The Green Page ~ Environmental Issues At Silver State News Service

The Green Page ~ Environment

October 22, 2008 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

GreenPlumbers® a Hit at Water Conservation Conference

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The WaterSmart Innovations '08 conference was held recently in Las Vegas, educating more than 1,000 attendees on water efficiency, new technology and the importance of conserving our precious natural resource. Held by the Southern Nevada Water Authority in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, the conference enabled professionals in the fields of water conservation and green energy to come together in planning and education.

Environmental training and accreditation program GreenPlumbers furthered its mission at WaterSmart by holding five free workshops over three days. The workshops encompassed 32 hours of continuing education for plumbers, including training on water conservation, climate care, solar hot water and new technologies. More than 450 plumbers and other industry professionals, from upwards of 30 states, attended the workshops and became accredited GreenPlumbers. “We were pleased to build a successful relationship with GreenPlumbers (at the conference),” said Doug Bennett, conservation manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. “It is vital that the public sector and private sector work collaboratively to accelerate adoption of the best water efficiency technologies for homes and businesses. GreenPlumbers USA is a vital link in promoting and delivering the best water efficiency technologies and techniques to the end user. This has been an ideal partnership.”

Stephanie Thornton, WaterSense partner outreach coordinator, says plumbers play a vital role in conservation. "Plumbers really are on the front lines of water efficiency, so we're excited to see such an overwhelming level of enthusiasm for the GreenPlumbers workshops."

GreenPlumbers' participation in the WaterSmart conference marked the beginning of a new round of expansion for the accreditation program, as it makes inroads into Canada and continues to train plumbers across the U.S. GreenPlumbers has November workshops scheduled in California, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington.

The GreenPlumbers® program is open to all recognized plumbers and contractors. The program is partnered with the EPA’s WaterSense program, the Alliance for Water Efficiency, the California Center for Sustainable Energy, the California Urban Water Conservation Council, and many more industry leaders in its mission of bringing environmental training to plumbers.

For more information, visit www.greenplumbersusa.com. To learn more about the WaterSmart Innovations conference, visit www.watersmartinnovations.com.

The Green Page ~ Environment

October 22, 2008 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

TRIRIGA User Conference Validates Urgency of Investing in Environmental Performance

Despite economy, TRIRIGA signs new customers with environmental management system for buildings

2008 TRIRIGA International User Conference

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TRIRIGA®, the leading provider of real estate and facilities management software, commences its annual user conference this week in Las Vegas and welcomes a record number of attendees and industry luminaries to discuss “Building a Sustainable Future.” With 400+ executives and senior managers in attendance, the conference validates the need to devote more resources to improving environmental performance, despite tightening budgets in today’s economy. TRIRIGA meets this need with TREES (TRIRIGA Real Estate Environmental Sustainability) – the first and only environmental management system to measure, manage and reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings – and customer adoption is increasing at a record pace.

By implementing Web-based operations, facilities and real estate management solutions with more than one-third of the Fortune 100 companies, TRIRIGA has found that many organizations today prioritize measuring and understanding their exact carbon footprints and levels of energy consumption. With TREES, TRIRIGA is giving customers a clear path to improved and measured environmental performance – the company calls this “carbon health” – and its Customer Advisory Board (CAB) members were integral to the design and development of the software. CAB members participating in this week’s Building a Sustainable Future user conference span a range of industries, including: financial services, life sciences, technology, media, telecommunications, consumer and industrial products, retail and energy. CAB membership is up 35% this year, and environmental sustainability is a central focus.

At the conference this week, TRIRIGA customers and CAB members will join energy and green building luminaries including Marc Heisterkamp, Market Development Manager for the U.S. Green Building Council, George Bouri, Principal in Deloitte's Strategy & Operations Consulting Practice and Dr. Stephen Stokes, Vice President of Business and Climate Change for AMR Research. In addition, Senator Fred Thompson, a strong supporter of market-based solutions for solving America’s carbon emissions challenges, will deliver the keynote address. Senator Thompson will discuss impending federal regulations surrounding environmental sustainability and their impact on businesses.

“Adapting to and developing sustainable business practices should be axiomatic for all businesses, as they provide a potent change management and business improvement vehicle to reduce bottom-line costs via energy-efficiency measures, optimization of transportation, and logistics, storage, and waste,” said Dr. Stephen Stokes, Vice President of Business and Climate Change for AMR Research. “At TRIRIGA’s conference, I look forward to discussing how organizations can cross the great divide and create authentic leadership and strategic sustainability for a Carbon Healthy Organization.”

