Publications
Japanese Potentially Polluting Wrecks in the Pacific Ocean
This paper assesses the location and potential dangers of contaminant associated with Japanese sunken ships and the possible contaminants, including oil and chemical weapons, leaking from the sunken ships in the Pacific Ocean. Many countries dumped chemical agents into the ocean; some agents, including chemical weapons, were dumped intentionally and others accidentally into the ocean. In either case, marine disposal of chemicals of all kinds threatens human and environmental life. Released July 2010.
Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons in Hawaii
This report summarizes the problems, background and risks of sea-dumped chemical weapons primarily around the island of Oahu. From 1932-1945, the U.S. Army dumped thousands of tons of chemical weapons off Hawaii’s coasts. Until the Virginian Daily Press drew attention to these chemical weapons dumpsites in 2005, the general population of Hawaii lived unaware of their existence.The University of Hawaii has been investigating chemical weapons dumpsites and has found a number of sea-dumped chemical weapons around the heavily populated island of Oahu. Released July 2010.
Sea-Dumped Chemical Weapons in Japan
This paper primarily assesses the document “The National Survey on Toxic Gas of the Former Army,” prepared by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, relating to sea-dumped chemical weapons, as well as other materials. The issues examined are the history of chemical weapons in Japan including production, stockpiles and especially sea-dumping of these weapons. Released May, 2010.
Green Urbanism Program Case Study: Los Vecinos
Los Vecinos is a 42-unit affordable housing project that meets nearly all of its annual electricity demand through 93 kW of on-site solar photovoltaic power. Located along a light rail line in the southern part of the San Diego metropolitan area, this LEED Platinum certified project is the second Zero Energy Affordable Housing project in the State of California. The project, located on the site of a former dilapidated motel that had the largest number of police calls for any single address in Chula Vista, is a testament to what can be accomplished by a determined development and design team that stands by its commitment to extremely high performance standards. Released March, 2010.
Defense Sustainability: Energy Efficiency and the Battlefield
An important shift in thinking is occurring across the nation as informed citizens, private industry, and the federal government, have begun acknowledging the realities of a carbon-constrained, petroleum-dependent world. Global Green USA has released an analysis of the impact that more sustainable practices might have on the U.S. Department of Defense. The study illustrates how very important energy has become as a determinant of national and international security, and also how large an environmental impact the U.S. military has as the nation’s single largest power consumer. Released February, 2010.
A Green Platform for New Orlean's Next Mayor and Council
The Green Platform for New Orlean's Next Mayor and Council document outlines essential steps for a greener, safer city. This eight-point plan - put together by the Green Collaborative - provides a blueprint for New Orleans’ new leadership. The Green Collaborative consists of 66 organizations and groups that represent thousands of citizens and concerned professionals living in southern Louisiana. The Collaborative supports existing green guidelines for the City including the GreeNOLA and the NOLA Recycles plans, as well as the process being undertaken by the Horizon Initiative’s Water Management Committee. Released January, 2010.
Green Building Criteria in State Low Income Housing Tax Credit Programs, 2009 Update
Global Green's review of the low-income housing tax credit allocation policy shows significant progress being made in the effort to make green building measures standard practice in affordable housing. This development is particularly apparent through a summary of the changes over the last five years to the green building criteria found in state Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs), which states develop to guide the distribution of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). For the first time since we started the analysis in 2005, all 50 states were shown to exhibit some aspects of green building in their QAPs. To learn more, download our 2009 report here.
Here are links to Global Green USA’s QAP reports for the previous four years:
Click here for 2008
Click here for 2007
Click here for 2006
Click here for 2005
Global Solar Report Card - Updated 2009
The Global Solar Report Card by Global Green USA and Green Cross International outlines successes and failures in 16 countries’ (and the state of California’s) efforts in designing promising policy frameworks for sustained solar development. It finds all countries still in the early phases of solar deployment. The ranking is based on a 100-point system that allocates points for the amount of solar installed so far, as well as for drivers of future growth, including financial and regulatory incentives, and educational and advocacy efforts.
City of New Orleans Carbon Footprint Report 2009
This report, that Global Green helped to prepare, details the City of New Orleans’ activities and findings as a participant in the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign and ICLEI member from 1999 to 2009, focusing on the most recent GHG inventory, with 2007 data for its baseline. Included in this document is a quantification of 2007 GHG emissions, comparison to the 1998 data, descriptions of ongoing and proposed reduction measures, and recommendations for going forward.
