Global Green USA is a national environmental organization addressing three great challenges facing humanity. http://globalgreen.org/press/ Copyright 2008, Global Green New York, NY - December 10, 2008 - Global Green USA honored leading innovators for their extraordinary “designs” at the organization’s 9th Annual Sustainable Design Awards event at New York's Pier Sixty. This year’s honorees include: Policy Design: Governor Bill Richardson, New Mexico Organizational Design: Rosemary Ellis, Editor in Chief, Good Housekeeping Founders Award: Robert S. Bucklin, Chief Corporate Banking Officer, Rabobank International Green Building Design: Jeffrey C. Hines, President, Hines Product/Industrial Design: Datuk Vinod Sekhar, Chairman & CEO, Green Rubber – A Petra Group Company Katie Couric co-hosted the event along with David Hyde Pierce, Edward Norton (Global Green Board Member), Mel Gibson, and Brian Cox (Global Green New York Committee Member). Other notable attendees included Richard Donner, Robert Towne, and Pat Mitchell (President, Paley Center). The awards embody Global Green USA’s vision to foster a global value shift towards a sustainable and secure future through innovative policy, building, business, organizational, and industrial designs. http://globalgreen.org/press/85 2008-12-10 Dec 2, 2008 – Poznan, Poland/Los Angeles, CA – Global Green USA, on behalf of President Gorbachev's Green Cross International (GCI), released the first-of-its-kind Global Solar Report Card at the opening of the International Climate Conference in Poland.  The report card can be found here. The report spotlights countries that have designed the most promising policy frameworks for solar marketplace development and compares 16 countries' (and California's) efforts to incentivize the manufacture and deployment of solar power. "The U.S.' C+ grade confirms that President-Elect Obama has ample opportunity to invest more in solar power today and begin shifting energy subsidies from dirty fossil fuels to clean solar technologies," said Matt Petersen, head of Global Green and chairman of GCI's energy program. "Solar power has incredible potential to deliver substantial amounts of clean electricity while reducing electricity bills and creating new, green jobs in manufacturing and solar installation." http://globalgreen.org/press/83 2008-12-02 Event Features Kate Bosworth, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Elliott Yamin, Sebastian Siegel, Darren Moore and hundreds of Global Green supporters San Francisco, CA - Dec. 2nd - Global Green USA celebrated their 4th Annual San Francisco Benefit Party on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008. Held at San Francisco¹s LEED certified Bently Reserve, the event focused on green solutions that can help address the world¹s economic, energy and environmental crises. Proceeds from the evening benefited Global Green¹s initiatives nationally and in the Bay Area including its groundbreaking work to rebuild New Orleans green, to create green affordable housing that dramatically reduces high energy bills for low-income families and to create healthy green schools. The event, entitled "Gorgeous and Green," was co-chaired by Zem Joaquin, Matt Petersen and Nadine Weil.  The event included a VIP dinner and exclusive performance by American Idol finalist Elliot Yamin, as well as a presentation by climate expert and Global Green Advisory Board member Dr. Stephen Schneider. http://globalgreen.org/press/84 2008-12-02 Emergency Response Studio, by Paul Villinski, is a solar-powered, mobile artist's studio, repurposed from a salvaged FEMA-style trailer. This sustainably re-built, off-the-grid living and work space is designed to enable artists to "embed" in post-disaster settings, and respond and contribute creatively. Villinski conceived the project in response to the devastation of post-Katrina New Orleans as "a symbol of transformation and possibility for the communities of the Gulf Coast."  ERS will be exhibited in Prospect .1 New Orleans, the largest exhibition of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States, which opens throughout the Cresent City November first, 2008. Villinski's vision for ERS was realized through vital funding and in-kind donations from generous supporters, including Global Green USA. http://globalgreen.org/press/82 2008-10-30 Calls for North Korea to Reciprocate and Join the Chemical Weapons Convention Washington, DC - Oct 17, 2008 - In an unannounced step forward in global elimination of chemical weapons, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) has recently become the second country to complete the destruction of its declared chemical weapons stockpile.  Dr. Paul Walker, Director of Global Green USA’s Security and Sustainability Program, stated that “the elimination of several thousand tons of deadly nerve agents in South Korea marks a major historic initiative in global abolition of chemical weapons, in implementation of the international Chemical Weapons Convention, and in demilitarizing the Korean Peninsula.  South Korea deserves our sincere congratulations in destroying its entire chemical weapons arsenal and making the Korean Peninsula a more stable and peaceful region.” http://globalgreen.org/press/81 2008-10-17 Inadequate Global Investment in Solar Technology Impedes Ability to Combat Climate Change and Provide Sustainable Energy Future   Final Grades and Full Report to be Released in Advance of The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Posnan San Diego, CA - October 14, 2008 - Global Green USA President Matt Petersen unveiled the organization’s first annual Global Solar Report Card at the Solar Power International Conference in San Diego.  