“Rising energy costs and impending government regulations on energy and buildings are some of the top concerns among the Fortune 1000 today, and those organizations need a reliable and immediate way to translate corporate environmental goals into results,” said George Ahn, President and CEO of TRIRIGA. “We help organizations achieve results today by giving them the tools they need to focus on their buildings, the largest environmental culprit contributing to 48% of green house gas emissions. We are excited that our traditional real estate and facilities customers and TREES customers are all coming together at this historic conference. Our TREES customers are showing their peers how to set a strong and early example when it comes to drastically improving environmental performance and preparing for the regulations on the horizon.”

TRIRIGA’s Building a Sustainable Future conference is taking place at the Las Vegas area’s Green Valley Ranch Resort from October 21-24. Customers including key Fortune 100 organizations will present case studies on how TRIRIGA and real estate management factor into their corporate environmental performance plans. For more details on the conference and daily agenda, visit

http://www.tririga.com/uc2008/agenda.php.

About TRIRIGA

Recognized by leading industry analysts as the best-in-class solution, TRIRIGA provides the industry’s most extensive functionality in a fully integrated solution including real estate management, project management, facility management, operations management, workplace performance management and environmental sustainability for real estate assets. TRIRIGA’s extensible technology provides customers with unmatched business agility to rapidly configure and reconfigure the application based on customers’ changing needs. TRIRIGA’s environmental sustainability offering, TREES, is the only solution available today to help companies measure, manage and reduce the carbon footprint of their buildings. With an outstanding network of consultants, partners, industry experts, and market-leading customers, TRIRIGA has been delivering exceptional service and proven best practices to over one-third of the Fortune 100.

For more information, contact TRIRIGA at (702) 932-4444, or visit www.tririga.com.

TRIRIGA, WPM, TREES and TRIRIGA’s other marks and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of TRIRIGA in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

The Green Page ~ Environment

August 22, 2008 03:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Multiple Polar Bears Discovered Swimming Many Miles from Alaska Coast

WWF Experts on the Ground Say Loss of Sea Ice Threatens Bears’ Survival

ANCHORAGE, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An aerial survey by government scientists in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea this week found at least nine polar bears swimming in open water – with one at least 60 miles from shore – raising concern among wildlife experts about their survival. A World Wildlife Fund (WWF) polar bear expert said the bears could have difficulty making it safely to shore and risk drowning, particularly if a storm arises.

“To find so many polar bears at sea at one time is extremely worrisome because it could be an indication that as the sea ice on which they live and hunt continues to melt, many more bears may be out there facing similar risk,” said Geoff York, a polar bear biologist with WWF. “As climate change continues to dramatically disrupt the Arctic, polar bears and their cubs are being forced to swim longer distances to find food and habitat.”

Scientists say the Arctic is changing more rapidly and acutely than anywhere on the planet, noting that 2007 witnessed the lowest sea ice coverage in recorded history. Satellite images indicate that ice was absent in most of the region where the bears were found on August 16, 2008 and some experts predict this year’s sea ice loss could meet or exceed the record set last year.

The discovery of the nine bears at sea came as the U.S. Minerals Management Service was conducting marine surveys in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in advance of potential offshore oil development.

WWF polar bear experts on the ground in Alaska are assessing the situation and will provide updates to the media as more details unfold.

In May, the U.S. Department of Interior listed polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited the strong body of science pointing to the significant loss of Arctic sea ice habitat as the primary reason for protecting the bear with federal legislation. The State of Alaska has opposed the listing and has sued the federal government over its decision to list the bear.

Professor Richard Steiner of the University of Alaska’s Marine Advisory Program said, “While these bears are swimming around in an ice-free coastal Arctic Ocean, the only thing the State of Alaska is doing is suing the federal government trying to overturn the listing of polar bears. The bottom line here is that polar bears need sea ice, sea ice is decaying, and the bears are in very serious trouble. For any people who are still non-believers in global warming and the impacts it is having in the Arctic, this should answer their doubts once and for all.”

NOTES:

WWF’S polar bear experts are available for interviews with members of the media.

1. Margaret Williams, Director, WWF Alaska Office: 907 830-4349 (cell)

2. Geoff York, WWF polar bear conservation coordinator: 202-492-0589 (cell)

The attached photo may be used in any stories mentioning World Wildlife Fund. Please credit to “Geoff York, WWF.” Please note that the photo is not of the bears referenced in this release. Caption: “A polar bear is spotted in the ocean off the coast of Alaska during a previous aerial search; the bear is not one of the nine referenced in the release.”

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND:

For more than 45 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level, from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature. Go to www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.