“What is Climate Change?” and “How can we help?” — Listening to the Youth

By Katie Matthews, Project Manager

During the past few years, especially leading up to the 2016 and 2020 elections, climate change has been a hot topic of conversation. Whether it is seen as a political issue or just a scientific fact, it is a constant point of contention amongst the country. Industries, such as ours, live in this space and discuss the risks and effects of climate change daily. However, this is not the case for many other sectors or areas of the United States. Over the past few months, with voters hitting the polls to cast their vote for change, it is important to note that any policies made in favor or against the environment are changes that not only affect this current generation but for many generations to follow. While the last few months have been filled with heavy discussion surrounding the election, the pandemic, and civil rights injustices, I decided to turn to some (little) local experts to see their thoughts on the climate change discussion.

I spoke with Noor Gose’s 4th grade class at Paseo Del Rey in Playa Del Ray. I posed two simple questions: “What is Climate Change?” and “How can we help?”. Their answers were pretty encouraging. Young people have continuously shown that Climate Change is an issue that they can process and understand. Case in point: in Time’s 2019 Person of the Year publication, Greta Thunberg who in 2018, at age 15, started a school strike camped outside the Swedish Parliament. Her goal was to bring awareness and protest the local government’s response to climate change — highlighting the stark contrast between attending school when her future, due to climate change, is uncertain. Greta’s actions have now inspired millions of people around the world to follow suit.

Although their understanding may not be as developed as a 15-year-old’s, the 4th graders I questioned were still able to answer “what is climate change?”. The majority of these students were able to understand that climate change was something of concern and that steps exist that help reduce its effects. This ability for students to grasp the importance of the issue highlights the benefits of having climate change as a significant subject to include in curricula of all ages. By allowing for climate change to be discussed in a school setting, kids are able to learn the science and effects in more depth than through the lense of pop culture. If they can understand that turtles are at risk by the use and subsequent disposal of plastic straws, children can handle learning about bigger topics like key contributors to global warming and sea level rise. The earlier that children are introduced to the science of climate change, the sooner they can become strong informed actors and innovators in our fight to combat climate change.

If anything can be taken away from this little questionnaire it’s that young people should not be left out of the conversation when discussing larger issues like climate change; and if you ever need a smile during the midst of a never-ending election and pandemic, ask a kid about turtles.

Our Anti-Bias Training: Lessons Learned for Reflection & Action

By Bobby Almeida, Project Manager

The entire Argento/Graham team of staff and consultants recently had Anti-Bias Training as a part of our standing commitment to be better humans and a better company. Led by Lisa Holder, principal attorney at Law office of Lisa Holder and Of Counsel to Equal justice Society, the training was enlightening and, at times, heartbreaking. The pervasiveness of systemic bias in America, both explicit and implicit, and its negative effects in our culture and workplaces are worse than most people realize—including me.

We began the training by viewing and discussing a set of videos depicting examples of bias in everyday life. One video focused on how people of different genders and races performing the exact same activity could be viewed with wildly varying degrees of suspicion from passersby. In the video, three different actors pantomimed stealing a bike in a park in broad daylight while admitting to anyone who challenged them that the bike was not their property. First, a young white man was questioned half-heartedly by a number of park-goers but none called the police or attempted to prevent the theft. However, a black man of similar age wearing similar clothes was aggressively confronted, with numerous people calling the police or attempting verbal and physical intimidation. Finally, a young white woman explicitly admitting she was stealing the bike found herself ignored or, shockingly, even assisted in the act by multiple men who happened upon the scene. This and the other videos illustrated the shadow of suspicion that follows Black Americans wherever they go, even if they are performing activities that would be considered unremarkable for whites, such as struggling with the lock on the front door of their residence, or bird-watching in Central Park.

Our discussion continued with an examination of the early roots of implicit bias through a famous 1940’s study conducted by Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark called the “Doll Test.” In the test two dolls, identical except that one is white and one is black, are placed in front of a child aged 3 to 7. The child is then asked a series of comparison questions, such as which doll is pretty, which one is nice, which one is bad, and others in a similar vein. We watched a video where both white and Black children associated positive traits with the white doll and negative traits with the black doll nearly universally. It’s especially disheartening to watch video of a Black child make these associations, then dejectedly point at the black doll when they are asked which doll looks the most like them. The “Doll Test” was referenced in the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education Supreme Court case in 1954 as evidence for the emotional harm caused by racial segregation. Though the Brown decision ended explicit segregation in America’s schools, decades later the “Doll Test” continues to render consistent results, indicating the durability of racial stereotypes despite government reform efforts.

These implicit biases shape life and death situations as well. A stark case in point: Black women are more likely to die from complications of pregnancy than white women due to implicit bias and structural racism in the healthcare industry. Another racist aspect of healthcare is evidenced by the uneven distribution of opioid prescriptions. As a result of implicit bias, doctors are less likely to believe Black patients’ descriptions of severe pain, leading to significantly lower prescription rates for pain medication for Black Americans. Doctors are much more willing to prescribe powerful painkillers for white patients, a disparity that is underscored by the overwhelmingly white face of the opioid addiction crisis sweeping the nation. Still today, Black Americans suffer needlessly through preventable pain while the comfort of white patients is prioritized, even though the medications in question can do more harm than good if abused. 

