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Rebuilding a Greener New Orleans

In the true spirit of turning lemons into lemonade, celebrity Brad Pitt and Global Green USA launched a competition to see who could design the healthiest and most environmentally friendly homes to replace a neighborhood destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The competition drew entries from all over the world, but the winner hailed from New York City. Six finalists were selected for their outstanding efforts to design affordable, sustainable housing that would lower energy bills, reduce environmental impacts and provide safe and comfortable living spaces. The homes included such features as geothermal heating and cooling systems; rainwater collection and recycling systems; trellises made of recycled plastic (that also provide shade to reduce cooling costs); and community vegetable gardens.

The winning entry, submitted by Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen, includes a 12-unit multi-housing building, six single-family homes and a community center. It utilizes natural ventilation and geothermal heating/cooling system and reducing the potential for flooding by collecting and recycling rainwater runoff.

Global Green is also providing technical assistance to others involved in rebuilding New Orleans through a resource center that provides advice on how to construct environmentally friendly buildings.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org