Global Green USA 2008 Annual Report
In 2008, despite having to do our own belt tightening, we achieved significant results in tackling climate change and revitalizing communities from the inside out. We worked across the nation to create sustainable urban environments and combat global warming through our focus areas of green affordable housing, green schools, community education, solar energy and sustainable city programs. This is not to mention our critical work to eliminate nuclear and chemical weapons, and ensure access to clean water for all of humanity.
Green Urbanism Leaders Summit Summary
On February 12 and 13, 2009, Global Green gathered a group of urban and environmental thinkers & doers for two days of discussion on the topic of green urbanism. The goal was to clarify this concept and also to arrive at some degree of agreement on the main principles of green urbanism, especially how to put these ideas into action. Also of importance was to expand the community of people that felt either an affinity to the subject. Out of the summit, the common direction was clear: our ability to rise to this challenge is a function of whether we change how we see our place in the world. Released June, 2009.
Green Affordable Housing Initiative Case Studies
These case studies describe innovative green affordable housing projects that range from maximizing green building techniques with limited resources to meeting net zero goals. You can download all four case studies by clicking the DOWNLOAD link, or click for the individual case studes here: Los Vecinos, SOLARA, Nueva Vista, Colorado Court, First Community Housing.
Global Solar Report Card
The Global Solar Report Card by Global Green USA and Green Cross International outlines successes and failures in 16 countries’ (and the state of California’s) efforts in designing promising policy frameworks for sustained solar development. It finds all countries still in the early phases of solar deployment. The ranking is based on a 100-point system that allocates points for the amount of solar installed so far, as well as for drivers of future growth, including financial and regulatory incentives, and educational and advocacy efforts.
Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing: 2nd Edition
Drawing on over a decade of experience by Global Green staff on technical assistance and policy development, the Blueprint for Greening Affordable Housing offers housing developers, designers, advocates, public agency staff, and the financial community specific guidance on green practices and innovative strategies for incorporating green building strategies into the design, construction, and operation of affordable housing developments. The book presents 12 case studies of model developments, including rental, home ownership, special needs, senior, sweat equity, and cohousing from around the United States.
You can download Chapter 2 of the Blueprint - "Integrated Design" - as well as associated Case Studies here.
The Green Building Guide - New Orleans
The Green Building Guide was published in March of 2009, and was designed to help New Orleanians find the green products and services that will make it easier for them to save money on rising energy bills, improve the indoor air quality and health of their homes and do their part to help rebuild a more resilient, greener New Orleans. By encouraging green rebuilding, Global Green is helping make New Orleans a model for how cities can rebuild in a climate friendly way.
Green Building Criteria in State Low Income Housing Tax Credit Programs, 2008 Update
Global Green's review of the low-income housing tax credit allocation policy shows that significant progress is being made in the effort to make green building measures standard practice in affordable housing. This development is particularly apparent through a survey of the changes made in the last four years to the green building criteria found in state Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs), which states develop to guide the distribution of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). The 2008 QAPs demonstrate an increased emphasis on green building with the inclusion of many new green building criteria or checklist options. To download the 2008 report, click here or click the DOWNLOAD link below.
Healthier, Wealthier, Wiser: A Report on National Green Schools
This report outlines the significant benefits of green schools which include improved learning, reduced operating costs, and better student attendance (which translates into more dollars for school districts). In addition, it provides a green school practitioner guide, case studies, and a reference guide to draft a green school resolution. The report also offers the first overview of Global Green’s landmark green schools initiative in New Orleans made possible by a grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund
10th Russian National Dialogue on Chemical Weapons Destruction
The presentations included in this volume are from a two-day “forum-dialogue” organized by three national affiliates of Green Cross International – Green Cross Russia, Global Green USA, and Green Cross Switzerland. This meeting took place in Moscow, Russia on October 28-29, 2008, and was the Tenth annual National Dialogue on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation and Destruction organized by Green Cross and Global Green USA as part of the international Legacy of the Cold War Program.
The presentations included cover a wide variety of related and important issues, including costs and schedules of destruction; financial support by Russia, the US, and other G-8 Global Partners; public health and environmental monitoring; state and regional regulations and permits; and citizen concerns. While not all-inclusive, this annual forum-dialogue is the one place where a reader can obtain a comprehensive overview of the many challenges involved in abolishing chemical weapons.
Developing Green Building Programs: A Step-By-Step Guide for Local Governments
Global Green USA’s step-by-step guidebook outlining a six-step process that local agencies can utilize to develop their own green building programs. The process was developed based on the real world experience that Global Green has gained in working with local governments to develop green building programs in cities such as, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Irvine, West Hollywood, and New Orleans.
