A recent survey, conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, put 10 of the 12 German cities analyzed in the ‘above average’ category, which ranked higher than many of the other 29…

Hemp is an eco-friendly and durable alternative to plywood, drywall and other building materials. However, don’t expect to find hemp products alongside pine two-by-fours and gypsum board on your next trip to the American big-box store. Though hemp construction materials are gaining popularity in Europe, drug laws in the U.S. prevent…

NYC’s City Council recently voted on three package bills that place much needed focus on the city’s environmental impact. Introduced by NYC Green Codes Task Force, a council of environmental experts, the proposals aim to update not only building codes for more energy efficient roofs, but also laws regulating zoning, health, consumer affairs and environmental protection. “The idea of greening the Building Code is something the council has been very supportive of,” said Christine Quinn, the City Council speaker. She added that the new regulations will…

Picture this: economic difficulties haven’t slowed your business down and you decide to pursue a new development. You want to build a new facility. You construct your business plan, collect the proper paper work and get ready for the approval process. All of a sudden the zoning commission holds off on granting your permit. Why? Residents of the local community created an opposition group to fight your project. They say your new facility…

NASA’s Sustainability Base, being constructed at NASA’s Ames Research Center near Sunnyvale, CA, is this years winner of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Real Property Award in the Green Innovation category. “This GSA award recognizes Sustainability Base as a model for future federal facilities to achieve extremely high levels of energy and water efficiency,” said Steve Zornetzer, associate director at NASA Ames. “We seek to lead by example and provide lessons learned to others as we…