Green Roof Resource

The US Energy Information Administration released annual greenhouse emissions information on Monday. In an article by the NYT (12/21), Gas Emissions Reached High in US in ‘04, Andrew Revkin summarizes the report. Reductions in 2001 and 2002 were touted by the administration to be proof that progress was being made. However, trends suggest the dip was due to an economic slowdown with projected emissions in 2005 to exceed to 2004 levels. The complete greenhouse gas report is available online from the EIA.

You can order or preview a chapter of Green Office Buildings: A Practical Guide to Development, a new book edited by Anne Frej and published by the Urban Land Institute. The book describes the costs and benefits of green buildings and several green management practices for facilities (waste management, energy and water use efficiency, and of course, green roofs). Several case studies are presented from around the world with an emphasis on US projects. Policies and programs connected with US green building are also included. I picked a copy up from the library this week and look forward to reading it over the holidays.

Marty Hair of The Detroit Free Press summarized the sustainablt efforts of the University of Michigan and Lawrence Technological University in an article entitledEXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL MAKEOVER: Maize and blue and green. The Ross School of Business is installing 3 green roofs over sections of the new $145 million building project. This is the second step the university has taken in a green initiative that began with the remodeling of the DANA Building a few years ago. Lawrence Tech has a $15 million student services center that will provide educational opportunities for students to learn more about geothermal heating, green roofs, waterless urinals, and solar power.

The US is moving (at glacial speed) toward long-term measures to address global climate change. The BBC explained in Last-minute climate deals reachedthat after President Clinton rebuked the Bush administration’s approach to climate change as “flat wrong”, the US team agreed to non-binding talks. The Kyoto Protocol signatories at the UN Climate Change Conference in Montreal also agreed to extend the treaty beyond the 2012 deadline.