Sustainability


Mutual Housing California Finishes Green Renovation in Sacramento Development

Sacramento-based nonprofit Mutual Housing California recently completed an $8.6 million green renovation of one of their affordable housing developments.

Johnson Controls Buys 5 Percent Stake in Battery Recycling Company

"Our partnership with Johnson Controls is a tremendous step forward and is an opportunity for us to work with the global leader in automotive battery manufacturing and responsible recycling," said Dr. Stephen Clarke, chairman and CEO of Aqua Metals. "We will build on this exciting relationship in order to enable clean and efficient battery recycling around the world."

Congress Uses Congressional Review Act Against Streams Rule

The U.S. Senate voted 54-45 on Feb. 2 to kill it via the Congressional Review Act, a measure dating to 1996 that allows Congress to vote to eliminate a recently enacted federal regulation. In this case, the rule requires coal companies to clean up waste from mountaintop removal mining and prevent it from going into local waterways.

U.S. Army Pursues ‘Biodegradable’ Ammunition

U.S. Army Pursues ‘Biodegradable’ Ammunition

Military bases are among the most toxic sites in the United States.

The Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation at the University of Windsor campus has a bio wall that includes 1,500 plants. It naturally filters the carbon dioxide in the air and then transfers its freshness to the entire building. This building also boasts glass and solar systems, a green roof that collects and filters rain water, and hollow core slabs to both harness and store energy and in turn decrease the use of traditional HVAC systems. (Termobuild photo)

Green Building and Sustainability

Increased awareness of not only the value, but the necessity of adopting green building initiatives in new builds and retro fits is critical.

Massachusetts School Installs Rooftop Solar System

Epiphany School installs 25 kW solar PV system through partnership with Solect Energy.

DOE Announces REMADE Institute

The REMADE Institute will focus on driving down the cost of technologies needed to reuse, recycle, and remanufacture materials such as metals, fibers, polymers, and electronic waste. It aims to achieve a 50 percent improvement in overall energy efficiency by 2027.

Waste Management Issues Interactive Sustainability Report

Waste Management recycled and composted more than 14 million tons of materials from the waste stream in 2015 and operated more than 5,100 natural gas-fueled vehicles.



OSHA Paper Focuses on Safety and Health's Core Role in Sustainability

"It is clear that more and more businesses are building the concept of sustainability into their operations," said Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. "We believe the next innovation is integrating worker safety and health into these sustainability strategies."

Toyota USA Highlights Water Savings in 2016 Report

The company says these efforts are core parts of its Global Environmental Challenge 2050, a set of six challenges that ultimately will create a net positive impact on the planet.

China Now First in LEED Square Footage

Global green building is expected to double every three years, according to a Dodge Data & Analytics World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report cited by USGBC, which was a contributing partner on the report.

Microsoft Awarded Zero Waste Facility Certification

"Protecting the environment is something that Microsoft and our employees believe in strongly. We are grateful for this recognition by GBCI and look forward to building on our work to reduce waste at our Redmond headquarters," said Susan Wagner, senior director of Microsoft Real Estate & Facilities.

2016 Baldrige Award Winners Announced

"This year's honorees are trailblazers in innovation, small business, health care, and sustainable textiles. Their visionary leadership is helping to power the economy and increase our ability to compete globally," Pritzker said. "The Commerce Department proudly supports these four outstanding organizations for their unwavering commitment to performance excellence and their dedication to always reaching higher."

Schneider Electric Named 2016 Clean Energy Company of the Year by NECEC

The award recognizes Schneider Electric for its leadership and contributions to the region's clean energy economy.

U.S. Green Building Council Names New President and CEO

Mahesh Ramanujam has become the new president and CEO of USGBC, as recently announced this week.

When paired with smart lighting, smart blinds can help maximize the amount of daylight in your home to cut down on electricity usage.

Seven Benefits of Smart/Motorized Blinds

When paired with smart lighting, smart blinds can help maximize the amount of daylight in your home to cut down on electricity usage. For example, opening the blinds can trigger smart lighting to turn off, and vice versa.

Recycling Program Helps Universities Turn Used Gloves into Durable Goods

RightCycle removes gloves, masks, garments, shoe covers, and other apparel accessories from the waste stream and turns them into plastic pellets that are then used to create eco-responsible consumer products and durable goods.

Regional Planners Take On Global Warming

With climate change, every sustainable aspect of development helps.

NYC Appoints New Sustainability Director

Mark Chambers, former director of sustainability and energy for the District of Columbia, will lead New York City's sustainability programs, including efforts to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2050 and achieve important air quality and renewable energy goals. He starts later this month.

Berkeley Lab research associate Sharon Chen sprays roofing material with soiling mixture. (Photo by Roy Kaltschmidt/Berkeley Lab)

DOE Wins 32 R&D 100 Awards

The agency's labs "are a global technology powerhouse that harness innovation to create jobs, support new industries and help ensure America’s competitive edge in areas of national security and science," said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.

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