Publisher's Watch

Starwood, a hospitality development and management company, has launched "ELEMENT," a new environmentally sustainable brand of hotels. ELEMENT hotels will be built utilizing only LEED guidelines, and the plan is to open twenty in the next year. The first to launch is in Lexington MA, which, coincidentally, is also the site of the first military engagement of the American Revolution. If Starwood is taking advantage of this fact by using Lexington to make its first shot in the Green Revolution, kudos to them.

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A cable television show called American Chopper has a terrific following on The Discovery Channel. If you've ever had the chance to view it, you know there's much enjoyment in observing the Teutul family's exploits as they convert motorcycles into works of art. Based in Orange County New York, the show takes place at the family's store, Orange County Chopper.

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In the last few weeks, there has been such an incredible amount of "Earth Day" celebrations, festivals, seminars, and exhibitions that it is virtually impossible to have missed one somewhere. Rising energy prices have surely helped increase awareness of the natural environment and the importance of reducing one's carbon footprint, and corporate America is definitely in on the plan.

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Apparently there is a brouhaha brewing between Apple Computer and The Big Apple, and it's over the use of a logo. Apple has recently complained to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that New York City has infringed upon its trademark by using an Apple logo for its GreeNYC initiative. The computer maker's contention is that this will cause confusion in the marketplace.

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Here's some "shocking" news about energy efficient commercial buildings. Apparently, they actually have higher occupancy rates, lower operating costs, increased rental rates, and higher sales values than more conventional structures. This is based on new reports released by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and the CoStar Group.

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Last week, a consumer news event occurred that was lightly reported, but packed seismic ramifications for both good and bad. This past January and February, Apple's iTunes Store was the biggest music retailer in the county, online or off, outpacing even the marketing giant that is Wal-Mart...

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An event called Earth Hour 2008 took place last Saturday, starting at 8 pm in Australia, and literally spreading around the globe. Sponsored by the environmental group World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour's goal was to get governments, businesses, and households to use candle power for just one 60 minute span as a way of cutting back on greenhouse gases. 100 million participants was the target number of people turning off lights and
non-essential electronic gear.

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Although the real estate market is currently taking some hits and there is much flux in the development arena, there are still some hotspots that are continuing to move with full force. For example, not only is the West Side of Manhattan showing great strength in commercial and residential development, much of it is also going green.

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Have you ever wondered what New Yorkers think of global warming? A new survey conducted by researchers at Columbia and Yale Universities and led by the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) at Columbia has found that a majority (78 percent) of New Yorkers believe global warming and climate change is a serious issue caused both by human and natural forces...

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The concept of the Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) has yet to catch on, especially in light of the current economic environment. According to the Energy Star Program, EEMs are essentially a financing tool that makes it easier for borrowers to qualify for loans to purchase homes with specific energy-efficiency improvements. Lenders can offer conventional EEMs, FHA EEMs, or VA EEMs.

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Apparently, the planet's fastest growing economy is not immune to the realities of the marketplace. China, currently the world's industrial engine, has taken a new step towards environmental responsibility by putting rules into effect concerning the seeking of financing through the public equities market. The country's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) is forcing corporations to delay offerings of public stock until they've complied with environmental rules...

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The green and sustainability movement is creating opportunities in areas outside of the real estate and construction industries. According to a study published by PricewaterhouseCoopers titled, "Technology Executive Connections: Going Green: Sustainable Growth Strategies," technology corporations entered the green world as a way of making a contribution towards a cleaner planet. However, many of these same corporations are now seeing economic benefits in the creation of newer, cleaner, and more energy-efficient products.

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In a little spot Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, the Brooklyn neighborhood known as DUMBO has taken a dramatic step into the green era by launching a sustainability program called SEED. Smart Environmental Efforts in DUMBO is designed with a "foundation of five initiatives that encourage public recycling, alternative modes of transportation, consumption reduction, greater energy efficiency, and environmental education."

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The United States Green Building Council has just announced that it is doubling its Local LEED for Homes Network. This program, which was launched in December 2007, is a national, third-party certification system that was designed to help developers, architects, and designers utilize LEED protocols in the building of new homes.

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There is no shortage of green and sustainable commercial buildings that are either currently in development or slated to be built. However, what do we do with approximately 4.5 million existing commercial properties that were not built with sustainability in mind? Are the majority of today's commercial buildings effectively obsolete and in need of replacement?

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It isn't only builders and their buildings who are now taking a serious approach to green, it's the tenants who occupy these buildings as well. According to a September 2007 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) that was released this month, more than one-half of those polled indicated that their respective companies have either a formal or informal policy regarding environmental responsibility.

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What image do you conjure when you hear the name Levittown? Do you think of America's first planned suburban community, the one with the $5,000 homes built for returning WWII veterans, or is what comes to mind rows and rows of near-identical houses? Levittown spawned an entire building industry in the 1940s and 1950s that resulted in the suburbia we know today.

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As the green building movement forges ahead, Fireman's Fund Insurance has taken a bold and creative step by becoming the first insurance company to offer a "Green" insurance for altenative and LEED-certified commercial buildings.

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New York State's Energy Star Labeled Homes program reached a big milestone last year by surpassing the 10,000 mark. Instituted in 2001, Energy Star is sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Last month, PNC Bank was honored by the New Jersey District Council of the Urban Land Institute for its reduced impact on the environment. This was based on the bank's 16 Green Branch® locations, the most of any company in the state, and 42 certified environmentally-friendly buildings, which includes two major facilities.

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