GreenBuilding Retrofits Represent a Potential $400B Market
Boosted in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will provide significant funding for renovations to federal building, the total potential market for major green renovations in the commercial building sector is approximately $400 billion, according to a new study by Pike Research. Although currently a relatively small market, the market researcher forecasts that comprehensive efficiency retrofits will more than triple in annual revenue to $6.6 billion by 2013.
The market researcher says the total U.S. commercial building market, with 70-billion square-feet of space, delivers one of the largest opportunities for energy savings, reduction of carbon emissions and increased property values.
While direct energy savings can be significant with green retrofits, the study, “Energy Efficiency Retrofits for Commercial and PublicBuildings”, indicates that most major projects will not be driven by cost savings, but instead will be initiated to meet broader policy and business objectives such as lower carbon footprints, higher employee productivity, and higher property values.
Backing these findings, a study released last year by The Global Facility Management Association, finds that ninety-two percent of survey respondents to the Green Practices Study say that they are working to make their facilities more sustainable. In addition, 67 percent say their customers are “forcing them” to make sustainable changes, while forty-six percent say the government is forcing the change.
Another recent study shows that commercial building owners can reap higher rental premiums for green buildings. The study, conducted by the Henley University of Reading in the U.K., shows that certified buildings provide a rental premium and that the more highly rated that buildings are, the higher the rent. Based on a sample of transaction prices for 292 Energy Star and 30 LEED-certified buildings, price premiums were 10 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
The Pike study examines market opportunities, drivers, barriers, and best practices within the commercial building sector. It also provides detailed quantitative analysis for green retrofits, along with forecasts for market growth over the next five years.
Still at the infancy stage, green building retrofit companies are creating new ways to show organizations how to save money, cut energy use and reduce carbon emissions through energy and lighting retrofits.
Albert Einstein had to come up with a lot of effort to do his schoolwork. Thomas Edison, I’m sure didn’t mind don’t not being able to pay attention in class. His mind was probably dreaming up ideas for the future. These two men did a lot to improve our world and because they were different; society has thought them to be ADHD.
What is ADHD?. “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).”(National Institute of Mental Health) Look at all these famous people who have been diagnosed with ADHD and went on to do something big with their life.
Sports Personalities
Terry Bradshaw won four Super Bowls while quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His job now is football analyst and he is co-host on Fox NFL Sunday. Terry Bradshaw is diagnosed with ADHD and clinical depression.
Hank Kuehne plays golf with the Canadian Tour and has won the U.S. Amateur championship in 1998. Hank used to drink a lot as a teenager and after seeking help at 19 remains sober. He says that he drank heavy due to undiagnosed learning disabilities and ADHD.
Cammi Granoto doesn’t mind being ADHD. She has won a gold medal for ice hockey in the Olympics. Since 1990, she has competed in world championships. She also struggled a lot in school and finds comfort in the fact that there was a reason.
Entertainment and Media Personalities
Glenn Beck founded Fusion Magazine. He works as a conservative radio personality and makes an appearance daily on CNN Headline News. ADHD is often a topic on his radio show.
Woody Harrelson is diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Woody played the bartender on Cheers. His movies include Kingpin, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Anger Management, North County, and Indecent Proposal.
Mariette Hartley played in The Incredible Hulk and won an Emmy. She helps adults with ADHD deal with and manage symptoms. She also helps adults by her discussions and videos on ADHD.
Artists and Authors
Robert Toth, artist and designer is also well know for his sculptures. Smithsonian Institute, the Royal Scottish Museum, Iwashimizu-Hachiman-Gu and the Vatican Museum have all displayed his work.
John Dunn has written a lot of books: Booked to Die, Bookman’s Wake, Tune in Yesterday, On the Air and Bookman’s Promise. John Dunn never finished high school but went back later on to earn his GED. He’s
a jack of all trades, working as a copy boy and working in a glass shop; until he discovered that he could write.
Business Professionals
Paul Orfalea started Kinko’s. Paul was held back in second grade and struggled with the whole school idea. He barely made it through high school and made C’s and D’s in college. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. ADHD has allowed him to “live in the moment and capitalize on the opportunities I spotted.”
