Sustainability


Spanish Cities Fail to Meet Legal Requirements on Paper, Container Recycling

A study by researchers at the Jaume I University in Castellón shows that the legal minimum recycling requirement is only exceeded in the case of glass.

TCEQ Tallies Consumer Participation in Computer Recycling

According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, more than 24 million pounds of computer equipment was collected in 2010.

Fueling Up Your Car With Ethanol Produced From Blue-green Algae is Close to Reality

Fueling up your car with ethanol produced from blue-green algae may sound far-fetched. But Bill Gibbons, a professor and researcher in SDSU’s Department of Biology and Microbiology, says it is close to reality – with commercial availability of this new generation of ethanol just four or five years away.

Free GSA Sustainable Facilities Tool Available Now

The Web-based tool should help government and industry personnel identify and prioritize cost-effective, sustainable strategies for small projects that do not normally engage workplace consultants or designers.

INEOS Bio Breaks Ground on Waste-to-Fuel Commercial Biorefinery

The $130 million facility will produce ethanol and renewable power from waste; this is a major first step in the company's global licensing strategy.

STARS gold rating

NYU, Six Others Earn Gold for School Sustainability

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System incorporates public reporting of comprehensive information related to a university's performance.

Technology to Turn Sewage Waste into Renewable Energy

Xebec Adsorption's innovative biogas technology was used to launch the first renewable energy project in California to purify biogas from a wastewater treatment facility, to meet California's stringent natural gas quality standards.

Gen7 Eco-friendly Classrooms Become Nation's First Modular Classrooms to Be CHPS Verified

The first-ever Gen7 green classrooms, installed at Bolsa Knolls Middle School in Salinas, Calif., have become the nation's first modular classrooms to receive Collaborative for High Performance Schools Verified recognition for New School Construction.



Princeton to Install Powerful Solar Collector Field

Princeton University plans to install a 5.3-megawatt solar collector field.

USGS: Great Lakes Basin Has Potential for Local Shortages

Though the Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system on Earth, the basin has the potential for local shortages, according to a new basinwide water availability assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Technip Launches Vertiwind Floating Wind Turbine Project

Technip, in association with Nénuphar, Converteam and EDF Energies nouvelles is launching the Vertiwind project to test a pre-industrial prototype of a vertical-axis offshore floating wind turbine.

EPA Offers Sustainability Help; Application Deadline Is Feb. 23

The agency, along with HUD and DOT, is providing technical assistance to help communities achieve their sustainable planning goals.

Engineering, Public Works Groups Create Sustainable Infrastructure Institute

The American Council of Engineering Companies, the American Public Works Association, and the American Society of Civil Engineers plan to develop a performance-based rating system that hinges on environmental, economic and social sustainability considerations.

Who's Doing What

Find out who was hired, what companies were acquired, and which smart bidders won contracts since the start of 2011.

Ameresco to Build Power Plant Using Republic Landfill Gas

Silicon Valley Power has signed a long-term power purchase agreement to purchase the renewable energy captured from Republic Services’ Vasco Road Landfill in Livermore, Calif.

Is Organic Farming Policy-driven or Consumer-led?

A study looking at organic farming in both the United Kingdom and Denmark has found that incentives to farmers played a large part in changing production rather than consumer demand.

The Center for Neighborhood Technology has developed a guide to help communities monetize green infrastructure value.

Guide Helps Municipalities Monetize Green Infrastructure's Value

The Center for Neighborhood Technology and American Rivers gathered the latest research and produced a guide to help communities assign economic value to such structures as green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable pavement.

Cooper City has exceeded expectations in its water conservation program.

Cooper City Used 9 Percent Less Water in 2010

The Florida city's You Win-We All Win conservation program has exceeded its original goal.

Intercon Uses Reverse Engineering to Recycle Styrofoam

E-waste recycler moves over to polystyrene with high-volume extruder technology.

Movable Solar Panels Can Precisely Track the Sun

Photovoltaic modules equipped with a moveable mounting and a new control system from Siemens are able to precisely follow the course of the sun.