For media inquiries, please contact Ruben Aronin, Director of Communications, raronin@globalgreen.org 310.612.5663 mobile

LOS ANGELES MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA SIGNS GROUNDBREAKING GREEN BUILDING LAW ON EARTH DAY

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.

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Landmark Green Buildings Bill Passes First Hurdle

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.

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Global Green’s Lower 9th Ward Showcase Home Includes Green Interiors by Domino Magazine; Sneak Preview Provided for First Phase of Holy Cross Project - Result of Design Competition with Brad Pitt

Domino Magazine Eco-Decorates Interior; Adds Allure to Net Zero Energy Home That is Affordable to Operate, Healthy to Live In

(New Orleans, 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.

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Director of Chemical Weapons Convention to Speak on Capitol Hill to Address Nonproliferation, Threat Reduction, and Treaty Implementation One Week before Important Five-Year Review Conference in The Hague

(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.

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GLOBAL GREEN USA 5th ANNUAL PRE-OSCAR EVENT URGES ACTION ON GLOBAL WARMING.

(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 was: “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.

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PLANET GREEN ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIPS WITH LEADING NON-PROFIT ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

(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.

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GLOBAL GREEN USA CELEBRATES 3rd ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO BENEFIT PARTY

(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.

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YOUTH DELEGATES FROM OVER A DOZEN COUNTRIES RALLY FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION AT CLIMATE SUMMIT

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.

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New York, NY—Dec. 3rd- 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.

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Global Green USA's Holy Cross Project: Update

New Orleans, 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.

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Global Green USA finishes sixth in the Peace Primary

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.

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The Sustainable Rebuilding of New Orleans - Global Green Update

New Orleans, 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.

Morphosis Architects Donate Zumtobel Group Award to Global Green USA

Award for Sustainability and Humanity in the Built Environment for recently completed United States Federal Building in San Francisco
Global Green USA to Use Funds to Continue Their Work to Raise Public Awareness of the Importance of Green Design

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.”

Global Green USA Tours Progress of First Green Home at Holy Cross Project with Lead Funding Partner, The Home Depot Foundation, and Design Competition Chair Brad Pitt

Dozens of Green Products and Systems including Solar Panels, Natural Soy Based Insulation and Sustainable Wood Showcased
Final Multi-Family Affordable Housing and Community Center Designs Unveiled

New Orleans, 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.
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Global Green USA Asks Public to Support $10 Million Campaign to Aid Green Rebuilding of New Orleans for Decade to Come

New Orleans, August 21 - 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.
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Global Green USA Celebrates Premiere of DiCaprios 11th Hour
Hollywood Screening to Benefit its Green Communities and Climate Solutions Initiatives

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.
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Yahoo! Names Winner of the "Greenest City in America" Challenge

Top ten cities announced as part of "Be a Better Planet" campaign;
Hastings, Nebraska takes $250,000 prize

HASTINGS, Nebraska – 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.
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Perry, Garcetti Announce Green Communities Award Recipients
Local Awardees Show that Sustainability and Affordability Go Hand in Hand

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. Read More

Global Green USA Hosts Green Schools Summit
Leaders Gather to Move Green School Policy Forward

Los Angeles, June 14th, 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.
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GLOBAL GREEN USA CELEBRATES ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS
AT 2007 GREEN CROSS MILLENNIUM AWARDS

Irmelin DiCaprio, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Jena King, David Orr and Pierre André Senizergues Honored at Event

Los Angeles (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.
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Global Green USA Initiates Major Program to
Help Schools Reduce Energy; Save Money
Announces First of Five "Green Seed" New Orleans Schools

Model Program Releases Applications for Four Additional Schools

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.
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First Fully Solar-Powered Apartment Community in California Opens
Smart-Growth Development Shows that "Green" is for Everyone

Poway, Calif. (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.
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GLOBAL GREEN USA UNVEILS GREEN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE IN NEW ORLEANS; GROUP TARGETS FIVE GREEN SEED SCHOOLS AND TWO SHOWCASE HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS THROUGH BUSH CLINTON KATRINA FUND GRANT

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, 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.
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GLOBAL GREEN USA NAMES THE HOME DEPOT FOUNDATION ITS LEAD FUNDING PARTNER TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE, HEALTHY
HOMES IN NEW ORLEANS

Lower 9th Ward Housing Development the Result of Brad Pitt’s
 Sustainable Building Competition

New Orleans, 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 and can also be viewed at www.globalgreen.org.

