New Orleans Rebuilding Green Timeline
Global Green USA
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Global Green responded to Hurricane Katrina through smart solutions to climate change and the green rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Global Green was on the ground in New Orleans, evaluating how we could respond to the disaster. Since then, Global Green unveiled an aggressive plan to rebuild New Orleans green. A timeline of our accomplishments:
August 2011
Global Green launches the NOLA Wise program with the goal of providing loans to weatherize homes, as well as develop a strong green workforce. The program is a collaborative effort among Global Green, the Department of Energy, the Southeast Energy Alliance, and the City of New Orleans.
July 2011
Global Green hosts a green building charrette with Terrebonne Readiness Action Committee in Houma, LA, with Enterprise Community Partners funding.
July 2011
Director Beth Galante is honored at the White House for the President’s “Champions of Change” program in recognition of her work with Global Green to create a sustainable and resilient Gulf Coast. She also participates in the Gulf Coast Sustainable Economies Roundtable at the White House.
June 2011
Following nearly a year of advocacy by Global Green, New Orleans Utility Committee demands an updated Integrated Research Plan and Demand Side Management study and opens the door for independent demand side management studies to be included. These measures require Entergy to reassess the potential for energy efficiency and customer behavior measures, two energy resources that cost the least, save energy, and protect the environment.
Key players from the solar industry ask Global Green to participate in Solar Day 2011. Global Green shares information on solar tax credits and the correlation between solar and energy efficiency to public participants, and contributes a solar display to attract passersby.
Global Green works with HandsOn and Points of Light to coordinate the greening of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, an event in New Orleans that provides more than 4,000 Champions of Service with the opportunity to learn and connect through workshops, special events, and service projects.
May 2011
Citywide recycling is reinstituted for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. This was the most requested action for the new administration to undertake by the Mayor’s Transition Team’s Final Report, an energy policy paper with contributions from Beth Galante.
April 2011
First meeting with Louisiana Public Service Commission energy regulators concerning Global Green's input to State Energy Efficiency Program development.
April 2011
The Green Collaborative Policy and Advocacy Committee holds its first Legislative Briefing, an open conversation with state legislators to discuss green policy issues. A second meeting follows the session to recap, and the group hopes to continue these meetings on both sides of legislative sessions.
Global Green visits Andrew H. Wilson Elementary, a Green Model School, to talk to students and teachers about how the building affects their learning and work experience.
March 2011
Global Green partners with Historic Green, a volunteer-led effort that works to transform and restore under-resourced communities, and the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, to weatherize three 9th Ward homes.
Global Green invites Charles Allen, Director of the Mayor's Office of Coastal and Environmental Affairs, to present at the Green Collaborative Policy and Advocacy Meeting. This is an important meeting for aligning priorities and finding areas of collaboration.
Global Green and Tulane University co-host a discussion and conduct an interview with Mark Hertsgaard, author of “Hot: Living Through the Next 50 Years on Earth.”
February 2011
Global Green joins Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Vidacovich, Big Chief Monk Bourdeaux, Johnny Sansone, and Waylon Thibodeaux on their Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars Tour, supporting their message of protecting the rapidly disappearing wetlands of the Gulf Coast.
December 2010
First meeting with City Council members to discuss Integrated Resource Plan policy. Global Green has met multiple times with all Utility Committee members advocating for more energy efficiency in this planning document.
December 2010
Global Green officially intervenes in Louisiana Public Service Commission’s Energy Efficiency Docket, sharing insight and research on various questions about the upcoming state program.
December 2010
The Build It Back Green program and New Orleans Green Building Resource Center have reached more than 20,000 residents through community workshops and events, one-on-one green building technical consultations, and on-site home energy assessments.
Neighborhood Partnership Network names the Green Building Resource Center in downtown New Orleans the 2010’s “Best Recovery Resource.”
November 2010
"Gasoline Rainbows" launches on iTunes, with 100% of proceeds of the compilation album going toward Global Green's BP oil spill response -- to directly assist the communities, people and ecosystems impacted by the BP oil spill, educate the public, push for more regulation (to ensure it never happens again) and advocate for a greener, cleaner economy.
October 2010
A bioswale is installed at the Holy Cross Project by a volunteer group organized through Groundworks New Orleans and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), which held its annual conference in New Orleans. The bioswale will reduce strain on the stormwater system, clean runoff water, and passively water the surrounding yard.
September 2010
Global Green New Orleans is awarded an Energy Foundation grant to undertake energy policy work in the city and state.
Director Beth Galante is featured in New Orleans magazine’s “2010 People to Watch” issue. 2010 With the assistance of teachers, Global Green and the U.S. Green Building Council finalize the Sustainable Curriculum Matrix that was developed for science, grades K-12. They distribute the matrix to the Louisiana Recovery School District, the Orleans Parish School Board, and charter organizations to be used as a supplement to existing curriculum.
