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Rainwater Cisterns
What: We collect rainwater from the roof and store it in the two 4,200 gallon tanks above the 1st floor restrooms.
Why: Stored rainwater is used to flush toilets and water landscaping, so we use 90% less tap water. Reusing rainwater also means less water enters storm drains, decreasing the amount of pollutants, such as oil and trash, entering our water supply.
Be
Green At Home: Gather rainwater from your roof in a rain barrel and use it to water your lawn or garden. You’ll save money on your utilities by conserving water and reduce the storm water runoff from your property.
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Links
Family Project: Build your own rain barrel
Kids and Water: Activities and education from the EPA
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Footprint and Site Selection
What: A footprint is the shape of the part of the building that touches the ground. This building uses an existing footprint. We replaced an old, unstable building with a new building in the same shape.
Why: By reusing an existing building site, our expansion does not add to urban sprawl or pave over any open land and redevelops an unused space.
Be Green At Home: When cities such as Springfield continue to build more new buildings rather than reusing existing spaces, it is called urban sprawl. Can you find examples of urban sprawl in your neighborhood?
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Pervious Concrete
What: The front and back patios of our LEED Gold Certified building are made from pervious concrete. Pervious means that water can pass through the concrete and soak into the ground.
Why: Regular concrete is not pervious. Water runs across it, picking up pollutants before entering the storm drain. Using permeable concrete reduces the water entering storm drains and the pollutants the water picks up.
Be
Green At Home: Look around your yard. When it rains, where does the water go? What about when you wash the car? It’s important to prevent pollutants, such as soap, from soaking through permeable surfaces or entering storm drains.
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Links
Learn more about pervious concrete
Ground Water games and activities
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Local and Regional Building Materials
What: Contractors bought as many building materials as possible for this building from local or regional businesses. Materials that came from less than 500 miles away include concrete, steel, base rock, brick, concrete block, and windows.
Why: Buying locally produced goods means less energy was used to get them to our building site and local businesses that produce these goods were supported.
Be Green At Home: You can buy goods such as food or services such as bike repair from local businesses. Buying locally reduces energy use, pollution, and expenses related to transporting goods, and helps local businesses succeed.
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Green Roof
What: A green roof is a building surface that has plant life growing on it. Different kinds of native plants that adapt well to shallow soil grow on our roof.
Why: Green Roofs conserve water by soaking up rainfall so it does not run into storm drains. We use rainwater collected from our upper roof to water the plants, which saves even more water.
Be
Green At Home: Make a “green roof” by creating a container garden. Plant flowers, grasses, or even vegetables in pots or buckets and place them on a deck or patio. You’ll reduce rainwater runoff and have a beautiful garden! |
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Links
Master Gardeners of Southwest Missouri
Container Gardening for Kids
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Deconstruction and Construction Waste
What: The amount of trash created when we removed one building and constructed another was reduced by over 80%. This was done by separating recyclable materials, such as scraps of steel, brick, and wood, from non-recyclables.
Why: By recycling building materials, we kept 513 tons of material out of the landfill. Reusing building materials also means fewer new materials need to be made, which saves energy.
Be Green At Home: Your sack lunch is a building project. Can you build a lunch that creates very little trash? Try reusable containers instead of paper or plastic bags and choose foods with no packaging, like oranges.
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Green Restrooms
What: Our restrooms reduce water use by using:
- Waterless urinals conserve approximately 40,000 gallons of water per year and reduce maintenance costs because there are fewer working parts and less plumbing. Water does not have to be pumped to or from the urinal, which saves energy. Urine is odorless. “Urine odor” happens when urine mixes with air and water, creating ammonia oxide. Once urine is trapped inside the urinal, an airtight seal is created. Since there is also no water, there is less odor.
- Dual flush toilets conserve water in two ways: 1) by using less water for each flush,(1.1 gallons for liquid wate and 1.6 gallons for solid waste). and 2) by using rainwater we gather from our rooftop instead of tap water to flush.
- Optic-sensor faucets turn on when they sense motion, and turn off when the motion stops, so its impossible to leave the water running.