"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."  
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GLOBAL GREEN USA UNVEILS GREEN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE; FIVE GREEN SEED SCHOOLS AND TWO SHOWCASE HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS  TARGETED THROUGH BUSH CLINTON KATRINA FUND GRANT

Exciting Aerial Art Display Helps Celebrate Green Rebuilding Projects


New Orleans, 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.

“Across the country we have seen high performance schools create a better learning environment for students and reduce energy and water costs by 20% to 40%,” said Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Global Green USA.  “Test scores improve by 20% to 22% in green schools, and can lead to fewer absences due to improved indoor air quality.” Read More>

5 Tips to Reduce Global Warming Pollution This Earth Day
Global Green USA Offers Smart Solutions

April 18 - 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. Read More >

GLOBAL GREEN USA DEMANDS PUBLIC DIALOGUE FOR ARMY PROPOSED HIGHWAY SHIPMENTS OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS-RELATED HAZARDOUS WASTE

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. Read Press Release>

STARBUCKS AND GLOBAL GREEN USA SPOTLIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTIONS WITH LAUNCH OF “PLANET GREEN GAME”

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. Read Press Release.

PRESS CONFERENCE: CHEMICAL WEAPONS, TERRORISM AND NONPROLIFERATION

Chemical Ban Director and Dr. Paul Walker to Discuss Threat of Chemical Weapons, Friday, March 30, 9 am, National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

Global Green USA Promotes Plug-in Hybrid,
All Electric, and Alternative Fuel Vehicles For Oscars Drive

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 and Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Scott Z. Burns, Lesley Chilcott. Read Press Release.

GLOBAL GREEN USA’s PRE-OSCAR PARTY HIGHLIGHTS GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS: GREEN CARS, GREEN BUILDING

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.
Read press release >

GLOBAL GREEN USA’s PRE-OSCAR PARTY HIGHLIGHTS GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS, EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE BY MAROON 5

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. Read media alert >

ARRIVING IN ECO-STYLE
STARS SKIPPING GAS GUZZLERS AND ARRIVING IN ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLES FOR THE 5TH YEAR OF GLOBAL GREEN'S RED CARPET/GREEN CARS CAMPAIGN

2006 was the hottest year on record in the US and that along with the recent global 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.  Read Alert

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND GREEN CROSS PARTNERS ANNOUNCE OPENING OF FIRST PUBLIC OUTREACH AND INFORMATION OFFICE AT NUCLEAR WEAPONS SITE IN RUSSIA

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. Read press release>

GREEN CROSS INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT MIKHAIL GORBACHEV'S OP-ED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON "THE NUCLEAR THREAT"

WASHINGTON, DC, January 31, 2007: Global Green USA's Legacy Program announces the "Nuclear Threat" op-ed by President Mikhail Gorbachev published in the Wall Street Journal. President Gorbachev concludes that "the key to success is reciprocity of obligations and actions." The Legacy Program promotes President Gorbachev's vision by advocating the safe and sound elimination of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons and facilitating cleanup of related military materials and waste. Read Op-Ed>

GLOBAL GREEN USA JOINED BY HAYEK, BLOOM, DICAPRIO TO HIGHLIGHT SUSTAINABLE DESIGN, SMART SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL WARMING
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." Press Release

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND EXPERTS URGE COUNTRIES TO TAKE SEVERAL IMPORTANT STEPS TO REDUCE 21ST CENTURY THREATS OF DISEASE OUTBREAKS, BIOLOGICAL ACCIDENTS, AND BIOTERRORISM, 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). Press Release> Chairman's summary>

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND ITS PARTNERS ORGANIZE ROUNDTABLE ON DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE BIOSECURITY REGIME, 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. Press Release>

