Earth man Earth Day leader Denis Hayes wants to help save the world by changing the way we build PAGE 32

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Environmentalist Denis Hayes creates a living building Building

OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS Click here to see Denis Hayes the talking about the Bullitt Center. future (See page 11 for details.) RICK DAHMS By Steve Fisher SUSTAINABILITY. IT’S A word that has was kind of destroying the gorge, clear-cut- pus teach-ins on civil rights and on the war in achieved a high level of visibility and desirabil- ting the forest that I hiked all around in as I Vietnam had created the scenes that ulti- ity worldwide. In a 2012 speech, United Nations was growing up,” he recalls. “I woke up every mately grew into movements around those Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Ours is single morning with a sore throat because of issues. And he thought that might make a world of looming challenges and increasingly uncontrolled sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sense for environmental and conservation limited resources. Sustainable development sulfide [from the mill]. Every now and then issues as well.” offers the best chance to adjust our course.” there’d be a major water-pollution excursion Nelson proposed an environmental Among those at the forefront of sustain- into the Columbia, and you’d look out and teach-in on college campuses in April 1970. able development is Costco member Denis [see] thousands and thousands of dead fish. “I had, by that time, decided that this was Hayes, president of the Bullitt Foundation. If And I think imprinted in me at that point is a field that I wanted to devote my career to,” neither of those names rings a bell, add them that it must be possible to make paper, and, in Hayes says. “So with the arrogance of youth I to your mental database of people and organi- fact, must be possible to have a fairly comfort- jumped on a plane, flew down to , zations fighting for Earth’s future. able industrial civilization, without destroying D.C., and got a 15-minute courtesy interview the planet.” with the senator with the hopes of maybe get- The birth of an environmentalist Hayes received an undergraduate degree ting the charter to go back and organize [the Hayes was born in in 1944 but in history from and then event at] Harvard.” spent most of his upbringing in the small headed off to the Kennedy School of Gov- The scope of his ambition at that point town of Camas, Washington. ernment at . While there, a was to promote a local event at the college, “I grew up in the Gorge, fortuitous situation resulted in his rise to but more was in store. That 15-minute inter- one of the most beautiful parts of the world,” national, and international, prominence. view lasted for a couple of hours, and led to Hayes tells The Connection during an inter- “A senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord the creation of Earth Day, beginning on April view at the Bullitt Foundation’s office. Nelson, was concerned with conservation 22, 1970. Nelson asked Hayes to coordinate “My father worked in the paper mill that issues,” Hayes recalls. “He had seen how cam- the events across the entire country.

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USp32_34_CoverStory.indd 32 3/14/16 9:48 AM (See page11fordetails.) talking abouttheBullittCenter. Click heretoseeDenisHayes OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS USp32_34_CoverStory_R2.indd 33 ate an awareness that lasts year-round. Although it’s only once ayear, it helps to cre - brate our planet year, each on April 22. 46 years after its creation, 192countries cele- national event. In 1990,it went Today, global. Act; on and on and on.” Protection Act, Environmental the Education Endangered Species Act, Marine the Mammal Water Act, Safe the Water Drinking Act, the Congress Air Clean Act, the passed Clean the Protection Agency] with an executive order; Richard Nixon created EPA the [Environmental created context apolitical within which says Hayes. “And immediate inthe aftermath it embraced event the that year. “It was pivotal,” just took off like crazy.” which was clearly pro-environment, and it renamed Day, it Earth made it something Hayes says. “We took it off college campuses, life, it opportunity was the of alifetime,” NIC LEHOUX In the beginning, Earth Day wasIn mostly Earth a beginning, the An estimated 20 million participants “If is this what you want to dowith your region from Portland, Oregon, through .” andactivities sustainable communities inthe environment by promoting responsible human dation’s mission is “to safeguard natural the prominentbusinesswoman,Seattle the foun in 1992as president of Bullitt the Foundation. Stanford and law practiced before hired being worked for taught tanks, think engineering at Institute administration, under Carter the it. He ran nation’s the Research Energy Solar Day overEarth years, the he’s moved beyond Setting examples more electricitythanthebuildinguses. and solarpanelsontheroof, whichgenerate energy resources; thecenter’s spartanlobby; litt Center, whichincorporatessustainable Clockwise, fromleft: DenisHayes; theBul- Focusing on Corridor—the Emerald the Started in 1952by Dorothy Bullitt, a While Hayes has stayed involved with BRENT SMITHFORROBINCHELLDESIGN CONTINUED ONPAGE 34 - NIC LEHOUX responsibility Everyone’s nated products.”—SF “Many localutilitiesofferrebatesfordesig- Energy Starappliances,”Hayescounsels. there andit’s available forotherbuildings.” to workforthisbuilding,butnowit’s out Living Buildingordinancethatwaspioneered maximum efficiency:“We have,inSeattle,a had tochallengeexistingordinancesgain Foundation andtheBullittCenter’s designers initiatives. HayespointsoutthattheBullitt antiquated buildingcodesandadoptgreen sense,” Hayessays. source ofpride,andthisdoesn’tmakeany vehicles thatget9milestothegallonasa waste energy, utility tobuygiganticsport we begantotakeprideinourability can value,andatsomepointalongtheline be. “ThatusedtobeafundamentalAmeri- bicycle or take public transportation.” bicycle ortakepublictransportation.” efficient vehiclesor, betteryet,walk,ridea where youstoreyourtrash.Driveenergy- local utility. topost Manyhavefreecharts sure whichitemsarerecyclable,contactyour Ifyou’renot cling isagoodplacetostart. aprofit.” we actuallyrun from theutilityformeteredsavedenergy, panels] andtheamountofmoneywereceive tricity that’s generated byourrooftop[solar costs: “Whenyoutaketheamountofelec- the BullittCenterdoesnothaveenergy “It’s manifestly in society’s interest.”Hesays build moreefficientbuildings.Hayessays, efficient vehiclesandotherequipment, citizens can do their part to save the planet. tosavetheplanet. citizens candotheirpart businessesandordinary local governments, DENIS HAYES OFtheBullittFoundation says APRIL 2016 ■

