Sustainability Blog

Are hybrid vehicles hip, or hype?

If you're considering a hybrid for your next vehicle purchase, you might be wondering what sets a hybrid car apart from a conventional combustion engine vehicle. Having an understanding of hybrid technoogy basics can make the transition to hybrid vehicle ownership an easier process. Just as the label suggests, hybrid cars are a cross between a conventional vehicle and their all-electric cousins. Depending on the particular hybrid, the engine and motor can be configured in one of a variety of ways to meet the desired objective which is often to maximize fuel efficiency while on your daily commute but can also be targeted toward other purposes, such as a desire for greener living. Read More...

A term merging the concepts of "green" (environmentally sound) and "whitewashing" (to conceal or gloss over wrongdoing). Greenwashing is any form of marketing or public relations that links a corporate, political, religious or nonprofit organization to a positive association with environmental issues for an unsustainable product, service, or practice.

In some cases, an organization may truly offer a "green" product, service or practice. However, through marketing and public relations, one is wrongly led to believe this "green" value system is ubiquitous throughout the entire organization.

But how to you identify greenwashing? Read More...

Formaldehyde. It's in your vinyl floor. It's in your vinyl siding. It's in your paint. It's in your furniture. It's in the groovy plywood paneling so hip in Dwell magazine. The fact is that Read More...

Ecological Restoration is the process of assisting in the recovery and management of ecological integrity and includes biodiversity, ecological processes and structures, regional and historical context, and sustainable cultural practices. Last week, while in Mexico City, I had the opportunity to speak with Elias Cattan of Taller 13 Arquitectura Regenerativa, working toward the restoration and restoration of water bodies in the densely occupied 22M populous mega city. Read More...

A district energy system is a central energy conversion plant and transmission and distribution system that provides thermal energy to a group of buildings (e.g. a central cooling plant on a university campus). Read More...

For those of you following Architecture 2030 - you've already heard the news - the numbers are in to demonstrate that the actions of the green industry to reduce energy use are actually reducing carbon emissions that create climate change! Read More...

The B-corp vision is simple yet ambitious: to create a new sector of the economy which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. This sector will be comprised of a new type of corporation - the B Corporation - that meets rigorous and independent standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

As a result, individuals will have greater economic opportunity, society will move closer to achieving a positive environmental footprint, more people will be employed in great places to work, and we will have built stronger communities at home and across the world. Read More...

With the Sustainable Sites Initiative pilot projects underway, adapted plants that are low maintenance are celebrated. Adapted plants grow well in a given habitat with minimal winter protection, pest control, fertilization, or irrigation once their root systems are established. Read More...

What the heck goes into a water use reduction plan anyway? And why would you want one? Check out tips and tricks on how to save money - and water - by greening your operations and engaging stakeholders.

Do you have any sample water use reduction plans you'd like to offer up as a template for others here on About.com?

Do you have any idea how much water your business uses? One could argue that to be a responsible business in this day and age means having a handle on all of your flows - not just cash flow - but resource and people flows too.

But do you know how to figure that out?

First off, you'll need to get a handle on what your organizational water use actually is. So, that said, it is time to do some homework to establish an understanding of your current operations. This then becomes the baseline for goal setting and gives a measure by which you can gauge your progress over time. Sounds fairly straightforward. However, you might be asking - how do you actually do this?

Read on to learn how to collect your actual water use data.