For the Greener Good

Conversations That Will Change the World

For the Greener Good is a public series that affirms the National Building Museum's commitment to environmental sustainability. It calls on experts from diverse backgrounds to investigate links between environmental sustainability and design, public health, energy policy, bioscience, infrastructure, education, and even popular culture. The series features topics ranging from nuclear power to consumerism and urban slums to carbon storage. Participants will discuss ideas, experiences, and potential solutions in a public exchange at the Museum. 

Past Programs

For the Greener Good: Passive House Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good April 18, 2011 What if the only heat for your home was the occupants’ body warmth? These tightly sealed buildings are being constructed across Europe. Is this the future of American housing? Matt Belcher, Belcher Homes, Verdatek Solutions, LLC. Robert Ivy, executive vice president and CEO, American Institute of Architects (moderator) Richard King, director, Solar Decathlon, U.S. Department of Energy Katrin Klingenberg, executive director, Passive House Institute The "For the Greener Good" lecture series was presented by The Home Depot Foundation Watch/Listen.

For the Greener Good: Historic Preservation Vs. Sustainability? Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good March 24, 2011 The greenest buildings are the ones that are already built. But how does a community balance the historic fabric of vernacular architecture with greener buildings? Can’t we have both? A discussion with: Maria Casarella, AIA, Cunningham | Quill Architects; Anna Dyson, director, Center for Architecture Science & Ecology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute & Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; Martin Moeller, senior vice president, National Building Museum (moderator), Brendan Owens, Vice President LEED Technical Development, U.S. Green Building Council; Eleni Reed, Chief Greening Officer, Public Buildings Service, U.S. General Services Administration Watch/Listen.

For the Greener Good: Life After Plastic Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good February 17, 2011 Many believe that, as petroleum based products, plastic building materials will become more expensive as the price of oil rises. What is the future of alternate products for the construction industry? Watch/Listen.

Inspired by Nature Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good January 26, 2011 In this "For the Greener Good" program, titled "Inspired by Nature," panelists discuss how architects, builders, and engineers can create a greener, stronger, and more sustainable built environment by learning from natural forms. These natural inspirations have led to growing research in mining photosynthesis for renewable energy sources, engineering buildings in the shape of honeycomb, and creating natural ventilation inspired by termite hills. Watch/Listen.

Sustainable Schools Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good April 29, 2010 Listen to Dr. Howard Frumkin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Steve Turckes, Perkins+Will; and Glenn Cummings , Department of Education discuss ideas for building primary schools that help our children improve physically and academically. The program was moderated by NPR's Joanne Silberner. Watch/Listen.

Greening the Supply Chain Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good March 11, 2010 How can you tell if a piece of lumber, CFL light bulb or bamboo flooring is really “green?” And does “green” mean environmentally friendly, a lower carbon footprint, or manufactured in a socially responsible manner? A discussion with: Gwen Davidow, Director, Corporate Programs, World Environment Center; Kirsten Richie, Director of Sustainability, Gensler; Nadav Malin, President, BuildingGreen; Ken Langer, President, Architectural Energy Corporation, moderator. Watch/Listen.

A Green Building is a Healthier One Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good February 25, 2010 Can working in a green building make you healthier? And if you can prove this, would reduce a company’s health care insurance? Find out if this is a game changer when considering how and when to build sustainably. This panel included Gregory Kats, senior director and director of climate change policy, Good Energies; Michelle Moore, Federal Environmental Executive, President’s Council on Environmental Quality; Lisa Shpritz, Senior Vice President, Corporate Workplace for Bank of America; Vivian Loftness, Professor, Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture, and Robert Ivy, Architectural Record Editor-In-Chief, moderator. Watch/Listen.

Urban Agriculture Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good January 26, 2010 Listen to a panel of experts discuss the ecological impact of how we grow our food and how urban agriculture has the potential to reclaim unused land in cities. The panel included Josh Viertel, president, Slow Food USA; Liz Falk, director and co-Founder, Washington D.C. based Common Good City Farm; Steve Cohen, food policy and programs, Portland Oregon’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability; and moderator Allison Arieff, Food and Shelter Ambassador, GOOD and “By Design” columnist, The New York Times. Watch/Listen.

Vertical Farming Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good April 29, 2009 Learn about the future of urban food production with Robin Osler, Elmslie Osler Architects; Dickson Despommier, Professor of Public Health, Columbia University; Carolyn Steel, Author of Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives; and J. William Thompson, FASLA, editor, Landscape Architecture magazine. Watch/Listen.

Healthy Hospitals Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good March 23, 2009 Bob Eisenman, executive director, Global Health and Safety Initiative; Robin Guenther, architect and co-author of Sustainable Healthcare Architecture; Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D., director, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University; and moderator Joanne Silberner, health policy correspondent, National Public Radio discuss why a green hospital is a healthier one. Watch/Listen.

A Green World is a Safer One Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good February 18, 2009 Ed Mazria, founder Architecture 2030, and John Podesta, president and CEO, Center for American Progress, co-chair Obama-Biden Transistion Project talk about the impact of sustainability on politics and the building industry. Watch/Listen.