“Use LED light bulbs and buy “Use LEDlightbulbsandbuy Local governments should update shouldupdate Local governments Be asefficientyoucanpossibly For individuals,Hayessays,“recy- Businesses shouldinvestmorein

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© IADAMS / SHUTTERTOCK ABOVE: NIC LEHOUX; RIGHT: © NEW YORK DAILY NEWS / GETTY IMAGES BUILDING THE FUTURE energy per square foot as the average building Left: The Discovery Commons offers informa- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 in Seattle. The amount of water that we use tion about green building. Right: The rst Earth Day, April 22, 1970, attracted 1 million Seattle, to Vancouver, British Columbia—a per square foot is about one-twentieth what participants in New York City alone. metropolitan region with farms, forests, the average office building uses in Seattle.” parks, fisheries and watersheds, the Bullitt The building’s toilets use a half cup of Foundation is trying to create a model of sus- water mixed with biodegradable soap to foam tainable development for the world, Hayes the bowl per flush, creating safe, clean com- Costco’s approach explains. “At this point, the whole world is post, which is ultimately sold as fertilizer in a IN BUILDING AND running more than 700 rapidly becoming urbanized. We wanted to program run by local government. Rainwater warehouses and numerous depots around build in this area a model of what those cities is captured, purified and stored. Solar panels the world, Costco has adopted a sustainabil- could look like. Something where, if we suc- form the roof, creating a self-contained ity policy that focuses on energy efficiency ceed, people might come and study and say, energy source. Computers control automated and environmental responsibility. ‘Yeah, that’s the kind of place that we would blinds outside the windows, keeping heat The policy covers building design, like to build, too. How did you do it?’ ” from entering the building and eliminating energy management, recycling and other the need for air conditioning. Hayes says that areas, says Ali Moayeri, senior vice president Creating a living building with all the design elements in place, it’s not of construction at Costco. “These practices Toward that end, Hayes, and the founda- needed, even on the warmest days. are good not only for environmental reasons, tion, in need of new headquarters, wanted to The building does not have a parking they’re good for business in that they save create an edifice that would embrace its garage for automobiles, but it does have a room energy costs,” he says. principles of sustainability. Construction of for bicycle storage and is on a major transit Here are a few key examples. the Bullitt Center (bullittcenter.org) began in route. It is 100 percent free of toxic materials Where possible, Costco has followed July 2011. and uses “net zero” energy and water. an energy-saving metal warehouse design. “In building structures, there are a whole Hayes proudly notes that the Bullitt These buildings meet or exceed local energy series of forces at play, none of which pushes Center was built to last: “The design life is 250 code requirements and use recycled steel sustainability as a really important factor,” years. That’s not uncommon in Europe … but materials in their construction and recycled Hayes says. The world’s leading architects cre- nobody builds buildings to last 250 years in asphalt in the parking lots. ate buildings that are intended to look stun- the .” Large rooftop solar systems are in ning, he says, but pay little attention to The Bullitt Center is the first office build- use in some 90 warehouses worldwide, and functionality and efficiency, or how sustain- ing in the world to achieve Living Building solar systems are incorporated in all new able they are in a world of limited resources. Certification from the Living Building Chal- buildings where feasible. All new lighting is The Bullitt Foundation opted to invest in lenge, which Hayes explains is “a certification LED, including parking lots, while older a six-story office building in Seattle that incor- program, advocacy tool and philosophy that buildings are being converted to LED. Also, porates state-of-the-art sustainable energy defines the most advanced measure of sus- each warehouse has about 250 skylights. resources throughout the structure. tainability in the built environment possible Tons of trash that formerly went to “It is dramatically more efficient than any- today.” He adds, “It’s probably the greenest landfills is now recycled into fertilizer, com- body thought was possible, including our building in the world.” post, feed stock and other products. Card- architects and engineers, and even me,” says Hayes and the Bullitt Foundation are board, shrink wrap and electronics all go into Hayes. “Our windows are all triple-paned, sending out a message: “We have the technol- recycling programs. argon-filled, heat-mirrored, and they’re ogy to power our future in ways that don’t Numerous packages, such as milk designed in a way that goes right up to the ceil- threaten our health or poison our planet. Let’s cartons, have been redesigned to fit more ing … eliminating the need for artificial lights. choose to use it.” Now it’s up to the rest of us items on a pallet, thus reducing truck trips to “It uses roughly one-ninth as much to act. C the warehouses.—Tim Talevich

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