Winery Meets Sustainability...How Eco-Chic

THREE THIEVES’ NEW ECO-FRIENDLY WINE PACKAGING STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT
Progressive Wine Company Leads the Industry with Eco-Chic Wines

ST HELENA, CA, December 7, 2007 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- Five years ago Three Thieves became known as the innovative trailblazers in the wine industry by being the first to introduce eco-friendly Tetra Pak aseptic packaging for its high-quality, smartly priced California wines. Breaking ground again, in both wine and environmentally conscious circles, the Three Thieves are the first U.S. wine company to introduce the eco-friendly 1 Liter Tetra Prisma™, comprised of 70% paper, a renewable resource, for its Bandit line. “The Three Thieves are all winemakers, so our focus on what’s in the box is just as intense as the box itself,” says Chief Thief Charles Bieler.

Aseptic packaging is far more efficient and lightweight to transport than bottles, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and saving fuel. In fact, it would take 26 trucks filled with empty wine bottles to equal just 1 truck filled with empty Tetra Pak cartons. “We’re happy to do our part to fight America’s oil consumption,” Bieler explains.

Less waste and saving energy are other benefits: Tetra Paks reduce the packaging waste associated with bottled wine by 90% and can be distributed, warehoused and displayed in stores with or without refrigeration, while maintaining full flavor. Shelf stability is crucial because the Thieves rely on their insider grower contacts to source from California’s elite cool-climate vineyards. As a result Bandit wines are consistently praised by wine critics nationwide.

The Three Thieves refuse to waver from their dedication to providing consumers with quality wine at a great value, selling these wines nationally for $8.99/liter. Bieler adds, “The savings that we pass along to the consumer are significant, considering that there are no corks, labels, or foils used, and the cartons are a fraction of the weight and cost of glass.”

The new packaging brings more varietals to the table—Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio—and offers greater portability, durability and the ability to preserve the wine for future use. Some days less is more: With Mini Bandits, the Thieves’ single-serve 250 ml Tetra Prisma juice boxes, a glass of wine on the go is easy and enjoyable.

Three Thieves, developed by Charles Bieler, Joel Gott and Roger Scommegna, is the leading brand of Rebel Wine Company, a joint venture with Trinchero Family Estates. Known as much for their innovative packaging as for what is in it, the Thieves have distinguished themselves through their originality and vision.

Tetra Pak is the world leader in food processing and packaging systems. Best known for its aseptic technology innovations, Tetra Pak works for and with its customers to provide preferred processing and packaging solutions for food and is committed to making food safe and available, everywhere.

#5 Citi Green Award for Data Center

Citi Data Center Wins Environmental Award For Green Design Recognized by Leading Industry Body
New York, NY – Dec 7, 2007 the new Citi data center under construction in Frankfurt, Germany, was given the Green Data Center Award 2007 by DatacenterDynamics, one of the world's leading sources of information on the design, construction and operation of IT facilities. At a ceremony in London, DatacenterDynamics recognized the facility, which will be the central IT-hub for Citi's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, and the biggest Citi data center outside United States, for demonstrating a vision of environmental impact as a critical driver in the design and operation of their data facilities.

The Datacentre Leaders' Awards recognize innovation, professionalism and achievement in the U.K. and European data center industry, and the Green Data Center Award seeks to emphasize the new reality of designing and operating data centers in the context of environmental scrutiny and to celebrate the success of those who have managed to balance their established responsibilities in providing a resilient and responsive facility with the consideration of wider corporate and environmental responsibility.

Upon completion in June 2008, this data center will save up to 25% on electrical energy consumption, compared to conventional data centers. In addition, 16,000 megawatt hours will be saved each year, the equivalent needed to power 3,000 average family homes. The amount of carbon dioxide escaping into the atmosphere will be up to 11,000 tons less annually than conventional centers of its size. Savvy water management, including natural drainage of almost 90% of the rainwater, will save up to 46.5 million liters in water usage every year.

Head of Citi Realty Services for EMEA, John Killey, said, "Citi's commitment to ensuring sustainability lies at the heart of all its major projects and the new EMEA data center is no different. From inception, through construction to operation, a rigorous, resource-efficient, balanced and holistic approach has been adopted that integrates sustainability without compromise to performance or reliability. The result is a project that pioneers solutions transferable to other geographies and applications.

"The award also recognizes the role that outstanding cooperation between Citi's Real Estate and Technology groups along with their design and construction partners has played in ensuring sustainability is in the fore front of this project," Killey added.

