- Oct 24, 2000
- 29,767
- 33
- 81
1) From Thomas Friedman's latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded:
Page 20:
If all Americans could compare Berlin's luxurious central train station today with the grimy, overcrowded Penn Station in New York City, they would swear we were the ones who lost World War II.
2) How about "Green" coming from the top, down? What about the government setting a god-damn example? What about the USA committing to make the White House and Capitol buildings completely sustainable?
The German Reichstag is expected to become the greenest parliament building in the world, thanks to a decision to rely solely on renewable energy.
At the moment biofuel generators in the basement produce 40% of the building's energy, for lighting, heating, the flow of air conditioning and water, while the rest comes mainly from coal and nuclear supplies.
But in future the Reichstag, which has been the home of Germany's parliament for nine years, will go a step further, entirely abandoning conventional sources in favour of renewables, which will be provided by an outside supplier.
The greening of the Reichstag fits in with a growing trend in zero-emission homes in Germany, with some homes so energy-efficient that they even produce power. The owners are allowed to sell their surplus back to the grid for generous returns.
Source
3) Green = $$$.
Deutsche Bank is in the process of renovating their "twin towers" HQ in Frankfurt/Main. I said renovate. Not tear down and start new.
Just what sort of renovations?
By makings its Frankfurt headquarters "green," Deutsche Bank will soon serve as a model of energy conservation for corporations throughout the world.
The redesign of the 509-foot-tall twin towers is being spearheaded by the renowned architect Mario Bellini, who was selected through and international competition.
As part of the biggest building modernization project in Europe, the towers will be stripped to their cores and virtually all material used in the effort, including steel, rubble, scrap lumber, and even excess insulation materials, will be recycled.
The following changes will take place:
Ceilings will be raised and new light sensors will be installed to make optimal use of daylight.
Water supplies will be supplemented through rainwater, conserved through the use of more efficient flush fixtures, and heated with solar thermal panes.
The concrete structure of the building will be harnessed to store thermal energy.
The new facade will reduce heat loss in the winter and heat entry in the summer; reduced airflow and district heating will also lessen energy consumption.
New operable windows combined with radiant cooling will noticeably improve air conditioning efficiency.
The ultimate result of this green redesign will be a 67 percent reduction in the use of heating energy, a 55 percent reduction in the use of power, a 43 percent drop in water consumption, and a 55 percent decline in carbon dioxide emissions.
[For those who don't know, reductions in heating, power, and water usage translates to cost savings.]
"Our goal of this project is to make 'eco-efficiency' part of our DNA so that all future buildouts and retrofits make optimal use of water, energy, and other resources," said Jeff Baer, global head of Sourcing and Corporate Real Estate, adding that Deutsche Bank is applying similar techniques in its new Hong Kong headquarters in Kowloon and its new back office site in Nirlon.
"These actions are a 'triple play' for the Bank in that they save costs, drive increased staff productivity, and positively reduce our impact on the global environment," Baer said.
------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, living here in DC, where building go up all around my office, I see no recycling. I see nothing terribly innovative or stylish as I am sure the new DB "Greentowers" will be. I freeze in the summer as the AC is needless left on 24/7. I long to be able to open my own office windows from time to time.
When will this country wake up? When will we all wake up? When will we learn to ignore our shortsighted greed for tomorrow and instead free ourselves from the bondage of fossil fuels by learning to live (even better) without them in the long term? That, in the long run, green is more profitable than not? (Don't let me get started about the bondage of personal, local, state, and federal debt. We need to learn to get rid of that too.)
So, when will we learn?
When will we learn to LEAD the way once again?
Most Americans don't know it yet, but the train of the modern, industrialized world is leaving the station...with the USA left behind with the "duh" expression on its face.
Let's hope Obama can at least run and catch up with the train and hop on before it rounds the mountain.
Page 20:
If all Americans could compare Berlin's luxurious central train station today with the grimy, overcrowded Penn Station in New York City, they would swear we were the ones who lost World War II.
2) How about "Green" coming from the top, down? What about the government setting a god-damn example? What about the USA committing to make the White House and Capitol buildings completely sustainable?
The German Reichstag is expected to become the greenest parliament building in the world, thanks to a decision to rely solely on renewable energy.
At the moment biofuel generators in the basement produce 40% of the building's energy, for lighting, heating, the flow of air conditioning and water, while the rest comes mainly from coal and nuclear supplies.
But in future the Reichstag, which has been the home of Germany's parliament for nine years, will go a step further, entirely abandoning conventional sources in favour of renewables, which will be provided by an outside supplier.
The greening of the Reichstag fits in with a growing trend in zero-emission homes in Germany, with some homes so energy-efficient that they even produce power. The owners are allowed to sell their surplus back to the grid for generous returns.
Source
3) Green = $$$.
Deutsche Bank is in the process of renovating their "twin towers" HQ in Frankfurt/Main. I said renovate. Not tear down and start new.
Just what sort of renovations?
By makings its Frankfurt headquarters "green," Deutsche Bank will soon serve as a model of energy conservation for corporations throughout the world.
The redesign of the 509-foot-tall twin towers is being spearheaded by the renowned architect Mario Bellini, who was selected through and international competition.
As part of the biggest building modernization project in Europe, the towers will be stripped to their cores and virtually all material used in the effort, including steel, rubble, scrap lumber, and even excess insulation materials, will be recycled.
The following changes will take place:
Ceilings will be raised and new light sensors will be installed to make optimal use of daylight.
Water supplies will be supplemented through rainwater, conserved through the use of more efficient flush fixtures, and heated with solar thermal panes.
The concrete structure of the building will be harnessed to store thermal energy.
The new facade will reduce heat loss in the winter and heat entry in the summer; reduced airflow and district heating will also lessen energy consumption.
New operable windows combined with radiant cooling will noticeably improve air conditioning efficiency.
The ultimate result of this green redesign will be a 67 percent reduction in the use of heating energy, a 55 percent reduction in the use of power, a 43 percent drop in water consumption, and a 55 percent decline in carbon dioxide emissions.
[For those who don't know, reductions in heating, power, and water usage translates to cost savings.]
"Our goal of this project is to make 'eco-efficiency' part of our DNA so that all future buildouts and retrofits make optimal use of water, energy, and other resources," said Jeff Baer, global head of Sourcing and Corporate Real Estate, adding that Deutsche Bank is applying similar techniques in its new Hong Kong headquarters in Kowloon and its new back office site in Nirlon.
"These actions are a 'triple play' for the Bank in that they save costs, drive increased staff productivity, and positively reduce our impact on the global environment," Baer said.
------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, living here in DC, where building go up all around my office, I see no recycling. I see nothing terribly innovative or stylish as I am sure the new DB "Greentowers" will be. I freeze in the summer as the AC is needless left on 24/7. I long to be able to open my own office windows from time to time.
When will this country wake up? When will we all wake up? When will we learn to ignore our shortsighted greed for tomorrow and instead free ourselves from the bondage of fossil fuels by learning to live (even better) without them in the long term? That, in the long run, green is more profitable than not? (Don't let me get started about the bondage of personal, local, state, and federal debt. We need to learn to get rid of that too.)
So, when will we learn?
When will we learn to LEAD the way once again?
Most Americans don't know it yet, but the train of the modern, industrialized world is leaving the station...with the USA left behind with the "duh" expression on its face.
Let's hope Obama can at least run and catch up with the train and hop on before it rounds the mountain.
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