Finally, we focused on assessing our own implicit bias through the Implicit Association Test, or IAT. This test forces you to make associations quicker than the workings of your conscious mind to measure your true implicit biases with no opportunity to consciously pick a nonbiased answer. Results from this test can help uncover your true biases, some of which may be surprising to you. It’s these “flight or fight” responses that produce the outcomes we see today: disproportionate violence, punishment, and restricted pathways for opportunity for Black Americans.

This training was a powerful revelation for myself and for the entire Argento/Graham team, and a critical first step of our ongoing project to recognize and deprogram personal and organizational biases. All people and companies can benefit from anti-bias training. The Green building industry in particular should understand the critical need to address implicit racial bias as we increasingly recognize the necessity of health and wellness for all as a path forward to a better future.

WELL’s new Health-Safety Rating System may be the key to successful reopening

By Dominic Butler, Assistant Project Manager

COVID-19 disrupted many facets of our everyday lives. One of the most striking being our relationship to building spaces. Many office workers have moved to online work, retail stores have adjusted instore capacities, and restaurants have found new ways to serve customers. Individual businesses are taking time to come up with processes and procedures to keep their employees and garner trust from customers. WELL saw the fragmented approach some were taking to building safety and sought to create a certification system to establish a standard that could be used universally. The standard allows building operators and management to communicate that they’ve taken all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of building occupants. The rating system marries existing WELL credits with guidelines from the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Taskforce on COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), global emergency management agencies, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International), and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management is open to all new and existing buildings and facility types. The rating system is broken into 21 features across 6 core areas: Cleaning and Sanitation Procedures, Emergency Preparedness Programs, Health Service Resources, Air and Water Quality Management, Stakeholder Engagement and Communication, and Innovation. Of the 21 features, 15 need to be selected. There are no prerequisite features which gives building operators a lot of flexibility when developing a strategy that will work for each space.

Cleaning and Sanitation Procedures

This core area aims to address surface-based transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Sanitation is a critical area of concern as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can live on certain surfaces for up to 72 hours. The features in the category include: Support Handwashing, Reduce Surface Contact, Improve Cleaning Practices, Select Preferred Cleaning Products, and Reduce Respiratory Particle Exposure.

The Support Handwashing feature asks that building operators provide liquid soap dispensers, hand-drying apparatus (including paper towels, and hand dryers with HEPA filters), and signage displaying steps for proper hand washing. The feature aims to supply building users with the tools needed to effectively wash their hands to ultimately encourage positive behavior.

Improve Cleaning Practices aims to establish appropriate cleaning protocols and practices. The cleaning plan must outline: Extent and frequency of cleaning, responsibilities for cleaning staff, cleaning supplies available to occupants, which surfaces and areas need to be cleaned, types of cleaners used, PPE required for cleaning staff, etc. The feature formalizes the cleaning process and creates clear guidelines for how the space should be cared for and maintained to minimize risk for all.

Reduce Surface Contact looks at the high-touch surfaces within a space and seeks to reduce risk by implementing temporary or permanent measures that eliminate the frequency of touch. The feature can also be achieved by offering hands-free operation of 3 of the following: entry doors, elevators, water bottle filling stations/soap dispensers/water faucets, window blinds/ indoor lighting switches, or trash/recycling lids.

Emergency Preparedness Programs

Having a plan for emergencies is key to avoiding crisis and panic. COVID-19 preparedness should be treated like any other emergency occupants may see while in the building. Successful execution of emergency preparedness plans will help to ensure the safety of all stakeholders. Features in this core area include: Develop an Emergency Preparedness Plan, Create Business Continuity Plan, Plan for healthy re-entry, Provide Emergency Resources, and Bolster Emergency Resilience.

Develop Emergency Preparedness Plan, equips building owners with the tools to respond to emergency situations quickly and effectively. This begins with a risk assessment outlining assets (people and buildings, evaluating potential hazard impacts on assets, and determining planning priorities. Next in the planning process is developing procedure for natural, fire, health, technological, and human-caused disasters. The final portion of the planning process is educating building occupants on process and procedure.

Plan for Healthy Re-Entry, attempts to create protocols for building spaces following an emergency that required them to be vacant. This includes inspections of water, mechanical, electrical, ventilation, and life-safety systems. Communicating each step of the process to building inhabitants is also a key step for this feature.

Health Service Resources

The Health Service Resources core area highlights the importance of promoting inhabitant health. The specific features include: Provide Sick Leave, Provide Health Benefits, Support Mental Health Recovery, Promote Flu Vaccines, and Promote a Smoke-Free Environment.