The EUR 170 million data center is part of Citi's global $50 billion plan to address climate change. Citi has committed to achieving environmental certification globally (LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – in the United States) for all new office buildings and operations centers and evaluation of existing larger facilities. This is a critical part of Citi's pledge to embed sustainable practices into its everyday business and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 10% by 2011 at its more than 16,000 facilities worldwide.

Greenie Only!

There is a large development taking place in Syracuse, NY called Destiny USA. One thing of interest is that the developer is promoting 100% sustainable development and building. The sign (below) secures parking spaces for green vehicles only. Not sure if it is being enforced or not yet...The following are some of the sustainable features:

Sustainable Features Destiny USA’s First LEED Platinum Hotel

• Destiny USA is rehabilitating the contaminated soil that was left when “Oil City” was removed. By cleaning up and developing the hotel on this site called a “brownfield”, Destiny USA reduces the need to use other precious undeveloped land. By building the hotel on the existing land of the Carousel Center site, Destiny USA is encouraging urban development which protects our greenfields, preserves habitat and natural resources.
• The building façade will be clad t with 400,000 sq. ft. of solar panels that would produce an additional 1.9 million KWH/Yr (2,200 KW). Using current electricity cost in NYS of $.14/KWH the energy cost savings would be $266,000 per year.
• The hotel roof will be covered with 20,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels that will produce 24,000 KWH (16 KW).
• A freestanding 23 MW Biomass Gasification Power Plant will utilize agricultural waste and solid waste from the hotel to produce electricity, steam and chilled water. The plant will run a turbine and fuel cells that will power the entire facility.
• The hotel will capture and utilize as much storm-water as possible to be recycled for gray water use throughout the facility. Uses for gray water include toilet flushing, cooling tower makeup, irrigation, laundry, maintenance and evaporative roof cooling.
• The hotel design will incorporate small hydroelectric turbines which will generate electricity from rainwater run-off.
• A high density of buildings with black roofs can cause an ecological imbalance called a “heat island” which can increase the temperature in that area. The hotel roof will be covered with a solar reflective material that greatly reduced any potential for increased temperature change. Porous concrete paving will also be used in the reworked site around the hotel to reduce heat island effects and allow natural absorption of storm-water.
• Each guest room within the hotel incorporates a hydronic vertical fan coil unit. The heating and cooling options exist within this unit to quickly control the room temperature upon the guest’s arrival. A high output ultraviolet light in each fan coil unit combats mold and mildew and other organic matter which greatly reduces coil pressures and provides a minimum energy savings of 8% per year.
• During construction 95% of all construction debris will be diverted from going to a landfill. To accomplish this goal, waste materials will either be reused on-site or hauled to specified recycling facilities. The industry average for diverting construction debris from a landfill is 30%-40%.
• The hotel will have secure bicycle storage and shower and changing facilities to encourage both guests and employees to use alternate transportation.
• Preferred parking spaces will be offered for guests who drive fuel efficient and low emitting vehicles.
• Low flow fixtures including showers and toilets will be specified to significantly reduce water demands.
• The landscaping planned for the expansion will consist of a plants and trees well suited for this climate, thus eliminating the need for irrigation and future water use from any source.
• More than 20% of the materials used in the hotel will be from recycled sources and 2.5% of the materials will be rapidly renewable.
• A Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan will be implemented to help sustain the comfort and well-being of the construction workers and the building occupants by reducing or preventing the presence of dust, air pollutants, odor and moisture.
• All adhesives, paints, carpeting and composite wood will have low or no VOC (Volatile Organic Chemical) emissions which are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the installers and occupants of the building.
• More than 20% of the materials will be sourced regionally to reduce greenhouse gases from transportation and shipping.
• 50% of all the new wood used will be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. FSC wood meets a specific criterion that proves it was produced in a sustainable manner.
• Small wind turbines will be incorporated into the hotel structure – Potential to utilize 15m wind turbines (50 KW rated, 10 KW at 12 mph).
• 100% recycling will occur during operations.
• In façade lighting high efficiency LED lighting will be specified to control light pollution and conserve energy. The lights will also be turned off after a certain time in the evening to conserve energy.

Additional Elements Being Researched:

• An off-site wind farm will power Destiny’s fleet of electric vehicles.
• Effluent from the Metro sewage treatment plant could be used in addition to stormwater run-off to supplement the gray-water demands for flushing toilets, cooling tower makeup, irrigation, laundry, maintenance and evaporative roof cooling.
• Use wheatgrass carpeting instead of oil based conventional carpeting.
• On premises laundry with water recycle, heat recovery, and ozone technology with 30% water savings and 25% energy savings during operation.
• Solar panels will be directly connected to hotel cooling system actually cooling the areas that the sun heats, reducing peak load demands.