REI Getting Greener

In October I wrote a post about REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.) opening a retail store built to green standards.  The company sells high-quality outdoor gear and apparel.  Well, the environmentally-conscious company is at it again…they’ve opened a 525,000 square foot distribution center in Bedford, Pennsylvania that again employs green standards.

Tips on Financing Green Commercial Projects

In a recent interview of Leanne Tobias, founder and principal of Malachite LLC of Maryland, commercial property owners learned of various financing options for new and existing green commercial buildings.
She talks about the state of the market and government tax incentives and utility company programs to incorporate energy efficient and alternative energy strategies into commercial [...]

Corn-based Plastics

In a world looking for alternatives to petroleum, an innovative concept invented around 20 years ago, of creating plastic from corn, yes corn, is now catching on. Several manufacturers are already making products like, trash bags, food containers and packaging for consumer goods, from this polylactic acid resin material called PLA. So, what’s [...]

Degree of Green™ Will Guide Consumers

With home improvement and building products, there are many shades of green. An increasing number of manufacturers are introducing new products which claim to be more environmentally-conscious, but retailers and consumers are confused about how green some products really are.

Green Machine Uses Soap Nuts to Clean

What the heck is a soap nut?! It (Sapindus mucorossi) is a natural plant that has been used to clean clothes for centuries in India and Nepal, and may make its commercial debut for use with a newly-invented washing machine.

Greener Christmas Trees

Now there’s a way to know for sure whether or not the Christmas tree that catches your eye is grown and harvested in a sustainable manner, at least in Oregon. The Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers will help with your quest as it verifies that tree farms meet certain environmental standards. Even though [...]

Green Condo Decked Out For The Holidays

If it’s not quite cold enough for you in the states, head on up to Toronto, Canada. While you’re there, check out the demonstration green condo at Exhibition Place’s CMHC Eco Pods (former Music Building) until December 31st.
It’s a full size representation of green building design and green furnishings that real people can incorporate [...]

Dedication to Green Building

Phillip Higgs at Lime.com wrote an interesting post about how green building isn’t just for freaks and hippies. He also writes about some of the frustrating problems associated with trying to build more sustainably. It may just be the freaks and hippies who are up to the challenge of ensuring their small-scale projects [...]

Brad Pitt Continues Green Building Efforts in New Orleans

As if pledging $5 million isn’t enough, Brad Pitt is far more involved with rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. He has teamed up with sustainable design experts to build at least 150 new, green homes for residents in the Ninth Ward, an area hit particularly hard by Hurricane Katrina.

NC Green Building Workshop

If you’re one of the lucky residents living in the lovely Triangle area of North Carolina, you have a few green elements at your fingertips. The NC Solar Center in Raleigh, the Greenbridge Development in Chapel Hill, and more recently, green building workshops offered by Green Pros in Pittsboro (one of my favorite places [...]

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