Upcoming Workshops, Socials, and Lunch Programs
Summer break is almost over and its time to fill your Fall calendar:

Green Drinks: August 16th
Lunch Program, "Low Impact Development": September 20th
Green Drinks: September 20th
Symposium, "Re-Nature By Design": October 12th
Lunch Program, TBA: October 18th
Green Drinks: October 18th
Workshop, LEED for Schools: October 25th

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Re-Nature By Design Symposium
"Overcoming Nature Deficit Disorder in our Communities," Friday, October 12, 2007, 10am to 4pm, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Tickets on sale Sept. 5th: $50 Member/$65 non-Members.

In less than a generation, children have migrated from fields, forests and playgrounds to indoor environments that do little to stimulate creativity and cognitive development. In essence, playhouses have been supplanted by playstations and today’s children are more connected to the world wide web than they are the web of life, leading to various attention-disorders, obesity and depression, as research increasingly has shown.

In his seminal 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, author Richard Louv assigned the term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ to this ailment and calls for the re-naturing of not only childhood, but the entire human condition. This symposium will bring together noted thinkers in the field to discuss the issues and to explore paths toward a healthier future for all.                                              
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LEED for Schools Workshop
Are you ready to enter the rapidly growing green building market?
Attend the LEED® for Schools Technical Review presented by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gain the knowledge needed to maximize green building practices for improving school design and performance.School districts are demanding green facilities that save money while protecting the environment, improving health and performance of students,
and creating a better learning environment. To register for this or any USGBC workshop, visit www.usgbc.org/workshops/register or click on the link below.

October 25, 2007
8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Trane Learning Center
10408 Lakeridge Parkway, Suite 100
Ashland, VA 23005
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LEED for Schools Advocate Needed from our membership
Please let us know if you would like to volunteer to be our advocate in the JRGBC region to promote the use of the LEED for Schools rating system.The LEED for Schools Advocate training is scheduled for September 23-24 in Washington, D.C. JRGBC will select a LEED for Schools advocate to participate in the training and will pay all travel-related expenses.
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Can you pick me up a 12 ounce latte in our 136,000 Ounce Hummer?
Last month the Senate passed groundbreaking compromise legislation to increase fuel mileage standards for the first time in nearly 30 years. Now the momentum has shifted to the House of Representatives where a similar vote is expected as soon as the week of July 30. It’s time to urge our Congressman, Representative Robert Scott, to follow the Senate’s lead and support the strong fuel efficiency legislation sponsored by Representatives Ed Markey (D-MA) and Todd Platts (R-PA). The Markey-Platts bill (bill number HR 1506) raises fuel efficiency for cars and light trucks to 35 mpg by 2018. A new report from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation found that the Chesapeake already is starting to see the affects of global warming. If we can convince the House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and pass better fuel efficiency, this will be a good step in the right direction. More fuel efficiency means less money you pay at the pump, less dependence on oil, and less global warming!
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Give Us your Links!
We'd  love to share your helpful websites with all of our membership. Just send your non-commercial website addresses to links@jrgbc.org and provide a category, such as "Xeriscaping" or "Roofing". We'll sort through them and put them up on our website under "Green Links".  Thanks for sharing.
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Federal Energy Bill
                                                        
Last month the Senate passed groundbreaking compromise legislation to increase fuel mileage standards for the first time in nearly 30 years.  Now the momentum has shifted to the House of Representatives where a similar vote is expected as soon as the week of July 30.

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Wells Fargo Loans $1 Billion for Green Projects
Wells Fargo has financed $1 billion to construct LEED certified buildings, the company announced last week.  The company has bankrolled 19 LEED buildings in 10 states. The loans ranged from $10 million to $225 millions each for projects that include schools, condominiums, apartments and offices.
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Energy Efficiency Could Save Florida $28 Billion and Create14,000 Jobs (and save MWh, NOx, SO2, Hg, CO2,...)--Virginia?
Florida could save $28 billion -- enough to cover this year s entire education and transportation budgets -- by using energy efficiency strategies that are available now, says a study released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
                                        
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USGBC makes $1 Million Commitment to Support Green Building Research
                                                 
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced that it will commit $1 million to green building research. These funds will be targeted at increasing research in areas such as energy and water security; global climate change prevention; indoor environmental quality; and passive survivability in the face of natural and man-made disasters.


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