THE OUTLOOK, OCTOBER 2009------------


The monthly e-newsletter of Dovetail Partners, Inc.
A Trusted Source of Environmental Information
http://www.dovetailinc.org



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*W e l c o m e*


This month we offer a commentary in response to the recent release of the second draft of a "Forest Certification Benchmark" by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and the LEED Steering Committee [ http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/usgbc-its-all-marketing ]. Our report this month also takes a look at how this benchmark might form the basis for a more universal materials standard, you can read more in "USGBC Forest Certification Benchmarks: An Opportunity for Development of Certification Standards for All Building Materials." [ http://www.dovetailinc.org/files/DovetailUSGBC1009.pdf ] Last but not least, in September we released a review of a report by the Wilderness Society regarding carbon storage in wood products.  This month, we share The Wilderness Society's response to the Dovetail critique [http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/wilderness-society-response-dovetail-critique].

In addition to sharing this information with you this month, please consider making a year-end donation to Dovetail Partners. As a non-profit organization, we rely on your support to continue to be a trusted source of information. We are happy to see support for our work grow and enjoy hearing from our readers! If you are considering making a gift, but haven't yet, we want you to know that your support makes a big difference. Each donation helps us leverage additional support and helps us continue to provide timely, well-researched environmental information.  You can make a donation online, use the donation form at our website or contact us for more information:
http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/donate

 
Thank-you, and Enjoy!

 - Jeff


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I n    T h i s    I s s u e:

D o v e t a i l   C o m m e n t a r y:
 

  * *USGBC - It's All in the Marketing! - /and there's an App for that!/
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/usgbc-its-all-marketing]

D o v e t a i l   R e p o r t s:
 
  * *USBGC Forest Certification Benchmarks: An Opportunity for Development of
Certification Standards for All Building Materials
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//reportsview/2009/responsible-materials/pdr-jim-bowyerp/usgbc-forest-certification-benchmarks-opportu]


  * *Wilderness Society Report on Wood Products and Carbon Storage: A Critical
Review and Wilderness Society Response
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//reportsview/2009/responsible-consumption/pdr-jim-bowyerp/wilderness-society-report-wood-products-and]

D o v e t a i l    N e w s:
  *
10/15/09
Crow Wing County to Develop Comprehensive Recreation Trails Plan
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/crow-wing-county-develop-comprehensive-recreation-trails-plan]
  *
10/06/09
Swedes to Visit Minnesota Farms
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/swedes-visit-minnesota-farms ]
  *
10/05/09
Green Building Workshops Offer Personal Assistance Opportunity
[http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/green-building-workshops-offer-personal-assistance-opportunity]
 
If you've missed anything from our previous newsletters and are looking for
information about green building, responsible materials, organizational
development or certification programs, you can find our full library of
information at our website: http://dovetailinc.org/reports
[http://www.dovetailinc.org/reports ]. 
Dovetail has more than 90 reports available!

 

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D o v e t a i l   C o m m e n t a r y:

*USGBC - It's All in the Marketing! - and there's an
App for that!

http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/usgbc-its-all-marketing

Jeff Howe

Readers who have taken Marketing 101 may recall that there are at least two key
marketing sequences to consider when introducing new products like those
involved with green building: (1) the market adoption process and (2) the
product adoption process.  These two processes may go by a variety of names and
the basic steps may get reorganized a bit, but the fact remains that the market
and the individuals within the market go through a sequential process in
adopting a new product or group of products. Ignoring this sequential process is
one of the few ways to create absolute market certainty - certainty of
frustration and a high risk of failure.
 

To read the full commentary, click here.
http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/usgbc-its-all-marketing

http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/usgbc-its-all-marketing


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D o v e t a i l   R e p o r t s:

*USGBC Forest Certification Benchmarks: An Opportunity for Development of
Certification Standards for All Building Materials

[http://www.dovetailinc.org//reportsview/2009/responsible-materials/pdr-jim-bowyerp/usgbc-forest-certification-benchmarks-opportu]

On September 15, 2009 the USGBC Materials and Resources Technical Advisory
Group, with approval from the LEED Steering Committee, released the second draft
of a Forest Certification Benchmark. The stated objective of the benchmark
development effort is to set forth substantive requirements that forest
certification systems will have to meet in order to become recognized in the
LEED Green Building Rating System.

In our view, the Forest Certification Benchmarks as outlined in the second
draft report are still in need of substantial revision. We believe they bring
further complication to a process that was already too much so, lack sufficient
clarity to allow consistent auditing, and are not likely to provide an incentive
for more responsible forest management.  These are problems that we believe
must be addressed. But despite these problems we do see a significant
opportunity for the USGBC - an opportunity to address an obvious and
longstanding need for a certification standard for all materials used in
building construction. The current draft, as we outline herein, provides an
excellent starting point for this more substantial green building improvement.