The first of its kind report compares the solar energy policies of 14 countries and the state of California. “Solar power has a tremendous potential to deliver substantial amounts of clean electricity while creating new jobs in manufacturing and solar installation,” said Matt Petersen.  “Solar power will only become competitive once government incentives and policies help advance the market—something that could easily be achieved by eliminating subsidies for polluting oil and gas and investing them in solar.” http://globalgreen.org/press/80 2008-10-14 Initiative to Help NOLA Residents Save Money on High Utility Bills and Improve Health; Two Year Program to help thousands of Road Home Recipient Families Rebuild Green New Orleans, LA - ­ October 8, 2008 - As fuel adjustments drive energy bills sky-high in Louisiana, Global Green USA is offering a new program for the public to get information and advice on how to significantly reduce their energy use and improve their health with energy-efficient, non-toxic green building products and materials. Global Green’s “Build it Back Green” is a new initiative that will make it easier for Louisiana residents to learn how to find and install simple, cost-effective green products into their homes. Through a dedicated website www.globalgreen.org/bibg, Global Green is now offering a comprehensive directory of green products and where to find them, information on how to take advantage of some of the statewide and federal incentives for green building, and other useful green building tips and advice. The program will also launch city-wide workshops tailored to specific neighborhood needs, and encourage community use of both the Global Green Resource Center on Carondelet Street and the Holy Cross Project¹s entirely sustainable Global Green House in the Lower 9th ward.  Global Green hopes to educate and motivate those looking to not just rebuild their homes to be more energy-efficient, but to also be more storm resistant. http://globalgreen.org/press/79 2008-10-08 Global Green to reopen Holy Cross Home/Visitor Center in New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward. Green Features Built to Survive Storms and Fight Climate Change New Orleans, LA - September 4, 2008 - Global Green USA New Orleans Director Beth Galante surveyed Global Green’s Holy Cross Project Visitor Center for the first time since Gustav hit the Gulf Coast today.  The house, made possible with lead funding partner The Home Depot Foundation, was built specifically to withstand water and high winds, in addition to being a LEED Platinum home that generates all of its own electricity and will save future homeowners money on utilities while improving their health. “As my fellow New Orleanians return home, I am excited that our model home can serve as a learning tool for families looking to rebuild tough green homes that are more likely to withstand future storms,” said Beth Galante.  “With thousands of people already visiting this home, hopefully we’ve already begun to inspire a better way to rebuild.” http://globalgreen.org/press/78 2008-09-04 August 11, Washington, DC - Global Green USA, the US national environmental affiliate of Mikhail Gorbachev's Green Cross International, today applauded the work of the Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) of the US Department of Defense, which announced the neutralization of the final container of deadly VX nerve agent at Newport, Indiana. Dr. Paul Walker, Director of Global Green USA's "Security and Sustainability Program," stated that "the successful elimination of the 1,269 tons of VX nerve agent over the past 39 months represents a major, historic step forward in protecting American citizens, removing a potential target for terrorist attack, and fulfilling our legal obligations under the international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to abolish our total declared chemical weapons stockpile of 31,500 tons by 2012."  "However," he added, "the Bush Administration and the US Congress have failed to adequately fund the safe destruction of chemical weapons in both the US and Russia today, thereby delaying the process for a decade or more and potentially undermining the global ban on this whole class of weapons of mass destruction." http://globalgreen.org/press/77 2008-08-11 New Orleans - July 17, 2008 - Global Green USA has contributed $300,000 plus technical expertise to fund the transformation of the Andrew H. Wilson Elementary School into the first offical Model Green School, raising the bar for community rebuilding standards. Partnering with the Recovery School District, Global Green USA will rebuild and apply LEED Silver status green renovations to the school building that sustained severe damage due to levee failures after Hurricane Katrina. On Thursday, July 17 at 2:00 p.m., a groundbreaking event will be held on the campus of the Wilson School to kick-off the important community alliance formed between Global Green USA, the Andrew H. Wilson Elementary School, the Broadmoor Improvement Association (BIA) and the Recovery School District (RSD) for redevelopment with a focus on modeling the latest in green, sustainable building. http://globalgreen.org/press/75 2008-07-17 Los Angeles, CA - June 12, 2008 - Global Green USA will be presenting its 12th Annual Millennium Awards honoring leading innovators for their extraordinary environmental contributions on Saturday, June 14th at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. Alfre Woodard will host the event, which recognizes those whose lives and livelihood embody Global Green USA’s mission of fostering a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure world. “As our communities grapple with the global and local threats posed by climate change, it is exciting to be reminded of some of the extraordinary initiatives that individual, corporate and government leaders are pioneering to help create and implement solutions to global warming,” said