- Recycled paper towels and high efficiency air dryers: people argue over which is better. Air dryers use less energy and resources to manufacture and to operate than paper towels. However, paper towels may spread fewer germs because there is no heat or air being blown around.
Why: Used water, called Gray Water, goes to a water treatment plant and then back into rivers and lakes. Treated water can still contain pollutants that damage the environment. Treatment plants also use energy to operate. Conserving water reduces water pollution and energy use.
Be
Green At Home: Bathrooms use 75% of all water used in the average home. You can use less water by installing low-flow shower heads and aerator nozzles on sinks, and limiting shower time. If your toilet was installed before 1992, it probably uses at least 5 gallons per flush. By placing a 2 liter bottle full of water in the tank, you can conserve over 400 gallons per year. If every U.S. household replaced one roll of paper towels with a roll of 100% recycled paper towels, we could save 1.4 million trees, 526 million gallons of water, and prevent 89,400 pounds of pollution.
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Links
Make your bathroom low-flow
Water conservation tips for kids
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Fly Ash
What: Fly ash is left over when coal is burned in power plants. Now, it is being used in place of cement to make concrete. We used 77.5 tons of fly ash in this building.
Why: Fly ash is a recycled product. Using it reduces the need for cement production, which reduces energy use and carbon dioxide production. Reusing fly ash also conserves landfill space.
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Solar Panels
What: Solar panels are installed in groups on both our upper and lower roofs. These groups of solar panels are called solar arrays.
Why: Buildings consume two-thirds of all electricity. Solar panels turn sunlight into energy, which can be used by the building. Our solar arrays provide approximately 5% of the building’s energy needs. The more light that shines on the panel, the more electricity it produces.
Be
Green At Home: At home, even if you don't have solar panels, you can use passive solar practices to heat and cool your home. In the summertime, keep curtains or blinds closed on east facing windows in the morning and west facing windows in the afternoon. This prevents direct sunlight from entering your home, keeping it cooler. In the winter, open blinds on east facing windows in the morning and west facing windows in the afternoon to let the sun in, helping to heat your home. |
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Links
See how much power our solar panels are generating.
Solar Decathalon: A national competition featuring solar technology.
Family Project: Build your own solar oven
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Recycled Building Materials
What: 20% of the material used in this building project is recycled, including the steel in the stairs behind you, the fly ash in the concrete at your feet, the rubber flooring on the stair landings, aluminum window frames, and ceiling tiles.
Why: Making recycled products uses less energy than new products and does less damage to
the environment because fewer raw materials are used.
Be Green At Home: Many inventions happen when people are looking for ways to reuse items. Can you reuse items to make an invention that solves a problem or helps you do a job? |
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Center-Wide Recycling System
What: We recycle mixed paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum as part of our
recycling system. We have bins throughout the center to sort these materials
and then take them to the recycling center.
Why: It takes less energy to recycle materials than to make materials
brand new. Recycling also reduces the amount of trash sent to a landfill
and reduces the energy used to operate landfills.
Be
Green At Home: Most trash services offer curb-side recycling. You
can also create your own recycle bins and take recyclables to the recycling
center. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run your
TV for 3 hours!
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Links
Recycling in Springfield
Recycling for Kids
Find your nearest Curb-Side Provider or Recycling Center
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Light Pollution
What: This building has very few outdoor lights. Our outdoor lights are shielded and pointed toward the building to prevent light pollution. Light pollution is stray light from street or building lights that cause a glow in the night sky.
Why: Nighttime lights damage our environment. In addition to blocking the view of the stars, it also upsets the sleep patterns of animals and humans.
Be Green At Home: Can you spot examples of light pollution in your neighborhood? Make sure you turn off outdoor lights when they are not in use.
Intelligent lighting
What: The lighting system uses efficient fluorescent lamps controlled by motion sensors that turn lights off when no one is in a space, and daylight sensors that measure the amount of daylight in a space and dim lights accordingly.
Why: The lighting system was designed to use approximately one watt per square foot. This saves energy and makes light bulbs last longer, which saves money!
