Lessons from New Orleans:  We can build it back green!

 

Green Cross Australia's US affiliate Global Green USA is leading a massive rebuilding green initiative in New Orleans, post Hurricane Katrina.

 

Four years after the storm, the green New Orleans message is taking America by storm.

 

Follow the story as mainstream media takes notice:

 

• New York Times: "A sustainable New Orleans slowly rises in Katrina's wake"
• Time Magazine: "Four years later, New Orleans' green makeover"
• CNN: "Nonprofits help Katrina victims rebuild their homes, lives"

Last week President Obama visited new green New Orleans schools that Global Green USA has helped to transform into energy saving, healthy and sustainable learning centres of the future.

Green Cross Australia and its partners want to support Victorian Black Saturday affected communities to follow the lead of New Orleans and "Build it back green".

The world is learning about the urgent need to rebuild safe infrastructure in vulnerable severe weather zones.

We are also learning that unless the rebuilding effort is sustainable (including the carbon intensity of materials used and the ongoing energy footprint) even higher greenhouse emissions will refuel the extreme weather cycle.

 

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina Global Green USA (Green Cross Australia's US affiliate within the Green Cross International network of NGOs) made a dedicated commitment to catalyse sustainable building in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

 

 

Through our green affordable housing community the Holy Cross Project supported by Brad Pitt, and our work on greening schools throughout the area, Global Green is committed to creating a green model for development and rebuilding for New Orleans.

 

This includes: educating New Orleans residents, the Gulf Coast and broader American public about the benefits of green building; and advancing smart solutions to global warming that both benefit communities and engage stakeholders in building will for action.

 

Find out more about the great work of our affliate Global Green and the Build it back green model.