Water is the most essential need of living beings, yet the value we place on it is so low. Water is cheap and easily accessible in the developed world, but it’s being wasted and contaminated at an alarming rate. In honor of World Water Day, here are some simple water saving strategies that make a difference. Take a look at your habits. Imagine your water was turned off and you only had one gallon to use for the day. What would you cut out of your routine? Don’t leave it running. If you...

Tackling the many challenges of making the construction and occupation of commercial and residential buildings in the United States green and sustainable is not an easy one, but the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is to be congratulated for working aggressively to address them. Championing commitments to environmental sustainability, energy reduction, social equity, and human health demonstrate the commitment of the USGBC to take steps that will benefit both the environment and the...

Here’s our weekly collection of green building clips: Coming soon: Sustainability ratings for real estate investments, GreenBiz. This article highlights the collaborative effort among USGBC, the FTSE Group and NAREIT to create a new family of green property indexes for institutional and retail investors, due to launch at the end of March. World Food Prize Building now a green machine, Des Moines Register. The 19th century building gets a new lease on a sustainable life, taking home LEED...

The following is a guest post by Harvey M. Bernstein, Vice President of Industry Insights & Alliances, McGraw-Hill Construction and John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer for United Technologies Climate, Controls & Security There is no doubt that sustainability initiatives and environmentally responsible products have transformed how buildings are being designed and constructed. We have seen examples of how buildings—from small schools to large-scale iconic urban developments—have...

Yesterday a “Home Energy Efficiency and Mortgage Risks” report released by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center for Community Capital and the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) provided investors a solid data-driven insight – those who build and own efficient homes are good credit risks. The study of over 70,000 owner-occupied single family home loans in 38 states found the mortgage default risk to be a whopping one-third lower for energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR-rated...

[Part of an ongoing series capturing statistics on LEED Professionals] LEED Professionals distinguish themselves in the green building marketplace by earning one of seven LEED Professional Credentials. Credential holders are recognized as leaders in the field and contribute their expertise to various industries and projects. Are you one of them? Don't have a credential yet? Learn more about how to get accredited » Powered by Tableau Note: As of March 1, the total number of LEED...

Understanding, communicating and analyzing building materials is a critical frontier for the green building industry. Google has recently provided a generous grant to USGBC to, in part, advance thought leadership and applied research in this area. As part of this project, USGBC is inviting applications for two new opportunities. Up to three grants for Senior Research Fellows to engage in synthetic research, advise USGBC staff, and advance the technical dialog around these issues....

Hampton Roads Virginia – Feb. 18, 2013 – Facilities in the United States Armed Forces lead the way in implementing sustainable design and construction practices. Hampton Roads Green Building Council (HRGBC), a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, will showcase these practices at GREEN IN THE MILITARY 4 (GIM4), Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013 The event will take place at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, a LEED Gold facility located near the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. GREEN IN THE...

With LEED projects in 135 countries around the world, it is safe to say, LEED is everywhere. Even on 60 acres of bamboo forest and white tea plantations in China. The naked Stables Private Reserve, a resort some two hours outside of Shanghai, was host yesterday to a cross-section of folks from the green building industry. The goal was simple: To learn more about the business case for green buildings and the need for LEED. And what better environment than naked Stables which recently earned...

Authored by: Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD In my practice, thousands of patients have come to me with the same complaint: “I exercise. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I drink water all day. Why do I feel so terrible?” The reason they feel tired, overweight, moody, or stressed is almost always a hormonal imbalance, and usually the result of their environment. And when I say “environment,” I mean both the environment that surrounds them on a day-to-day basis and the environment that they...

We’re looking to the manufacturing and design community to help make high-quality, healthy homes available for everyone. To inspire innovation in developing healthy building materials for communities in need, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Make It Right are issuing a Product Innovation Challenge. We’re encouraging manufacturers to design goods for the affordable housing market that are safe for human and environmental health and designed for re-use. And, we are...

Our buildings usually keep us safe and comfortable, but sometimes their design and operation can also contribute to significant public health challenges, including obesity, asthma, physical inactivity and chronic disease. Dr. Matt Trowbridge thinks that thoughtful, evidence-based design can help make our built environment part of the solution, contributing to better public health outcomes. He calls this idea "green health." Over the past several years, Dr. Trowbridge, a physician and...