Urging everyone to ‘think with your heart, and feel with your head’, McDonough’s final thought for the 2014 Greenbuild audience was potent, practical, and poignant: “Making it right is going to take all of us and it is going to take forever, that is the point.” Continue reading

Greening Detroit is happening in many different shades and sectors. Trees are essential to our cities, to take our carbon dioxide and give us back oxygen, to provide cooling shade, and to play their part in complex urban ecosystems. There is a growing body of research suggests that we need them for much more than that. Trees absorb stormwater, helping reduce runoff. They clean the soil. They promote economic vitality, raising property values and subtly encouraging shoppers to spend more time spending money. They reduce our stress levels and might even help reduce violent crime. Continue reading

Natural capital valuation offers water companies a powerful tool to identify sustainability challenges, engage stakeholders such as the chief financial officer and drive innovation in low-carbon technologies. Continue reading

California_drought1.atcpxtx8cywo08kc0wo4g0w0o.5r15frdicg4kos40gwk400wsw.thThe 2014 drought has cost California’s economy $2.2 billion, according to a report from the University of California, Davis. The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences study updates estimates on the drought’s effects on Central Valley farm production, presents new data on the state’s coastal and southern farm areas, and forecasts the drought’s economic fallout through 2016. The study found that the drought — the third most severe on record — is responsible for the greatest water loss ever seen in California agriculture, with river water for Central Valley farms reduced by roughly one-third. Continue reading

"The good news is that disclosure of the most important environmental metrics by the biggest companies has become table stakes: 88 percent of the 100 largest US companies now disclose their greenhouse gas and energy metrics, while 65 percent disclose water use. Across the entire ranking universe, if a company... Continue reading

Only a third of consumers regularly consider sustainability in their purchasing decisions, according to a global study by Accenture and Havas Media Re:Purpose. The report, From Marketing to Mattering, is based on a survey of 30,000 consumers in 20 countries. The study was commissioned in response and as a companion... Continue reading

Consumers may not realize it, but there are a lot of 'pieces of the sustainability pie' that must be put in place in the manufacturing world to bring green or sustainable products to market. All of the pieces involve managing various internal processes, while keeping increasingly complex external risks under control as well. Continue reading

Heather White, Executive Director of the Environmental Working Group, explains why our lotions, makeup, and shampoos are loaded with dangerous chemicals, why babies are born with hundreds of toxins in their blood, and what you can do to make your immediate environment — and the world — a little bit safer. Continue reading

More than three quarters of people in the developed world say they are happy, but a clear majority wish their life was simpler, according to a study of adults in 20 of the world's leading powers. Continue reading

With every year that passes, we’re getting further away from averting a human-caused climate disaster. That’s the key message in this year’s “Low Carbon Economy Index,” a report released by the accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers. Continue reading

The United States is witnessing a solar energy revolution with a massive, 120-fold increase in solar capacity over the last decade. Solar energy is not only good for consumers, but it is also extremely beneficial for the environment and the economy in the long run. Continue reading

Spurred on by the global financial crisis, pop-up retail shops sprung from necessity – using empty spaces at a minimal cost to retailers. “It’s almost like an event or a festival,” said architect Thomas Kosbau. “It needs to be built quickly and disassembled quickly. In no other form of architecture do you design for how quickly the structure has to be disassembled.” Continue reading

Businesses and governments can tackle climate change and improve economic performance, according to a report by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, a group of business and policy leaders from 19 countries. Continue reading

BigBelliesThe number of American men and women with big-bellied, apple-shaped figures — the most dangerous kind of obesity — has climbed at a startling rate over the past decade, according to a government study. People whose fat has settled mostly around their waistlines instead of in their hips, thighs, buttocks or all over are known to run a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and other obesity-related ailments. Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults have abdominal obesity, up from 46 percent in 1999-2000, researchers reported in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. Continue reading

Within the next decade, some cities like L.A. are expected to see power needs increase by as much as 18 percent, and a lot of that energy needs to be clean. Continue reading

Food companies are trying to beat the federal government’s push to make chemicals in food more transparent. The FDA has come under increasing pressure to review food chemicals, which it says are mostly self-approved by food companies. The Grocery Manufacturers Association has launched an initiative that will give the FDA access to a database of food companies’ safety information for chemicals and other ingredients used in processed foods in an effort to improve the safety and transparency of ingredients used in food products. Continue reading

USGBC California leads advocacy efforts to address climate change including California's drought. Continue reading

Rush hour in the Netherlands video: Dedicated bike paths with lights, and no helmets. Must be pretty safe, and everyone looks healthy and they are enjoying the commute to boot! Watch the Rush Hour Video: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152278157777647&set=vb.6515037646&type=2&theater Continue reading

Zero waste certification brings better results. Continue reading

The National Park Service has done an enormous service to us all by rejuvenating and preserving the historic hot springs bath houses and downtown of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Upgrading these health spa's has strengthened the local economy and preserved the health benefits and historical fabric for future generations. Continue reading

Just by developing the technology to create detergents that are 8X more concentrated METHOD saves 90% of the plastic packaging, 90% of the carbon footprint in the packaging, you also save more than 40% of total carbon footprint of the liquid, 90% of the water associated with laundry detergent, and considerably less transportation costs and associated carbon footprint. Continue reading