A Warm and Joyous Greeting to All of Our Friends and Partners

The year 2008 is full of wonderful opportunities for us and our Planet. Public support is complete for action on climate change and sustainability - owners, manufacturers and the capital markets are acting.

We recognize we are threatened by climate change at the verge of a global tipping point and increasing threats to global sustainability.

Fortunately, the solutions are in place, we have traction, and we will solve them thanks to the unique and unprecedented collaboration of many thousands in a consensus process over the last fifteen years whose achievements are summarized below.

The solutions are consensus sustainable product and green building standards for the global capital markets approved through the hard work in a balanced effort of experts in sustainable products, green building, life cycle assessment and capital markets, and environmental groups, designers, purchasers, manufacturers, investment banks, rating agencies, owners, builders, governments, and universities. 

We control the solutions.  We don't need government approval to implement them. 

There is large scale buy in and global support that will greatly:

• Increase corporate profits
• Reduce global pollution
• Improve global health, environment and our quality of life
• Improve energy and national security

Most importantly, we will stop Imminent Irreversible Dangerous Climate Change.

We look forward to celebrating and working with you throughout the year.  I know it will pay off and be highly successful.

Achievements through 2007:

• Sustainable Mortgage Backed Securities (ticker symbol MBS) Initiated With Hon. Mayor Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor, Hon. Bill Lockyer, California Treasurer, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, Swinerton Builders & Pyramid Companies who decided on November 16 to send out Invitations to the Sustainable MBS Launch at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in First Quarter 2008.
• SMaRT Sustainable Product Standard Adopted by:
  • American Institute of Architects
  • US Green Building Council / LEED
  • Wall Street Capital Markets Partnership
  • BigGreenPurse.com. 
  • Sustainable Furniture Council
• SMaRT Education Approved With US Green Building Council. 
• MTS: Achieved US Green Building Council Education Provider Status
  • Certified 200 manufacturer representatives to deliver SMaRT education and 15 Train the Trainers
  • Conducted a successful Sustainable Products Summit in Pittsburgh with the Green Building Alliance and over 200 participants
  • Briefed the Conference Board's Fortune 200 Chief Environmental Officers on SMaRT
  • Conducted a very successful SMaRT December Webinar with Environmental Design & Construction
  • Delivered five SMaRT Education Programs at conferences
• Forbo Flooring, Furniture & Bulletin Board Linoleum & Knoll Life Chair Achieved SMaRT Certifications. 
• Fireman's Fund Entertainment Division Initiated Support for Sustainable MBS and NYSE Meeting.
• Whole Systems Integrated Process (WSIP) ANSI Consensus Standard Approved for buildings and communities. 
  • The Navy shows 9% fewer change orders in using this process and substantial operational savings.
  • Steve Bushnel, Fireman's Fund, appointed WSIP Education Subcommittee Chairman by Bill Reed, CEO, Integrative Design Collaborative and John Boecker, Seven Group, WSIP Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.
• Eco2SMaRT Education Successfully Launched By Hoffmann & Associates & MTS for real estate community with Berkshire Hathaway brokers.

Comments

[KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz]

Great to discover your site, Mike, and look forward to amplifying your work as you go along! Please keep us informed and stop in, will you, to http://www.sustainablebrands08.com in June in Monterey. I know others who will be there (including Diane!) would be interested in your journey.

All the best in our shared pursuit of a better world,

KoAnn
Founder
Sustainable Life Media

[Diane MacEachern]

Mike,

Congratulations on all your achievements in 2007! Thanks to your innovation and commitment, consumers will be able to take actions that make a tremendous difference in the marketplace. By highlighting companies that meet the SMaRT standards and creating other mechanisms in the financial arena, you've given us hope that we can get climate change under control. What a great way to start the new year! I'll be sure to post updates on your efforts over at www.biggreenpurse.com.

Best, Diane MacEachern

[marguerite manteau-rao]

Mary,

Wishing all the best for this new year. You are doing some awesome work. You can count on my support!

http://lamarguerite.wordpress.com
'It's All About Green Psychology'