NewslineVolume VI, Issue 3 - February 4, 2005The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: Reminder - CRI 2nd Annual Spring Issues Conference If you have not registered and made your room reservations for the CRI 2nd Annual Spring Issues Conference, the deadline is approaching. The meeting is for CRI members and ally associations only and will be held March 15-18, 2005, at the Renaissance PineIsle Resort & Golf Club, Lake Lanier Islands, Georgia. The Conference Agenda, along with the Conference Registration and Hotel Reservation forms, are posted on the CRI website. Registration and reservations can be made online and need to be completed by February 18 in order to get special room pricing. We look forward to having you join us and participate in the Issues Conference. If you have questions or need more information, contact Barbra Wilson at 706.428.2125. Magazine Article Reports Carpet's Good News IAQ Story A recent article in School Planning & Management Magazine went
into great detail regarding indoor air quality in the nation's school systems
citing research that shows new technology in carpet "keeps dust, molds
and other nasties trapped in one spot as opposed to scuffling them into the
air with every step." The article cited carpet as an IAQ solution for students
suffering from allergies. One note of interest in the article was the mention
of the fact that lawsuits in public K-12 school districts over mold far outdistanced
those in their university counterparts, and a concerted effort was being made
to train staff on how to address mold contamination. Not All News is Good News: Threats Still RemainDespite some of the best efforts and scientific data readily available, there are still plenty of media outlets who are reporting misinformation in regards to carpet. Here are some of the examples from the month of January. In each case, the author, the article, or the person quoted has been contacted by CRI staff and sent information to help educate them on the true benefits of carpet.
All totaled, in the month of January, CRI responded to 23 articles which presented "education opportunities" to correct misinformation about carpet. Contact James Beach at 706.428.2116. Capitol Hill VisitsCRI President, Werner Braun, along with CRI's Government Issues staff and several
CRI members visited Capitol Hill this week. A reception in the U.S. Capitol
Building for the Georgia delegation and their staff was hosted by CRI and Congressman
Nathan Deal. Congressional office visits included Senator Isakson, Congressman
Kingston, Congressman Gingrey, Congressman Norwood and Legislative Directors
for Congressman Linder and Senator Chambliss. Discussions during the visits
included CDC project appropriations, international trade, and CO2 trading. A
one-page legislative "leave behind" regarding the industry's contributions
to the state of Georgia was prepared for these meetings. Surfaces UpdateThe 2005 annual Surfaces event took place January 26-29 in Las Vegas. CRI participated
in the expo distributing materials and publications to attendees. Much interest
was expressed in the recently inaugurated Seal of Approval Carpet Cleaning Testing
Program as well as the CRI Green Label Plus program for carpet products. Information
on all CRI's testing programs and publications is available at the CRI website,
www.carpet-rug.org. Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428.2123. Learn more about the Flooring Industry B2B Standard Government Issues Committee (GIC) Confirms Panelists for Spring Issues Conference SessionThe prime topic to be addressed by a panel during one of the GIC sessions at
the spring issues conference will be energy. Confirmed panelists for the discussion
include Roy Hiller, Fuel Services Principal with the Southern Companies, who
will speak from the supplier perspective; Paul Cicio with the Industrial Energy
Consumers of America (IECA), will talk about issues regarding natural gas; Stephen
Brown with the Dutko Group representing the Consumer Alliance for Affordable
Natural Gas (CAANG), will talk broadly about energy issues; and Department of
Energy Assistant Secretary, Mark Maddox, will talk from the agency perspective. NASA Providing Additional Benefit Thanks to CRI InvolvementAs part of the collaborative effort between CRI and NASA on the new x-ray fluorescence
(XRF) protocol, the Marshall Space Flight Center recently viewed dirty carpets
and carpets cleaned via the new XRF technology through their Scanning Electron
Microscope (SEM) in order to give a visual interpretation of what XRF is telling
us. This was done free of charge. Apparently, in the course of the testing,
some other opportunities from the SEM lab may have developed. The head of the
technical lab indicated he could view Fluorine on the fiber in the high-powered
microscope. It may be a way to see how well different application techniques
treat the fiber. A trip is currently being planned to take some members of the
Technical Issues Committee to Huntsville, Alabama, to speak with SEM's manager
to see how the carpet industry could best take advantage of their services. House about it Features CRI Carpet and Rug InformationAuthor Sheri Koones' new book, HOUSE about it, includes a section
on "Flooring" which covers carpet and rug information from carpet
pile to radiant heating and lists CRI as a resource contact through CRI's website
and 800#. Ms. Koones' book is touted as an "all-in-one" guide to turning
a dream design into a reality. The book is published by Gibbs Smith of Salt
Lake City, Utah. More information on HOUSE about it CRI Given Opportunity to Respond to Ohio Landfill StoryNational Floor Trends Magazine will include an Industry Perspectives
piece in its March Issue to talk about a recent report in an Ohio newspaper
that revealed the Ohio Department of Natural Resources had done a statewide
trash inventory. In the article, the report said 62 percent of the loads inventory
included some carpet or carpeting materials. The National Floor Trends column
will indicate that the story is misleading, and Werner Braun, CRI President,
will add to it with his analysis. U.S. Ranks 45th in Environmental SustainabilityAccording to the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index, the United States
ranked 45th out of 146 countries in environmental sustainability. The index
gauges countries' ability to protect the environment over the next several decades,
based on natural resources, pollution levels, environmental management efforts,
and capacity for improving environmental performance. According to BNA's Daily
Environment Report, the U.S. received high marks in water quality and environmental
protection capacity, but low marks on waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions.
Four of the top five countries were in Scandinavia - countries noted for ample
natural resources, low-population densities, and strict environmental regulations.
The index was developed by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy
and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia
University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum in Geneva and the
European Commission's Joint Research Center. European Union May Delay Work on REACHAccording to BNA's Daily Environment Report, some European Parliament
leaders have suggested delaying action on the proposed chemical regulatory policy
(REACH), since the European Commission continues to consider major revisions
to the policy and has indicated that it would consider further changes following
the outcome of several new impact assessments scheduled to be released in March
2005. Representatives from both the European Parliament Committee for Industry
and the Committee for the Environment have questioned the wisdom of moving forward
with the legislative process until such changes are submitted. CRI Meetings* Market Issues Committee, February 7, noon - 2 p.m., CRI Boardroom CRI Participation in Upcoming Events* 2005 Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) Annual International Conference, March 1-6, Savannah, Georgia If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Louise Dobbs at 706.428.2104. Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
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