Global Green USA President and CEO Matt Petersen. “These honorees demonstrate that smart solutions to global warming exist, are economically viable and provide invaluable health and environmental benefits to our communities.” http://globalgreen.org/press/66 2008-06-14 Washington, DC - June 12, 2008 - Global Green USA, the U.S. affiliate of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Green Cross International, welcomes the official opening of Russia’s fourth major facility for the destruction of its chemical weapons arsenal and urges safety and transparency as destruction gets underway. The facility, located near Leonidovka in the Penza Oblast (350 miles SE of Moscow), holds 6,885 metric tons of VX, sarin, and soman nerve agents, about 17% of Russia’s declared chemical weapons stockpile. http://globalgreen.org/press/72 2008-06-12 Green Cross Experts to Speak at CWD 2008 Conference in Interlaken Washington, DC - May 18, 2008 - The international Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997, just celebrated its eleventh anniversary in The Hague where its implementing agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) hosted the second Five-Year Review Conference. The CWC has now been signed by 183 countries and has verified the safe and sound destruction of over 27,500 metric tons of deadly chemical weapons in five declared possessor states. http://globalgreen.org/press/4 2008-05-18 Global Green and The Home Depot Foundation Bring Hope to Katrina Ravaged Neighborhood through Completion of New Healthy, Energy-Efficient, Green Homes New Orleans, LA - May 15, 2008 - Global Green USA and The Home Depot® Foundation today celebrated the completion of the first green home built in the Lower Ninth Ward with residents and city officials from the Holy Cross neighborhood. This home, the first-of-its-kind completed in the area, will serve as a visitor center while the project, including five single-family homes, an 18 multi-unit apartment complex and a community center/Sustainable Design and Climate Action Institute, are completed. http://globalgreen.org/press/5 2008-05-15 Matt Petersen Named Senior Fellow by The Hillary Institute of International Leadership May, 2008 - Global Green USA senior staff have been recognized nationally and internationally for their leadership in finding smart solutions to the world biggest environmental problems. The Hillary Institute of International Leadership has marked its first operational year of working on Leadership in Climate Change Solutions by appointing Global Green USA President and CEO Matt Petersen as a Hillary Senior Fellow. Matt will serve as an ambassador for the Institute’s search for exceptional mid-career Leadership. http://globalgreen.org/press/67 2008-05-12 City Council passes comprehensive and far reaching plan - a first for a major American City that would reduce LA's carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons by 2012  Los Angeles, CA - April 22, 2008 - Taking bold action to combat climate change in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today joined City Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmembers Jan Perry, Ed Reyes and Bill Rosendahl to sign the Private Sector Green Building Plan into law setting LA on course to cut carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons by 2012. http://globalgreen.org/press/13 2008-04-22 First in the Nation Zero Energy Measure Would Dramatically Reduce Carbon Emissions from California Homes Los Angeles, CA - April 15, 2008 - Yesterday the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee passed AB 2112, the Residential Buildings Zero Net Energy Bill. The bill, sponsored by Global Green USA and authored by Lori Saldaña (D- San Diego) will require all new residential buildings to be net zero energy by the year 2020. http://globalgreen.org/press/15 2008-04-15 New Orleans, LA - April 10, 2008 - Global Green USA has partnered with domino magazine to decorate and furnish the first home to be completed in Global Green USA’s Holy Cross Project, with lead funding partner the Home Depot Foundation.  Some of the interiors – as well as all of the green building features in the showcase home -- will be available for the public to view beginning next month when Global Green unveils its first completed home as a Visitor’s Center. http://globalgreen.org/press/16 2008-04-10 Washington D.C. - April 1 2008 - Ambassador Rogelio Pfirter, the Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, will speak on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, at 11 AM in the US House of Representatives (1116 Longworth HOB) on the status of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which mandates the elimination of over 70,000 tons of deadly chemical agents in six declared possessor states. http://globalgreen.org/press/17 2008-04-01 Los Angeles, CA. (February 21, 2008) - Celebrities, industry executives and environmentalists joined Global Green USA CEO Matt Petersen on Wednesday, February 20th at the Avalon in Hollywood for the 5th Annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party. The theme of this year’s event is: “Time To Act -- Reduce your Carbon Footprint today: Drive Green, Live Green, Vote Green. The event was emceed by Bill Maher and featured special performances by GRAMMY® Nominated artist Michelle Branch, Oscar nominated artists Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (Once) with Damien Rice, Michael Franti, and other surprise guests. http://globalgreen.org/press/1 2008-02-21 Silver Spring, MD – Jan 17, 2008 - Planet Green, Discovery Communications’ multiplatform environmental initiative, today announced partnerships with ten of the world’s leading non-profit environmental organizations and advocacy groups. Ashoka, Earth Pledge, Earthwatch Institute, Environmental Media Association (EMA), Global Green USA, Global Inheritance, National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Oceana, Ocean Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy will work with Discovery’s Planet Green on a broad range of activities and initiatives including grassroots community outreach, public affairs and content creation. http://globalgreen.org/press/18 2008-01-17 San Francisco, CA - Dec. 18th - Global Green USA celebrated their 3rd Annual San Francisco Benefit Party on Tuesday, December 18, 2007. Held at San Francisco’s LEED certified Bently Reserve, the event focused on green design solutions to combat climate change and other environmental issues. Proceeds from the evening benefited Global Green’s projects, including their Green Schools Initiative and the Holy Cross project, 
