In November 2006, the editors of The New Oxford American Dictionary unveiled their 2006 Word of the Year: carbon neutral. According to Oxford University Publishing, being carbon neutral involves calculating your total climate-damaging carbon emissions, reducing them where possible, and then balancing your remaining emissions, often by purchasing a carbon offset: paying to plant new trees or investing in green technologies such as solar and wind power. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are an investment in renewable energy plants. For more information on third-party-certified RECs, vist Carbonfund (www.carbonfund.org), Carbon Solutions Group (www.carbonsolutionsgroup.com) and Native Energy (www.nativeenergy.com).
The move toward renewable energy and reducing the building sector’s carbon footprint represents a true market shift. However, the road won’t be easy because of differing viewpoints. While attending a press breakfast at the ASHRAE 2008 winter meeting in New York, a proposed mandate that 1 percent of all building’s peak energy needs come from renewable energy was met with mixed emotions. Some guffawed at the notion, saying it was intrusive and cumbersome. Conversely, others guffawed that the 1 percent wasn’t enough, saying it was marginal at best.
Again, this represents where the market is heading, and where our facility management strategies must land. The facility featured on the cover symbolizes a new dawn in terms of energy efficiency and reduced emissions. Achieving net-zero energy and net-zero carbon emission status is no simple task — it requires communication and a concerted effort between building owners, facility managers and employees.
I’m proud to report that BNP Media’s internal recycling program recycled 30,445 pounds of paper and cardboard in 2007. This represents a near 30 percent increase from 2006, which means that the program is growing and staff members are doing a great job of supporting the initiative. In terms of quantifying the results, per MidStates Fibres, Inc., our efforts for the year saved:
- 258.78 trees
- 45.67 cubic yards of landfill space
- 106,559 gallons of water
- 14,827 kilowatts of energy
In terms of day-to-day actions to reduce your organization’s footprint, here are some simple tips that have really made a difference in our office environment, as well as an impact on our company’s environmental footprint:
- Instead of making multiple trips to the recycling bins during the day, keep a letter tray on your desk and toss recyclables in there. At the end of the day, make one trip.
- Keep a small box under your desk to put any plastic, glass or metal in, and make weekly drops into the bins on your floor’s kitchen.
- Unplug equipment when you can. Anything that is left plugged in still uses up unnecessary energy. Another important facet is to shut down your computer at night / after hours.
- Go paperless. (Or as close to it as possible.) Try making PDFs of anything you would normally make copies of. Then, save items in a file to be printed when/if needed.
- Check into your local recycling center for more information on bringing some of these daily practices into your home and community.
In addition to the above suggestions, check out this month’s Initiatives column, written by Michelle Hucal, LEED AP, and senior editor of
Sustainable Facility and
Environmental Design + Construction (
ED+C). In it, she discusses resources available for calculating your CO2 emissions and environmental footprint.
And, starting on page 19 of this issue is the spring 2008 edition of our Cool Roofing special section. Presented with
ED+C and
Roofing Contractor magazines, this collaboration focuses on sustainable developments across one of the most important aspects of the building envelope, the roof.
I’m always seeking success stories from
Sustainable Facility readers. Let me know what steps you’re taking, and what sustainable strategies have made an impact on your buildings and organizations.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Joseph H. Mayton III
