Buildings

The smell of fresh cut grass, the sounds of “take me out to the ballgame”, and the crack of a baseball bat – these are a few things that signal the beginning of baseball season.

Building energy codes are a critical piece of the puzzle in the fight against climate change. Carbon emissions reduction plans must include energy codes that are regularly updated in order to effectively fight climate change.

Renewable energy, like solar and wind, are popular and effective energy sources that will drastically reduce our carbon emissions. They are buzzwords that fill our social media feeds and are sexy alternatives to coal and oil. They also remind us that a world beyond fossil fuels is achievable. But what about energy efficiency?

Recently the Pennsylvania state legislature passed HB 409, which updates Pennsylvania's broken code adoption process. Unfortunately, the new process is still less than ideal to adopt codes that are the bare legal minimum with which a designer or builder need to comply.

As we move full speed ahead into the winter season, temperatures are quickly declining and most New Englanders are prepping how they will handle the higher energy bills throughout the season. This is a yearly battle for many residents in New England as we combat Nor’easters and record low temperatures. Often times, we pay our bills without thinking twice.

This blog, including the information and statistics on asbestos and related diseases such as mesothelioma, was provided by Mesothelioma.com. 

Older School Buildings and Asbestos

Every year, without fail, when late September rolls around, I’m fascinated by the vibrant red and gold colors that paint the trees. As a life-long New Yorker, my transition to life in New England has been made easier by the familiar natural beauty that captivates us during the fall season. Luckily, I got to experience New England’s fall foliage at its peak in Meredith, New Hampshire for NEEP’s annual High Performance Schools Summit.

15,600 hours.

This is the amount of time, on average, that a student spends in school by the time he or she graduates from high school (Harvard report). Other than their homes, today’s students spend more time at school than anywhere else. We know this for a fact - yet we still overlook the importance of the physical school environment.

My immediate reaction upon learning of President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement was to panic. Would this decision be an irreparable blow to our struggle to cut emissions? Would we have to resign ourselves to the idea that achieving the Paris Agreement’s climate goals would be impossible?

This is the 2017 installment of this series. Click here for the 2016 update.

I come from a long familial line of school teachers – my mom, one aunt, both sisters, and my brother (for a short time) all taught children of varying ages. Even though I chose not to pursue a teaching career (public relations is honorable too, right?), I value education and all of the components that come with it.