the first sustainable low-income housing community in New Orleans’s Lower 9th Ward. http://globalgreen.org/press/73 2007-12-17 New York, NY - December 3, 2007 - On the first day of the Bali climate change summit, Global Green USA honored leading innovators for their extraordinary contributions at their 8th Annual Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards event at New York's Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park on Monday, December 3rd. Unfortunately, if leaders do not act within the next few years, global warming could ultimately cause Lower Manhattan to be under water with a three meter sea level rise (see attached image). Katie Couric hosted the event, and speakers included Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Glenn Close, Kyra Sedgwick, Josh Lucas, Eve Ensler, Brian Cox and Josie Maran. Other notable attendees included Chevy Chase, Pat Mitchell and Jeff Greenfield. The awards embody the environmental spirit of Global Green USA’s vision to foster a global value shift towards a sustainable and secure future. http://globalgreen.org/press/21 2007-12-03 New Orleans, LA - November 21, 2007- Global Green USA's Holy Cross Project, the most significant new construction in the Lower Ninth Ward since Katrina, is being developed on a formerly vacant site with some former light industrial use that left behind what is known as a brownfield. As such, we are addressing the soil contaminants we have found, mostly some isolated pockets of lead that, as we understand from the previous owner, resulted from sandblasting related to the adjacent wharf activities. As an environmental group we are taking most aggressive remediation process available, and hope others will do same. http://globalgreen.org/press/22 2007-11-21 Washington, D.C. - November 5, 2007 - Global Green USA, the U.S. affiliate of Green Cross International, finished in an honorable sixth place in the Peace Primary Campaign organized by the Ploughshares Fund. Global Green USA would like to thank the many voters who donated to our organization through this campaign, and who posted so many words of encouragement for our work. http://globalgreen.org/press/23 2007-11-05 New Orleans, LA - October 5, 2007 - Two years after Katrina, much remains to be done. All basic infrastructure in the city has been restored—including electrical, water, and sewage. The city has completed its master planning process that has been approved at the State and Federal level and a significant portion of federal funds have just been released to the city of New Orleans. Several new investment and infrastructure projects are now also in the final planning stages. The city has expressed a great interest in embracing green building, but up to this point has lacked the capacity and funding to incorporate those elements. The city is currently advertising for an energy policy manager to help implement the comprehensive energy planning that is currently underway.  New Orleans is poised to begin rebuilding in earnest and it is crucial that this nascent effort be aided by qualified green building experts including Global Green USA, the American affiliate of Green Cross International.  http://globalgreen.org/press/24 2007-10-05 New Orleans, LA - August 21, 2007 – Global Green USA celebrated a milestone before the 2nd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by touring progress of their first affordable green home under construction. The Holy Cross project is one of the first new home construction projects to be built in the Lower 9th Ward. The home, whose solar panels will generate enough electricity to power the home, is expected to be LEED Platinum certified. It is being built with green products and energy efficient systems that will ultimately be included in the completed project of five single family homes, an 18 multi-unit apartment complex and a community center/Sustainable Design and Climate Action Institute. Brad Pitt (initial sponsor and chair of the sustainable design competition jury), Global Green USA® and The Home Depot® Foundation -- the project’s lead funding partner -- toured the home with local community leaders and unveiled the final design for the project. http://globalgreen.org/press/26 2007-08-21 New Orleans, LA - August 21, 2007 - Global Green USA President Matt Petersen announced the second phase of its Capital Campaign seeking $10 million dollars for the final construction and ongoing operation of its groundbreaking Community Center/Sustainable Design and Climate Action Institute project. The Institute will be a "Center of Excellence" for the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast that demonstrates all aspects of green building, said Petersen. It will also be a gathering place of information, knowledge and leadership generated by the sustainable design and green building activity in and around New Orleans in response to Hurricane Katrina. http://globalgreen.org/press/27 2007-08-21 August 14, 2007 - Morphosis Architects announced that they are donating the funds they received