Green Revolution Sweeping the US Construction Industry

[jpak]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1212-03.htm

AURORA, Colorado - Rows of little plastic domes dot the roof of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter here, looking like a marching band of "Star Wars" R2-D2s.

Inside each dome, a trio of computer-aimed mirrors tracks the sun and bounces its light down a reflective shaft and through a milky white lens, illuminating the stockroom below.

The reading table lights are backdropped by the white "cool roof" at the West Valley Branch of the San Jose Public Library in California. The library recently became the first building to meet San Jose's new ordinance requiring all new city buildings over 10,000 feet to meet a nationally certified "green building" standard for energy use, water use, indoor air quality, recycled materials and other features.

The skylight idea is centuries old. But the mirrors, the lenses and dozens of other energy- and environment-saving innovations are new, and they're showing up not just at Wal-Mart but at other companies, schools and public agencies.

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[Kolesar]

1. Tuesday's thread was full of woe

Your duplicate thread will have to go

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x75024