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The Masonry Society Sustainability E-News November 16, 2009 Volume 1, Number 9 SPONSORED EDITION
From the Editor In October The Masonry Society (TMS) held its Annual Meeting in Evanston, IL. Attendees participated in numerous committee meetings and took advantage of seminars on a variety of topics of interest to the masonry industry, including sessions related to sustainable design. For readers of this e-newsletter I am happy to report that the TMS Board of Directors voted to pursue sponsorship of this newsletter as a means to continue to provide it FREE to both TMS members and ALL INTERESTED PARTIES. Effective immediately, Sustainability E-News will be offered as a complementary edition only, and readers are encouraged to share the newsletter with others in the masonry industry.
Sponsorship of Sustainability E-News is available on an annual basis at the following levels: Platinum Level $1,000 and over Gold Level $500 to $999 Silver Level $250 to $499 Sponsors are recognized in each edition of Sustainability E-News with a logo and link to their website. Special thanks to our sponsors listed below for providing this first Sponsored Edition! For more information on how you can become a sponsor, please contact the TMS office.
Christine “Tina” Subasic, PE, LEED AP
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Sponsors of TMS's
Sustainability E-Newsletter Click on the links below to find out more about each of these organizations who have graciously sponsored this E-Newsletter Platinum Level $1,000 and over  Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada
Gold Level $500 to $999 Silver Level $250 to $499 |
GREENING YOUR BUSINESS The benefits of incorporating sustainable practices into a business begin with small steps. The links below highlight steps to consider in “greening” your business. ~Tina
How to be Environmentally Friendly Small Business Trends reports 100 tips from readers on environmentally friendly business practices, which it categorizes in four sections: conserve, recycle, go paperless and adopt green practices. Among the tips: Turn off a computer's power strip every night, take advantage of natural lighting and reduce the number of documents that are printed.
Guide to Environmental Reporting from the UK A new question-and-answer guide to corporate reporting requirements published by a British accountancy group helps businesses navigate European environmental directives and ensure that their financial statements meet all legal requirements for environmental reporting.
Software to Aid Greening of Existing Buildings This article describes a new computer tool could help designers make existing buildings greener. With the green-retrofit market booming, software company Autodesk has developed technology that provides a precise snapshot of a building's energy and water consumption, helping to pinpoint areas for improvement.
NEW GREEN PROGRAMS The American Society of Landscape Architects has joined the ranks of green program developers by publishing a new rating system specifically for landscapes. Also up and running is a program by the Internation Code Council that certifies sustainable attributes claimed by manufacturers. ~Tina
New Green Landscapes Rating System While the LEED rating systems address sustainable sites, the American Society of Landscape Architects felt that wasn’t enough. They have published a new rating system specifically for landscapes. It addresses the usual items such as permeable pavements, but also includes credits for “firewise structures” such as those clad in non-combustible masonry. For a copy of the new rating system click here.
ICC Evaluates Sustainable Attributes The International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES®) has developed an expanded report from the SAVE™ Program – Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation™ – to verify the sustainability of building materials and determine how the products may qualify for green building points within multiple green building rating systems. According to their press release, the ICC-ES® SAVE™ Program provides verification that products have been independently verified as having the sustainable attributes claimed by the manufacturer.
OTHER NEWS
Green Buildings Boost Productivity Research into the benefits of green buildings continues with this recent study by the University of San Diego's Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate and CB Richard Ellis that focused on tenants that recently relocated to a green building. More than 54% of the respondents to the study agreed that workers were more productive in green buildings, and 45% of respondents said that workers had 2.88 fewer sick days.
PCA Announces the Concrete Sustainability Hub A recent press release from PCA announced the establishment of the Concrete Sustainability Hub at MIT with the goal of accelerating emerging breakthroughs in concrete science and engineering and transferring that science into practice.
Are Solar Subsidies a Good Thing? This editorial offers views on why solar subsidies may not always be a good thing.
Green Building Market Report Available According to a recent press release, The Green Building Market and Impact Report 2009, written by Rob Watson, explores the impacts that LEED-certified buildings have already had on energy, water, waste and employee performance.
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