National Green Schools Conference to Promote Green

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National Green Schools Conference to Promote Green
New York, NY, June 16, 2006--The U.S. Green Building Council, Turner Construction Company, the nation's leading general builder, and Global Green USA, announced the program for "Investing in the Future: A Green Schools Symposium." The conference is part of a series resulting from a commitment made at the Clinton Global Initiative Inaugural Meeting in 2005 by the USGBC and Turner Construction. This conference is also part of Global Green USA's School Initiative, funded by the Annenberg Foundation. The daylong symposium will be held at The California Science Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 27. The conference will focus on sustainable design and construction in both the K-12 and higher education sectors, and provide valuable insight on the significant economic, health and productivity benefits of building green schools. "By giving people the information, resources, and tools they need to build green schools and universities, the Green Schools conference series is having a direct impact on our children's future," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chairman, USGBC. "Our children deserve every opportunity for success, and we owe it to them to provide healthy, safe, productive learning environments." The various panel discussions will include national, regional and local experts that will address the latest in research, policy and practice in the field of sustainable building and design. "Investing in healthy green schools for our kids provides an opportunity to dramatically improve test scores, reduce sick days and create healthier learning environments," said Global Green USA president, Matt Petersen. "Green Schools also save School Districts 20-40 percent on operating costs and allow more money to be spent on books and teacher salaries. With all the benefits, there's no reason why every new school in the country shouldn't be built green." Speakers include: - Keynoter Sim Van der Ryn, principal of Van der Ryn Architects and former state architect of California. Van der Ryn is an award-winning architect and consultant renowned for his ecologically sensitive, energy efficient, and sustainable design portfolio. - Darroch Young, chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District - Guy Mehula, deputy chief facilities executive, Los Angeles Unified School District "Clearly green building is fast becoming a standard in both the private and public sectors, with proven performance and productivity benefits. The need and opportunity for greening our education system is tremendous," said Thomas C. Leppert, chairman and CEO of The Turner Corporation. "By cosponsoring this conference series, we are providing more and more decision makers with the facts they need to move forward, including the crucial economic rationale." Following the conference, there will be a tour of Cahuenga New Elementary School No. 1, a showcase of Los Angeles Unified School District's high performance schools program.