Mayor Sets Pace at Conference, EPA Announces Award Winners

SAN FRANCISCO — A conference devoted to green construction took over the city’s civic center area, as thousands gathered to network, see new green building products and attend workshops.

West Coast Green primarily focuses on residential construction, but representatives from several other markets, including education and healthcare facilities were in attendance.

The first day of the conference featured a welcoming ceremony with speeches from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Newsom highlighted some of the city’s green initiatives and spoke of the importance of setting lofty goals instead of settling for success with moderate goals. He was also critical of the federal government, which he says has failed to make environmental sustainability and policies, such as the Kyoto Protocol, a priority.

“We set forth a number of years ago to be the pace car, in the absence of federal leadership,” Newsom says.

A new policy starting in 2008 in San Francisco will require all developments and major renovations in the city to be LEED certified.

“That is the most aggressive green stance that we know of in the United States of America ,” Newsom says.

Later in the day, Newsom’s views were countered by Susan Bodine, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assistant administrator, who cited statements from President Bush that supported green building.

“We’re not just talking the talk, we’re walking the walk and that goes with the entire federal government,” Bodine says.

Bodine was at the conference with AIA President RK Stewart and Brad Guy, president of Building Materials Reuse Association, to announce the winners of the inaugural Lifecycle Building Challenge, which invited students and professionals to submit ideas for construction methods that allow for buildings to be disassembled so materials can be reused for future projects.

For a complete listing of winners, visit: www.lifecyclebuilding.org