A recent Dovetail report [1] chronicled impacts linked to sourcing of raw
materials and production of building materials of all kinds.  That report also
highlighted the need for due diligence in the sourcing of all materials used in
building construction, and not simply those that originate in forests, and noted
the similarity of issues related to extraction of raw materials in general. 
Proposed was development of a generic standard for materials used in building
construction that addresses environmental and social concerns linked to raw
material extraction, transportation, processing and use.  The time for such
development is now and the USGBC benchmarking proposal provides a very useful
tool for beginning the discussion.

[1] Certification of Building Materials - Important or Not? 2009. ([
http://www.dovetailinc.org/files/DovetailCertMat0209.pdf ])

To view and download the full report on the USGBC Benchmarks, click here.
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//files/DovetailUSGBC1009.pdf]

http://www.dovetailinc.org/files/DovetailUSGBC1009.pdf

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*Wilderness Society Report on Wood Products and Carbon Storage: A Critical
Review and Wilderness Society Response*

[http://www.dovetailinc.org//reportsview/2009/responsible-consumption/pdr-jim-bowyerp/wilderness-society-report-wood-products-and]

Jim Bowyer

In September, Dovetail released the article "Wilderness Society Report on Wood
Products and Carbon Storage: A Critical Review."  This month we share a
response from the Wilderness Society.

As background, in April 2009 The Wilderness Society released a report "Wood
Products and Carbon Storage: Can Increased Production Help Solve the Climate
Crisis?"* The report begins by noting that much attention has been focused on
wood products and wood fuels to store carbon and reduce fossil emissions. Taken
to its extreme, the report states, "this approach suggests that cutting down
forests is the best preemptive move to prevent carbon losses due to fires or
insect infestations." The report concludes that "an increased use of wood
fuels and lumber will have very little effect on climate change." Thirty-nine
pages of discussion and analysis, interwoven with Wilderness Society forest
policy recommendations focused on preserving old growth and/or public forests,
support this conclusion.

To view and download the Dovetail article, click here.
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//files/DovetailWildernessSocietyReview092209.pdf ]

http://dovetailinc.org/files/DovetailWildernessSocietyReview092209.pdf 

To view and download the response from the Wilderness Society, click here.
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/wilderness-society-response-dovetail-critique]

http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/wilderness-society-response-dovetail-critique

*The report, Ingerson, A. 2009. Wood Products and Carbon Storage: Can Increased
Production Help Solve the Climate Crisis? Washington, D.C.: The Wilderness
Society, is available at:
[http://wilderness.org/content/wood-products-and-carbon-storage ]

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D o v e t a i l    N e w s:

  *
10/15/09
Crow Wing County to Develop Comprehensive Recreation Trails Plan
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/crow-wing-county-develop-comprehensive-recreation-trails-plan]

 Project Includes an Evaluation of High Conservation Value Forests

(Brainerd, MN) - The Crow Wing County Land Services Department has initiated
a project to develop a comprehensive recreation trails plan for county-managed
public lands.  The plan will be informed by an evaluation of potential high
conservation value forests under the county's management.
 
"Recreation trails are a cornerstone of outdoor activities in Crow Wing
County and one of the many benefits of our public lands," says Mark Liedl,
Land Services Director for Crow Wing County.
 
For more information, click here:  
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/green-building-workshops-answer-key-questions]

http://dovetailinc.org/content/crow-wing-county-develop-comprehensive-recreation-trails-plan

  *

10/05/09
Swedes to Visit Minnesota Farms
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/swedes-visit-minnesota-farms ]

Tours Part of Continued "Green" Education Exchange

From October 9-16, Minnesota will be home to two Swedish visitors interested in
learning about agriculture and farming practices.

The visit is a result of a connection made through the Rotary Club's Group
Study Exchange (GSE) program.  Earlier this year, five Minnesotans were selected
to travel to Sweden and live with host families for five weeks. That trip
included tours focused on sustainability and eco-communities, including visits
to sustainable farms.

For more information, click here:
[ http://dovetailinc.org/content/swedes-visit-minnesota-farms ]

  *

10/05/09
Green Building Workshops Offer Personal Assistance Opportunity
[http://www.dovetailinc.org//content/green-building-workshops-offer-personal-assistance-opportunity]

Companies Registering Multiple Participants Will Receive Free Consultation
With the Experts

(Madison, WI) - Do you have questions about green that you'd rather not
share with a room full of people? Maybe your questions are specific to your
business, one of your clients or a new venture? Would you like personalized
answers without having to retain a costly consultant? If you'd like to learn
about green privately and without having to sign a service contract, register to
attend one of the upcoming Green Building Workshops.
 
For more information, click here:

http://www.dovetailinc.org/content/green-building-workshops-offer-personal-assistance-opportunity

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"The Outlook" is the monthly e-newsletter of Dovetail Partners Inc, a

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