from the Zumtobel Group Award to Global Green USA. The announcement was made by Thom Mayne, the firm’s founder and President, as he accepted the award at a ceremony in Bregenz, Switzerland today. "This award honors the total performance of a building and its optimistic contribution towards a better world. The Federal Building represents the collective efforts of many people-our client, my team, a huge group of consultants, artists, and builders-all of whom worked together tirelessly towards achieving a shared goal of raising the standard for sustainable design. Because of this, it seemed most appropriate to pass this award along to an organization whose core mission is inseparable from issues of sustainability and humanity, Global Green USA.”  http://globalgreen.org/press/25 2007-08-14 Hastings , NE – June 25, 2007 - Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) today announced that Hastings, Nebraska, has won its “Be a Better Planet" Greenest City in America challenge. The birthplace of Kool-Aid, Hastings will receive a grand prize of $250,000 to be dedicated toward city greening projects, developed in conjunction with Global Green USA. More than 350 cities participated in the "Be a Better Planet" (http://better.yahoo.com/planet) program, which challenged Americans to take action against climate change.  http://globalgreen.org/press/29 2007-06-25 Los Angeles - June 25, 2007 - Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Jan Perry joined Enterprise Community Partners and Global Green USA to announce the award recipients for the Los Angeles Green Communities Program. Launched in Los Angeles in April of 2007, the local chapter is part of a $555 million national program on behalf of Enterprise to provide financial incentives and technical assistance to affordable housing developments looking to green their projects, and to connect the health and economic benefits of green building to low-income communities. http://globalgreen.org/press/30 2007-06-25 Los Angeles, CA - June 14, 2007 - Global Green USA is bringing together leaders of the green school movement for a day-long discussion and exploration of current green school practices, new funding opportunities and emerging trends. The event will feature a keynote address by Guy Mehula, Chief of Facilities for Los Angeles Unified. Mehula oversees the largest new green school construction project in the country with the technical support from Global Green USA. Additional featured speakers include Glen Earthman, one of the authors of a recent green schools report from the National Academy of Sciences and Global Green President Matt Petersen. http://globalgreen.org/press/31 2007-06-14  Irmelin DiCaprio, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Jena King, David Orr and Pierre André Senizergues Honored at Event Los Angeles, CA - June 9th, 2007 - Green has taken on a new glow over the past year and Global Green USA will honor some of the leaders that helped make that happen this Saturday, June 9th. They will be honored at Global Green USA’s 11th Annual Green Cross Millennium Awards event held this year at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey. http://globalgreen.org/press/32 2007-06-09 New Orleans, LA - June 7, 2007 - Global Green USA is proud to announce the selection of the first of its five "Green Seed Schools", A.P. Tureaud Elementary School at 2021 Pauger Street, in the 7th Ward of New Orleans.  The Green Seed School program, with support from a grant by the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund, will help selected schools implement energy saving upgrades. Each school will first receive an energy and indoor air quality audit which will then serve as a road map for targeted energy and air quality upgrades at the schools.  Global Green USA will provide funding to enable the schools to implement many of the needed upgrades. http://globalgreen.org/press/33 2007-06-07 Poway, CA - June 5, 2007 - SOLARA, the first apartment community in California to be fully powered by the sun, officially opened today. This development represents a breakthrough in integrating solar in multifamily housing and establishes a new standard in sustainable design.  "We designed SOLARA to be totally green from the inside out," said Sue Reynolds, President and CEO of Community HousingWorks, the developer/owner of SOLARA. "The fact that SOLARA is also an affordable housing project proves that 'green' is not just for high-end homes." http://globalgreen.org/press/34 2007-06-05 New Orleans, LA - May 10, 2007 – Global Green USA® today named The Home Depot® Foundation its lead funding partner for a green affordable housing community in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Home Depot Foundation is the largest supporter of this project aimed at fostering support for “greening” the entire rebuilding effort in New Orleans. The Holy Cross neighborhood will be rebuilt based on a winning design selected from among 125 concepts created by the top designers and architects for urban sustainable building from around the world. Brad Pitt combined his passion for intelligent architecture with Global Green’s commitment to green affordable housing and sustainable cities to co-create and chair the Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans, announced last April. Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen of Workshop/APD in New York created the winning design, which will be unveiled today. "I'm so happy that this dream is going to become reality,” said Brad Pitt.  “Today we are one small step closer to a future of smart design and a rebuilt New  Orleans.  We hope this project points the way to that future, and we want to thank the Home Depot Foundation for helping us take this important step."  http://globalgreen.org/press/36 2007-05-10 New Orleans, LA - May 10th, 2007 - Global Green USA celebrated the exciting expansion of its green rebuilding initiatives today at an event in the Holy Cross Neighborhood.  