Provide Sick Leave and Provide Health Benefits are institutional features that seek to reward spaces that provide these benefits to employees on the grounds that there is less pressure for employees to come to work sick thus reducing the risk of infection for other employees. Promote Flu Vaccines, requires building operators to provide an on-site flu vaccine or voucher along with a seasonal flu prevention campaign including signage about the availability of vaccine services.

Air and Water Quality Management

Lower Ventilation rates have been linked to the transmission of infectious airborne diseases. SARS-CoV-2 can remain airborne for up to 3 hours after being introduced into a space. The Air and Water Management core area aims to address transmission and exposure when occupying spaces for a prolonged period of time. Features in this core area include: Assess Ventilation, Assess and Maintain Air Treatment Systems, Develop Legionella Management Plan, Monitor Air and Water Quality, and Manage Mold and Moisture.

Assess Ventilation provides facilities engineers the opportunity to assess the current capabilities of the installed HVAC systems, look for areas of potential improvement (either operational or mechanical), and provide details on how this will effect energy use, thermal comfort, and maintenance.

Monitor Air and Water Quality, demands that the building space undergo air and water quality testing no less than once per year. The air quality assessment must include: PM 2.5 or PM 10, total VOCs or formaldehyde, Ozone, and Carbon Monoxide. The water quality assessment must include: turbidity, pH, residual (free) chlorine, total coliforms only if residual chlorine is under detection limits.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

One key factor to re-entry involves the establishment of trust between building inhabitants and facilities operators. One effective strategy to establishing trust is conveying a communicative and engaging presence showing that leadership is actively taking the necessary steps needed to ensure optimal health and safety. Features under this core area include: Promote Health and Wellness and Share Food Inspection Information.

Promote Health and Wellness tasks operators with creating a health -oriented mission for occupants. In addition, digital or physical signage describing features of the space and how they relate to the health-oriented mission, along with, quarterly communications for building occupants are both required to meet this feature.

Innovation

The Innovation core area serves as a catch-all feature to address any site-specific strategies used to promote health-safety within a space. The innovation strategies can either be feature proposals or IWBI preapproved strategies. Some of the preapproved Innovation strategies are: WELL AP, Design for WELL Health-Safety, and WELL Certification. Design for WELL Health-Safety takes some of the WELL v2 features for indoor air quality, water, thermal comfort, and community and brings them to the Health-Safety rating system if all feature requirements are met.

All in all, the rating system does a great job of formalizing many processes and procedures already employed by individual businesses. The rating system aims to address concerns occupants may have about re-entry, and provide the peace of mind that facilities leadership is making health a priority.  I hope to see the wide-spread adoption of the WELL Health-Safety rating system to help transition us into this new era of human-building interaction.

Argento/Graham’s WELL Accredited Professionals and Engineers can help guide your team through the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management process.

Thoughts on a Healthy Reopening

By Duke Graham, Principal & Co-Founder

I have a confession to make. I went to my office. I needed to pick up some essential equipment, and of course I followed all CDC and local safety guidelines. And I was the only one in our DTLA office. For that matter, I was the only one in the elevator, and I felt like I was the only one in the building. I know there are others working there, but it seemed very empty. And quiet. It. Was. Awesome.

I’m sure you can relate. Whether you’re remote working in slippers, co-working with a 2nd grader, or just going a little stir crazy, you’ve probably imagined some type of return to the office. And I know we’re “re-imagining” everything in life right now. But I think we’ll go to the office again. Someday some way.

So, I thought I’d share some basic feelings I had when I went back for that day. Yes, I stayed the whole day. So quiet. Did I mention that?

The office and building appeared very clean. That and the lack of people made me comfortable about not being at risk of contracting the virus. And since nobody was sharing the space with me, I also knew I wouldn’t be likely to unknowingly infect others if I was infected but asymptomatic. Between my stints of blissful productivity, I tried to think of what measures would increase confidence in office workers to return to the office. Certainly, distance can be maintained between people; that may mean staggered schedules, alternating remote working days, or reconfiguring the office. And a comprehensive testing policy could greatly reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread. I came to think guidelines are manageable in an office setting, with some modifications to our behavior. And there are many solid recommendations out there.

As a commissioning agent, I thought of the building HVAC, plumbing, and other systems in our building and how they may have been dormant for a while, then started up again. In those cases, things don’t always revert back to their previous stable condition. I wondered if we were getting the same amount of ventilation and if the water had sat in the pipes for a while when no one opened a faucet. I also wondered about the indoor air quality (IAQ) in the building; if humidity was being managed, CO2 being monitored, and if the wildfires were impacting the air quality inside the building.

And lastly, because IAQ seems to have taken first place in the LEED category contest lately, I wondered if the building was still performing as intended and not wasting energy. For example, I suspect many building operators increased ventilation rates (a good IAQ measure) without a specific plan to monitor energy use. This can also lead to unwanted humidity variations, which can have a counterproductive effect on IAQ. I’m thinking about bringing our IAQ testing equipment into the office to spot check our own air quality, just to get a baseline understanding of the indoor environment currently in our office. I know my coworkers will be interested in the results.

