycling.”
But most – 86 percent – said they would “be encouraged” to recycle if they “saw the practical impact of their efforts in the local area.”
Makes sense. After all, I’ll continue to cut back on my food intake if I see that the numbers on my bathroom scale are declining. I’ll keep going to the gym for some weight resistance training if I can easily heft the eight-pound box of detergent instead of huffing and puffing up my porch lugging the three-pounder. I’ll keep practicing my free throws if I see the ball swish through the hoop more often than not. In other words, if I see results I'll keep on doing what what I'm doing.
And I’ll bundle up my paper products and trundle the big blue recycling container to the curb more often if my local collector continues to let me know how many trees I saved by doing so.
However, over here in the States, it appears our enthusiasm for buying green ebbs and flows depending on how flush we feel budget-wise (thank you SustainableLifeMedia.com):
Going Green, an annual report examining how much consumers actually care about green issues,
indicates that Echo Boomers (ages 16-29) and GenXers (ages 30-43) are more concerned about
the environment compared to a year ago. But while interest in green issues continues to grow,
consumers' willingness to pay more for green alternatives has decreased, according to the
report.
Much as we “don’t” want to admit it, this makes sense: When things are tight, smart folks do think of cutting back and purchasing just the essentials. But that doesn’t mean green products are more expensive than other products – that just isn’t automatically so.
(Illustration by Holly Linden and courtesy ThisOldHouse.com)
But, switching gears to a more upbeat note, it appears that Realtors may now take a course that will help them understand green building, why building sustainable homes and office complexes is important, and that will allow them the opportunity to list and market green homes and buildings. The course is named the Green Designation Core Course.
To quote a line from the story: “This program is yet another indication that real estate investors see value in building – and buying – greener properties.”
Taking such a course could only serve to help a Realtor market and sell more properties. In this hyper-competitive real estate market, we certainly tip our hats to any enterprising Realtor who takes the initiative to study for that “green designation.”
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Here at Green Office Projects, we just caught wind of San Diego's Green Building Program, which is a concerted effort on the part of San Diego county to make new office and residential buildings as eco-friendly as possible. The program's goal is to build more sustainable structures within the community, and promises a number of great building incentives for those who comply with the program's standards.
County officials hope that this program will encourage the use of renewable energy sources in new construction projects. The new green buildings are expected to be sleek and efficient, in the style of the Ballard Library of Seattle pictured above. They will incorporate innovative green technologies in order to improve the health, comfort, and safety of the individuals working inside them.
According to the San Diego county website, The Building Program offers the following advantages to participants:
* Lower electric and water utility costs
* Environmentally effective use of building materials
* Enhanced health and productivity
* Long-term economic returns
* Reduced environmental impact
These benefits, along with tax breaks and quick building turnaround times, will hopefully draw more participants to the project. It has recently partnered with the Rebuild A Greener San Diego program in an effort to reach people effected by natural disasters and wildfires. If you're interested in learning more about what this exciting program means for local residents and businesses in the San Diego area, check out the county's Build Green brochure.
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Those interested in San Diego's collection of green businesses should check out The San Diego Natural Guide, which is a book containing information on eco-friendly products and services in the area. The guide includes a list of companies that currently use green technology and supplies in an effort to reduce waste and consumption. According to the website, each bi-yearly publication includes the following:
*An A to Z listing of businesses, non-profits, and community services. The types of businesses you will find include: natural food stores, holistic health practitioners, green restaurants, natural pest control, environmentally friendly dry cleaning, organic baby products, green building materials and much more.
*Interesting & Useful Articles
*Calendar of Events
*Farmer's Markets Guide
*Recycling Guide
*Featured Local Hike
*Tips, Quotes, and Recipes
*A Glossary of Natural Health and Eco-terms
And, of course, each book is printed on recycled paper using soy ink. An annual subscription is just $10, or you can also find the book at one of these convenient locations.
A Go Green Book is also in the works, which will include special savings on green dining and entertainment in San Diego. All proceeds from the purchase of the book will go to benefit schools and non-profit organizations in the area.
We think this is a great way for eco-friendly businesses in the San Diego area to get together and promote their services. The makers of the Natural Guide aspire to initiate social and environmental change on a widespread basis. Hopefully it will lead to a greener environment for all.
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Planet Green, a website run by The Discovery Channel, has just released an article called "Going Green at Work." It contains several tips for helping to make your office more eco-friendly, and they are all things that don't require a lot of extra time or money. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
1) Work Digitally
Whenever possible, do your work on the computer rather than on paper. This includes tasks like sending e-mails, typing notes in a Word document, and filling out paperwork using electronic forms.
2) Stay at Home Whenever Possible
Many employers are open to the idea of you completing some work from home - all you have to do is ask. Work such as phone calls, e-mails, and reports can often be done from your home computer, which reduces the amount of pollution released in the air as a result of commuting.
3) Stock up on Green Supplies
Purchase office items that are made from recycled or Earth-friendly elements. These include eco-friendly workstations, recycled pencils, and rechargeable batteries.
4) Bring Your Lunch from Home
Prepare a homemade lunch with organic food, and then bring it to work using reusable containers. Use a lunch box or cooler that you can continue using day after day. This will eliminate the unnecessary packaging that comes with restaurant and vending machine foods.
5) Power Down Your Electronics
A lot of office work involves electronic items, such as computers, lamps, and printers. Turn off this equipment whenever it’s not in use in order to avoid wasting energy.
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