Chicago –www.wastenews.com
November 26, 2007

A new study shows that a vast majority of commercial building owners and managers see "greening'' their properties as a priority.And a majority of those surveyed also said they're spending money to do so this fiscal year.The survey of building owners, managers and investors was conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council, the Building Owners and Managers Association International and Real Estate Media, a company covering the property industry.

"I think what we're seeing is corporate America is interested in going green and reaching deep into the existing portfolio to achieve green strategies,''
Said Doug Gatlin, national accounts director for the USGBC.

The survey garnered 392 responses, with property managers accounting for 22.6 percent of the participants. Vice presidents accounted for another 16.4 percent, and company directors made up 10.3 percent of the respondents.Some 81.5 percent of those surveyed said they consider "greening'' their property portfolio a priority. Almost 64 percent said they have allocated money for green measures or programs. More than 20 percent of that subgroup said green work represents 6 to 10 percent of their capital budgets, and only 3.5 percent said they are spending more than 25 percent, according to the survey, which was released at the USGBC Greenbuild conference held Nov. 7-9 in Chicago.

Karen Penafiel, vice president of advocacy for BOMA International, a federation of more than 90 groups representing building owners and managers, said the majority of the respondents did not see maintaining a green building asset as being cost-prohibitive. Most felt if there are higher costs, they are minimal and would be offset by future savings.

Gatlin said the first-ever survey creates a baseline of information that will help identify future trends in green building management.

Major league baseball makes pitch to go green
By: Jim Johnson

www.wastenews.com
March 17, 2008

Major League Baseball wants every team's colors to include green. They will be playing for keeps starting in just a couple of weeks, packing millions of people into stadiums around the country during the course of this season. And the league wants the experience to be more environmentally friendly for not only players, but also employees and fans.

Baseball is joining with Natural Resources Defense Council to create a "Team Greening Program'' for every Major League franchise, and an official at the NRDC believes baseball's popularity will have an influence on overall environmental protection.

"No other sporting institution has influenced American culture as much as baseball, and the league is once again putting that influence to very good use,''
said Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist at the NRDC, a nonprofit environmental group.

"The commitment by our national pastime to enhance its ecological profile in a meaningful and public way marks a watershed in the history of baseball and the environmental movement,'' he said.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig said,
"Baseball is a social institution with social responsibilities, and caring for the environment is inextricably linked to all aspects of our game.''

The environmental program is designed to include all Major League teams, and the Pittsburgh Pirates created an effort called "Let's Go Bucs. Let's Go Green.''

The Pirates expect to recycle more than 760,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans during the upcoming season. The team will use 180 recycling containers throughout PNC Park and collect discarded containers with staff members. The team also is switching to biodegradable cups and eliminating most nonbiodegradable utensils, plates and food carriers.

"We hope that our program will appeal to our fans and area businesses by demonstrating how these green initiatives can be simple activities that any business or household can do,''
Pirates President Frank Coonelly said.

There also will be environmental education outreach for fans at the stadium. Plenty of folks who would never think of littering during their everyday life don't think twice about tossing aside their trash while at a game.

Stadiums around the country are well-known for their tolerance for littering. It's part of the experience of going to the ballpark for many people. Peanut shells, soda cups, nacho trays and hot dog wrappers all await cleanup crews after every game.

Another program called "Our Tribe is Green ... Are you in the Tribe?'' is being created by the Cleveland Indians to promote environmentally friendly efforts at Progressive Field.

Employees of each big-league team only have to go as far as the Internet to receive a variety of advice and assistance to make their operations more environmentally friendly. The environmental group has established NRDC Team Greening Advisor for Major League Baseball, a Web site that provides information to individual teams.

"Many of our clubs have already begun working to protect the environment, and their leading efforts form the core of this information,''
said John McHale, executive vice president of administration for MLB.