Aside from the obvious need to be absolutely sure our offices are safe before returning, we want to feel confident that we are entering a stable, comfortable and healthy environment. For our staff, I’m thinking of a basic re-entry checklist that can assure us of indoor air and water quality, and ongoing environmental stewardship. This will be above and beyond our specific COVID-19 protocols.

There are now several good resources out there for re-entry checklists and protocols:

• ASHRAE Guidance

• USGBC LA Healthy Building Alliance

• WELL Health & Safety Rating

If you’re reading this, you’re likely a client or colleague in the area or in our industry. Reach out to us if you’d like to discuss what we’re doing. If we can help you with any metrics or measurements, let us know. We don’t know what office life will look like in one or five years. But we know, as part of the industry that designs, builds, and operates the built environment, we owe it to ourselves and each other to get ahead of some of these questions. The sooner we start talking about it, and putting some of these metrics into practice, the better. So reach out, and let’s get started.

2020: Our Last Chance to Fight Climate Change

By Annie Argento, Principal & Co-founder

Six of the 20 largest wildfires in recorded California history—including the largest ever. 500,000 people in Oregon—10 percent of the state’s population—facing fire-related evacuations. The Gulf Coast battered by one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the area 50 years—as the East Coast braces for a pipeline of massive storms queued up in the Atlantic. Ferocious windstorms and massive floods in the Midwest—devastating communities and denuding the farmland that sustains them. This is not the new normal. This is an acceleration of a longstanding destructive trend that will worsen without action. As Governor Gavin Newsom of California said in a recent Tweet: “CLIMATE. CHANGE. IS. REAL.”

This situation is not surprising to the sustainability community. We have been sounding the alarm on climate change and its impacts on our homes and families for decades. Yet despite the overwhelming evidence that extreme weather events are exacerbated by human emissions of greenhouse gasses, the federal government has moved us in exactly the wrong direction for nearly four years. Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords, weakening emissions standards for cars, dismantling the Clean Power Plan, even rolling back lightbulb efficiency standards in place since 2007—this is the record of the Trump Administration. Another four years with a climate change denier heading an administration stuffed with fossil-fuel lobbyists and political hacks will cause irreparable harm. 

It’s sad that this is the choice we face in 2020, with so little time left to turn the tide, yet here we are. At stake in 2020 are not only the future policies of Congress and the Executive Branch, but also the hearing those policies will receive from the Judiciary. With another four-year term, Trump will likely have three—perhaps even four—additional Supreme Court vacancies to fill. Given the general hostility of conservative jurisprudence to federal environmental legislation, aggressive action on climate change would be stymied by a Roberts Court with a 7-2 conservative majority. Our fate would be sealed. 

But more and more Americans are rightly convinced that the dire situation we face from extreme weather is linked inextricably with climate change. This gives us one last chance. After totally ignoring the subject in 2016, the Committee on Presidential Debates is facing intense pressure from lawmakers and advocates to include a meaningful focus on the environment in the matchups between Trump and Joe Biden, who has proposed a plan to create a million clean-energy jobs and give America a healthier, more prosperous, and more sustainable future. The contrast will be clear and the choice will be obvious for the growing number of Americans who refuse to ignore the apocalyptic reality staring us in the face. 

COVID-19 and its Impact on the Local Food Industry

By Katie Matthews, Project Manager

During the pandemic, people’s daily lives have been completely flipped upside down. We are finding even the smallest tasks are taking more effort and time to complete. Something like going to the grocery store can be a daunting task for so many different reasons. As food stores attempt to respond to the CDC recommendations and ongoing public concerns, new sanitation methods are being used, social distance shopping requirements now create lines at every store, and the supply typically relied on, can be limited or non-existent.

As I write this, we are coming into the third full month of the  ‘California Stay at Home Order’. While some restrictions are lifting and more activities are becoming available to the public, there is still a long road ahead to get back to our “normal” way of life. Restaurants and bars are still required to close their doors and only allow for take-out menus with hopes of even just limited seating in the foreseeable future. With over 60 days (possibly more, I can’t keep track anymore) of the order in place, restaurant owners and employees are experiencing irreversible threats to their livelihoods. The California Restaurant Association recently published a letter to CA governor, Gavin Newsom, stating that roughly 20-30% of CA restaurants will be forced to close permanently due to their limitations during this pandemic. This poses a problem not only for those restaurants but stretches further and creates shifts in the entire food production system.  

Farms across the country are losing their traditional markets due to the pandemic. With schools, universities, restaurants, hotels, farmer’s markets, and other market outlets temporarily shut down, farmers are struggling to distribute their goods to the population. This could have detrimental effects later down the line as stay in place orders continue. A study published by Colorado State University and University of Missouri, projected that local and regional markets will have over a $1.32 billion loss from just March to May alone. This impact will directly affect the local farms and ranches that supply most of the restaurants and smaller markets the City of LA relies on daily. This emphasizes the need to support local supply chains more than ever.

How can you help?