Sustainability Roundtable Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good January 27, 2009 Robert Ivy, FAIA, editor in chief for Architectural Record and Dennis Dimick, executive editor, National Geographic discuss what the climate change means for the built environment, natural world, and politics. Susan Piedmont-Palladino, curator at the National Building Museum moderates. Watch/Listen.

Divorce Your Car Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good December 4, 2008 While public transportation use continues to rise in America, the overall number of people served is fairly small. What will it take to get Americans out of their cars? What is the role of private business in public transit? How do you provide a variety of transit options? How can we design neighborhoods that are more walkable and encourage public transit? Listen to Robin Chase, co-founder, Zipcar and founder and CEO, GoLoco; Bert Gregory, FAIA, president and CEO, Mithun Architects + Designers + Planners; and Shelley Poticha, president and CEO, Reconnecting America discuss how to encourage more energy efficient travel for the future. Juliet Eilperin, a journalist at The Washington Post, moderates the program. Watch/Listen.

Wanted: Power; Location: Anywhere but Here Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good November 24, 2008 As the country’s appetite for energy grows, there is a consensus that we need more power. But who wants a nuclear plant, wind farm, or transmission lines in their back yard? A panel featuring Andrew Karsner, former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Tyson Slocum, director the non-profit group Public Citizen’s energy program; Jimmy Voss, assistant to the Mayor of Port Gibson, Mississippi; and New York Times journalist Matthew Wald, explore this heated issue. For the Greener Good lecture series was presented by The Home Depot Foundation. Watch/Listen.

World Leaders on Sustainability Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good September 17, 2008 From congestion pricing to innovative transit corridor development, world leaders discuss how they are leading the charge to create a more sustainable planet. The panel included Harriet Tregoning, Office of Planning, District of Columbia (opening remarks); Earl Blumenauer, Congressman, Oregon's 3rd District; Irene Svenonius, Stockholm, Sweden; Cassio Taniguchi, former Mayor, Curitiba, Brazil; and was moderated by Marcel Beaudry, former chairman, Canada's National Capital Commission. For the Greener Good lecture series was presented by The Home Depot Foundation. Watch/Listen.

Planning for a Chinese Century? Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good April 22, 2008 Investigate China’s plans for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and the tension between cultural preservation and the creation of new green buildings. The panel features Yan Huang, acting director, Beijing Planning Commission; Wang Jun, journalist who has written extensively on preservation issues and author of The Story of a City; Dennis Pieprz, president, Sasaki Associates and author of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Green Master Plan; Paul Goldberger, architecture critic, The New Yorker(moderator). For the Greener Good lecture series was presented by The Home Depot Foundation. Watch/Listen.

Whose Carbon is it Anyway? Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good March 18, 2008 The program investigates the complexities of social and economic change in the world: whether inter-governmental stalemates can be broken and if true international leadership can mitigate carbon output. The panel included Scott Barrett, professor of Environmental Economics and International Political Economy and director of the International Policy Program, John Hopkins University; Rainer Hascher, co-founder, Hascher Jehle Architektur, Germany; Melissa Lavinson, director, Federal Affairs and Corporate Responsibility, PG&E Corporation; and Fran Pavley, Assemblywoman, State of California. For the Greener Good lecture series is presented by The Home Depot Foundation. Watch/Listen.

Abu Dhabi: City of the Future? Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good February 11, 2008 Learn about the United Arab Emirates capital and its efforts to become a carbon-neutral city. A panel featuring Khaled Awad, project development director, Masdar, Abu Dhabi; Robert Fishman, University of Michigan; Michael White, Urban Planning Council of Abu Dhabi; Robert Ivy, FAIA, Architectural Record (moderator) discuss their vision for the city and what the rest of the world stands to learn from Abu Dhabi. For the Greener Good lecture series was presented by The Home Depot Foundation. Watch/Listen.

What 1 Billion Slum Dwellers Mean for the Environment Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good January 22, 2008 Michael Cohen, director, The New School International Affairs Program; Pietro Garau, past chief of research, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat); Rose Seisie Molokoane, Board member, Slum Dweller International; Sergio Palleroni, co-founder and director, BaSiC Initiative; Maria Sonia Vicenta Fadrigo, regional director, Homeless People's Federation Philippines (HPFP) examine the long-term environmental consequences of a slum dwelling population that grows by 25 million people a year. Robert Neuwirth, author of Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World moderates. Watch/Listen.

Living in a Disposable World: Recycling the Future Conversations That Will Change the World For the Greener Good December 18, 2007 This panel examines consumer culture and possible solutions for addressing and reducing consumer generated waste. Panel includes: Julie Bargmann, principal, D.I.R.T. Studio; Sara Willis Hartwell, Office of Solid Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Chris Jordan, Seattle-based artist; Tim S. Kraft, LEED AP, associate principal, PSA-Dewberry, Inc.; and moderator Susan Szenasy, editor-in-chief, Metropolis Magazine. For the Greener Good lecture series was presented by The Home Depot Foundation. Watch/Listen.

Sponsored By:

The Home Depot Foundation The Home Depot Foundation was established in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot by providing additional resources to assist nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and Canada.