What?  You mean Kermit® was wrong?

Published June 29th, 2008

By John Johnston
Managing Editor

There was a time when the Green Movement was seen as not much more than a bunch of radical environmentalists, trying to prevent whales from being killed by heartless corporations.

Much has changed since then. Ironically, ‘green’ supporters found the perfect appeal - green, as in cash saved by observing some simple (and at the same time) environmentally helpful rules.

Delray Beach set up its Green Task Force earlier this year, and had its first meeting in February; Boca Raton has not yet taken any official ‘green’ action.

Palm Beach County commissioners last week became the latest to join the “green” movement, approving a resolution to establish the Palm Beach County Green Task Force on Environmental Sustainability and Conservation. The 20 (17 voting and 3 advisory) panel members will identify and advise commissioners, according to the resolution

The resolution defines the task force mission as “to identify actions and policies that can be implemented by the Board of County Commissioners to encourage healthier, more resource efficient and more sustainable buildings, energy and natural resources conservation and environmental sustainability.”

The task force came about following a recommendation for its creation by Commissioner Robert Kanjian at the April commission meeting.

Nationwide, and as of April, more than 800 of the nation’s mayors have signed on to the US Mayors Climate Protection Accord. So each of those mayors have made a commitment to follow through as best they can within their financial resources at their local level addressing environmental issues and climate control.

And nationally, there’s the US Green Building Council and it’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program - LEED becoming a term seen more and more.

Here in Florida, there’s the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC). The organization's Green Local Government Standard designates green cities and green counties for outstanding environmental stewardship.

FGBC says: “It is expected that certified green city and county governments will not only gain recognition and publicity, but also function in a more efficient manner through better internal communication, cost reductions, and effective risk and asset management. FGBC is actively working towards the availability of incentives that are based on compliance with this standard.

FGBC says the standard “presents a comprehensive list of criteria, organized in terms of local government department functions. It focuses on improving environmental performance through a number of mediums (energy, water, air, land, waste), and evaluates:

·   Environmental practices done "in-house."

·   Incentives and ordinances to foster green practices.

·   Educational activities to improve the environment.

And it’s not only government -- business is also getting the message. Publix Supermarkets is putting chilled products in a case with glass doors, rather than open-front units, cutting the amount of energy used by as much as 80 percent.  Publix began its “Get Into The Green Routine” program in fact before ‘green’ became chic - in 2001.

Boca Raton’s Office Depot will open its first completely “green” store next month in Austin, TX. The ribbon will be cut July 10 - and Office Depot is the first company to achieve volume LEED pre-certification for its new construction store prototype.

Office Depot said its new Austin green store would reduce the company’s consumption of resources, energy, water and harsh chemicals through a wide range of earth-friendly strategies. Specifically, the store features the following:

·   T5 energy-efficient lighting.
·   Over 50 Ciralight SunTracker active skylights that adjust with the path of the sun, providing natural light for approximately 90 percent of the store.
·   Solar panels to generate about 10 percent of the store’s energy needs and power the exterior Office Depot® logo and plaza sign.
·   Sensors in break rooms, restrooms and managers’ offices that automatically shut off lighting.
·   High-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units and insulation.
·   Steel decking and steel joists in the store are composed of over 85 percent recycled steel.
·   Water-efficient fixtures to reduce overall water use by over 40 percent. 
·   Polished concrete floors, made of near 30 percent recycled material, which help to divert a large amount of construction materials from landfills.
·   Interior partitions composed of more than 95 percent recycled materials.
·   A highly-reflective roof membrane so that heat from the sun is not absorbed -- keeping the inside of the store cool, and requiring less energy for air conditioning.

The Boca Raton News itself has also joined the local ‘green’ movement. 

“We’re going green,” says Publisher Craig Swill.  Swill encourages readers to “go to www.bocanews.com and sign up to receive your newspaper via e-mail.”

“Help the Boca Raton News save trees,” Swill said.

Office Depot’s LEED certification, and groundbreaking store design, speaks for itself.  At the same time, can citizens believe all who are waving the ‘green’ flag?

Turns out there’s a company called Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) that independently provides green certification. At the SCS website is found the following:

“SCS is a leading third-party provider of certification, auditing and testing services, and standards, founded in 1984. Our goal is to recognize the highest levels of performance in food safety and quality, environmental protection and social responsibility in the private and public sectors, and to stimulate continuous improvement in sustainable development.”