August 2010
Global Green USA President Matt Petersen and New Orleans Director Beth Galante dedicate our Holy Cross Project Visitor Center to 9th Ward New Orleans activist Pam Dashiell.
Global Green marks the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by partnering with Lisa Jackson of the EPA to conduct an environmental program with students at Model Green School Andrew H. Wilson Elementary.
New Orleans Office Director Beth Galante and Global Green President Matt Petersen are featured speakers at TEDX NOLA.
Grand opening of L. B. Landry High School, one of Global Green’s Model Green Schools.
Global Green creates a New Orleans Green Map, featuring thousands of green points that symbolize the healthy and energy-efficient rebuilding going on throughout New Orleans.
Congressman Cao announces Department of Energy funding for the Holy Cross Project. Global Green’s proposed community center is the Lower 9th Ward’s only recipient of federal stimulus funding for new construction.
Global Green’s Holy Cross Project is dedicated in memory of 9th Ward activist Pam Dashiell. The event celebrates the green rebuilding of New Orleans with the debut of the Green Map, which chronicles the work that Global Green has been doing throughout the city.
On the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the country reflects on the impacts of the storm, how the Gulf Coast has come back, and how organizations like Global Green have assisted with the rebuilding process. http://globalgreen.org/news/564 July 2010 Final two single-family homes are completed at the Holy Cross Project site.
July 2010
Global Green and the Green Collaborative of New Orleans create the “Declaration of Energy Independence.”
Global Green USA calls on President Obama to create an independent Gulf Coast Clean Energy Foundation to help the region recover from the BP oil spill and lead the nation toward a clean energy future.
June 2010
Andrew H. Wilson Elementary is the first school in Louisiana to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Schools Gold certification.
With financial assistance from Louisiana Recovery Authority Office of Community Development, Global Green begins its Louisiana Wetland Action Program (LWAP), an initiative to engage and empower wetland owners in coastal restoration and, as a result, help secure a sustainable future for coastal Louisiana.
In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, actors Sophia Bush and Austin Nicholls join GGUSA CEO Matt Petersen and New Orleans Director Beth Galante in Grande Isle, LA.
May 2010 Through its Green Hero Program, Global Green provides instruction on sustainability, renewable energy, and conservation activities for the following 10 elementary schools in New Orleans: A.P. Turead, Andrew H. Wilson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Fannie C. Williams, Gentilly Terrace, International School of Louisiana, John Dibert, Langston Hughes, Paul B. Habans, and Medard Nelson.
Build It Back Green program continues to provide cost-effective recommendations, technical assistance, and weatherizations to residents across the city, resulting in an average energy use reduction of 34% per client.
Global Green CEO Matt Petersen reports from the frontlines on the tragedy that is unfolding in the Gulf as oil approaches the shore.
April 2010
Global Green assists the City of New Orleans in securing a $200,000 Solar American City grant from the Department of Energy.
An explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig kills 11 plaform workers and injures 17 others, and results in the largest offshore spill in U.S. history. Global Green responds to the nation’s largest environmental disaster by supporting the communities impacted, helping to document the devastation, and fighting for more legislative regulation of the oil industry and increased investment in renewable energy and clean technologies.
March 2010
Beth Galante named as Co-Chair of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Transition New Orleans Sustainable Energy and Environmental Task Force, key in creating the Sustainable Energy and Environmental Task Force Report for the New Orleans Mayoral administration.
January 2010
Grand opening of Andrew H. Wilson Elementary, one of Global Green’s Green Model Schools, is held with Congressman Cao, Federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and numerous City Council members in attendance. The school is anticipated to receive LEED Gold certification.
January 2010
Global Green partners with the Green Collaborative of New Orleans in creating the Green Mayoral and New Orleans City Council Platform.
November 2009
Global Green’s work with the Holy Cross Project is featured inPV Magazine.
Global Green partners with Green Power Girl to conduct assemblies for ten New Orleans elementary schools to provide a fun and educational program about concepts in sustainability, such as energy conservation, water conservation, recycling, and solar and wind energy.
October 2009
Global Green holds a Green Jobs/Career Fair with more than 190 attendants and an impassioned keynote address from Jerome Ringo, president of the Apollo Alliance, an organization that works to catalyze green collar jobs.
September 2009
Complete energy efficiency upgrades on Gentilly Terrance Elementary, saving the school approximately $24,000 a year in energy bills.
The New Orleans Historic District Landmark Commission recognizes the Holy Cross Project with its annual “Honor Award,” showing that the Project’s contemporary design is being accepted by preservationists.
August 2009
Global Green CEO Matt Petersen reflects on the organization’s role in the rebuilding of the city over the past three years in a blog post for CNN. Four years after Katrina, TIME magazine says, “No organization is doing more to green New Orleans than Global Green USA.”
