Did you know?

If your toilet is from 1992 or earlier, you probably have an inefficient model that uses between 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Newer, high-efficiency toilets use less than 1.3 gallons per flush -- that's at least 60 percent less water per flush!
(EPA, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/water/simple.htm)

Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.
(EPA, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/water/simple.htm)

A full bath tub requires about 70 gallons of water, while taking a five-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons.
(EPA, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/water/simple.htm)

Turn off lights when not needed. For example, turning off fluorescent lights saves energy, extends overall lamp life and reduces replacement costs. Myth: Turning lights on and off uses more electricity than leaving the lights on.
(http://www.srpnet.com/energy/biztips.aspx)

April 21 10:30 am
DR. SILKE KRAWIETZ
New Possibilities for Thin Films in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
Room 127

April 22 7pm
ANNA MARIA ORRU, RIBA
Restorative Architecture through Biomimicry and Natural Systems Design
Room 127

Please indicate the source of the fact!

Facts up week of April 27, 2009:

Americans are producing more and more waste with each passing year. In 1960, the average American threw away 2.7 pounds of trash a day. Today, the average American throws away 4.5 pounds of trash every day! What are we going to do with all that trash?
http://recycleraccoon.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/landfill.jpg

Solution for all the trash we produce is to burn it. It takes one ton (2,000 pounds) of garbage to equal the heat energy in 500 pounds of coal. Today, there are 90 waste-to-energy plants in the United States. Plus, there are another old-style solid waste incinerators that simply burn trash to get rid of it. They do not use the heat energy to make steam or electricity. Today, the U.S. burns only 14 percent of its solid waste.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/wastetoenergy.html

The major advantage of burning waste is that it reduces the amount of garbage we bury in  landfills.
 http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/wastetoenergy.html

Facts up the week of April 20, 2009:

How many light bulbs does it take to save $10 billion?
a. one
b. one in each home
c. 25 million
d. 10 billion

The answer is b.
Nearly 20 percent of our home's electricity use goes to lighting. Choosing energy-efficient lighting is an easy way to start using energy wisely. Switch out a single light bulb or fixture in your home to a light that's earned the government's ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency. Most electricity in the United States is generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal or oil, which release greenhouse gases into our air. So, when you use less energy, you help prevent global climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/enviroq/index.htm

ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

Source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

Facts up the week of April 13, 2009:
 
1. The term "heat island" describes built up areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas. The annual mean air temperature of a city with 1 million people or more can be 1.8-5.4°F (1-3°C) warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F (12°C). Heat islands can affect communities by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness and mortality, and water quality.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/index.htm

2. Picking the right trees and putting them in the right location will maximize their ability to shade buildings and block winds throughout the year.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/TreesandVegCompendium.pdf

3. Trees and vegetation help cool urban climates through shading and evapotranspiration.
Source: http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/resources/pdf/TreesandVegCompendium.pdf

Here is the introduction they have provided about the blog:
"In Fall 2007, Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez offered AAE 495/695 Special Topics in Sustainable Development. The class project initially entailed its 17 students to scour the UNLV campus to find "missed opportunities" in regards to sustainability. The following are ideas that sparked interest from UNLV Facilities or provided more opportunities for research and education."

Check out the blog at
http://unlvsustainability.blogspot.com/

Thanks to student Tim Albertson for the blog information!

http://current.com/items/87604641_ecospot_runner_up_cheeto_and_vinn

http://chronicle.com/media/flash/v54/i09/solar/

And of course see the winners on the Solar Decathalon site http://www.solardecathlon.org/

Thanks to former UNLV School of Architecture faculty Richard Beckman for forwarding the information on this!

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007016.html

For us west coasters, there are two in California and one in Oregon -- with a second Oregon one among the honorable mentions. Although Nevada had a winner last year, this year we did not place.

An interesting study -- however a caveat has been posted on the Society of Building Science Educators list: the study uses LEED credits to indicate a level of "green" that may not be substantiated with actual tests. [It is generally acknowledged that estimates of energy use prior to building often do not pan out in practice.]

A previous report by Gregory Kats dated December 2005 is on a similar topic: National Review of Green Schools: Costs, Benefits, and Implications for Massachusetts. http://www.cap-e.com/ewebeditpro/items/O59F7707.pdf

Greenwire describes itself thusly:
"With an average of more than 20 stories a day, Greenwire covers the complete spectrum, from electricity industry restructuring to Clean Air Act litigation to public lands management."

Thanks to the Libraries' Government Publications specialist Sidney Lowe for alerting me to this valuable resource. (Some of you may remember Sidney from her days in the Architecture Studies Library!)

Having already seen Ed Mazria speak at UNLV School of Architecture last fall, as part of the Klai Juba lecture series, I confess I was hoping for more than statistics and what is -- for those that have attended the lecture, explored the Architecture 2030 web site http://architecture2030.org/and embraced the 2010 Imperative initiative http://www.2010imperative.org/ -- a fairly standard message.

Speaker Chris Luebkeman of ARUP did mention three ARUP projects that will be of interest:
Dongtan Eco-city http://www.arup.com/eastasia/project.cfm?pageid=7047, Beddington Zero Energy Development in London http://www.arup.com/feature.cfm?pageid=5844, and The Gap Headquarters Builidng in San Bruno California http://www.savingsbydesign.com/awards-2000/2000awards.html#gap.

The Panel Discussion in the afternoon in the Architecture Studies Library was lively and informative. It was taped curtesy of Randy Hale, and will soon be available for viewing in the Architecture Studies Library. Speakers are listed on the ASL web site at http://www.library.unlv.edu/arch/events/2007_2010teachin.html

The Panel was organized and moderated by NEAT Lab Director Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez. The NEAT Lab has produced 2030 Challenge- Environmental Design in the Face of Climate Change DVD which will soon go to all NAAB accredited architecture schools. The DVD was developed by the NEAT Laboratory to increase the environmental literacy of students, faculty, and practicing professionals in the architecture, planning, and design communities. The NEAT Lab web site http://www.unlv.edu/labs/neatl/ has other tools of interest.

Several challenges or suggestions for how to proceed to bring the UNLV Campus to carbon neutral. More on this in a separate posting.

To learn more about the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment go to http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/html/commitment.php

The teach-in is via online transmission and response. There will be three venues on the UNLV campus for the transmission:

Moyer Student Union Theater (UNLV students, faculty, and staff ONLY)
Architecture Building Auditorium - ARC 127 (open to the public)
Architecture Studies Library (open to the public)

The morning teach-in will be followed by a panel discussion in the Architecture Studies Library from 2pm - 3:30.

The Natural Energies Advanced Technologies (NEAT) Laboratory, the UNLV School of Architecture, and the Architecture Studies Library invite you to the Global Emergency Teach-in: The 2010 Imperative! Join us!

[thanks to School of Architecture faculty member and Director of the NEAT Laboratory Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez for allowing me to crib from his campus announcement of the event. He will also be making an important announcement at the afternoon's panel discussion -- you won't want to miss it!)