Chris Parts of the Maryland Chapter of the US Green Building Council congratulates Dr. Michael Martirano and Kim Summers on Evergreen Elementary School achieving LEED Gold certification.
LEONARDTOWN, MD – During the November 3, 2009, dedication ceremony for Evergreen Elementary School, the United States Green Building Council recognized St. Mary’s County Public Schools for their outstanding achievement in designing and building Evergreen Elementary School and named the school as a Gold-rated Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project. LEED is the nation’s premier program for design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. Only some 3,400 buildings nationwide are LEED certified, with only 1,100 of them achieving gold certification. Evergreen Elementary School is the first LEED primary school in St. Mary’s County.
“We are extremely pleased with our final product,” said Dr. Michael J. Martirano, superintendent of schools.”Not only is Evergreen Elementary an example of energy conservation at its best, but it is also a hands-on learning environment for every student who walks through its doors. I thank every partner who played a role in the funding, design, and construction of this magnificent facility which is certain to serve as a prototype for future school construction throughout the state.”
The Evergreen Elementary design utilizes the LEED scorecard and includes a geothermal pilot project in which a portion of the two-story section of the building has geothermal heating and cooling and the other portion has a more traditional system. This allows for comparison to see if the future schools in our county should have geothermal heating and cooling, and also provides an opportunity for the students to evaluate the systems as instructional components. The building is also designed with natural daylighting in all instructional spaces. Evergreen Elementary School is unique because it incorporates green building concepts, and uses those concepts as teaching tools for a greener tomorrow.
Polluters are lobbying hard to weaken the ‘Cap & Trade Climate Change Initiative’ bill, in ways that will waste our best chance for a clean energy economy. Congress claims they aren’t hearing enough from us!!! Let’s tell them how we feel-we have only two weeks!!!
Come join your neighbors at a special power point presentation on the original bill, the bill’s current status, and how we can make our voices heard over the special interests’ lobbyists’ voices.
DATE: Monday, June 8
TIME: 6:30-8:00pm
WHERE: Charlotte Hall Library Meeting Room
WHAT: Update & Take-Action Meeting on the Waxman-Markey bill (a.k.a. the Cap & Trade Climate Change Initiative).
At this moment, we have an opportunity to help our country make great strides in curbing global warming with this unprecedented bill that is now being debated on the house floor. It is under attack by special interests (big polluters) as it struggles to survive. By July it will all be over. Learn the latest status of the bill’s progress, plus join in a letter & fax-writing campaign to support the bill’s passage in congress. If we do nothing, we go backwards, and none of us can afford that.
This is a quick 20 minute talk on urban sprawl and how we need to redesign our cities in response to the coming end of oil. Kunstler clearly and concisely states we will not be saved by some great technology soon to be discovered. We must change our behavior drastically, redesign our cities, and invest in public infrastructure. Furthermore we must stop referring to ourselves as consumers and become responsible, neighborly citizens. The days of the 3000 mile Caesar salad are numbered.
Warning: Mr. Kunstler drops the F-bomb during his discussion and has some other commentary that may not be suitable for children.
Saint Mary’s County Quality of Life & Stormwater: A Citizens Guide to Preserving Aquatic Assets by Maximizing Stormwater Management Benefits
The Association approved and commissioned the publication of this citizens guide and the accompanying training presentation in response to the critical area report developed by Community & Environmental Defense Services (CEDS).
CEDS recommended developing a program to recruit and train volunteers in methods for evaluating stormwater facilities for maintenance needs. In the past, similar programs have been highly effective in both identifying key opportunities to enhance environmental protection and in generating a countywide base of public support. This support then made it possible for government agencies to enhance existing protection efforts or to launch new initiatives. The Association approved the recommendation and commissioned the publication of this citizens guide and the accompanying training presentation.
Green Southern Maryland promotes environmental awareness within the Southern Maryland region of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties by providing environmental news, a calender of events, a directory of green organizations and businesses, discussion forums and more. The site provides a single aggregating point for environmental activities in the Southern Maryland region serving as a supplement and link to the many environmental resources, organizations, and businesses that are currently serving the community. Green Southern Maryland is dedicated to environmental awareness, community building and sustainable living. When someone is new to the community, or simply woke up one day and decided they wanted to save the world, GreenSomd.com will point them in the direction of regional organizations, activities and businesses working toward an ecologically balanced and sustainable future.
