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With all the FT and organic certification talk

It is no secret and perhaps irrelevant that I'm no fan of Fair Trade
and Usda certification for coffee and its purveyors. But there are
other certification programs that have an effect on people who sell
coffee and food, that have an impact on what we pay as well.
Sometimes it's a little ridiculous....al
(hope this copied well)

environmental certification
NANCY SARNOFF, Staff -- The Houston Chronicle, August 31, 2008 Sunday
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Chris Toman's plan to go green could have put him in the red.

The owner of a local pizza franchise plans to apply for LEED
certification for his 2,600-square-foot restaurant space on the back
burner because it was going to cost too much.

Toman said he would have to pay between $30,000 and $40,000 to become
certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design program, which awards points to
structures that are energy efficient and otherwise good for the
environment.

"With prices like that, it's hard - especially for smaller companies,"
he said.

Toman is opening a Pizza Fusion franchise, which requires all of its
restaurants to be built to LEED standards, as part of its self-
described mission to "Save the Earth one Pizza at a Time."

Not only are the buildings green, the chain delivers pizzas in hybrid
vehicles.

The cost of going green for Pizza Fusions in other markets is less
than half of what Toman was told he'd have to pay here.

Much of the cost goes to consulting companies that develop energy-
efficiency plans for buildings seeking certification. These firms also
make sure the buildings ultimately perform the way they were designed
and file reams of paperwork required on all projects regardless of
their size.

"It seems like they're overcharging," he said. "I'm trying to do the
right thing, but someone's taking advantage of it and charging high
rates."

Some states have financial incentives to help cover the fees, said
Amanda Tullos, with Portland, Ore.-based Green Building Services, a
consulting company with a Houston office.

"There's definitely a barrier," she said.

But also, it can cost about the same to certify a small restaurant as
it does a much larger building, because it involves almost the same
amount of paperwork.

Toman said his store is the only one in the national chain that won't
have LEED certification.

But he's still building the restaurant as planned.

Its insulation will be made with recycled blue jeans and counters
manufactured with old Coke bottles. A high school's basketball court
is being reused for the floors and tables, and a special oven will
heat water.

The restaurant is expected to open this fall near Louetta and Texas
249 in the northwest part of the Houston area.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Pizza Fusion has sold more than 75
franchises in 15 states. The full-service restaurant specializes in
organic, vegan and gluten-free pizzas

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