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Category Archives: Sustainable Design
Sustainable Design: A Critical Guide
BMW ActiveE Electric Vehicle
BMW will display its first all-electric vehicle, the ActiveE, at the IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference
The ActiveE is the first one hundred percent electric BMW to be placed in customer hands. With output of 170hp and maximum torque of 184lb-ft from a standstill, the BMW ActiveE accelerates from 0–60mph in under nine seconds.
Newly developed lithium-ion batteries facilitate a driving range of up to 100 miles on a full charge.
Recycle, Reuse, Rejoice!“This presentation shows how BMW has prepared for years to ensure this challenge will eventually become a success story in sustainable mobility,” said Lee Stogner, Chair, IEEE Electric Vehicle Initiative. “Showcasing their new technology and being a part of the inaugural IEVC is a great way to show the world the innovations taking place at BMW.”
The BMW ActiveE is the BMW Group’s second step in the company’s three-phase development plan leading to an emission-free, electric BMW in series production – the BMW i3, which will be released in late 2013.
Clinton Global Initiative Recognizes AEG Farmers Field
Clinton Global Initiative Recognizes AEG for their Commitment to Action to
Create Farmers Field, Nation’s First Carbon-Neutral NFL Stadium
New NFL stadium, event center and modernized Los Angeles Convention Center raise the bar forsustainable entertainment and business development in a major urban area.
NEW YORK — Sept. 20, 2011 —At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting today, leading sports and entertainment presenters AEG were recognized by former President Bill Clinton for their Commitment to Action to invest $1 billion to build Farmers Field, a 72,000-seat, downtown Los Angeles football stadium and event center. As part of AEG’s commitment, the Los Angeles-based organization is working with partners, including the U.S. Green Building Council and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), to ensure that Farmers Field will be the most environmentally sustainable stadium in the world and the first stadium in the NFL to be LEED certified.
“We are so proud to have a company in Los Angeles being honored by the Clinton Global Initiative for their proven track record of providing the most innovative solutions to environmental issues while also creating jobs and opportunities for the community,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “Their tireless commitment to innovative, environmental programs such AEG 1 EARTH has set the precedent for the sports and entertainment industry across the world to follow.”
Through this Commitment to Action, AEG pledges to work closely with CGI to monitor environmental results and report back on progress. This comes on the heels of a bill passed by an overwhelming 80 percent majority of the California State Senate and Assembly that will require AEG to ensure that Farmers Field is 100 percent carbon neutral for all emissions generated from private automobile trips to and from the stadium and for Farmers Field to have the best ratio of fans to automobiles in all of the NFL. The stadium will prioritize on-site and local projects before purchasing carbon offsets to support local economic development while ensuring positive environmental and social impacts. In addition, as part of their Commitment to Action, AEG will go beyond legal requirements to achieve carbon neutrality for all emissions from energy consumption and mechanical operations of the stadium. Combining these commitments with additional measures, such as water conservation and robust waste and recycling programs, including the donation of durable goods and an in-house composting program, will create the nation’s most comprehensive environmental program for an NFL stadium.
“The Clinton Global Initiative is a forum for visionary companies and leaders who are committed to designing a sustainable future for individuals, businesses and communities, by repurposing business methods and culture to solve critical global problems,” said former President Bill Clinton. “AEG has proven to be the world’s most environmentally conscious venue operators, and Farmers Field will be another true example of their mission to marry design, innovation, social responsibility and community engagement, resulting in a measurable impact for future generations. I commend AEG as a model socially responsible company that is the hallmark of CG
“Farmers Field will be an example of the next generation of sports and entertainment venues, where a world-class fan experience goes hand in hand with social and environmental responsibility,” said Tim Leiweke, AEG president and CEO. “We have focused during the last four years on working with some of the most respected environmental organizations in the country to create a blueprint for the stadium and, through the AEG 1EARTH program, to create the most comprehensive environmental program in the sports and live entertainment industry. Our CGI Commitment to Action underscores AEG’s dedication and accountability for making this vision a reality. We are honored to be recognized by President Clinton and this prestigious organization.”