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND ITS PARTNERS ORGANIZE ROUNDTABLE ON ITALY'S ROLE IN THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP AND NONPROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN RUSSIA AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION , 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. Press Release>

GLOBAL GREEN USA WELCOMES START-UP OF NEW RUSSIAN CHEMICAL WEAPONS DESTRUCTION FACILITY, URGES SAFETY AND TRANSPARENCY , 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. Press Release>

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND BRAD PITT ANNOUNCE WINNER OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMPETITION FOR NEW ORLEANS
GREEN.O.LA DESIGNED BY ANDREW KOTCHEN AND MATTHEW BERMAN, WORKSHOP/APD
Winning Design Utilizes Green Building to Save Money and Reduce Carbon Pollution; Green Principles Could Cut New Orleans' Electricity Costs by More than 50%
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.  
Press Release >

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND BRAD PITT ANNOUNCE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMPETITION FINALISTS ON TODAY SHOW AND MSNBC.COM; PUBLIC CAN VIEW AND VOTE ON FINALIST DESIGNS AT WWW.GLOBALGREEN.ORG
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.
Press Release>

GLOBAL GREEN USA & BRAD PITT ANNOUNCE WINNER OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMPETITION FOR NEW ORLEANS; WINNING DESIGN REDUCES ENERGY USE BY 63%; SOLAR, GEOTHERMAL HELP LOWER ENERGY COSTS TO RESIDENT S CLOSE TO ZERO
US GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL AND AIA PARTNER WITH GLOBAL GREEN ON TECHNICAL JURY; STAGE II DESIGN JURY FEATURES MAYNE, EIZENBERG, HUFF
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.
Press Release>

GLOBAL GREEN USA AND BRAD PITT LAUNCH
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMPETITION FOR NEW ORLEANS
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.
Press Release>

Green Cross International Organizes First “Nuclear National Dialogue” in Moscow
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.
Press Release>

National Green Schools Conference to Promote Leadership in Green Building and Education
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.
Press Release>

Global Green USA, Superintendent Jack O'Connell Call for California’s New Schools to be "Healthier, Wealthier and Wiser"
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.
Press Release>

April 28 - GLOBAL GREEN USA ROLLS OUT RED CARPET-GREEN BUS CAMPAIGN AT DAYTIME EMMYS 
The Bold and The Beautiful Cast & Crew Help Promote Smart Climate and Energy Solutions in Wake of Continued High Gas Prices and Global Warming Threats.
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PRESIDENT GORBACHEV MARKS 20th ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL WITH CALL TO G8 LEADERS FOR $50 BILLION GLOBAL SOLAR FUND, REDUCED SUBSIDIES TO FOSSIL FUEL AND NUCLEAR INDUSTRIES

April 26 - Gorbachev and Green Cross International – and their US affiliate, Global Green USA - Urge G8 to Create a True Energy Security Through Sustainable Energy Solutions That Combat Global Warming.
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GLOBAL GREEN USA AND BRAD PITT ANNOUNCE DESIGN COMPETITION IN NEW ORLEANS; PITT TO SPONSOR AND LEAD DESIGN JURY

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN COMPETITION TO ACT AS CATALYST FOR GREEN, HEALTHY DESIGN AND REBUILDING OF NEW ORLEANS

NEW ORLEANS, LA, APRIL 20, 2006 – Global Green USA and Brad Pitt announced today that they are teaming up to sponsor a design competition to provide an opportunity for talented architects, urban planners, designers, ecologists and students to put forward a creative yet practical vision for New Orleans neighborhoods. Participants will be asked to put forth designs using green principles for the reconstruction of several New Orleans neighborhoods including a multi-use community center, single family home and multi-family housing.
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Feb 28 - Global Green applauds opening of Russia's second major facility for chemical weapons destruction. Urges safety and transparency. Read press release

Global Warning from Antarctica: Melting Ice Shelves Impact Us All, Not Just March of Penguins

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. Read Press Release | Read Finn's Daily Blog | See pics & video by clicking on map