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LivingHomes recieved first ever LEED Platinum Rating in Residential DesignThe LivingHomes prefabricated home designed by Ray Kappe has received the U.S. Green Building Council's highest possible rating.
Climate Porn"Apocalyptic visions of climate change used by newspapers, environmental groups and the UK government amount to "climate porn", a think-tank says."
Interview: Paul Kephart of Rana Creek Part IIThe final installment with Rana Creek's Exective Director. "I like to incorporate natural systems within architectural standards."
Sustainable IKEA?IKEA has a history of sustainable practices such as phasing out PVC (polyvinyl chloride), radically simplifying packaging, and putting together a strict environmental and social code of conduct for suppliers, and has done so without communicating their goals to the public.
Interview: Paul Kephart of Rana Creek - Part 1Paul Kephart is a leading restoration ecologist and resource planner, and Exective Director of Rana Creek - a leading environmental planning and sustainable design company.
Going Green"With windmills, low-energy homes, new forms of recycling and fuel-efficient cars, Americans are taking conservation into their own hands."
Green Building 101: Location & CommunityInhabitat starts a weekly column on Green Building. Starting with some general steps - this week "6 ways to insure your home is sustainably located."
European Vintners to Sell Surplus Wine as BiofuelSurplus wine? What's that? Actually, I did have some "surplus" wine left over from a party this weekend, but I made it into Sangria... but biofuel works too...
Landscape futuresMajor catastrophes and gradual geological change will dramatically alter many of the earth's landscapes during the next million years.... same forecast as the last million years.
William McDonough: Design For Living"My goal is very simple." It's to help create "a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy, and just world, with clean air, soil, water, and power -- economically, equitably, ecologically, and elegantly enjoyed, period. What's not to like?"
Google Launches Eco-Tourism MapsGoogle has partnered with the Earth Day Network (EDN) to launch the new Google Maps Summer of Green, an environmentally focused video and map guide to eco-tourism spots.
For architects, green design is in full bloomChristopher Hawthorne reviews the new Brad Pitt hosted PBS show "Design e2: The Economies of Being Environmentally Conscious."
The Greener GuysAmericans are increasingly recognizing that the effects of carbon emissions on global warming are a serious problem, and some businesses are responding.
Green light for megamall that vows to be green"SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After years of delays, developers and local officials have agreed on a 30-year tax deal that will allow construction to start on Destiny USA — a megamall whose backers vow will run on renewable energy and be a model for clean living and shopping."
The Business of GreenA special section in the New York Times focuses on environmental issues as related to business - articles include Green Architecture in NYC, Chicago's city-wide green efforts, etc.
Podcast - Guy Battle, Green Engineer"London-based Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers (has become) a major voice in the green business revolution. In this podcast, Battle discusses buildings that breathe, sheds for Wal-Mart, and why CFO's are his new best friends."
A green spec houseDevelopers in San Francisco say they've built the greenest pad in San Francisco. Lots of high end green goodies including a system that catches up to 20K gallons of annual rainfall.
Smart homes should be eco-savvy, tooResponses to a recent MSNBC article on smarthomes mentions that readers prefer the homes to be conscious of energy conservation as well.
Constructing a Foundation for 'Net-Zero' Buildings"Can buildings use zero net energy, be carbon neutral, and still be commercially viable? That intriguing question is being asked these days -- not by fringe green building champions, but by major multinationals. Clearly, they see net-zero buildings yielding net-positive profits."
Seven MetersJamais Cascio writes about melting ice packs and rising oceans, pointing to Flood Maps, a website that combines NASA elevation data and Google Maps to show the effects of rising ocean levels.
"Sustainable Design Can Save More Than the Environment""Today just about all architects put sustainability near the top of the list of project design goals... But what does it mean to create sustainable architecture?"
BioWall - a beautiful 'living' wallA beautiful ephemeral structure, yet sturdy, which acts as a trellis for plants. This molecular configuration can be admired as a design 'piece' in itself, but it also acquires a poetic quality once plants make the structure their own.
"Raising the (green) roof - Green roofs are the new black tar""Greening your roof could save you 25% on energy bills, help clean the air, and provide a cool place to relax all at once."
Interview: L. Hunter Lovins, part 2Thanks to TH for conducting this interview, if you are not familiar with Hunter Lovins, I highly suggest you set aside a few minutes to read this, and if you are familiar... well, you're probably already reading it. Go now...
Food NotesI dig this concept of simple recycling - a notebook using reclaimed cereal boxes for the front and back cover. But, at 3 times the cost of a standard recycled paper notebook? Hmmm....
Interview: L. Hunter Lovins, part 1We featured a post last May about Hunter Lovins, entitled "What Can I Do?" after hearing her speak. Treehugger features a great interview with Hunter who founded Natural Capitalism and co-founded the Rocky Mountain Institute. Check it.
Switch Grass: Alternative Energy Source?Bush said Switch Grass, what? "David Bransby, professor of energy crops at Auburn University, says switch grass is cheap to grow and provides a high yield crop that can make a lot of ethanol for a low cost."
"Environmental Activism's Missed Opportunity"Matthew Smith writes about the battle for sustainability, and the flak many large corporations receive for their sustainability efforts.