TORONTO, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) and Earth Pledge (EP) are pleased to announce the receipt of a $300,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation to support their combined efforts to advance the green roof industry in three key cities: Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Green building such as green roofing creates tangible long and short term benefits for individuals, communities and the environment. The grant will provide funds to establish an operational infrastructure in each city in order to work with local stakeholders to identify opportunities to advance supportive public policies, and help execute research projects to quantify the benefits of green roofs. "Each of these cities has demonstrated leadership in embracing green roof infrastructure. This funding will allow Earth Pledge to establish new research projects in each city to increase our knowledge of the benefits of green roofs in areas such as stormwater management, urban heat island reduction, PV efficiency improvement and energy efficiency," said Leslie Hoffman, executive director of Earth Pledge. "Green roofs have the potential to offer a multitude of environmental, social and economic benefits, and our work in these cities will help to promote and establish policies to further their widespread implementation," said Steven Peck, president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, North America's green roof industry association. The Home Depot Foundation supports innovative nonprofit organizations such as GRHC and EP that are working to increase awareness and successfully demonstrate the connection between greening affordable housing, the urban forest and the overall health and economic success of our communities. "Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and Earth Pledge are leading the industry in green roof development and implementation," said Kelly Caffarelli, executive director or The Home Depot Foundation. "The grant from the Foundation will support their efforts within each of the three cities and contribute to a greater awareness of the benefits provided by green roof infrastructure." About The Home Depot Foundation The Home Depot Foundation was created in 2002 to further the community building goals of The Home Depot by providing additional resources to assist nonprofit organizations building affordable, efficient, and healthy homes throughout the United States and Canada. The Home Depot Foundation is dedicated to creating healthy, livable communities through the integration of affordable housing built responsibly and the preservation and restoration of community trees. Since its formation, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $25 million to nonprofit and government organizations throughout North America. For more information, visit www.homedepotfoundation.org. About Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) GRHC is a membership-based green roof industry association working to develop the green roof industry across North America through a combination of providing membership services, working with governments and stakeholders to develop policies and programs that increase green roof implementation, and implementing a training and accreditation program for green roof professionals. The 5th Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards and Trade Show will be held in Minneapolis April 28-May 1, 2007 with the City of Minneapolis as the co-host. About Earth Pledge (EP) EP is a non-profit organization focused on implementing innovative technologies in the urban environment. Through education, technical research and consulting services, EP has led the green roof movement in New York City and is expanding these services and expertise to urban areas nationwide. Earth Pledge currently has two green roof research stations in Long Island City, New York and a recent installation in Santa Monica, CA. http://www.earthpledge.org/ http://www.greeninggotham.org/ http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/
