Local Green Initiative Resources
The green building movement and the “need for green” is happening all over the country. Many large organizations and government initiatives are acting to promote green initiatives. Rebates, creative financing, incentives are making it more affordable than ever. But many are still wondering what they can do locally and how they can take advantage of all those programs.
I have been asked and have seen many requests for information on how to participate and take action on a local level with regard to green building, renewable energy and sustainable living. So I put this post together to act as a resource for individuals and communities looking for green answers. here are some wonderful organizations that are breaking some “green” ground and sharing their research, expertise and experience with the process of getting local governments and citizens to move in the green direction. This helps in many ways by networking skills, resources and not having to re-invent the wheel each time a new communtiy wants to go green and become more sustainable.
If anyone has any additional resources please post them and I will add them.
Peace,
Bruce
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THE APOLLO ALLIANCE
http://apolloalliance.org
The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of labor, business, environmental, and community leaders working to catalyze a clean energy revolution that will put millions of Americans to work in a new generation of high-quality, green-collar jobs. Inspired by the Apollo space program, we promote investments in energy efficiency, clean power, mass transit, next-generation vehicles, and emerging technology, as well as in education and training. Working together, we will reduce carbon emissions and oil imports, spur domestic job growth, and position America to thrive in the 21st century economy.
Case in point: Babylon, NY, Lending Program Produces Improved Home Energy Efficiency
Babylon’s “Long Island Green Homes Initiative” is an ambitious plan to perform energy efficiency retrofits on all of the town’s 65,000 homes. At no upfront cost, the program provides homeowners with the capital to perform retrofits on their properties and connects them with trained workers to make the improvements.
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INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES (ICLIE)
http://www.icleiusa.org/
ICLEI is an international membership association of local governments dedicated to climate protection and sustainable development. The organization was established in 1990 when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries convened at the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York. Established as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the official name is now ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability.
ICLEI USA was launched in 1995 and has grown from a handful of local governments participating in a pilot project to a solid network of more than 500 cities, towns and counties actively striving to achieve tangible reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and create more sustainable communities. ICLEI USA is the domestic leader on climate protection and adaptation, and sustainable development at the local
Check out these tools for resources and economic recovery opportunities…
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US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY – GREEN BUILDING
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm
Funding Opportunities
Numerous sources of funding for green building are available at the national, state and local levels for homeowners, industry, government organizations and nonprofits. We are providing the links on this page to help you find a variety of funding sources including grants, tax-credits, loans, or others. Please contact us with suggestions to add other green building funding opportunities not listed on this page. EPA does not currently provide funding to support green building projects.
State and Local Programs
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm#guides
National Programs:
http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/tools/funding.htm#national
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CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE
Building on President Clinton’s lifetime in public service, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) reflects his belief that governments need collaboration from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other global leaders to effectively confront the world’s most pressing problems. After attending thousands of meetings during his career in which urgent needs were discussed but no action was taken to solve them, President Clinton saw a need to establish a new kind of meeting with an emphasis on results.
In 2005, President Clinton established CGI to turn ideas into action and to help our world move beyond the current state of globalization to a more integrated global community of shared benefits, responsibilities, and values. By gathering world leaders from a variety of backgrounds, CGI creates a unique opportunity to channel the capacities of individuals and organizations to realize change. To fulfill the action-oriented mission of CGI, all members devise practical solutions to global issues through the development of specific and measurable Commitments to Action.
CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 100 current and former heads of state, 14 Nobel Peace Prize winners, hundreds of leading global CEOs, major philanthropists and foundation heads, directors of the most effective non-governmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion, which have already improved more than 200 million lives in 150 countries. Commitments made at the 2008 Annual Meeting are expected to impact almost 160 million people.
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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
Green Economic Recovery Resources
Green building strategies, including energy efficiency, are a cornerstone of the plan to revitalize our economy. Funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) offers a tremendous opportunity for state and local governments to jump-start green building efforts, create green jobs, and save energy and money. USGBC is committed to helping our communities make the most of this historic opportunity. The following resources and best practices are intended to support state and local leadership and assist governments in these critical efforts.
NEW! Top 10 Ways to Use Recovery Funds for Green Building
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THE INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
IERE… supporting fact-based environmental decision making.
Environmental Decisions and Factual Information
Environmental Decisions are made based on two things: what is KNOWN about the environmental impacts of human activities (the facts), and how we VALUE the different aspects of the environment and human activities. The valuation part of the process is independent of science and engineering: a specialist’s opinion about what is important is no more valuable than that of the person on the street.
Our knowledge of the environment is incomplete, but in many cases we have enough factual information to have a reasonable prediction about the effects of our choices. Unfortunately, environmental decisions are rarely based on the facts of the matter, but rely simply on value judgements. That means we are ignoring information about potential environmental damage, and it means that our decision are just as likely to cause damage to the environment as to benefit it, even where environmental protection was the goal of the decision. Many millions of dollars have been spent to protect the environment, while simply causing the environmental damage to another environmental system.
In a world where resources are limited, and where decisions not based on facts are likely to cause further environmental degradation, better access to facts is an urgent need. IERE was formed to address this need.
Among the factors that lead to decision making without concerns for the facts are:
The facts often don’t exist, because no one has spent the time and money to develop the relevant data
Often, the individuals making the decisions are not aware of the relevant facts, or do not have the skills needed to make use of these facts.
Some individuals prefer to make decisions based on their values rather than facts.
While little can be done to change decision making approaches in individuals, significant efforts can be made to provide facts and skills to decision-makers. IERE was formed to do just that, through its four program areas.
IERE – Institute for Environmental Research and Education
IERE is a nonprofit organization that supports environmental decision making based on factual information. We obtain and help others obtain the knowledge and skills they need to make better environmental decisions. IERE has offices in Washington State and in Iowa.
