The strategy has several parts:

1. US Forest Service will preferentially select wood for new building projects while also maintaining its commitment to certified green building standards.
2. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has asked US Forest Service to report to him news ways to enhance green building material research and development.
3. US Forest Service will demonstrate innovative uses of wood as a green building material for new structures of 10,000 square feet or more through using recognized green building standards such as LEED, Green Globes or the National Green Building Standard.

To carry out this initiative, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told his workers to use more locally milled timber in all new agency buildings. Vilsack told heads of other USDA agencies to do likewise.

“Our country has the resources, the work force and the innovative spirit to reintroduce wood products into all aspects of the next generation of buildings,” Tidwell said.

Photo courtesy of American Tree Farm System 2010 photo contest winners Henry and Mary Kay Hudson.

The 30,000-sf, $5.5 million structure at 1095 W. League City Pkwy. will serve as the company’s new headquarters.

Wood from sustainable forests, as well as recycled carpet and countertops, were used to complete the interior. A reflective roof and eight-inch thick concrete walls insulate the building.

Concave light fixtures maximize bulb reflection and allow the building to use fewer lights. In addition, large sun-reflecting glass windows let in natural light but prevent heat from entering the building.

“We’re trying to set an example on the island that green is feasible and effective in the long run,” said Hank Hodde, education director for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Galveston branch. “It has to be more than a fad. Energy resources are just going to continue to decrease.”

About 80 percent of waste that resulted from building the credit union was recycled.

There is no question that green energy is a coming force. Economic and environmental necessity have pushed such sources of energy to the very forefront of public, corporate and governmental concern, making such energies the growing and coming sector. In fact, during 2008 and 2009, green energy overtook fossil fuels in terms of power generating investment attraction-the first time that this has ever happened. Clean technologies, including wind and solar, drew more than $140bn of investment during this period, compared to $110bn for coal and gas meant for electrical power generation. More than one-third of this ‘green money’ ended up in Britain and the rest of Europe.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given their starting points, the largest growth in renewable energy investments were seen in India and China-along with several other developing countries, as they look to match the West by switching from fossil fuels in order to improve energy security and address issues relating to climate change, which will directly and immediately impact developing world countries.

The Executive Director of the UN’s Environment Program, Ache Steiner, has postulated that such indicators suggest that a tipping point has been reached, where renewable energy is perhaps even more important than fossil fuels in the global energy mix. It is indeed encouraging that, up to the end of 2009, a wide variety of renewable energy sectors have attracted significant capital, and many different regions are entering the sector in a serious way. Up to the end of 2009, more than $155bn of new money had been invested in clean energy concerns and projects-despite the fact that the capital raised on public stock markets dropped by 51% to $11.4bn. Over this period, green firms also saw share prices drop dramatically by over 60%.

Wind energy is the current global leader of green energy sources, attracted the highest levels of investment globally at over $51bn. Next comes solar power at over $33bn. As of the end of 2009, however, the solar power sector saw Y-O-Y growth of 50%, whereas wind power only saw an annual growth of 1%. The next most-popular green energy source is biofuels, attracted an investment of almost $17bn, down 9% on 2007 levels. This was principally due to overcapacity issues and political opposition to the sector, with ethanol being squarely blamed for rocketing food prices.

Europe remains the principal center for investment in green energy and power, seeing over $50bn directed into continent-wide projects-an increase of 2% on 2008 figures. The figure for the US was $30bn-down a total of 8%.

Many countries have seen a number of “Green New Deals”, designed with the intention of re-igniting recession-depressed economies and tackle climate change-related problems. The first quarter of 2009 saw a slump in renewable investment globally, and this trend has troubled the UN. The second quarter of 2009 has shown recovery, but indications are that the year would end at least a quarter down on 2008 figures. Many analysts are encouraged by the green shoots, but insist that politicians and policy-makers should do more to ensure continued growth.

China currently receives only a tiny fraction of its electric power from renewable sources (other than hydroelectric). They will try to double their renewable energy production each year for the foreseeable future. It will take many years of doubling to reach an equilibrium point with an economy growing 10% per year. They talk about reducing the carbon output for each unit of production.

Why are the Chinese using this approach? Cap and trade just doesn’t work for them. They can’t put carbon limits on an economy that is growing 10% per year. If the caps really worked, their growth rate would decline substantially. They are not willing to give up the growth which provides jobs for the hundreds of millions of Chinese looking for work to move out of poverty.

To implement this policy of displacement, the Chinese government had decreed that power companies must buy all of the renewable energy produced even if the price of that energy is higher than the price of energy produced from fossil fuels. Note that the price renewable energy producers can charge is regulated by the government but is typically set at a price that provides a decent return for the company. China will also provide fast approval for renewable projects and will work to build out their electric grid to connect new power sources.

The First Solar deal with China to build 20 GigaWatts of solar collectors by the year 2020 is a good example of this policy at work. China guaranteed First Solar a rate tariff on the electricity produced that would make them a profit if they would build a factory in China to produce the panels. China will build the transmission lines to get the power to market for them. In 2020 China will have 20 GigaWatts for solar power which will mean they will product 20 GigaWatts less power from fossil fuels when the sun shines.

The displacement policy means Chinese wind and solar system producers are gearing up to increase production dramatically. This high consistent demand is allowing them to use scale to drive down manufacturing costs. One day renewable may become cost effective as a power source compared to fossil fuels and China won’t have to subsidize their production. In the mean time China creates whole new industries with tremendous export potential and thousands (millions?) of new jobs. They also don’t have to be heavy handed with energy consumers. Consumers will pay a slightly higher price for electricity as the utility companies pass through the higher prices they pay for renewable power.

Read more at Examiner.com:  http://tinyurl.com/y85gcks

UNEP’s report, “Buildings and Climate Change – Summary for Decision Makers,” emphasizes that buildings are an area of great potential to impact climate change. The report is a result of three years of study by the UNEP Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI), a think tank and partnership between the United Nations and leading companies and organizations in the building sector.

Buildings account for more than 30 percent of worldwide energy use. Fortunately, buildings present vast opportunities to reduce energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, buildings generate the equivalent of 8.6 billion tons of CO2 a year, according to the report, and this amount is expected to nearly double over the next two decades. Population growth and urbanization are cited as the impetus for new construction growth.

For example, new construction in China over the next ten years will be so prolific that it will equal the size of all existing buildings in the United States, the report says. Investment in new buildings is also expected in South Africa. UNEP warns booms like these will likely double the amount of pollution associated with energy use in buildings.

Along with the report, the climate summit served as the debut of SBCI’s global Common Carbon Metric for Buildings to measure energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings. The new metrics were created in conjunction with the International Energy Agency, International Standardization organization, World Green Building Council, International Initiative for the Sustainable Built Environment and Sustainable Buildings Alliance as well as private sector companies and associations.

This information adapted from greenandsave.com News

The central part of the legislation limits the amount of carbon dioxide, the main gas behind global warming, that companies like electric utilities, gasoline refiners, chemical firms and other large users of energy can put into the atmosphere. There were previously no restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions. 

The bill aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% by 2050, in-line with what scientists say is needed to avoid the worst effects of global warming.   

Meeting those targets is expected to cost the average household $175 a year by 2020, according to a recent analysts by the Congressional Budget Office.

Read the rest of this excellent article from CNN Money here:  http://money.cnn.com/2009/06/26/news/economy/cap_and_trade/index.htm