The Green Building Top 5 - September 2, 2015

The Green Rebuilding of Post-Katrina New Orleans

When Hurricane Katrina rocked the Gulf Coast in 2005, displacing hundreds of thousands of residents, many wondered what shape a rebuilt city would take—or whether restoring the city would be possible at all. But some experts saw an opportunity in the catastrophe of New Orleans. In the aftermath of the storm, a slew of nonprofits committed millions of dollars to support the construction of green homes in the city, which in turn prompted a green building trend in the city. Read Full Article

All Netherlands Railways trains will be 100% wind powered by 2018

The trains are reported to carry 1.2 million passengers each day and emit 550 kilotons of carbon dioxide, yet this number is hoped to reach zero within only a few years. Michel Kerkhof of energy company Eneco stated, “Mobility is responsible for 20 percent of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands, and if we want to keep traveling, it is important that we do this without burdening the environment with CO2 and particulate matter.” This speedy upgrade to renewable, safe energy sources is just what we need to address growing climate change issues. Read Full Article

Fossil Fuels Losing Cost Advantage Over Solar, Wind, IEA Says

The median cost of producing so-called baseload power that is available all the time from natural gas, coal and atomic plants was about $100 a megawatt-hour for 2015 compared with about $200 for solar, which dropped from $500 in 2010. Those costs take into account investment, fuel, maintenance and dismantling of the installations over their lifetimes and vary widely between countries and plants. For instance, commercial rooftop solar installations generate power for $311.77 a megawatt-hour in Belgium and $166.70 in sunnier Spain, the findings show. Read Full Article

The How and Why of Waste Audits at USGBC

Whether you call it garbage, rubbish, trash, refuse or litter, we all generate waste. Here at USGBC, we make conscientious decisions about what we put in our office, and what goes out. We take a concentrated look at all the materials generated and do our collective best to divert as much as we can from landfills, by reusing, recycling, composting and donating. Here's a look at the how and why of waste audits at USGBC. Read Full Article

Michigan Tea Party Lawmaker: "We Should Be Incentivizing Solar As Much As Possible"

In an interview with Midwest Energy News, Glenn said he is preparing to release an energy package next month that would encourage distributed generation and allow ratepayers to buy renewable energy from alternative suppliers. Glenn is the majority vice chair of the House Energy Policy Committee, which observers say has taken a strong interest in energy issues this session. Read Full Article