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Dear Partners in a Sustainable Future!
We are excited to announce that Earth Day ATX is open for registration!
This year's theme is "Make it Personal." The festival logo reflects this theme, with a thumbprint incorporated. The activities this year will be tied to ways to make the experience personal for yourself and your community. The focus will be to host a highly interactive and inclusive family-friendly experience.
In support of Earth Day ATX we ask that you take a look at the festival website at earthdayaustin.com and the updated video reel!
To register, go here, or explore earthdayaustin.com for more information on exhibiting and sponsorship.
Thanks so much for your interest and support!
USGBC Texas is proud to once again be a partner with Earthx2024.
Join us in Dallas April 22-26, 2024, for the world’s largest sustainability gathering with the foremost environmentalists, conservationists, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, advocates, industry/business leaders, investors, policy makers, and political leaders engaged in the environmental space today.
Working together is the only way we can make the changes to make the earth cleaner and brighter for the generations to come.
Earthx2024 Congress of Conferences attract the world’s foremost environmentalists, conservationists, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs, advocates, industry and business leaders, investors, policy makers, and political leaders engaged in the environmental space today. These leaders and influencers come from a wide range of disciplines, interests, and perspectives, and represent a broad spectrum of initiatives and efforts around the globe. We bring together ALL points of view.
The 9th Annual Congress of Conferences will feature multiple conferences covering various industry & topical tracks:
Built Environment Agenda(Energy, Resilience, Infrastructure) Learn from key leaders and changemakers, who are driving the transition to a circular economy the future of sustainable cities & transportation, green building advances, rewinding, climate resilience and adaption, and the renewable energy transition. Natural Environment Agenda(Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife, Oceans) Learn from key leaders and changemakers who are pioneering new approaches to wildlife and ocean conservation, creating new market-driven tools for protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions, reinventing the future of agriculture and food production, and managing forests and wildfires. 8th Annual E-Capital Summit Agenda An invitation-only industry-leading sustainability investment and innovation summit that convenes hundreds of global investors, innovators, family offices/foundations, industry leaders, deal-makers, and other innovation & investment ecosystem leaders to help catalyze greater sustainability, investment, and innovation. More information available here.
Built Environment Agenda(Energy, Resilience, Infrastructure)
Learn from key leaders and changemakers, who are driving the transition to a circular economy the future of sustainable cities & transportation, green building advances, rewinding, climate resilience and adaption, and the renewable energy transition.
Natural Environment Agenda(Biodiversity, Conservation, Wildlife, Oceans)
Learn from key leaders and changemakers who are pioneering new approaches to wildlife and ocean conservation, creating new market-driven tools for protecting biodiversity and reducing carbon emissions, reinventing the future of agriculture and food production, and managing forests and wildfires.
8th Annual E-Capital Summit Agenda
An invitation-only industry-leading sustainability investment and innovation summit that convenes hundreds of global investors, innovators, family offices/foundations, industry leaders, deal-makers, and other innovation & investment ecosystem leaders to help catalyze greater sustainability, investment, and innovation. More information available here.
Use code USGBC20 at registration for 20% discount on conference registration!
Visit EarthX.org to purchase tickets and learn more.
South Texas Luncheon: Understanding Micro Climates & Urban Heat Islands
Tues., April 23, 202411:30 am - 1 pmProgram starts promptly at 11:45 am
Paesanos - Lincoln Heights 555 E. Basse Rd San Antonio, Tx
About the Topic:
The heat is on! Major urban areas are hot and getting hotter!
Urban heat, caused by human activities, forms a "heat bubble" surrounding the city known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI), resulting in higher temperatures, impacting human health, power consumption air and water quality, and more.
Dr. Daniel Boice will present original research on San Antonio's UHI over the past 7 decades. Dr. Farzad Hashemi, Assistant Professor of Architecture at University of Texas at San Antonio will discuss his novel methodology to create climate data specifically designed for urban environments to accurately reflect the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects.
Michelle E. Garza, Planning Specialist, will share positive initiatives the San Antonio River Authority has implemented to mitigate heat and improve water quality and Leslie Antunez, Senior Municipal Sustainability Manager, Office of Sustainability will present the City of San Antonio's heat reduction strategies.
Speakers: (Read full bios here.)
Daniel C. Boice, Ph.D. Founder & Principal AstronomerScientific Studies & Consulting
Daniel Boice is the founder and principal astronomer at Scientific Studies & Consulting in San Antonio, TX. Prior to his present position, he spent 26 years in the Space Science & Engineering Division at Southwest Research Institute, where he specialized in cometary research sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation. Concurrently, he held a joint appointment to the Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses for 20 years. During his career, he developed computer models that are used to interpret spacecraft data and ground-based observations of comets.
He has also developed an interest and expertise in the urban climate, especially the Urban Heat Island, when in the early 1990s he co-discovered San Antonio's UHI. Daniel has an extensive research record that includes over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, several hundred conference reports, and the books.
Farzad HashemiAssistant Professor of ArchitectureUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
Farzad Hashemi is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the founding director of the Climate Sensitive Design Lab (CSDL) within the UTSA's School of Architecture and Planning. He received a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Pennsylvania State University, with a focus on Sustainability.
In his doctoral research, Hashemi developed a novel methodology that couples Local Climate Zones (LCZs) with the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) to create climate data specifically designed for urban environments to accurately reflect the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects. This methodology aims to surpass the limitations of Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data, which is generally gathered from open spaces such as airports and often fails to capture the specific climatic conditions of urban neighborhoods. Hashemi's work is dedicated to providing architects and urban planners with a more accurate workflow for evaluating and reducing urban buildings' energy demands, steering towards more sustainable urban development.