The 11th Hour DVD
The film explores how we’ve arrived at this moment -- how we live, how we impact the earth’s ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who discuss the most important issues that face our planet and people. A portion of the profits will be donated to Global Green.
Global Green USA 2007 Annual Report
Despite the growing environmental crises, Global Green made great strides and advancements in 2007 as we expanded our activities, took on new projects and doubled our incredibly dedicated staff. Through our continued communications initiatives, Global Green reached over 100 million people last year with information about smart solutions to climate change. Learn about our efforts through the annual report.
2009 National Security and Nonproliferation Briefing Book
Ploughshares Fund's Peace and Security Initiative has just released its 2009 National Security and Non-Proliferation Briefing Book. This resource offers President-elect Obama and his administration expertise and advice from some of the best minds -- including 22 Ploughshares Fund grantees, former government officials and other experts -- on the most important and pressing proliferation and national security challenges they will face upon taking office. Issues covered range from "Moving To A World Free of Nuclear Weapons" to "The Iraq War" and "U.S. Homeland Security. Dr. Paul Walker, Security and Sustainability Program Director at Global Green USA, contributed to two chapters on US-Russian Relations (page 45) and Chemical and Biological Weapons (page 77).
The Art of Living - A Practical Guide to Being Alive
This book highlights the different cultural responses to life through contributions from well-known cultural figures from around the world, including Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson. The editor of the book, Claire Elizabeth Terry, says that the book is "in memory, and honour, of all those who lost their lives in the Tsunami of 2004." The book is a collaboration between Ms. Terry, the Friends of UNESCO Barcelona, Caixa Catalunya Obra Social and the Foundation for a Culture of Peace with all the proceeds of the book going to Green Cross International. The aim of the book is to promote cultural awareness and tolerance with the hope of providing a sense of solidarity among cultures and peoples. Learn more here.
For information on how to order the book, click here.
Green Buildings – A Tool for Stemming Climate Change?
This publication talks about the six-step methodology Global Green has developed a for establishing a green building program. Functioning as an umbrella, a green building program integrates and encourages innovation in waste management, stormwater, water conservation, energy efficiency, land use, and public health. Pioneers like Santa Monica laid the foundation for folding green building into local government operations by focusing first on City building projects. This trend continued through the first part of the new millennium, with Southland cities large and small adopting green requirements for public construction.
Solar City Report: How Los Angeles can Gain the Economic and Environmental Competitive Edge
Global Green USA's proposal for the City of Los Angeles to develop its solar resources by committing to "carving out" 1% (80 megawatts) of its electrical generation capacity for photovoltaic technology. Benefits for the City include economic development opportunities, stabilizing electric rates, improving air quality and reducing green house gas emissions. Winter 2005.
Green Building Developer Fact Sheets
As part of Global Green's Greening the Tax Credits Campaign, an effort to encourage various states around the country to adopt sustainable building practices as part of the state-administered federal low-income housing tax credit program, we recently published Green Building Developer Fact Sheets, which highlight various sustainable building practices and provide information about local product availability and cost. The first set of fact sheets is for Louisiana, the second set for NY State.
Second Russian National Dialogue On Energy, Society And Security
This collection includes reports and speeches as well as the question-and-answer sessions that took place at the Second Public Dialogue on Nuclear Energy, Society and Security, organized and held on April 21–22, 2008 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The presentations at this conference provide an assessment of the key risks of civil nuclear facilities and the military facilities that have been phased out (including nuclear submarines) and radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management. They also address options for resolving today’s key problems in the safe use of nuclear technology, including offering policies with regard to the environmental safety of using nuclear energy, and reaching an agreement with the public on various aspects of nuclear and alternative energy developments.
Evolving Nuclear Realities and US-Russian Relations
This is a summary of the second Nuclear National DIalogue organized by Global Green USA/ Green Cross in April 2008 in St. Petersburg Russia. The event was organized in partnership with the Stanley Foundation who provided this summary of the conference. Proceedings of this unique event have been published in Russian and will soon be avaliable in English in December 2008, in both hard copy and electronic versions.
Russian Chemical National Dialogue Proceedings
The proceedings of the 9th Chemical National Dialogue on the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Russia as of the end of 2007. Nearly 150 experts, representing media, academia, federal authorities, and residents of those areas affected by CWD, took part in the Dialogue.
Russian Nuclear National Dialogue: Energy, Society, and Security
The 1st Russian Nuclear National Dialogue meeting in Moscow on 18-19 April 2007 showed the enormous range of complex and unaddressed subjects in the Russian nuclear energy and security discussions and the difficulty for the diverse stakeholder groups to discuss these critical issues in a productive way. The Green Cross conference provided a unique platform to begin to address these challenges in a serious and transparent manner.
