Interesting Resources for Solar & Green Building Enthusiasts

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) recently released Green Building Guidelines: Meeting the Demand for Low-Energy, Resource-Efficient Homes. The book is the second generation of sustainable residential design guidelines created in cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders. Written in plain language with illustrations, case studies and checklists, the book is targeted for homebuilders just starting to learn about the elements of high performance home design. It encourages builders to think about the issues in an integrated and holistic way. SBIC also offers a Guidelines workshop that addresses site-specific, climatic conditions and typically includes local case studies. sbic@sbicouncil.org www.sbicouncil.org—Portland, Oregon’s Office of Sustainable Development’s Green Building Division recently released a report, “ReThinking Development: Portland’s Strategic Investment in Green Building.” It details the programs they have implemented over the past two years that have accelerated interest and activity in Portland’s emerging green building industry. In early 2001, they set a two year goal of having green building designs for at least 600 housing units and 3 million square feet of commercial and mixed-use development in the city. As of February 2003, 41 commercial and mixed-use buildings, totaling 3.1 million square feet were built green. Portland’s Green Investment Fund and the […]

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Good News for CSR & Renewables in Recent Surveys

When 45 corporate social responsibility (CSR) thought leaders from around the world were asked how they think CSR will evolve in the future, the majority agreed that 5 – 10 years from now it will be increasingly integrated into business practices, if it not in the public consciousness. CSR management systems will be more standardized and routine within 10 years. Codes and standards will be established by then. CSR concepts will be easier to adopt. Opinion leaders agree that the increasing importance and influence of stakeholders will be a top trend. Companies will move from identifying and managing stakeholders to collaborating with them. Some thought leaders see companies including stakeholders on design teams to design products with enhanced environmental and social properties. Highlights of the survey include: * people that make purchasing decisions based on their values will remain a small (5-10% of the population) but slightly more powerful group. “This vigilante consumer will be high income with increasing influence in the marketplace.”* NGOs will be increasingly sophisticated, well-organized and work together on common campaigns. There will be more watch dog groups around the world. * increasing numbers of employees will be concerned about employer values. Companies with a good […]

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How Much Can We Give…?

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Asking a question like "How much can I give?" guides entrepreneurs toward business models that grow ecological and social revenue while generating economic health.

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Seeing Green Elephants

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Glenn proposes a new meaning for the acronym, GOP: Green Our Power! Backing renewables can help close the gap between the GOP & Democrats on the environment.

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$6.5 Million Being Invested in Solar Cell Venture

URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/19/technology/19SOLA.html?ex=1056600000&en=44d4e68b7af4cc1d&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE Website: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/19/technology/19SOLA.html?ex=1056600000&en=44d4e68b7af4cc1d&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE     

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