Many restaurants in LA area have converted to selling pantry and produce items to keep their partnerships with local farms. Here are a few resources of restaurants and markets around LA that are selling goods (so many great lists, why make our own!).

• List from Infatuation LA

• Two different lists from EATER LA for restaurants supporting local farmers and selling daily pantry items

• Pop Up markets list from LAist

• Places to buy groceries from LA Times

• ROCKENWAGNER Market

• Gwens ToGo
   

Sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture).  Although CSAs are not a new concept, local farms are now converting their distribution lines to accommodate shipping boxes directly to the home chef.

• County Line Harvest

• Edible Farms LA – Participating Farms: Flora Bella Farm, Schaner Farms, Weiser Family Farms, T&D Farms, Tehachapi Grain Project, Finley Farms, Edible Gardens LA Farm

• Sunrise Organic Farms

• Windrose Farm

• Thao Family Farms

• Farm Fresh to You (produce and meat)

• Directory for CSA Day CA Farms

• Local Harvest CSA Directory

Order meat directly from the ranches or start using local butcher shops.

• Buy Ranch Direct

• Belcampo

• Chops Butcher Shop

• Marcondas (order delivery on PostMates and DoorDash)

• Mccalls Meat and Fish (small ordering window and pick up times)

• Rabbi’s Daughter

• Larder Meat Co.

And when you can and feel safe enough, support your local farmer’s market. Here is a list from Street LA of all the farmers markets that have been approved for operation under the new public health orders.

• https://streetsla.lacity.org/covid
  
  

Fitwel and COVID-19: protecting building occupants and future-proofing spaces

By Dominic Butler, Assistant Project Manager

Building owners and operators are taking this time to think about resiliency and what that means for their spaces. COVID-19 has disrupted human-to-building interactions in terms of how we work, shop, and live. As stay-at-home orders are lifted and people return to spaces, owners are faced with the task of preparing buildings and convincing tenants that protocols are in place to keep them safe. Many teams are turning to building wellness certifications like Fitwel to ensure that buildings do their part to help mitigate risk of exposure and establish trust with building users. A Fitwel certification can communicate active and conscientious leadership at the building level. The following Fitwel strategies can help with COVID-19 mitigation and spearhead occupant reintegration:

1. Indoor Air Quality Policy

2. Educational Hand-Washing Signs

3. Occupant Satisfaction Survey

4. Emergency Preparedness Plans

Indoor Air Quality Policy

The implementation of a Fitwel compliant Indoor Air Quality Policy will incorporate ventilation strategies that address: filtration maintenance, ventilation system maintenance, and increased outdoor air when appropriate. The spread of respiratory infections has been linked to small, warm, and high traffic areas, ventilation can help mitigate viral transmission. Aerosol transmission is a mode of infection involving airborne particles small enough to travel long distances within a space and lead to exposure. For this reason, aerosol transmission is a key area of interest regarding COVID-19 contraction in buildings. Fitwel proposes that increased ventilation and filtration can be an effective strategy to mitigate viral transmission. Studies regarding communicable respiratory diseases found that ventilation rates of 25 L/s/person were associated with lowered prevalence of individuals who presented symptoms.

Filtration is also seen as an effective mitigation strategy. HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of particulates 0.3 microns or larger. MERV 16 filters can removed 95% of particulates between 0.03 and 1 micron. Filtration combined with increased ventilation, dramatically reduces chances of viral transmission. Filtration concerns do not stop at the installation of a filter. Filter maintenance and cleaning protocol will ensure the prolonged safety of building operators and inhabitants. Increased filtration directly correlates with more frequent maintenance and must be addressed in the indoor air quality policy. Materials treated with UV-light have been studied to deactivate aerosolized influenza viruses. Incorporating UV-light treatment for air filters can be vital in ensuring the holistic indoor air quality plan is maximizing the safety of all building stakeholders

Educational Hand-Washing Signs

Occupant behavioral changes will be key in ensuring building communities establish enough trust to return to spaces. One of the strongest influences of behavioral change is data supported signage. Healthy Programming signage for handwashing for 20 seconds is shown to be one of the best defenses against person-to-surface transmission rates. The signage should cover the benefits of hand-washing, and provide details on proper technique. This strategy aims to keep hygiene and human health on the minds of all building users.

Occupant Satisfaction Survey

Trust will be one factor that determines how quickly building occupants return to spaces. Actions like increased filtration, emergency preparedness, and increased cleaning can contribute to the trust established between operators and inhabitants; but, complete trust will come from addressing the unique concerns from tenants and developing solutions based on tenant feedback. The survey serves to communicate to the occupant that the operators are aware of tenant fears and open to addressing concerns. To close the communication loop at the building level, communicate results of the survey to tenants and list out ways that preparedness plans reflect survey results.

Emergency Preparedness Plans

After addressing tenant needs, developing a unique preparedness plan will help ensure the building is resilient. For example, fever screenings can be a strategy to move spaces forward and establish trust, however without developing and communicating ways to handle sick individuals, cannot be considered a holistic strategy. In this example, clearly defined protocols for symptomatic individuals getting the help they need, and cleaning possibly exposed areas will be the most effective method to mitigating spread.