Their New Orleans green schools initiative will benefit thousands of students and teachers by providing technical assistance and resources to local schools.  The goal of the high performance schools initiative is to create healthier classrooms and more energy efficient schools that in turn improve student performance and save money for school districts, while helping protect the environment and reducing global warming. The initiative has been made possible by a grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund. http://globalgreen.org/press/37 2007-05-10 Initiative Kicks Off with Calls for New Orleans K-12 Students to submit art and poetry that will be featured at an Aerial Art Showcase Celebrating the Green Rebuilding of New Orleans New Orleans, LA - April 24, 2007 - Global Green USA today announced an exciting expansion of its green rebuilding initiatives in New Orleans that will help benefit thousands of students and teachers by providing technical assistance and resources to local schools. The goal of the high performance schools initiative is to create healthier classrooms and more energy efficient schools that in turn improve student performance and save money for school districts, while helping protect the environment and reducing global warming. The initiative has been made possible by a grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund. http://globalgreen.org/press/35 2007-04-24 April 18, 2007 - Global Green USA is urging people to reduce their global warming pollution this year and offering smart tips on how. These tips will help people celebrate Earth Day in eco-style this year- and make a real difference in years to come. The simple tips Global Green is offering have the potential to make a big impact. By just implementing these smart solutions people could reduce their own global warming pollution by 4000 pounds this year. http://globalgreen.org/press/38 2007-04-18 WASHINGTON, D.C., April 11 – The U.S. Army confirmed yesterday that it plans to ship over a million gallons of nerve agent VX by-product from Newport, Indiana to an incinerator operated by Veolia Environmental Services in Port Arthur, Texas. The hydrolysate will be trucked through eight states: Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas as early as April 20, according to some sources. Global Green USA urges the US Army to open the proposed shipment to the public eye, and to involve all communities and stakeholders along the 1,000-mile route as soon as possible. http://globalgreen.org/press/39 2007-04-11 Entertaining, Fun and Educational Online Experience Aims to Raise Awareness and Motivate Real World Action by Individuals, Communities and Businesses to Combat Global Warming SEATTLE; Apr. 5, 2007 – Starbucks and Global Green USA have teamed up to encourage individuals to “click, play and learn” about global climate change and smart solutions with the launch of Planet Green Game. Through the online game – located at www.planetgreengame.com – players can explore a virtual world and learn how everyday decisions by individuals, cities, schools and businesses can impact the climate and environment. The game offers real-world examples of how individuals can change their own behavior and also influence the actions of community, political and corporate leaders to engage in the effort to stop global warming. http://globalgreen.org/press/40 2007-04-05 Stars Skipping Gas Guzzlers; Arriving in Eco-Friendly Vehicles - 5th Year of Global Green’s Red Carpet/Green Cars Campaign Los Angeles, CA. - February 23, 2007 - To shine the light on solutions to climate change and lend their star power to the problem of global warming, some of the world’s biggest celebrities are choosing to arrive at the Academy Awards in ‘green cars’.  Instead of stretch limos or SUV’s, they’ll be arriving in eco-friendly hybrids, electric sports cars and other green vehicles.  Celebrities and notable individuals participating this year include: Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz, Forest Whittaker, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Ryan Gosling, Gwyneth Paltrow, Al and Tipper Gore, Melissa Etheridge, Davis Guggenheim and Elisabeth Shue, Larry andLaurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns, Lesley Chilcott. http://globalgreen.org/press/41 2007-02-23 Los Angeles, CA. - February 21, 2007 – Celebrities, industry executives and environmentalists will join Global Green USA CEO Matt Petersen on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at the Avalon in Hollywood for the 3 rd Annual Global Green Pre-Oscar Party. The event will feature an exclusive performance by Maroon 5 who will be joined by co-chairs and Oscar Nominees Penelope Cruz and Leonardo DiCaprio and Global Green board member and event co-chair Sebastian Copeland, to raise essential awareness and funds. During a special afternoon preview and at the party, Global Green USA will help bring attention to the importance of green building and clean cars as key solutions to global warming. The event will also serve as the official kick off for Global Green’s Red Carpet/Green Cars Oscar campaign which provides fuel-efficient vehicles for celebrities attending the Oscars in lieu of gas-guzzling limousines. http://globalgreen.org/press/42 2007-02-21 HOLLYWOOD, February 21, 2007: Global Green USA will host its 3 rd Annual Pre-Oscar Party with Co- Hosts Penelope Cruz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Salma Hayek and special guests Sebastian Copeland, Matt Petersen, Heidi Cullen, Steve Schneider, Maroon 5 and many more to benefit Global Green’s global warming initiatives including the green rebuilding of New Orleans at the Avalon http://globalgreen.org/press/43 2007-02-21 WASHINGTON, DC, MOSCOW, ZURICH, February 8, 2007: Global Green USA's Legacy Program announces the opening to the public of the first ever Green Cross Public Outreach and Information Office (POIO) at a nuclear weapons dismantlement site in the Russian Federation in the city of Severodvinsk. http://globalgreen.org/press/45 2007-02-08 Green Design Event Raises Funds to Green New Orleans and Advance Sustainable Cities, Urban Schools, and Affordable Housing Across California and the US SAN FRANCISCO, December 12, 2006: Global Green USA hosted its 2nd annual San Francisco event at the LEED certified Bently Reserve tonight, attended by Salma Hayek, Orlando Bloom and hundreds of supporters.  