Coalition formed to create green focus academy

A growing coalition of national organizations focusing on the built environment has agreed to create a new National Academy of Environmental Design (NAED), to coordinate research, generate new knowledge, distribute vital information, and make recommendations to policy makers on how to reduce the negative impact of cities, buildings, landscapes and transportation on the global climate.

It is estimated that the built environment (cities and buildings together) produces nearly half of all the greenhouse gases and consumes almost 40% of the energy that humans use. More than 20 schools of design and more than 100 faculty members nationwide have signed on in support of this proposal, with the goal of seeking congressional support for its establishment in 2009.

For more information, visit www.acsa-arch.org.