Welcome to Axiom's newsletter. This newsletter is focused on keeping our clients up to date with the latest changes in the dynamic world of sustainable building. Additionally, we also provide education and project specific consulting on sustainable design and construction methods. We hope you enjoy it!

Last week, we issued our annual 'State of the [GREEN] Union', and it was awesome if I say so myself. If you missed it, click here to read the archived version.

Did you miss our last newsletter? It featured articles such as '11/10/11 Understanding Eco-Labels and LEED', '12/13/11 Core Concepts & Strategies Workshop (LEED Green Associate)', 'Congratulations to Abstract Construction for achieving LEED CI v2009 Gold', 'Green Federal Buildings are a Financial Savings as Well', 'Green gov mandate threatened by budget cuts', 'Solar Investment, Texas style', 'First National Green Building Code Approved', 'LEED's Reach Grows despite Grim Economy, But Slower than Hoped', 'Can Voluntary Sustainability Change the World?' and 'The LEED AP (pronounced Leedapp). Click here to visit the archive.

The USGBC has released its 2011 list of top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. The District of Columbia leads the nation, with more than 31 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in 2011, with Colorado being the leading state, with 2.74 square feet per person in 2011.

"Looking past the bricks and mortar, people are at the heart of what buildings are all about," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. "Examining the per capita value of LEED square footage in these states allows us to focus on what matters most - the human element of green buildings." 

Other top states include Illinois, Virginia and Washington, with 2.69, 2.42 and 2.18 square feet of LEED-certified space per person, respectively. Texas ranked eight overall. 

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The fifth annual edition of our State of Green Business report continues our efforts to measure the environmental impacts of the emerging green economy. In addition to documenting what progress companies are making -- if any -- in improving their environmental performance, we track larger trends that will affect corporate America in 2012.

For the first time, this year's report includes essays from industry experts, including Amory Lovins, Jigar Shah and many others, exploring the trends that shape the commitments and success of the business world. There's good and bad news in this year's report; the good news is that companies continue to dedicate time, money and staff to setting and meeting ambitious environmental goals. 

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Jerry Yudelson is about as green as they come. In his more than 25 years of work in sustainability, he has been a member of the USGBC board of directors, a LEED national faculty member, and is the co-founder and director of the Green Building Service consulting unit at Portland General Electric. Last year, Wired magazine dubbed him "the godfather of green."

So what does the industry insider have to say about where things are going? "The construction industry is going to have modest growth this year." Yudelson unveiled a list of 10 other green megatrends destined for growth in 2012, both in the U.S. and abroad. And while, like the rest of the home building industry, green building will certainly face headwinds in coming days-such as squeezed budgets among families and governments-the market is poised for growth, he says. "You make money if you go green. If you don't go green, you're at a marketplace disadvantage."

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Southwest Airlines introduced a fresh cabin overhaul last week at their Dallas headquarters, touting advancements in sustainability, comfort and efficiency. 

The revamped design, known as "Evolve: The New Southwest Interior," incorporates "cabin updates utilizing durable and environmentally responsible products to reduce waste and create weight savings onboard the aircraft, while enhancing comfort for customers" says the company.

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The Navy has announced that it will ramp up its use of public-private partnerships to purchase one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2020. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement that one gigawatt is enough to power a city the size of Orlando, Fla. - or about 250,000 homes.

The purchase will be one means for the Navy to meet its goal that half of its energy comes from renewable sources by the end of fiscal 2020. President Obama in his State of the Union address singled out the Navy for "one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history."

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Pond Biofuels is piloting a new carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption system at St. Marys Cement. The new system will reduce greenhouse gases by absorbing dirty smokestack emissions to grow algae which can be used in oil production, converted into biodiesel and bioplastics or act as a renewable coal substitute. One ton of algae can yield 100 litres or more of biodiesel.

"Algal biomass can produce the same amount of energy as the equivalent amount of coal, and can be refined to produce higher grade fuels such as diesel and ethanol among others," reads the company website.

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