Safe mass return to buildings will take reflection and planning by all building stakeholders. Argento/Graham’s team of Fitwel Ambassador engineers and consultants can provide your team with support and guidance to develop unique plans for your space and on-going resiliency. For more information on Fitwel’s extensive research on COVID-19, please visit: https://www.fitwel.org/covid-19/

Public Health and the Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Hannah McCurdy, A/G Intern

Images of clear skies from Beijing to Los Angeles over the last couple weeks have circulated online and brought attention to the air quality impact of stay at home and shutdown orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Los Angeles’ ubiquitous smog has seemingly disappeared as traffic as dramatically decreased by over 80% in the last couple weeks. According to CNN, for the first time since 1995, Los Angeles has seen the longest period of good air and had the cleanest air of any major city in the world. The presence of PM 2.5, a microscopic air pollutant linked to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, has decreased by 40% in the region. While this is good news, it is only temporary and came at the cost of the greatest global crisis since World War II. 

The intersection between the environment and the Coronavirus pandemic more importantly has a very negative component. A national study conducted by Harvard University found that areas with high pollution and low air quality will experience a greater risk of death from COVID-19. It has been long documented that low-income communities and communities of color are at a higher risk of living in areas with poorer air quality and are more at risk for asthma and diabetes. Both conditions put people at a higher risk for more severe cases of coronavirus.  In the United States, we need leadership around policies that protect clean air and address these inequities so that all communities can equally withstand a public health crisis or a climate-related disaster, and the resulting economic aftershock.

It is troubling that amid this global pandemic, the Trump administration relaxed vehicle emissions standards through the Safer Affordable Fuel Emissions. This acronym SAFE is deeply misleading as rolling back emissions standards is anything but safe – it is dangerous, it will inevitably lead to worse air conditions and endanger the lives of everyone, especially low-income communities and communities of color. Furthermore, it will ultimately be more costly for consumers at the pump.

As individuals and states are taking widespread measures to minimize the spread of the virus and the damage caused in its wake, it is even more incumbent on leaders, and especially those at the highest levels of the federal government, to protect its citizens that are most vulnerable. As Antwi Akom said in his keynote address at USGBC-LA’s MGBCE in 2017: When you design for the most vulnerable, everyone wins. This principle should apply to policies, buildings and just about everything we create in our communities.

Greenbuild 2019 – A Week in (a brief) Review

By Katie Matthews, Project Manager

A/G and friends are back in CA after a week in Atlanta, Georgia. Greenbuild brought together the sustainability community to continue conversations about the current state in the industry as well as the areas towards which we are seeing it shift.

11/20 Opening Plenary

OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

The conference kicked off with the opening plenary and its keynote speaker: none other than the former president himself, Barack Obama. The hours in line was worth the wait! Mahesh Ramanujam (USGBC President & CEO) and President Obama sat and discussed how sustainability starts with a story. They recognized that although facts can be brought out to prove a need for action, there is much more power in being able to show an individual or community the immediate effects of climate change when discussing it in their own local context. With that said, all sustainability plans need to address the entire community. “It is hard to figure out how we solve sustainability issues and deal with climate change, if you also have huge gaps in wealth, opportunity, and education,” (Obama). All shifts in the market and strides we make toward a more sustainable nation needs to also have an emphasis on inclusivity. We will not and cannot be sustainable or resilient if a large part of the community is being left behind.

The two also discussed how, with the adaptation in social media and technology, we now have access to so much more information than ever before. Because of this, we are in a unique position where we can make daily decisions, and broadcast those decisions, on who and what to buy based off of company core values. We are seeing this a lot in younger generations, especially the millennial age group, where consumers are able to elevate the companies that are putting an emphasis on ethical and sustainable practices.  Obama made a point to say that “you can say what you believe in, but if you don’t spend your time, energy and money towards it, you don’t actually believe in it. It is just a story you are telling yourself to feel good.” This poses the question around how invested we are in sustainability – Do all the companies we support also invest their time in money in the same ideals?

11/20-11/22 Greenbuild Education Sessions

ReUsing before Buying New

The buzz phrase this year at Greenbuild was Embodied Carbon. Not only did we attend sessions with it as the main topic, but also saw mention about the embodied carbon in every other theme across the board. This was due in part to the new tool (finally) released to the public on Tuesday 11/19. The Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool allows owners, designers and contracting teams to access information on materials to help make executive and smart decisions on what in going into their buildings. It’s a free tool allowing teams to benchmark and make assessments focused on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction material by using material quantity assumptions, BIM models and third party verified Environmental Product Declarations. We attended sessions that went through the task of benchmarking the embodied carbon for a renovation project as well as the process of using a similar tool to EC3 to design a complete building with low embodied carbon goal. 

