Global Green USA - People Who Care
On August 28, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the United States, causing severe damage as it stormed throughout the South, leaving thousands homeless and an estimated 1,836 lives lost. When New Orleans' levees broke, America's hearts did too. We watched, as the nation was enveloped in sadness, as homes were lost and families broken apart. The devastation from Katrina was and still is heart wrenching, even three years later.
It is with the help of organizations like Global Green USA, that the Gulf Coast is being rebuilt... and the jewel-like city of New Orleans is slowly recovering. Global Green USA has created the Holy Cross Project, a team of national experts paired with local professionals with the goal of rebuilding New Orleans, by developing housing projects that are both green and affordable. In the Summer of 2006, when the Project first launched, Global Green USA collaborated with Brad Pitt, who served as jury chairman and helped sponsor an international design competition. Contestants were asked to design a net-zero energy-affordable housing and community center development in the Holy Cross neighborhood, located in the Lower 9th Ward of the city.
Matt Peterson, president of Global Green USA said in a press release, "It's very exciting to see our vision of a healthier, greener New Orleans coming to fruition. This project was never about just one home or one project. This model sustainable village is about showing what is possible here in New Orleans and throughout the country to protect all of our coastal cities threatened by global warming-by working together to build a better, more energy-efficient and healthier world."
The Holy Cross Project, when completed, will consist of five single-family homes, an 18-unit apartment building, and a community center/sustainable design and climate action center. The buildings in the Holy Cross Project will use at least 75% less energy than typical buildings. It is of vital importance to Global Green that the Holy Cross Neighborhood and the people of New Orleans are free of toxic materials and are living in a healthier environment that empowers them for a resourceful and successful future. In addition to rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward, Global Green is also exploring the use of river turbines in the adjacent Mississippi River.
According to Global Green USA, if 50,000 of the homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina were rebuilt according to the green standards set by the design competition, residents of New Orleans would save $38 million to $56 million in energy bills every year and eliminate over 1.5 million total tons of CO2 - the equivalent of taking 100,000 cars off the road!
Not only are housing communities being built, but because of a $2 million grant from the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund, Global Green USA has launched a high performance schools initiative that is helping benefit thousands of New Orleans' students as well as their teachers and families. The schools are being designated "Green Seed Schools," all of which will receive assistance and resources to improve energy and water efficiency, improve outdoor air quality, and if feasible, on-site renewable energy generation. Because of Global Green's efforts and the aid of the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund grant, it is a stepping stone to model green schools in the gulf coast and eventually the rest of the country. Green Schools are expected to have a visible green design, solar powered water systems, and water reuse strategies where necessary.
Recently, Global Green has been able to connect with hundreds of millions of people across the world through its innovative celebrity campaigns around the Academy Awards that have featured Charlize Theron, Leonardo DiCaprio, Morgan Freeman, Natalie Portman, Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon and Salma Hayek. In another recent effort to demonstrate the human impact of climate change, Global Green led a delegation of celebrities, scientists and political leaders to the Arctic Circle on Earth Day. From "the top of the world," Salma Hayek and Jake Gyllenhaal helped Global Green generate worldwide visibility about the plight of the Arctic's indigenous Inuit people whose way of life is threatened by the impact of snowmelt, which has been attributed to global warming.
Nonprofitshoppingmall.com joins Global Green USA in their mission to be proactive in rebuilding communities, including The Gulf Coast, with eco-friendly materials. We applaud them for their positive impact in educating our world and stalling the global warming progression. With the help of Global Green USA, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for New Orleans, as the city is on its way back to a full recovery -- with people's unwavering spirit intact and the city's unmistakable charm beckoning y'all to come back and visit soon!
