Local efforts to reduce global warming one city at a time are picking up speed throughout Puerto Rico’s municipalities, spearheaded by the Cool Cities Coalition. The first round of municipal walk-troughs was completed successfully thanks to a great team of volunteers, a lot of which are also members and directors of our chapter. Among all, special recognition must be awarded to Arch. Diana Luna, who helped with the coordination and participated on almost all the municipal walk-troughs. On the 4th of July, the radio program of the CAAPPR, Arquitectura Hoy, was dedicated to Cool Cities-Puerto Rico. Here Arch. Diana Luna, along with representation of a Cool Cities participating municipality, shared the experiences, advances and projected work that still needs to be done. Our chapter is proud to be part of the Coalition since its conception; any member interested on participating actively can do so by contacting: camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org
Wednesday May 19, 2010 @ Sala Teatro Beckett, Río Piedras.
Last May (National Bike Month) we where invited to participate at the first Bicicultura event organized by the Puerto Rico Bicycle Coalition. The slideshow, presented by Brenda L. Martínez (Education Committee Director) highlighted the importance of design at urban, and architectural scale in order to facilitate alternative ways of transportation. The evening started with a documentary and ended with a great concert by Los Niños Estelares, interpreting ‘Deja el Carro’, among other songs. Free issues of the magazines Momentum & Bicycle Times where donated by the Ielow Bike Shop, along with a new bicycle that was raffled among those present. Something that must be said is that to the satisfaction of Jorge Peredo, Founding President of the Puerto Rico Bicycle Coalition, a lot of participants (including our presenter) got to the activity using either the Tren Urbano, their bicycle…or both, with their BiciTren passes.
The 2010 Caribbean Green Expo, to be held on Dec 3-4 at the Puerto Rico Convention Center is now accepting Sponsors for our various seminars and events and Exhibitors to attend our Exhibition Hall.
As in 2008, The 2010 Caribbean Green Expo will host two days of seminars with guest speakers and local representatives.
Be part of this great event and take advantage of an audience ready and eager to learn about your product or service.
For more information, please visit our 2010 Caribbean Green Expo Main Page.
See you there!!
Bacardi to use wind power at Puerto Rico distillery
BY ELAINE WALKER
EWALKER@MIAMIHERALD.COM
Bacardi is harnessing the power of the wind to help run its distillery in Puerto Rico.
Bacardi Corporation on Tuesday unveiled the largest wind turbine installation in Puerto Rico, which will provide between three and seven percent of the power used by Bacardi at the distillery near San Juan.
The two turbines are owned by Cataño-based Aspenall Energies, which will sell the electricity to Bacardi. The turbines will produce about 1,000,000 kWh of electricity per year, roughly enough to offset the consumption of electricity by the tourism-related activities at the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center.
“While many know Bacardi for great rums and cocktails, Bacardi also has been a leader in corporate responsibility and environmental progress,” said Joaquin Bacardi, president and chief executive of Bacardi Corp., the Puerto Rican-based company that is part of Bacardi Ltd. “We’re always looking for ways to help the environment and reduce our carbon footprint.”
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/21/1591115/bacardi-to-use-wind-power-at-puerto.html#ixzz0mUQJl48N
This online course from USGBC can be taken anytime and anywhere – and now, it’s available in either English or Spanish. This is one more way USGBC is working toward our mission of transforming the buildings marketplace by increasing the accessibility of green building knowledge and training. Green Building Basics & LEED is the best resource for learning the fundamentals of green building and developing basic knowledge of the LEED rating systems. Register today:
Online course, in Spanish » »
Online course, in English »
In-person course, in English »
“Green Buildings for Cool Cities” is a series public green buildings tours across the country to highlight the local economic and environmental benefits of energy-efficient, high-performance green buildings. The project is aimed at helping cities nationwide make green buildings and communities a key component of their economic and environmental recovery efforts.
Read more »
RESNET has completed its survey on the number of tax credit verifications and ratings that were completed in 2009.
In 2009 97,495 homes were rated. This is down from 100,045 homes that were rated in 2008. But the reduction is not as great as the reduction in the number of homes built in the U.S. during the same time This means that while the housing market continues to dip the number of home being rated is holding pretty steady.
The story is even better for the federal tax credit for new homes. In 2009 the numbers of homes verified as meeting the tax credit was 26,598. This is up from the 21,939 homes that were verified in 2008.
This demonstrates the effectiveness of the tax credit for energy efficient homes in transforming the housing market. While the housing market continues to be in a depression, more builders are seeing the economic value of building homes that are rated as high performing. It is appropriate that the extension of the tax credit has been approved by the U.S. Senate and awaiting approval by the House.
Por Ileana Delgado Castro / idelgado@elnuevodia.com
Han pasado 18 años desde que se estableció, en 1992, la meta de reciclar el 35% de la basura del País, pero la realidad actual apenas alcanza un 10%.
Esto conforma un panorama bastante crítico, según la directora ejecutiva de la Autoridad de Desperdicios Sólidos (ADS), Rebeca Nieves, si se toma en cuenta que en Puerto Rico se generan cuatro millones de toneladas de desperdicios sólidos anualmente.
“Por eso, lo que queremos es diversificar nuestras fuentes de disposición que ahora solamente son los vertederos”, indicó Nieves tras señalar que las plantas “Waste to Energy” son una alternativa más “para el problema que tenemos aquí con el manejo de desperdicios sólidos y el cierre de vertederos”.
read more…
El Senador Roberto Arango ha sometido el P del S 1342 (adjunto) a los fines de enmendar el Artículo 4 de la Ley Núm. 92 de 16 de junio de 2008, que designa la Reserva Natural Humedal Punta Viento en el Municipio de Patillas, a fin de eliminar la zona de amortiguamiento y dar paso a desarrollos propuestos para esa zona.
El pasado año uno de los dueños de terrenos a expropiarse en Punta Viento cuestionó el alcance de la medida que designa Reserva Natural a Punta Viento iniciando un pleito legal en el Foro Federal a través del Bufete McConell-Valdés contra el DRNA, por entender que la Zona de Amortiguamiento era demasiado extendida. (Ver documento de Demanda Punta Viento). Su propiedad ubica dentro de la Zona de Amortiguamiento donde se planificaba el desarrollo de un proyecto residencial que incluiría dos campos de Golf y 144 unidades de vivienda, etc. read more…
EPA has issued the Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. The rule requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources and suppliers in the United States, and is intended to collect accurate and timely emissions data to inform future policy decisions. Some campus with district cooling/heating systems, resorts, research laboratories, and medical facilities might be required to report under this rule.
Under the rule, suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions are required to submit annual reports to EPA. The gases covered by the proposed rule are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE). The rule will be effective December 29, 2009.
