Governments across the country are increasingly turning to “smart growth” as smart policy, and a new study reveals the dollars and cents behind these policy decisions. In Smart Growth America’s latest report, Building Better Budgets: A National Examination of the Fiscal Benefits of Smart Growth Development, SGA compiles the first national survey on the local government savings from smart growth measures.
As a resident of Idaho’s Wood River Valley, which encompasses the cities of Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley, I have been involved with and impressed by the commitment of several local jurisdictions that have adopted above-code ordinances. As co-chair of USGBC’s Build Better Codes campaign for 2013, I am doing what I can to share my expertise and my community’s story, and also to support the many code advocacy efforts across USGBC’s chapter community.
LEED v4 is more than just credits and requirements. With this update, USGBC has taken a deeper look at the tools and resources that support the program. We’ve reached out to the marketplace for feedback on what’s working and what’s not the so we could make improvements that help these tools operate as designed. The information we’ve gathered through conversations with LEED practitioners, the LEED v4 Beta program and even in public comment periods has helped us identify ways to save project teams time.
In 106 days, Team Capitol DC will be presenting Harvest Home, an off-the-grid showcase of all things sustainable in Irvine, California for the Department of Energy’s bi-annual Solar Decathlon from Oct. 3-13.
Many people are becoming more conscious about staying green while they travel.
TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, offers a few easy tips for travelers who want to curb their carbon footprint, without sacrificing comfort, relaxation or fun!
Book a nonstop flight. The fewer planes you need to reach your destination, the lower your carbon footprint. Also, choose an airline that participates in a recycling program.
Water is a limited resource, essential for life. Just as we recognize the value of water, it is important to recognize the value of natural systems to store and maintain clean, fresh water and to sustain biodiversity and wildlife.
Here’s our weekly collection of green building clips:
New Vikings stadium unveiled, Star Tribune. Check out this slideshow of renderings for the striking LEED stadium planned for Minneapolis.
As we continue leveraging the cultural influence of sports to advance green building, we’re taking to social media to engage players and fans alike.
Join the Center for Green Schools (@mygreenschools) for a twitter chat with the Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) and Green Sports Alliance (@SportsAlliance). We’ll be celebrating the sustainability initiatives of sports organizations and encouraging our followers to partake in their own.
This week, the Center for Green Schools honored 10 teachers who are leading the way in environmental education. Our brand new “Trailblazing Teacher” award aims to honor teachers across the country who are working to bring sustainable learning into the classroom and their students’ lives. We were flooded for applications for this award, and were humbled by the incredible work educators are undertaking to introduce creative ways to incorporate environmental components into their classrooms and curriculums.
