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. Water Blues, Green Solutions is a Penn State Public Media initiative that combines the power of video, radio and outreach educational resources to encourage education and awareness of “green infrastructure” and the use of environmentally friendly...

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...

Have you ever wondered what happens between the last public comment period and ballot? There are quite a few steps involved in closing the development process (when rating system changes are made based on marketplace feedback) and opening ballot. To understand the process, you first have to understand the role of the LEED Steering Committee (LSC). This is a diverse group of volunteers and USGBC staff who manage and guide the evolution of LEED. They’re involved in every step of the...

Culture has been influenced by the sporting world for decades. Throughout the 20th century, fans mobilized around athletes to oppose war, support civil rights and promote disease awareness. The sports industry today is as influential as ever, with 58 percent of Americans self-identifying as sports fans, offering a robust platform for green building education and advocacy. From Nationals Park to American Airlines Arena to Soldier Field, millions of fans visit LEED-certified sports venues every...

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. LEED is changing the built world for the better, The News Journal. A LEED AP writes in the Wilmington, Del., newspaper on the transformative power of the green building rating system. NPR Has Bees on Its Roof, but Isn’t in It for the Honey, Washington City Paper. NPR’s new headquarters in...

The first LEED Gold spring training facility is setting records! Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, spring training home to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies, set single-game attendance records this past spring. Now in its third season, the combined attendance climbed to 300,000 D-backs and Rockies fans, the third-highest ever for a two-team complex. Not only have fans been rolling in, so have the accolades. Named 2011 Ballpark of the Year, the...

What's your name and title at USGBC?Megan Ritchie Saffitz, Director of LEED SupportHow long have you been at USGBC? I joined in October 2010.How do you get to work?I walk the 10 steps from my bedroom to my home office in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, WA. I can get so much more work done since I don't have to commute!Where's your hometown?Seattle - I'm a fourth generation Washingtonian!Complete this sentence: "We are _______________."We are you. My team all has project and...

This past month has been a real doozy. We, here on USGBC National’s advocacy team, got wind that Big Chemical was lobbying the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (SENR) Committee to attach a “poison pill” amendment to popular energy efficiency legislation that would ban LEED for use by the federal government. Thanks to the quick action of our chapters and their unrelenting commitment to better, healthier places to live, learn and work, we were able to keep the amendment from...

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.  Log onto twitter May 23 from 4-5 p.m. EDT...

So far this year, USGBC chapters have organized Advocacy Days in 20 states where they take their cause to the capitol, challenging state legislators to support green public policy for the betterment of their districts and their state. I love that picture: well-intentioned groups practicing democracy in its purest form, demanding that their state representatives demonstrate leadership in the critical arenas of economic development, environmental stewardship and the health of their people who...

Here's our weekly collection of green building clips:Green Building is Mandatory in Dubai, Sustainable Business. Dubai is targeting a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and a new law on green building will help it on its way.Platinum Auto Plant from Future Rises in Tennessee, Bloomberg TV. The “Brink” program went inside Volkswagen’s incredible LEED Platinum manufacturing plant in Chattanooga to see just what makes it green.US Job Market Bursting With Green Tech...

Are you an energy technical solution provider wondering how you can help LEED projects achieve the new Demand Response credit?  Are you a practitioner who wants to know why air testing is valued at two points when the flush-out is valued at 1 point for the EQ: Indoor Air Quality Assessment credit? Or perhaps you're a building owner who wants to know overall how the changes in the water credit category of LEED v4 will effect your existing building's pursuit...