Projections are showing that globally we will be growing by over 2 trillion sf ft in development every 35 years. That is equivalent to developing a New York every 35 days. With this in mind, there are steps that can be made to lower the carbon footprint associated with the built environment. To break that down, there are two different phases where the carbon footprint comes into play: upfront carbon and operational carbon. This focus on embodied carbon is starting to take up more of the conversation as cities and owners are pursuing goals of carbon neutrality, leaving the embodied upfront carbon to exceed the operational carbon. Embodied carbon will be the biggest contributors to GHG emissions as cities adapt zero carbon initiatives, and that embodied carbon goes up with every renovation and retrofit to a building. Designers need to begin taking this into account at the schematic stages of design. We can now start to assess different construction materials against each other to choose products that have a lower contribution the GHGs. In one session we heard a case study for a heavy timber building in Toronto, Canada by Sidewalk Labs. During the design process the team compared materials such as timber and aluminum. Structural materials make up for 60% of the embodied carbon for a building. Although wood has less Global Warming Potential, it requires far more material compared to aluminum. Ideally, the best-case scenario when looking to a new building, is to ask what can be used from the existing structure. How can we design new buildings to have this possibility for reuse later on? How do we make structural materials ‘deconstructable’ in some areas to allow for renovations without demolishing a whole building?

We also saw this concept of ‘reuse’ reiterated again in sessions about zero waste (there was at least one session on the topic in every time bracket!). In years past the conversation had always been centered around how to properly dispose of waste to minimize the solids ending up at landfill. But the approach this year was more in the lens of limiting the waste at the beginning of the cycle through different construction practices and operational practices. Did you know that the US is one of the highest generators of solid waste per capita in the world? Sessions led by companies like All About Waste discussed how TRUE Zero Waste certification focuses on pushing facilities and building management to limit waste generation in its day to day practices, which is something we can all start to apply in our daily lives.

11/20 Women in Green Power Luncheon

“LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and LOVE Again.”

The theme for the Women in Green Luncheon this year was ‘Sheros’ and how we as a community can lead with a culture of courage, speak up for injustice, and listen with open minds. USGBC’s Kimberly Lewis kicked off the conversation, as she does every year, with excitement, ready to discuss examples of “leading with courage.” The luncheon keynote for the day was Dr. Mildred McClain. Dr. McClain is an environmental justice activist from Savannah Georgia, who led us through her life story growing up in the South. She has served on many committees, is a mother and grandmother, a professor and founder of the Harambee House/Citizens for Environmental Justice, a community-based organization whose mission is to build the capacity of communities to solve their problems and to engage in positive growth and development. She discussed how climate change and environmental issues are human rights issues and that everyone is affected by global warming. We cannot leave people behind in the conversation. “When you walk through the door, make sure you take someone with you,” (McClain).

11/22 Closing Plenary

“Climate Change is not Santa Claus”

The last session at Greenbuild wrapping up the 2019 conference was the closing plenary with Jamie Margolin and Dr. Marshall Shepherd.

Jamie Margolin is a 17-year-old climate change activist from Seattle, Washington and the co-founder of Zero Hour. Zero Hour is a movement led by youth activists laying groundwork and giving a platform for young teens to have their voices be heard. “We, the youth, believe that #thisisZeroHour to act on climate change. We cannot afford to wait any longer for adults to protect our right to the clean and safe environment, the natural resources we need to not just survive, but flourish. We know that we are the leaders we have been waiting for! We believe that every individual, from every community should have access to clean air, water, and public lands. We believe in putting the needs and health of our communities before corporate gain,” (Zero Hour). She went on to discuss how we cannot have a meaningful conversation about climate change and sustainability if we do not incorporate every other social movement as part of the conversation. Marginalized communities are the ones most likely to see immediate impacts of climate change and in turn will have the hardest time bouncing back. The climate movement must be an intersectional movement. “Our biggest problem isn’t climate deniers, it’s climate apathy,” (Margolin).

Dr. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international expert of weather and climate and is currently a Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia. He sees the science behind climate change and why action is needed now. “The question shouldn’t be ‘Do you believe in science?’ Science is not a belief system,” (Shepherd). Climate change doesn’t care if you believe in it or not, and we need to start shifting the way we talk about it. Echoing Obama’s keynote starter, Shepherd reiterated that we need to start talking about sustainability and telling it as a story, illustrating what will happen to each individual if we continue on the same path. Jamie said it loud and clear that climate change should not be an issue that kids have to have on their shoulders. It is the responsibility of the masses to take that burden off of children.

To sum up, we need to include everyone in the conversation about climate change and sustainable practices because it will affect everyone at some capacity, but there are communities who will be hit harder and sooner. Importantly, the speakers and presenters reminded us that whenever given the opportunity, open the door and bring someone through it who can further the inclusivity of the conversation. “We have to go out with our courage and change the world right now. One person at a time. One neighborhood at a time. One community at a time. One country at a time. One continent at a time, because we only have one Earth,” (McClain). Excited to see where the conversations leads next year in San Diego - See you in 2020.