The event focused on green design solutions to combat global warming and other environmental problems. "As the world struggles to combat poverty and global warming, Global Green USA is proving we can find solutions that benefit our communities and reduce global warming pollution," said Salma Hayek. “We can all do our part to tackle global warming in a way that also improves the lives of those on the edge, whether it is the Inuit people in the Arctic Circle or low-income families in San Francisco or Los Angeles." http://globalgreen.org/press/47 2006-12-12 WASHINGTON, DC and GENEVA- November 29, 2006 – Over fifty experts, diplomats and representatives of international organizations participated in a day-long roundtable discussion on global biosecurity and biosafety issues – sometimes called “bio-risk management” – at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 8, 2006. The general purpose of the conference was to raise key issues and recommendations regarding the prevention of, and response to, outbreaks of disease globally and to strengthen the existing international ban on biological weapons. This discussion took place less than two weeks before the opening of the BTWC RevCon in Geneva on November 20 th (scheduled to run through December 8, 2006). http://globalgreen.org/press/49 2006-11-29 WASHINGTON, DC- October 15, 2006 –Green Cross International, and three of its national affiliates, Green Cross Switzerland, Green Cross Russia, and Global Green USA, will host an all-day roundtable discussion on “Developing a Comprehensive Biosecurity Regime.” The event is sponsored by the United Nations Office at Geneva Director-General, Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, and will take place in the Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, November 8, 2006. The President of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Sixth Review Conference, Mr. Masood Khan of Pakistan, will provide a keynote address. http://globalgreen.org/press/50 2006-10-15 WASHINGTON, DC- October 12, 2006 – Green Cross International, and its affiliates, Green Cross Italy, Green Cross Switzerland, Green Cross Russia, and Global Green USA, in collaboration with the Monterey Institute Center for Nonproliferation Studies and the International Affairs Institute, will host a roundtable discussion on “Current Global Partnership Initiatives and Italian Programs: Submarine Dismantlement, Chemical Weapons Destruction, and Plutonium Disposition in Russia.” The event is sponsored by the Italian Senate President, Mr. Franco Marini, and will take place in the Italian Senate, Rome, Italy on October 19, 2006 between 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM. http://globalgreen.org/press/51 2006-10-12 WASHINGTON, DC- September 7, 2006 – Global Green USA, the U.S. affiliate of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Green Cross International, welcomes the official opening of the Russian Federal Agency for Industry’s third major facility for the destruction of its chemical weapons arsenal and urges safety and transparency as destruction gets underway. The facility, located near Maradikovsky in the Kirov Oblast (300 miles NE of Moscow), is the first to destroy nerve agents. http://globalgreen.org/press/52 2006-09-07 NEW ORLEANS, LA, September 7, 2006 - Global Green USA President Matt Petersen and design jury chairman Brad Pitt announced the winner, Workshop/APD (Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchens) of the Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans at a press event last week at historic Gallier Hall in New Orleans. http://globalgreen.org/press/55 2006-09-07 NEW ORLEANS, LA, August 31, 2006 - Global Green USA President Matt Petersen and design jury chairman Brad Pitt announced the winners of the Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans today.    "The winning design integrated the newest sustainable technologies while drawing upon the wisdom of the past," said Matt Petersen, President of Global Green USA.  "The impressive innovations show how to rebuild a healthier New Orleans. These homes, once built, will help improve the lives of families by lowering energy costs and improving the health of the residents." http://globalgreen.org/press/53 2006-08-31 NEW ORLEANS , LA AND SANTA MONICA, CA - July 17, 2006 – Global Green USA and Brad Pitt announced today 6 finalists for the Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans. Each finalist responded to the competition goals of demonstrating how green building and intelligent architecture can be brought together in an innovative way while respecting the historical context of New Orleans neighborhoods. The designs can be viewed and voted upon at www.globalgreen.org. http://globalgreen.org/press/54 2006-07-17 NEW ORLEANS , LA - July 14, 2006 – Surrounded by green building displays, Global Green USA President Matt Petersen was joined by design jury chairman Brad Pitt, Pritzker Award winner Thom Mayne and the rest of the jury made up of nationally renowned architects and environmental experts as they launched their Sustainable Design Competition for New Orleans. The