Making Affordable Housing Truly Affordable: Advancing Tax Credit Incentives for Green Building and Healthier Communities
This report presents an analysis of the 2005 tax credit allocation policy for all fifty states and identifies existing green building requirements in affordable housing projects. Greening affordable housing provides direct benefits to needy residents by lowering utility costs and creating healthier living environments. In addition, project developers and operators gain both directly and indirectly through higher quality, more efficient, and more durable projects.
Global Green USA’s Policy Report Series Community Development Through Climate Solutions: Los Angeles and Beyond
Funded by the Ford Foundation - This report identifies strategies that can simultaneously build community assets while promoting strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report suggests using existing financial regimes or creating new ones where necessary and by engaging community and non-environmental stakeholders.
Peter and the Wolf: Wolf Tracks CD
The classic composition by Sergei Prokofiev gets a new soul and also a new soulmate, Wolf Tracks, by Jean-Pascal Beintus. Both pieces are conducted by Kent Nogano and the Russian National Orchestra (RNO). The original tale of Peter's dangerous encounter is narrated by ardent animal-rights supporter Sophia Loren. Wolf Tracks, narrated by former US President Bill Clinton, is about Peter's own little grandson.Introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev. A portion of the proceeds supports the Green Cross and other charitable organizations.
New Home Construction and Home Remodeling Green Building Guidelines
Global Green USA worked with Alameda County and What's Working to develop green building guidelines for building and remodeling homes. Several other Bay Area counties are adapting and using the guidelines as the basis for local green building programs. 2001. For more information about the Alameda County Waste Management Authority programs and green building resources please visit www.stopwaste.org.
Building Blocks
The Building Blocks provide concise information on several of the most important green building issues. This enables community development corporations, for-profit developers, architects, and builders to quickly gain an understanding of green building issues. The Building Blocks can also be used to identify specific opportunities for upcoming development projects.
The Building Blocks also provide eight case studies from the country to illustrate how various strategies and approaches have been implemented in actual projects.
Abolishing Chemical Weapons
Article by Sergei Baranovsky, Stephan Robinson, & Paul Walker. Op-Ed published by the Boston Globe. June 2000.
Sustainability in the Southeast: Partnering Community, Business and Military for Environmental Protection
Report from the Sixth Annual Legacy Forum on Military Toxic Cleanup and the Environment, held December 4-5, 1999 at Georgia State University's Student Center in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sustainable Building Guidebook, Checklist and Sourcebook
Developed for the Los Angeles Sustainable Building Program (LASBP). The Guidebook and Checklist outline sustainable building practices and identify cost comparisons. The Sourcebook identifies product manufacturers and suppliers in the Southern California region. Summer 1999.
Implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention: Technical and Political Challenges in the US and Russia
Article by Dr. Paul F. Walker, Legacy Program Director, concerning current obstacles to full CWC implementation and CW abolition. Reprinted from Harvard/Sussex CBW Bulletin, June 1999.
RoadMaps: Greening the Bottom Line
A guide for retrofitting commercial properties, particularly tenant-occupied office buildings, to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. Summer 1999.
Resource and Energy Efficiency in Public and Assisted Housing/Policy Report
A report outlining recommendations made by participants from a GG USA Roundtable to HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo on ways to increase resource and energy efficiency and save HUD between $300 million and $1 billion annually. Spring 1999.
Moving Toward Sustainable Conversion, The Third Annual National Forum on Military Toxic Cleanup and Base Conversion
The Forum brought together a broad cross-section of over 200 citizens, officials from local, state and federal government, defense and service branch personnel, non-profit groups and others working on military base cleanup and conversion issues. The day was highlighted by Green Cross International President and Nobel Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev who gave an enthusiastically received speech on "The Environmental Legacy of the Cold War: The Challenge to Communities and the World." President Gorbachev was introduced by fellow Nobel winner Oscar Arias Sanchez, the former president of Costa Rica. November 1996.
Environmental Inititative Symposium
In December 1995, Habitat for Humanity International and Global Green USA presented the Environmental Initiative Symposium. The symposium brought together HFHI regional and area directors, key affiliate representatives and sustainable design experts to develop designs and guidelines that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient, affordable and volunteer-friendly.
Green Affordable Housing Initiative Case Studies
Here are case studies that describe innovative green affordable housing projects that range form maximizing green building techniques with limited resources to meeting net zero goals.
Click here for SOLARA