Two more homes complete.
July 2009
As the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, the country reflects on the rebuilding of New Orleans, and how organizations like Global Green have helped to bring it back as a more sustainable and resilient city.
June 2009
Complete energy efficiency upgrades to Martin Luther King Elementary in the Lower 9th Ward, a fairly new school that had undergone extensive flooding in Katrina. Estimated annual savings from the upgrades are $25,000 a year.
May 2009
The United States Green Building Council officially certifies The Holy Cross Project Visitors Center LEED Platinum.
May 2009 Global Green assists the City in writing the baseline report for its greenhouse gas inventory.
April/May 2009
The Green Building Guide, a products and services directory compiled by Global Green, is distributed citywide through the Gambit Weeklyand debuted at the Spring Garden Show at Longue Vue House and Gardens.
February 2009
Global Green holds a Green Schools workshop at the LSU Design Building. Presentations are given on greening existing schools, LEED, case studies, solar for schools, and green building policy. The workshop helps to educate and open a dialogue among school administrators, facility managers, architects, design professionals, teachers, and students.
January 2009
Construction begins on additional single-family homes.
The Green Collaborative of New Orleans, an informal group of green building and sustainability organizations, is formed with Global Green’s leadership.
October 2008
Build It Back Green, a wide-reaching outreach program targeting New Orleans’ lower income residents, is launched.
May 2008
First Model Home open to the public as a Visitor Center.
Complete energy efficiency upgrades to the International School of Louisiana in the Garden District, providing them with a cistern for irrigation that saves 90,000 gallons of water a year and saving them about $21,000 annually in utility bills.
April 2008
Construction on first home is completed.
December 2007
Complete energy efficiency upgrades to A.P. Tureaud Elementary School in the 7th Ward, reducing energy bills by $26,000 annually.
October 2007
Global Green USA hosts its biennial International General Assembly chaired by President Gorbachev in New Orleans. President Gorbachev tours the devastation of the 9th ward and calls for a “revolution” if there is not substantial progress within five years. He is joined by delegates from more than two dozen countries who tour the home.
August 2007
Global Green celebrates a milestone before the 2nd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by touring progress of the first green home at the Holy Cross Project with Design Competition Chair Brad Pitt and lead funding partner, The Home Depot Foundation. Progress made at the Holy Cross site is featured on the "Today" show and other national and international media.
Global Green President Matt Petersen announces 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, which will be a major feature of the Holy Cross Project.
Global Green hosts its first Louisiana Green Schools Workshop at Xavier University in New Orleans -- a day long discussion of current green school practices and opportunities to create healthy, high performance classrooms throughout the state of Louisiana.
July 2007
Leveraging its Green Seed School’s work, Global Green assists the City of New Orleans in securing a $200K grant from the Department of Energy to fund solar technology development in New Orleans.
June 2007
Global Green conducts media event to announce Green Schools program, identifies initial schools and invites public schools’ application for consideration as one of the remaining three to four Green Seed Schools.
May 2007
Global Green selects its first Green Seed School, A.P. Tureaud, provides technical expertise and financial assistance for upgrades and completes energy audit and air testing.
Global Green identifies and conducts initial outreach to candidate schools, including meeting with neighborhood groups, school administrators, facilities managers, architects, contractors and touring facilities. Global Green presents K-12 students aerial art showcase celebrating the Green Schools Initiative and Green Rebuilding of New Orleans -- the large-scale human art mural created with the assistance of aerial artist John Quigley or Spectral Q.
Global Green names the Home Depot Foundation as its lead funding partner for the Holy Cross Project – the first low income sustainable housing development in the ravaged Lower 9th Ward. The project is based on the design of Workhop/apd, the NY firm that won Global Green’s Sustainable Design Competition chaired by Brad Pitt.
April 2007
Global Green drafts Green Seed School criteria.
January-February 2007
Global Green meets with all primary stakeholders in the New Orleans public school system including St. Bernard Parish public schools, the New Orleans Parish School Board and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Louisiana Recovery Authority adopts green schools criteria.
Global Green assists the City of New Orleans Recovery Director in seeking a grant from the Department of Energy to fund solar technology development in New Orleans.
January 2007
Global Green begins outreach to all hurricane-impacted affiliates of Habitat for Humanity to provide education on green affordable housing throughout the region.
December 2006
Global Green purchases site in the lower 9th Ward and begins permitting and construction document process to begin construction of winner of Sustainable Design Competition in Spring 2007.
Global Green finalizes green schools criteria for the state recovery authority, and begins meeting with school officials and drafting school selection criteria for Green Schools program.
November 2006
Global Green begins assisting New Orleans affiliate of Habitat for Humanity in construction of low-income housing in the city.