David Neeleman founded JetBlue Airways. He’s not on any medication. He says “along with the disorganization, procrastination, inability to focus, and all the other bad things that come with ADD, there also comes creativity and the ability to take risks.”
Dexter Scott King is the CEO of the King Center. He is the son of Martin Luther King, Jr. He wasn’t diagnosed with ADD until he was an adult.
Peter Wright is blessed with the lucky three dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD. He specializes in educational issues for children with special needs. He’s their lawyer. Wright’s Law, a website created by Peter contains
information to help parents understand special education law; so they can be their advocate.
Did you know that you can recycle your hotel keys, gift cards and turn them into usable new cards? If your yogurt cups, ketchup bottles, sour cream containers have #5 on the bottom of them you can recycle and turn them into razors and bowls. Save your high powered energy bar wraps and drink pouches. They can be transformed into shower curtains, tote bags and fashion accessories. Be careful you might be stepping on someone else’s shoes.Some of your athletic fields are made from recycled tennis shoes. Not only are these great ideas. They can all be sent back for recycling by mail.
Earthworks
http://www.earthworkssystem.com/index.html
Preserve Gimme 5
http://www.preserveproducts.com/gimme5/
Terrracycle
http://www.terracycle.net/
“Plastics and Packaging
* Earthworks recycle PVC plastic cards (hotel keys, gift cards, etc.) and turns them into sheets that new cards can be made of. Drop cards in the mail if your retailer doesn’t already take them back. Address is: Earthworks, c/o Halprin Industries, 25840 Miles Road, Bedford, OH44146. Magnetic strips are okay. Don’t send credit cards or those that contain paper backing.
* Recycline’s Preserve Gimme 5 program collects clean plastic containers that have a #5 stamped on the bottom (yogurt cups, ketchup bottles, sour cream containers, and more). Recycled plastic is transformed into razors, bowls, and many other cool products (that you can also send back when you’re done with them). To maximize eco-benefits, the company suggests using ground shipping.
* TerraCycle creates shower curtains, totes, and funky fashion accesssories out of old energy bar wrappers, drink pouches, and other packaging. It recyles wine corks too. In some cases, you need to mail in large quantities so look for a drop-off location or send in your neighbors’ stuff too.
Apparel and Shoes
* Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program has collected almost 22 million worn out athletic shoes since 1990. The shoes are ground up and turned into athletic fields. Nike’s prefers that you drop off shoes at participating stores, but you can also mail them.
* Patagonia’s Common Threads Garment Recycling Program turns your old Patagonia clothing into new garments. Visit it website for specifics on what they take back and where you can send it.
E-waste
* Battery Solutions sells boxes that you can fill up with batteries (both rechargeable and non-rechargeable), cell phones, PDAs, iPods, and others. The $24 fee includes a pre-paid FedEx shipping label.
* GreenDisc recycles CDs, DVDs, video and audio tapes, and their cases. You can also send in most computer related waste-anything from printer cartridges to mice to laptops. It costs $6.95 to process up to 20lbs of waste.
* Waste Management’s Think Green program sells recycling kits for batteries, CFLs, fluorescent tubes, and electronics.Prices vary depending on item. Fill the box they send you and mail it in.”(Recycling by mail.)
Joy according to the American Heritage Dictionary is “Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant happiness The expression or manifestation of such feeling. A source or an object of pleasure or satisfaction: their only child, their pride and joy. To fill with ecstatic happiness, pleasure, or satisfaction. To enjoy. [Middle English joie, from Old French, from Latin gaudia, pl. of gaudium, joy, from gaudēre, to rejoice; see gāu- in Indo-European roots.](APA)
Practicing an attitude of gratitude creates a mindset that is equipped to handle life on life terms.Are you seeking joy outside yourself, or does your joy come from within? With joy comes abundant energy for a higher creativity level. Joy gives you self esteem enhancing everything that you put your hand to. Children are naturally joyful because they are innocent with out the daily responsibilities of the adult world. Adults get so caught up in the problems of raising a child instead of being grateful they were blessed with a child. It’s not about what happens to you in life; it’s how you react to what happens to you in life.
“Joy gives you the power, motivation and confidence to achieve things that otherwise seem too difficult to attempt. Better than a granola bar - joy is pure energy.”
joy. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved July 21, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/joy