Greening Buildings with LEED Certification LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program. From sustainable site development to indoor environmental quality—LEED focuses on building practices that support areas of human and environmental health. There are more then 68,000 LEED commercial projects in the United States and LEED certified buildings exist in more than 150 […]
Industry
The economic pillar of sustainability is industry, focusing on making sustainable purchases, shopping local and eco-commerce.
Breathe New Life into Gifts, Stationary, Coffee Cups, and More with Plantable Paper
There’s a new way to send loved ones flowers in the mail, and it’s a whole lot cheaper (and smaller) than a bouquet of long-stemmed roses. Seed-embedded, plantable paper products, which have been around for some time, have popped up all over the eco-friendly products market. Plantable goods, which run the gamut from coffee cups […]
Harnessing the Power of Poo
Repurposing Waste Worldwide In an effort to protect our world for future generations, recycling has become more and more common on both a local and global level. In addition to paper and plastic, people are experimenting with new and diverse recycling processes. Less conventional recycling innovations have enabled all types of communities to reach their […]
The Carbon Footprint of the Internet
CO2 Emissions from Emails, Searches, and Cloud Storage With 2.5 billion people connected to the Internet worldwide, the Internet’s energy and carbon footprint are estimated to exceed air travel. From manufacturing and shipping of computers to data use—the Internet is less green than you’d think. Learn about how the Internet is impacting the environment and […]
A Movement in the Making
The Emergence of the Maker Movement The maker movement is made up of some 135 million adults in the U.S., however, it’s more than just a U.S. movement. Maker faires that celebrate the movement have popped up in Japan, Italy, Norway, and Chile. Makers use their skills to craft items such as clothing, baked goods, jewelry, […]
Multi-Functional Furniture
Save Space and Kill Two Birds with One Stone When is a chair not a chair? When it’s a bookshelf, or a table, or a wall panel, or a phone charger! The multifunctional furniture renaissance is here, and it brings seemingly endless ways to reimagine not only furniture’s function, but its form as well. Multifunctional […]
E-Readers Vs. Print Books
Which is the More Eco-Friendly Choice? Reading just got a whole lot more complicated: Once confined to print materials, today’s readers now have a plethora of devices to choose from to get their literary fix. Smartphones, laptops, tablets, and e-readers are transforming the reading landscape. On the surface, this may seem like a good thing—the […]
Sipping Sustainably
Green Breweries and Wineries Americans consume 9.4 billion gallons of alcoholic beverages a year: 87 percent beer, 8 percent wine, and the rest spirits. The environmental impact of producing, packaging, and selling all those beverages could make an environmentalist reach for a drink. Breweries and wineries consume large quantities of water, raw materials, and other […]
What a Gem
Pick An Environmentally Friendly Engagement Ring Dig for a diamond that gives back with this guide to the world’s most ecologically responsible gems. It’s the moment you’ve always dreamed of—time to buy an engagement ring. It’s a sparkling, beautiful piece of jewelry that symbolizes the depth of your love and commitment. And for many couples […]
Sunken Treasure
Underwater Timber Stands the Test of Time When people think of timber harvest, Paul Bunyon in SCUBA gear is not the first image that comes to mind. However, in recent years, some companies have turned their attention toward the bounty of underwater timber that’s been hidden from sight for centuries. These logs may be described […]