“Through Farmers Field, AEG is making the most environmentally responsible choice possible, with commitment beginning at the point of development,” said S. Richard Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman, U.S. Green Building Council. “Investing in sustainable construction and weaving carbon and waste programs into the fabric of a venue, its operations and its surroundings creates the lowest impact on our environment and the greatest return for the company.”
The Commitment to Action at CGI comes just weeks after the groundbreaking environmental components of the project helped garner the support of two of California’s most respected environmental groups — the NRDC and the California League of Conservation Voters.
“NRDC applauds AEG’s commitment operate the most energy efficient football stadium in the nation at Farmers field to develop a best-in-the-nation public transit infrastructure for fans and to offset the carbon emissions associated with all fan travel by cars and busses,” said Allen Hershkowitz, PhD., senior scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council. “Given AEG’s proven record as the worlds’ greenest arena operators and their commitment to work with environmental and community groups in developing their plan, I have every confidence that this goal will be achieved.”
….“Members of organizations across the city have come together to make Farmers Field a reality,” said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry. “We know that the entire city — even state — will benefit from the addition.”
“Our focus locally lies not only on the environmental goals, but on the tens of thousands of jobs and tens of millions of economic benefits to the state,” Speaker John A. Pérez said. “AEG has been able to generate an opportunity for economic development without sacrificing our environmental standards.”
“The construction of a news sports arena and convention center will create thousands of jobs and be an economic boost for the City of Los Angeles, the region and the state,” Senator Alex Padilla said. “Unlike other stadium projects, this one will be built without any public funds and be built to unprecedented environmental standards.”
AEG’s plan is both environmental and economic. It is estimated that Farmers Field construction will create 23,000 jobs, including 12,000 full-time jobs during the construction process and 11,000 more permanent jobs at the convention center. The Los Angeles Convention Center modernization and expansion and Farmers Field project is projected to generate more than $600 million in total economic activity, raising more than $40 million in new city, county and state tax revenues.
“With record unemployment above the national average, the creation of 23,000 middle-class jobs for construction and hotel workers, stage hands, grips and janitors is critical to Los Angeles,” said Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “Our top priority is to get men and women back to work in a good job.”
More information and a complete look at the 2010 AEG 1EARTH sustainability report are available at http://www.aegworldwide.com/08_corporate/aeg1earth-report.html.
Photo courtesy WireImage/AEG (Left to Right: Steve Bing, Founder of Shangri-La Industries; Tim Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG; Former President Bill Clinton; Casey Wasserman, Chairman & CEO, Wasserman Media Group)
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Filed under Bill Clinton, Green Blog Network, Green Blolg Network, Green building, Green Business Certification, Greening Los Angeles, Jan Perry, Los Angeles Business Council, Mayor Villaraigosa, Paige Donner, paigedonner.wordpress.com, Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Design, Sustainable Design Awards, sustainable entrepreneurs
Paris Velib’ Passion
The Velib’ bicycle program in Paris celebrated its one millionth bicycle voyage last month. If you’re not yet familiar with Paris’s city-sponsored bicycle program, it’s such an innovative and “green travel” program in the form of a public transportation service, that the Velib’, in and of itself, is a reason to visitParis.
There’s good news, too: The already efficient and economical tariffs to rent one of the Velib’ bicycles just got even cheaper and more efficient.
The Mairie de Paris (Paris City Hall) has made Velib’s more easily accessible for tourists and visitors. The price of a Velib’ for day use is now the same cost as a Metro ticket: EURO 1.70. And the price for 7 days access for use of a Velib’ is 5 to 8 Euros with the first 30 minutes of use free. You can get your Velib’ tickets on the internet at http://velib.paris.fr and also at the Mobile Kiosks that you find at every Velib’ station which provide instructions in English. It’s a great alternative to hopping on a bus or the metro or walking everywhere.
Click to download the sector maps of Velib’ Stations.
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Since the Velib’ stations are nearly as numerous in the city as the Metro stations, most people can get where they need to go within a half an hour, drop off the bicycle, and pick up another one for their return voyage after their rendezvous. If you go over the half-hour time allotment per session (not per day), you pay for the extra time starting at 1 Euro for an extra half-hour.
