Green Government Podcast: Episode 8

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Robert Hash

Green Government Podcast

Green Government Podcast: Episode 8

Interview with Ann Seltz, CEIL’s co-founder and President, and Danielle Miller Wagner, Director of Programming for the GOVgreen Conference & Expo.

Get the inside scoop on the GOVgreen Conference and Expo when you listen to this info-packed podcast with Ann Seltz, co-founder and president of CEIL, and Danielle Miller Wagner, director of programming for the GOVgreen Conference & Expo.

In this 15-minute podcast you’ll learn more about GOVgreen from the people that helped create it. You’ll hear about the educational component, which was developed by federal and military leaders to help agencies meet the mandates of Executive Order 13514. Then, hear about the forward-thinking companies providing green solutions to the federal government that will be on the exhibit floor.

Interview with Ann Seltz, CEIL's co-founder and President, and Danielle Miller Wagner, Director of Programming for the GOVgreen Conference & Expo. Get the inside scoop on the GOVgreen Conference and Expo when you listen to this info-packed podcast with Ann Seltz, co-founder and president of CEIL, and Danielle Miller Wagner, director of programming for the GOVgreen" data-image="http://blog.ceileadership.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/spacer.jpg" data-site="Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership">

From Homes to Offices: Passive House Design

Posted on September 30, 2010 by Robert Hash

Even though a house is not an office building, and the demands placed on these two types of structures are different, the fact that passive houses are making their way to the U.S. is exciting for fans of energy-efficient buildings.

According to the Passive House Institute US, a passive house “is a very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc.” This means that passive houses often see a 90% reduction in their energy costs over similar non-passive structures. The passive house shown above, and featured in this New York Times article, is being constructed in Vermont, and the plans don’t include a furnace. Instead, the 2,000 sq. ft. house will be so air-tight that it will be kept warm by a single wood-burning stove.

While passive homes are exciting, the concept is currently being scaled up in Germany, where a 8,000 sq. meeter office building is “the world’s largest office building planned in accordance with the passive house standard.”

Photo via The New York Times.

The Science of Green: Groundbreaking Green Tech

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Robert Hash

We recently came across an article at Inhabitat that highlights 6 innovative green technologies. They aren’t typical green technologies – there are no vehicles featured in the list – but all of them address our environmental challenges with creativity and innovation. These technologies are well worth your time, particularly if you’ve never heard of a 3D printer before.

Photo via Inhabitat.

Not Your Typical Office Building

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Robert Hash

You’ve seen them before, no doubt. Shipping containers can be found across the country either carrying goods or stacked and waiting for use. Now we can add “office building” to the list of their uses.

As the number of unused containers grew during the recession, at least one group of designers, in Providence, RI, saw an opportunity to utilize this inexpensive and accessible building material to create fully-functional office space. Reusing ready-made materials gives the building green credentials, and enabled the developer to build the structure for about 1/2 of the originally-planed cost. Read more and listen to the story about the shipping container building at NPR. Photo via NPR.

CEIL Awards will Recognize Environmental Stewardship at GOVgreen

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Robert Hash

CEIL is proud to present the first annual CEIL Awards to recognize military personnel, federal agency teams, projects and facilities, and programs that have turned ideas into accomplishments and demonstrated exemplary performance in integrating environmental stewardship into day-to-day activities. Awards are focused on excellence in the development and implementation of innovative environmental programs that comply with Executive Order 13514 by improving environmental quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing use of renewable energy and bio-preferred products.

CEIL will present an award for a submission from each of four categories. The categories are Excellence in Education and Outreach, Leadership in Innovation, Achievement in Inauguration, and Success through Collaboration. Nominations for the CEIL Awards are open through October 20, 2010. For more details on how to nominate a person, team, project, facility, or program for an award, visit the CEIL Awards page at the GOVgreen site.

CEIL Blog Friday Wrap-Up

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Robert Hash

In case you missed any posts from earlier this week, we’ve collected them below in a handy list for you!

Don’t forget to check out the latest green government news on the CEIL website!

Have you signed up for the CEIL Green Government Update e-newsletter?

Don’t miss another issue! Sign up here!

A Vehicle for the Environment

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Robert Hash

The USPS is serious about going green. From reducing energy use to using fuel efficient vehicles to operating greener facilities, the Postal Service is taking the challenge of sustainability head-on. One part of their greening mission, using fuel efficient vehicles, recently caught our attention. That’s because the USPS is now using a fully-electric vehicle to deliver mail.

The T3 electric vehicle is currently being used in Florida, California and Arizona on a “trial basis.” The T3 is a three-wheeled vehicle that will travel 40 miles on one charge, has no emissions and only costs $.02 per mile to operate. Though the vehicle is not currently in wide use, with statistics like those, we wouldn’t be surprised to see one in our neighborhood soon.

Could Urban Transportation’s Next Act be the Pod Car?

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Robert Hash

They’re not here yet, but The New York Times reports that Pod Cars are being tested in the UK, and could find their way into “airports and city centers.” Pod Cars could be described as a combination of a taxi and a subway. The vehicle itself holds about six people, has no steering wheel, and can take passengers directly to their destination without stopping along the way.

Proponents of sustainable transportation support them because they reduce emissions and cost less to operate then other public transportation options, such as buses. Because Pod Cars could be a good solution for busy streets, we recommend reading The New York Times article to find out more.

The Science of Green: Fuel from Algae

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Robert Hash

There are many types of biofuel currently being researched. One type, algal biofuel, is often considered great in theory, but questionable in practice. That perception has started to change in the last year, and may soon be gone.

Cnet recently reported that Joule, a start up company based in Massachusetts, received a patent for a type of algae that secrets biofuel. What’s more, the algae only need sunlight, CO2 and a bioreactor to produce diesel fuel. Typically, biofuel from algae is produced after several steps. Joule’s process is the first to produce diesel fuel directly from algae. The picture below, from Cnet, is a diagram of how the Joule system would work.

The Value of a day at GOVgreen

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Robert Hash

To say that greening federal agencies is difficult would be a huge understatement. The size and scope of the many agencies’ activities make greening the federal government essentially a pilot program for greening the country. But to say that good information on sustainability and a forum to exchange green ideas doesn’t exist would also be a huge understatement. GOVgreen is what agency professionals are looking for: a conference that combines practical sessions with compelling speakers, a green products exhibition, and networking opportunities for cross-agency interaction.

A GOVgreen attendee could spend the morning of Nov. 9th learning about building retrofits and high-performance buildings, then spend part of the afternoon digging deeper into water conservation and wastewater management, and walk away with a a lot of great sustainability ideas. That would be great, but GOVgreen goes one step further. In the second afternoon session, the attendee could finish the day in the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing and Contracting session and learn how to make the building and water improvements a reality.

We think that’s the power and value of GOVgreen, and we can’t wait to see you there on Nov. 9 and 10.