event also included the competition jury, made up of nationally renowned architects and environmental experts, and marked the conclusion of four days of deliberations to review more than one hundred green building design submissions from across the country and around the world. http://globalgreen.org/press/56 2006-07-14 New York , N.Y. , June 12, 2006 – The U.S. Green Building Council, Turner Construction Company, the nation’s leading general builder, and Global Green USA, today 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. http://globalgreen.org/press/58 2006-06-12 O'Connell, former State Senator Alpert, Join San Diego Unified and School Districts Across California in Endorsing High Performance, Green Schools ESCONDIDO, May 3, 2006 – Joined by teachers, parents, and students at the San Pasqual Elementary School, California State Schools Superintendent Jack O’Connell called for all new schools funded by state monies to meet the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) school building standard. He also expressed his support for SB 69, which allocates $100 million dollars for new High Performance School Construction. http://globalgreen.org/press/59 2006-05-03 February 28, Washington, DC – Global Green USA, the U.S. affiliate of Mikhail Gorbachev’s Green Cross International, welcomes the official opening of the Russian Federal Agency for Industry’s second major facility for the destruction of its chemical weapons arsenal and urges safety and transparency as destruction gets underway.  The facility, located in Kambarka, Udmurt Republic, was built with assistance from several countries, including Germany.  The official opening of the facility is scheduled for March 1, 2006. http://globalgreen.org/press/63 2006-02-28 Global Green USA, Green Cross Join Researchers, Experts in Calling for Urgent Action, Smart Solutions to Combat Climate Change Now Los Angeles, February 16, 2006 - A multi-national expedition of scientific experts, researchers and photographers has brought back unique images from remote Antarctica, illustrating the melting ice shelf. To send a 'global warning' to the world about the threats posed by climate change and to encourage smart solutions (i.e., renewable energy, conservation, fuel efficiency), the group also sent a photo of themselves assembled on a stark white iceberg to form a large "human SOS." The message calls attention to the imminent danger caused by warming trends to Antarctica and the melting sea ice, not just to penguins in Antarctica but to all of humanity due to the resulting rising sea levels.  http://globalgreen.org/press/64 2006-02-16 LOS ANGELES, CA., April 28, 2005 – Castmembers Antonio Sabato, Jr., Schae Harrison, Ashley Jones, Joseph Mascolo, Lesli Kay and Winsor Harmon will arrive at the Daytime Emmy ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in hybrid-electric buses as part of Global Green’s ongoing celebrity Red Carpet/Green Cars campaign.  They will be joined by the Emmy nominated writers, directors and crew of The Bold and the Beautiful, which is providing the green transportation for all of its employees attending the Awards show. The initiative was coordinated by environmental group Global Green USA and made possible by eBus and ECO LIMO. By attending the Awards in a “green vehicle” with my fellow castmembers, I’m proud to promote smart solutions to climate change and hopefully inspire fans of the show to learn more about ways they can help stop global warming and promote Global Green’s environmental initiatives,” said Antonio Sabato, Jr. who sported a fashionable Global Green pin on the Red Carpet. http://globalgreen.org/press/60 2005-04-28 BALI, INDONESIA – Sunday, young people from across the planet formed themselves in the image of a half sunken planet on Kuta Beach near the site of the UN Climate Change Conference. They called for immediate action in reversing the causes of global climate change. The image, formed by hundreds of youth delegates attending the conference, consisted of the planet earth half-drowned in the beach's rising tide. Climate change will severely impact many coastal cities with severe flooding, as shown in recent years, in areas across the planet such as New Orleans, Mexico, Bangladesh, and the Pacific Islands. http://globalgreen.org/press/20 0000-00-00 Global Green USA Board members and filmmakers Leonardo DiCaprio and Leila Conners Petersen, along with co-producer Nadia Conners (Global Green founding LA Committee member) and Global Green President Matt Petersen (who is featured in the film) will be among those walking the Red Carpet at tonights Hollywood Premiere. http://globalgreen.org/press/28 0000-00-00 2006 was the hottest year on record in the US and that along with the recentglobal scientific report reconfirming that climate change is being caused by human activity has helped make global warming the hot issue for Hollywood. Some of the world’s biggest celebrities have lent their star power to raise awareness about smart solutions to the problem of climate change. http://globalgreen.org/press/44 0000-00-00 In Run-Up to Mid-July G-8 Summit, Conference to Address Nuclear Energy, Security, Nonproliferation, and Sustainable Futures For two days, July 3 and 4, 2006, a first-of-its-kind “Nuclear National Dialogue” will take place in Moscow. Organized by the non-governmental, environmental organization, Green Cross International (through three of its national affiliates – Green Cross Russia, Green Cross Switzerland, and Global Green USA) and by the Russian federal Department of Energy, RosAtom, the conference will bring together over one hundred nuclear energy and nonproliferation experts from over a dozen nations to publicly address major issues of safety, security, threat reduction, and the G-8 Global Partnership. http://globalgreen.org/press/57 0000-00-00