Since May 2011, the yearly subscription rate has been supplemented by more choices…READ More On Traveling Greener
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Produced By Conference 2011 At Disney Studios – Digital Is The New Green
By Gina Hall
Gina Hall is a Los Angeles-based writer. Follow her on Facebook.[Bio Cont’d Below…]
The third year of the Produced By Conference brought more than 2,200 people to the Disney lot in Burbank on June 4th and 5th. There was no shortage of star-powered panels and discussions on “green content” but the focus ultimately centered on emerging digital technology. The hope is that digital technology can usher in a more sustainable era to the industry by reducing our print and production materials and changing the distribution model from one that requires delivery of a print to one that is beamed into the theater or home.
Highlights of the conference included the Bleeding Green: Content with a Cause panel, which featured a conversation on developing documentary material with a green agenda. Panelists included Lesly Chilcott, producer of Waiting For ‘Superman’ and An Inconvenient Truth, and Fisher Stevens, producer of The Cove.
Again, the focus centered on how digital media has become the biggest asset to the “green filmmaker” in all areas; financing, raising awareness, filming and distribution. Twitter, Facebook and blogs have become the go-to method for finding an audience and online channels plus Netflix a preferred distribution outlet. The glut of eco-content has become an issue, but the overwhelming sentiment was one of optimism in getting these issues out to a broader audience.
Raising Your Tentpole proved to be another popular panel, apparently many aspiring to bypass the slow ascent to success and jump straight into developing and producing franchise faire. Panelists incl
uded Gale Anne Hurd, Bonnie Arnold and Kevin Feige, among others, as they discussed the ups and downs of creating content through the studio machine.
Perhaps more useful to the indie producer was the panel Plugged In: The Socially Networked Producer where Elias Plishner, Sony Senior VP of Digital Marketing who headed up the Social Network campaign, told the audience that it’s never too early to start engaging fans of your project through social media channels to build “pre-awareness.” Not surprisingly, the panel discussed how actors are cast based on their Twitter following as it is assumed that that will become part of the marketing package.
Meanwhile, in the conversation panel with Harvey Weinstein and Mark Gordon, the view on internet distribution and Video on Demand (VOD) was lukewarm. Both Weinstein and Gordon expressed that while it is the future, the current business model should continue to focus on the theatrical release.
A major announcement from the conference came from the CEO of Scenios, Mark Davis, who unveiled that their production management software will now be available entirely in “the cloud.” This type of platform will allow production teams to collaborate from pre-production through production and then into post and will include a collection of apps that manages items like the script, budget, locations, shoot schedule, call sheets, dailies and rough cuts.
Gina Hall writes for publications such as Greening Hollywood, as a guest blogger, Culver City News, AskMissA.com and TheScoopLA. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Cinematic Arts and has worked in the entertainment industry on documentaries and features, as a development executive and as a writer. She works with environmental organization Global Green USA whose efforts are primarily focused on fighting global climate change through policies, advocacy and education.
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Filed under Gale Anne Hurd, Green Blog Network, Green Digital Media, green economy, Green Film Sets, Green Is For Good, Greening California, Greening Hollywood, Greening Hollywood Guild by Guild, Greening Los Angeles, Greening New York, Greening Style, Greening The Globe, International Environemental Film Festival, NY Fashion Week, Orlando Bloom, Oscars, paigedonner.wordpress.com, sustainable business l.a., Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Design, Sustainable Filmmaking
Caudalie Spa
By Paige Donner
Paige Donner is a Luxury Writer
There is one spa that was voted The Best Spa In The World by Condé Nast readers in 2010. That spa is in France’s Bordeaux region and sits serenely in the middle of a vast and prestigious AOC Graves vineyard. The spa? It is Caudalie Vinothérapie Spa.
Photo by Paige Donner c. 2011
On her parents’ vineyard and just next to her sister’s Small Luxury Hotel, Les Sources de Caudalie, in Bordeaux, Mathilde Thomas discovered a naturally occurring hot springs 540 feet below ground. This is the site on which she and her husband, Bertrand, built the signature Caudalie Spa based on the anti-oxidant, ant-aging properties they have patented from the seeds and skins of grapes.
Caudalie Vinotherapie beauty products are used exclusively at this idyllic spa in the Bordeaux countryside, in a vast wooden structure planted next to a pond with swans and indoor-outdoor swimming pools. Treatment rooms are both upstairs and downstairs and it is possible to walk from your hotel room in your robe to your spa treatment in the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa with only a few feet of exposure to the outside air.
