Residential Green Building Code in Santa Fe, NM

The Achievement

Adopted in March of 2009, the Santa Fe Residential Green Building Code sets a high energy efficiency standard for all new residential construction, with larger homes required to meet increasingly stringent energy use performance benchmarks (homes above 8,000 heated square feet are actually required to produce the same amount of energy that they expect to use). In addition, the code requires that new homes meet a minimum standard in six categories: implementation plan and lot development, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiancy, indoor environmental quality and operation, maintenance, and sustainable practices. In order to fit local circumstances and garner the support of the local building community, the code also addresses local conditions, including traditions in solar adobe and alternative building materials, the concept of offsetting existing water use in the community for water conservation, and a focus on building envelope and deign efficiency.

Seattle, WA, Expands Composting Program

The Achievement

Beginning in April 2009, single-family households in Seattle, Wash., will be able to include meat, fish, and dairy products with their vegetable, fruit, and yard waste. The all-material organics will be picked up every week and taken to a composting facility. Table scraps will no longer be waste, but instead become a resource for the city's gardens.

The Benefits

Municipal composting programs can divert a significant amount of waste from landfills and provide soil rich in nutrients for gardens and landscaping.

Why Los Angeles and San Francisco Top ENERGY STAR's Green Buildings Rankings

Yesterday the EPA unveiled its 2008 list of the top 25 cities with the largest number of buildings that earned the ENERGY STAR label. Los Angeles came out on top, with 262 buildings that saved $87.2 million thanks to their energy efficiency, and prevented the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 35,800 households. San Francisco came in second with 192 buildings. Two other California cities, Sacramento and Riverside, made the top 25 as well.

Why did California cities rule this list? A few possible reasons:

Austin, TX, Targets Zero Waste by 2040

Oakland, CA, Requires Compostable or Recyclable Bags

The Achievement

A City of Oakland, Calif., ordinance requires retailers to use only compostable or biodegradable plastic bags or paper bags that are 100% recyclable and contain a minimum of 40% post-consumer content. Retailers with gross annual sales of less than $2 million are exempt from the ordinance.

The Benefits

Plastic bags are nonbiodegradable, petroleum products that can sit in landfills for up to 1,000 years. They also clog municipal drains and pollute bodies of water, from rivers to oceans. Reducing or recycling plastic bags lessens landfill waste and requires less bags to be manufactured, which in turn lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

City of New York Requires Plastic Bag Recycling

Boulder, CO, Makes it Easier for Homeowners and Businesses to go Solar with Rebate Program

September 2008

The Achievement

In 2007, the city of Boulder issued enough permits for solar (photovoltaic, or PV) systems to produce 1,148 kW of electricity. The average system for homeowners is 3 to 5 kW. In 2008, the city of Boulder issued permits for 758 kW of solar-generated electricity (as of July).

New York Expands Parkland, Open Spaces

The Achievements

As part of its landmark PlaNYC sustainability plan, City of New York is making strides toward the goal of ensuring that all New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

• Over the last five years, the City has added more than 400 acres of new parkland. Much of this is former industrial waterfront sites that were reclaimed after being abandoned for decades.
• Between 2007 and 2008, the City opened 69 schoolyards as playgrounds, and completed designs for 32 more to be reconstructed in 2008, along with another 20 schoolyard sites for capital construction.
• Between 2007 and 2008, 52 new greenstreet sites—treelined streets—were added.
• In 2007, the City was in the planning phase for seven of the eight regional parks projects identified in PlaNYC.

The Benefits

Open spaces and green spaces help cool summer air temperatures, conserve energy by offering shade to homes, reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, increase property values, and improve the quality of life for urban residents.

Roanoke, VA, Wins Green Government Challenge Thanks to Green Building Retrofits

The Achievement

The City of Roanoke won first place in the Virginia Municipal League’s 2008 Green Government Challenge, a friendly competition among VML member local governments to encourage the implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that reduce carbon emissions.

The City’s focus on energy efficiency helped it win the award. Over the past several years, managers have replaced approximately 700 incandescent bulbs with CFL or T-8 lights in city facilities, both indoor and outdoor. Exit sign lights in all buildings are also being replaced with efficient LEDs or nuclear chip lights. The City has also replaced various chillers, boilers, and rooftop HVAC units with more efficient equipment.

San Francisco, CA, Bans Plastic Grocery Bags

The Achievement

In March 2007, San Francisco, Calif., was the first major municipality in the United States to ban plastic grocery bags in supermarkets and pharmacies. The goal was to drastically reduce the 180 million plastic bags used in the city each year. 

The Benefits