Peach Bites

Atlanta Sets Carbon Footprint Goal
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
Mayor Franklin would like to see the city cut it's footprint by 7% by 2012. This goal establishes a baseline by which the city can measure its sustainability efforts. Noteworthy quote: “The city of Atlanta’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 came to 540 thousand metric tons, which is equivalent to the household energy use of 150,000 Atlanta residents or 98,000 passenger vehicles,” said Valerie Thomas, Georgia Tech associate professor and primary author of the report.

Emory Conference Center Hotel to Become the First LEED Certified Conference Center in Atlanta
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
The new addition of the Emory Conference Center Hotel is set to become the first LEED certified conference center in Atlanta. The project is set for completion in May of this year. Certification for the existing building is also being pursued.

EarthCraft celebrates 10 years in green home building
Atlanta Journal Constitution - Atlanta,GA,USA
The EarthCraft certification from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and the Southface Institute has turned 10. The certification has broadened its reach to cover new homes in six southeastern states. Noteworthy quote: "More than 5,200 EarthCraft homes have been built; 43 percent of them are in metro Atlanta."

MARTA Ridership Up 8.6 Percent in 2008
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
This was the largest increase for any major transit system in the country. Unfortunately, the agency is still running in the red to the tune of $65 million and will need to make cuts and increase fares.