Famous among their treatments are the Barrel Bath, the Honey and Wine Wrap, thePulp Friction Massage with fresh grapes and the Crushed Cabernet Scrub. At each of the relaxation stations are small dishes of fresh grapes alongside pitchers of fresh water. Portishead and other “lounge” music is piped in overhead from the sound system, unless you request classical or another genre.
You can also go for a simple Caudalie Grand Facial Treatment. This includes a full facial massage, gentle buffing cream made from a base of crushed grape seeds, a moisturizing (or purifying, as needed) mask and anti-ageing serum for eyes and lips. You also have the choice of a hand or foot massage. Afterwards you are welcome to linger downstairs in the lounge chairs that overlook the vineyards and dip into the pool that has strategic water jets fitted at just the perfect height to pulsate relaxing water onto your neck and shoulders.
There is also now a Caudalie Spa in NYC. Read More on Greening Beauty.
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Fouquet’s Barrière, Paris’s Sustainable Luxury Hotel
By Paige Donner
Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière, Paris is a Member of the Leading Hotels of The World and is also one of the rare hotels to be Leading Green Certified. Its ethic of Sustainable Luxury/ Dignified Luxury® is supported even further by its triple certifications: ISO 14001— for its environmental initiatives; SA 8000 for its respectfulness towards human rights and the rights of children; and ISO 9001 for its superior quality of service. The Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière, opened in 2006, is attached to the legendary Fouquet’s Restaurant at the Golden Triangle of Ave. George V and the Champs-Elysées.
The hotel is involved, through its Leading Hotels of the Worldmembership in the “Make a carbon neutral booking” program, allowing their clients the opportunity to fully offset the carbon emissions generated by their travel. It was just a year ago, in July 2010, that Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière was the first hotel in Europe to receive the distinguished Luxury Eco Certification Standard (L.E.C.S.) from Sustainable Travel International.
In 2010 approximately 4-6 tons of organic waste was recycled by Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière .
In 2009, 30 tons of waste was recycled by Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière.
The hotel works with Saria Industries which offers them the best by-products from their upstream and downstream Biomass recycling systems. The company collects organic waste, primarily food waste, which is then sorted before being processed. Through a biomethane process, the waste generates gases used to produce heat and electrical power while the remaining solid waste is used as fertilizer.
Pop Earth Champagne
Pop Earth is Pommery’s first “eco-citizen” champagne and it had its world debut at Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière. The champagne is made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes harvested from sustainable vineyards. It is bottled in lighter bottles that use only half the glass and labelled with recycled paper and printed with solvent-free inks.
Tea Time
Tea served is all organic and the hotel prides itself on its relationship with Pascal Hamour who packages his teas in biodegradable bags. They serve these refined, subtly aromatic teas with Fair Trade sugar.
Vendange, Bordeaux
Every harvest season, the Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière team participates in the Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière Grape Harvest on the Bordeaux Chateau of prestige winemaker Marie-Laure Lurton. The vintage is then auctioned off and proceeds are donated to the reforestation project of the Gabardon municipalities. Read the detailed article on Local Food And Wine.
Outstanding Service, Luxury Accommodations
If outstanding service is truly what sets a Five-Star property apart, then Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière’s designated Butler service distinguishes it from all other Luxury Hotels. Every guest, whether you book their Superior Room or the Presidential Palace, is assigned their own private butler, whose job it is to accommodate the guest’s every request 24 hours a day, at no extra charge, for the duration of your stay.
And in case we didn’t mention it yet, Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière also has the coolest swimming pool of any hotel spa in Paris.
Heading to Cannes? Try their Hotel Majestic, a Lucien Barrière Hotel.
Commuun Paris Runway Show F/W ’11
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All photos by Paige Donner, Copyright Paige Donner
The NY trained, Tokyo originating design duo of Iku Furudate and Kaito Hori launched their label in 2005 which is also when they first began showing in Paris. In 2007 they won the LVMH and Longchamp ANDAM prizes.
Paige Donner is Founder and Ed. In Chief of Greening Beauty and Greening Hollywood
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By Marissa Moss
Greening Hollywood 