Michelle E. Garza Planning Specialist San Antonio River Authority
Michelle Garza has 12 years of experience in the environmental science and sustainable energy fields and 13 years in business management. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) where she focused on geology and worked for the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute. She has been part of the Sustainable Infrastructure/Planning Unit at the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) for more than eight years, where she works to educate the community on nature-based stormwater solutions to improve water quality and the urban environment.
Additionally she is the development coordinator for SARA, working with developers in mandatory coordination areas, such as the River Improvement Overlay District and Westside Creeks Water Quality Overlay, on their LID/green infrastructure to protect our community's investment in the health and recreation of our creeks and rivers.
Leslie Antunez Senior Municipal Sustainability Manager City of San AntonioOffice of Sustainability
Leslie Antunez is a dedicated and committed public servant with 17 year of service specializing in climate initiatives, public information, crisis and media communication strategies, and community engagement and education.
As the Senior Municipal Sustainability Manager, she responsible for overseeing the City's municipal climate planning and implementation efforts including projects such as the Urban Heat Island/Cool Pavement pilots and assisting with the municipal on-site solar project.
South: GREEN COFFEE
Commonwealth Coffeehouse
203 E. Jones Ave., Suite 101 San Antonio, TX 78215
8:30 - 9:30 AM
About the Event
South Texas, USGBC Texas will be hosting Green Coffee Hours each month, open to the public. This FREE event offers the opportunity to meet and network with people in green careers: architecture, engineering, sustainability, environmental governance professions, and more.
For updates and additional information, please be sure to RSVP.
FAMILY FRIENDLY HAPPY HOUR EVENT
First Thursdays, May through September, 2024 4:00-7:00 PM
Meanwhile Brewery
3901 Promontory Point Dr
Austin, Texas 78744
Central Texas, USGBC Texas will be hosting a family friendly Happy Hour, open to the public. This location was specifically chosen for its open space for kids to stretch their legs. This FREE event offers the opportunity to meet and network with people in green careers: architecture, engineering, sustainability, environmental governance professions, and more.
Parking Instructions
Free parking is available at Meanwhile Brewing.
Thursday, June 6th at 4:00-7:00 PM
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE EXAM PREP COURSE
Saturday, June 8th, 2024 Gensler HoustonVirtual Training 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM Free Class
About this Event
For more than 15 years, Gensler has welcomed in thousands of clients, college students, community leaders, building owners and designers to take its free LEED Green Associate Exam Prep Course.
Conveniently scheduled on a Saturday morning, the four hour class is administered by Gensler employees who are passionate about sustainability in practice and have previously achieved their LEED GA credentials. The course is open to anyone in the community who is planning to take the LEED Green Associate Version 4 exam and is interested in attaining basic knowledge of green design, construction and operations.
From this course, you will learn how to address fundamental principles of green building, attain a basic knowledge of LEED rating systems and will receive recommended study material to aid in passing the exam. Feel free to also bring any general or specific questions regarding the exam you may have.
Gensler’s LEED GA prep course is offered five times annually, with an additional BD+C and ID+C course option offered during the year also. There is no class attendance limit and anyone 18 or older is able to register for the course. Four AIA Continuing Education Credits are available for session attendees.
Thursday, July 11th at 4:00-7:00 PM
Thursday, August 1st at 4:00-7:00 PM
Saturday, August 10th, 2024 Gensler HoustonVirtual Training 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM Free Class
Thursday, September 5th at 4:00-7:00 PM
LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE VIRTUAL PREP COURSE
Kirksey ArchitectureVirtual ClassWednesday, September 11, 2024 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Free Class
In order to achieve truly green projects, everyone on a project team – contractor, engineer, developer, owner, and others – need to understand green building principles. Kirksey Sustainability has developed a rigorous preparatory class focused on the LEED Green Associate exam and has graduated over 2,200 industry partners. Classes are typically taught twice per year.
With the growing influence of environmentally responsible design and construction practices, a knowledge of green building strategies is a valuable asset for anyone associated with the building industry. Kirksey's LEED Green Associate Prep Class is a resource for those who are interested in gaining the LEED Green Associate credential. Kirksey does not offer a LEED AP prep class.
Register Now
Location: Virtual Class - please register for details There is a limit of two class attendances per person. Attendees must be 21 years or older. Kirksey reserves the right to cancel classes up to 48 hours in advance in the event of low registration. Attendees who require special accommodations must notify Kirksey at least two weeks prior to the class.
Class participants are responsible for scheduling their exam date. For more information, visit www.gbci.org.
Link to registration: https://www.kirksey.com/sustainability/leed-classes-signup
GREEN COFFEE HOUR
Thursday, October 3rd at 8:30 AM-9:30 AM
Easy Tiger North
6406 N I-35 Frontage, Suite1100 Austin, TX 78752
The Central Regional Council of USGBC-Texas hosts Green Coffee Hours each month, open to the public. This FREE event offers the opportunity to meet and network with people in green careers: architecture, engineering, sustainability, environmental governance professions, and more. For updates and additional information, please be sure to RSVP.
Saturday, October 12th, 2024 Gensler HoustonVirtual Training 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM Free Class
Thursday, November 7th at 8:30 AM-9:30 AM
USGBC Texas Chapter is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 1801 Royal Lane, Suite 400, Dallas, TX 75229
Contact us at chapter@usgbctexas.org or at 214-571-9244