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May 2010
guest feature
article
Green Jobs and Training:
Expanding Green Jobs,
Upgrading Skills and Seizing New Opportunity Are Focal Points At Our
First Regional Conference and Training
By Steven W. Peck, GRP,
HASLA, Founder and President
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
On
June 1 - 2, 2010 at the Ronald Regan Conference Center in downtown
Washington D.C.,
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities will be hosting its first
Regional Green
Roofs and Walls Conference and Training in order to highlight
the numerous green job opportunities associated with public investment
in the ‘leafy’ green technologies and provide practical information,
training and business development opportunities for practitioners,
building owners, managers and developers.
Working in partnership with the
General Services Administration (GSA), which already has more
than 1 million square feet of green roofs installed, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has just released
stormwater guidelines for federal facilities that support green roofs,
and the
District of Columbia, which has new incentives for green roofs,
the event will showcase dozens of manufacturers and installers of green
roof and wall technologies at our sessions and trade show on June 2,
2010. The conference will also provide attendees with practical,
leading-edge professional training and information from recognized
experts. Training opportunities on June 1st include:
•
Integrated Water Management (the launch of this new half-day
workshop by Jeffrey L. Bruce and Company will be the afternoon of
June 1st and is focused on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of designing systems
that capture and reuses precious water resources);
• Work towards your Accredited Green Roof Professional (GRP)
designation with professional training courses (AIA, USGBC, ASLA CEU
approved) – 101 Introduction, 201 Design and Installation, 301
Waterproofing and Drainage, and 401 Growing Media and Plants
are all provided simultaneously on June 1st;
• Expand your knowledge with a half day morning workshop on
Ecological Green Roof Design with Dr. Brad Bass, Chair of the
Research Committee. This updated workshop will contain the latest on
approaches to green roof design that can help you maximize their
ability to support native flora and fauna.
The conference
portion of the program is June 2, and it is focused on the
practical aspects of green roof and wall design with numerous case
studies, best practices blended with leading edge developments:
• Learn how
to develop your project in order to maximize stormwater management
and obtain the greatest number of USGBC LEED Credits;
• Learn how to calculate property value increases from green roofs
that are accessible and/or viewable;
• Find out the latest information on design guidelines related to
fire and wind uplift;
• Learn how to do business with the General Services Administration
(GSA), the largest public building owner in America;
• Find out how to meet the new EPA Stormwater Guidance 438 for
federal facilities using green roofs;
• Learn how to manage your professional practice in order to limit
your liability;
• Find out best practices in design, development and maintenance
from a variety of practical case studies of different projects from
designers and local developers;
• Obtain CEUs from AIA, USGBC, RCI, GRHC, and ANLA;
• Discover new sources of funding and policy support for your
projects and more....
See the
detailed
agenda with bios on our
web site details. On June 2, attendees will have the opportunity to
visit green roof and wall manufacturers and installers at the Trade Show
. On June 3rd attendees will be able to tour local green roof and wall
projects, talk with experts and ‘kick the tires.’
Green roof and wall projects, when designed, implemented and maintained
properly have numerous social and environmental benefits. Yet they also
have a tremendous economic stimulus potential because they can be
rapidly implemented, typically in less than a year. Furthermore, they
generate green jobs that are local and/or regional, and they are more
labour intensive than many traditional forms of ‘grey’ infrastructure.
Are we getting the greatest ‘bang’ for all of the public funds being
expended to stimulate the economy? Are there opportunities being
overlooked? Most certainly!
A 2008 study by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and American Rivers
using Washington D.C. cost data found that if 1% of the green roof ready
building area in the US were greened it would require an investment of
9.7 billion dollars and generate more than 190,000 jobs. A recent
analysis conducted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities of more than 22
green roof projects estimates that for each $1 million in green roof
expenditure 2.8 full time jobs are created, not counting maintenance
employment or the manufacture of materials.
Green roofs and walls are part of a larger opportunity, to stimulate
greater public investment in the design, installation and maintenance of
a variety of forms of “leafy” green infrastructure. In Washington this
spring, there will be an unprecedented opportunity for you to become
more directly involved in the green roof and wall industry, and to help
engage in the discussions that will hopefully lead to a significant
ramping up of public investment in this industry. Please join us!
Sincerely yours,
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Steven W. Peck, GRP, HASLA, Founder and President
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
www.greenroofs.org
Steven W.
Peck is a Green Roof Professional (GRP), Honorary member of the American
Society of Landscape Architects (HASLA), and Founder and President of
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Green Roofs for Healthy Cities -
North America Inc. is a rapidly growing not-for-profit industry
association working to promote the industry throughout North America.
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities’ mission is to increase the awareness of
the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green roof
infrastructure across North America and rapidly advance the development
of the market for green roof products and services.
Contact Steven at 416.971.4494 ext. 233 or
speck@greenroofs.org.
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