October 2006
Global Green begins monthly green building workshops at Resource Center in partnership with AIA-New Orleans, and begins monthly newsletter dedicated to green building in New Orleans.
Fall 2006
State Louisiana Housing Finance Authority adopts green building criteria in low-income housing tax credit allocation process. September 2006 State Hurricane Recovery Authority asks Global Green to draft green schools criteria for all of the hurricane impacted parishes in the state.
September 2006
Global Green receives grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund to green New Orleans schools. President Clinton announces grant at press conference at which he also reveals that New Orleans has been selected as a Clinton Climate Initiative city for assistance in reducing the carbon footprint of the world’s largest cities.
Final judging of six finalists by design jury chaired by Brad Pitt, green building technical jury and Holy Cross residents, site of the competition in the lower 9th Ward. The winning design team is featured on the "Today" show with Brad Pitt and Global Green president Matt Petersen.
August 2006
The New Orleans City Council adopts green building resolution drafted by Global Green to begin the greening of city government.
July 2006
First round of design competition judging of 126 entries from all over the world picked six finalists to compete in the final round, three with New Orleans connections.
June 2006
Grand Opening of Global Green Resource Center in downtown New Orleans, showcasing more than 60 green building materials and providing books, magazines, computers and one-on-one consultation to residents as they begin to rebuild.
April 2006
Announced Sustainable Building Design Competition with actor Brad Pitt to challenge the world to create a model green building housing development for New Orleans.
January 2006
Global Green to open its Green Building Resource Center modeled on the successful center that Global Green operates in Santa Monica, and hired two local displaced New Orleanians and opened Global Green New Orleans Office.
December 2005
Global Green works with USGBC to create a one-stop green building resource webtool for New Orleans residents.
Global Greens Senior Program Associate Ted Bardacke attends Habitat for Humanity's Construction Symposium in Atlanta as part of its Operation Home Delivery efforts.
November 2005
Global Green featured its New Orleans efforts at its annual Designing a Sustainable and Secure World Awards where acclaimed musician Dr. John also performed. Global Green raised more than $15,000 towards its Katrina Relief efforts that evening.
Global Green invited a contingent of New Orleans environmentalists, architects, builders and entrepreneurs to discuss its green building Katrina Relief efforts in NYC.
Global Green receives USGBC Advocacy Award for more than 10 years of work to significantly advance green building in affordable housing and public buildings that has leveraged well over $20 billion dollars in green construction.
Global Green helps to organize design charettes at Green Build Conference in Atlanta to explore ways to rebuild homes, schools and buildings with green design principles.
October 29, 2005
Global Green returns to New Orleans to participate in the second Alliance for Affordable Energy Meeting and oversees filming of interviews for video on its Katrina Relief efforts.
October 25-26, 2005
Global Green President Matt Petersen invited to present its Katrina Relief Initiative at the Green Funders annual meeting in Cleveland, Ohio.
October 24, 2005
Matt Petersen tours New Orleans and visits two schools (Priestly High School and Wooden Elementary) that could be model green building projects. Without operating schools, few families can return to New Orleans.
October 17, 2005
Global Green hires Jane Booth, a New Orleans-based attorney and former Planning Commissioner, to be its on-the-ground coordinator.
October 9, 2005
Global Green's Monica Gilchrist tours New Orleans with locally renowned architect John Williams and meets with local activist groups interested in rebuilding green. While in the 9th Ward, Gilchrist also observed one of the first Jazz Funerals held after the hurricane.
October 8, 2005
Matt Petersen and Monica Gilchrist attend Alliance for Affordable Energy meeting in Baton Rouge with more than 100 attendees. Petersen presents Global Greens vision for rebuilding healthy homes and neighborhoods and begins creating substantial relationships with Louisiana based organizations.
October 7, 2005
Global Green USA goes to Shreveport for first American Planning Association meeting of the Louisiana Chapter to build alliances with local groups and individuals and learn from international representatives who have rebuilt cities after natural disasters.
September 26 2005
Global Green invited to participate in weekly U.S. Department of Energy call to coordinate activities and share information with USGBC, HUD, FEMA, NAHB, Habitat for Humanity, Federation of American Scientists, Alliance for Affordable Energy, Enterprise Foundation, LSU and Texas A&M.
September 17, 2005
Global Green President Matt Petersen recruits honorary steering committee for Healthy Homes, Smart Neighborhoods Response Team including Leonardo DiCaprio, General Wesley Clark, Julian Bond and Lee Hamilton.
September 6, 2005
Global Green USA begins weekly dialogues with Healthy Building Network, Enterprise Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and National Council of Churches to explore ways to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf region with green building principles that Global Green has pioneered for afford able housing and schools for more than a decade.
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Tags: new orleans greening new orleans
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