Building Decarbonization, Simpler than it Sounds

By Bobby Almeida, Project Manager

As people, companies, and governments become more and more serious in tackling global warming, one strategy is to completely remove direct carbon emissions from buildings. This strategy, known as building electrification or decarbonization, has gained momentum as the science continues to remind us that we aren’t doing enough to decrease CO2 emissions.

Building operations account for 28% of global CO2 emissions according to Architecture 2030, and the only way to eliminate those emissions is through decarbonization. Cities have taken notice as well. New York has passed a building decarbonization ordinance, requiring buildings to reduce their CO2 emissions or face significant fines. Los Angeles is in the process of adapting their own ordinance to require most buildings to be net zero by 2050 with incremental steps along the way. Other cities aren’t far behind.

Recent marketing has pushed the notion the natural gas is a clean way to generate energy, but that’s just marketing. According to the EPA's eGRID 2016 data the average electricity in California emits approximately 70 kg of CO2 per MBTU of energy, while natural gas emits 55 kg per MBTU of energy. However, that’s assuming the same appliance efficiency. In reality, a high efficiency gas appliance is only 96% efficient, while a standard heat pump is 330% or more efficient. Factoring in efficiency, natural gas is at 57 kg per MBTU of energy and electricity is at 21 kg per MBTU of energy. That means electricity has less than half the carbon emissions! While there are a few electricity regions in the United States where natural gas has slightly lower emissions, remember that this is based off of 2016 data. Electricity generation has only gotten cleaner with more renewables since then and will continue to do so.

The technology already exists to completely electrify buildings, especially in warmer climates such as California. When looking at a normal building there are three typical reasons for natural gas consumption. The first is space heating, the second is hot water, and the third is cooking. Both space heating and hot water can be replaced by heat pumps. A heat pump is essentially an air conditioning unit running backwards, and they are extremely common. Any rooftop packaged HVAC unit can easily be replaced with a heat pump. Buildings with boilers that make hot water for space heating can use a heat pump to make hot water. The same technology can be used to make hot water for sinks, showers, and other plumbing and kitchen fixtures. Cooking may seem daunting, but the answer is very simple. Induction cooking is an extremely efficient, high precision way to cook and it only uses electricity. Induction cooking is common in Europe but isn’t as widespread in the United States. There aren’t any downsides to induction cooking since is offers more control than gas while reducing cooking times. Whether at home on a busy night or in a restaurant trying to eke out a profit, cooking time is important.

I can personally attest to all of these technologies. At home my wife and I have a heat pump for space heating, a heat pump water heater, and induction cooking. They all work great, and I don’t ever want to go back to any gas alternatives. Additionally, the lack of gas provides us with peace of mind since our fire risk is lower, and I don’t have to remember to shut off the gas line in the event of an earthquake.

The push to decarbonize buildings is necessary if we are going to limit the destructive impacts of climate change, but it will provide some secondary benefits as well. New buildings won’t have to install natural gas, which avoids piping and installation costs, meter costs, and waiting on the utility to turn on the meter. The Clean Power Alliance says an all-electric new home costs approximately $6,000 less than a home with natural gas. Additionally, burning gas creates emissions other than carbon dioxide. Toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, and others will be reduced as our buildings move away from natural gas. Once you combine all of these benefits it is easy to see why building decarbonization is such an important step forward, and why so many companies and governments are moving in that direction.

Heat Waves

By Hannah McCurdy, A/G Intern

Summer of 2019 has been relatively mild in Los Angeles—at least by LA standards. However, the same cannot be said in other parts of the world. Intense, record-breaking heat waves struck Europe earlier this summer as heat from Northern Africa rose further North. As the heat cascaded through Europe, several nuclear power plants in Germany and France were forced to shut down because the cooling water became too hot. Across Europe, countries set record-shattering temperatures, with many areas lacking the infrastructure to handle temperatures over 100°. Moreover, temperatures did not drop during the night which was highly problematic because there was no opportunity for buildings, or people, to cool overnight.

Global warming continues to cause heat-related disasters. Heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense. As a result, heating in the Arctic and Antarctic circles has progressed much faster than the Northern Hemisphere. After this heatwave passed through Europe, it moved toward Greenland and the Arctic, causing large ice sheets to melt at unprecedented levels.

It is clear to climate scientists that climate change and global warming are significant factors in these heat waves. People continue to seek ways to find comfort during these large stretches of extreme heat, yet some of these solutions actually contribute to the problem. Air conditioning units, considered a necessity to living in LA, contributes to global warming. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)* are a chemical compound released during the manufacturing process and in leaking units. HFCs trap thousands of times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Thus, its critical to maintain air conditioning units. Additionally, air conditioning units increase electricity use. Environmentally friendly ways to stay cool includes visiting public cooling areas, such as malls and libraries, at least for parts of the day to reduce individual energy consumption. What strategies do you use to reduce the use of HFC’s during the Summer months? Comment below to join the conversation.

*See our previous blog post for more on HFC’s.