The Pharos Project is a project of the Healthy Building Network. HBN is:

In Vermont:
Melissa Coffin, Bill Walsh

In California:
Tom Lent

In Washington, DC:
Larry Kilroy, Sarah Gilberg, Sarah Pickell, Susan Sabella

In Maine:
Jim Vallette

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR HEALTH CARE: KAISER PERMANENTE'S GREEN BUILDINGS FEATURED IN NYT'S BLOG

Kaiser Permanente's push to eliminate PVC from its facilities nationwide was highlighted on yesterday's NYT's blog, The Opinionator, as one of the health care provider's major innovations in its Total Health initiative.

In her blog, Allison Arieff specifically cites Kaiser's work to obtain PVC-free carpeting for its facilities, as PVC - a major source of dioxin (a known carcinogen) - is particularly out-of-step with healing environments and Kaiser's overall wellness agenda. Kaiser's successful campaign to spur a major manufacturer into creating PVC-free carpeting was conducted in collaboration with Healthy Building Network - and epitomizes the kind of transformative power large buyers can have in moving markets toward healthier, greener building materials.

It is this type of market impact that HBN believes will be achieved through the Pharos Project. Through the Pharos Building Product Library, specifiers of building materials can identify greener products, as well as manufacturers who share their commitment to a healthier built environment; by using the Pharos Chemical and Material Library, specifiers can see whether a product they are considering contains dioxins or other harmful chemicals.

Check out the Pharos Project and start breathing a little easier.

Larry Kilroy is the information systems director for the Pharos Project and the Healthy Building Network

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