Be Green At Home: Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) are energy-efficient light bulbs. They produce the same amount of light, use ¼ of the electricity, and last up to 10 times as long as regular light bulbs.
Daylighting
What: This building uses daylight for lighting. The windows at right have low-e glazing, which lets in light but blocks heat. Metal sun shades at the top of the building also block heat. The glass block at left allows light to filter in from the stairwell.
Why: Utilizing more daylight and fewer light bulbs to light our building saves energy and money.
Be Green At Home: Try opening window shades rather than turning on lights at home. Keep east facing window shades closed in the morning and west facing shades closed in the afternoon to avoid heat gain. |
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Mulch and Compost
What: Our rooftop and ground-level plants use mulch and compost to stay healthy. Mulch is made from ground up wood, moss, or other natural materials. Compost is made from grass trimmings, leaves, and food scraps.
Why: Mulch and compost keep plants moist by soaking up rainwater, adding important nutrients to the soil, and preventing weed growth. They also recycle materials that might otherwise be wasted.
Be
Green At Home: Instead of running the garbage disposal, start your own compost bin. You’ll save water, reduce trash, and have healthy plants. You can find composting instructions online, or call the Recycling Hotline at 417-864-1904 for help.
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Links
Springfield mulch and compost for sale
Composting for Kids
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Ground Level Landscaping
What: We planted native plants on three sides of our new building. Native plants are plants that grew in Missouri before settlers arrived, such as goldenrod or black-eyed susan.
Why: Planted areas allow water to soak back into the ground rather than run off into the storm drain. Native plants need only rainwater to keep them alive (no extra watering) which conserves water.
Be Green At Home: Planting native plants in your yard helps soak up rainwater, and provides food, water and homes for birds, insects and other small animals. Native plants look nice and don’t need fertilizer or pesticides, either. |
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Marmoleum
What: The swirly purple floor covering in Phenomena is Marmoleum. It is made from natural raw materials including linseed oil, rosins, and wood flour on a natural jute backing.
Why: Marmoleum is an environmentally friendly natural product. It also has naturally occurring antimicrobial properties that stop the breeding of many micro-organisms such as dust mites, which makes our Center a healthier place.
Be
Green At Home: Cork and bamboo are also environmentally friendly floorings because they grow more quickly and are more easily harvested than wood. You can also buy carpet and rugs made from recycled soda bottles. |
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Links
The Marmoleum Store
Watch a video about cork harvesting
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Sustainably Harvested Wood
What: 50% of all wood used in this project is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified for sustainability. Sustainability means that the wood comes from areas where trees are being replanted to replace what is cut down, and steps are taken to protect the environment.
Why: Non-sustainable wood may be cut down in ways that result in habitat loss, soil erosion, water pollution, and forest reduction.
Be Green At Home: When you go shopping, look for details on the product that tell you about how the product was made. Items made with less packaging and recycled or recyclable materials are good sustainable choices. |
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High Efficiency Air Conditioning System
What: Our air conditioning system changes the airflow to areas as air conditioning needs change due to the amount of people or lighting in the room. The system also monitors carbon dioxide levels to provide more air when needed.
Why: Changing airflow reduces the amount of energy used when rooms are empty but also provides the fresh air needed for a room full of people.
Air Quality & VOCs
What: VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, or air pollutants. Glues, sealants, and paints used in the building are Low-VOC, meaning they have very few air pollutants, or fumes. Chemicals are stored in areas with separate ventilation so that chemical fumes do not escape into the building.
Why: Low-VOC items have fewer fumes, which means a healthier environment for our staff and visitors.
Heat Island
What: Green roofs reduce heat islands. Heat Islands are city areas that are up to 10 degrees hotter than surrounding countryside. When plant life is replaced with concrete and cars and buildings release warm air, a heat island forms.
Why: Heat Islands can cause illness, increase energy needs for air conditioning, and increase the creation of smog. With plants on the roof, our building releases less heat.
Be Green At Home: Have you noticed that on a hot day, your driveway is much hotter than the grass in your yard? The driveway is a mini heat island: it stores more heat than the grass does.
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