More Green Building and Energy Efficiency Could Save U.S. Economy US$1.2 Trillion
from Reuters
The typical building in the U.S. leaks energy like a sieve and its occupants usually make the situation worse. But businesses and individuals could stanch the flow by making simple changes that could yield a 23 percent drop in energy use by 2020, save the U.S. economy US$1.2 trillion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.1 gigatons annually, according to a new study. More

World's First LEED® Platinum Data Center Opens in Germany
from Inhabitat
Germany recently joined the ranks of the green elite with the completion of Citigroup's stunning new Data Center in Frankfurt. Designed by leading sustainable architecture and engineering firm Arup Associates, the 230,000-square-foot facility’s efficient use of energy and resource-conserving design have made it the first data center in the world to achieve LEED® Platinum. That's no small task considering the energy required to keep stacks of servers running smoothly in a climate-controlled environment. More

Walmart Sees Sunny Forecast for Solar
from GreenerBuildings
Walmart is inching closer to its goal of using 100 percent renewable energy with a new deal bringing rooftop solar power to five Puerto Rico stores. More

Software Solution Identifies Skills Gaps in the Workplace
from Science Daily
Training employees to do their jobs effectively is something many companies would like to—and need to—improve. Now European researchers are developing software tools to ensure skills gaps are identified and plugged. More

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from MSNBC
One of NASA's most ambitious new projects isn't in space, but on the ground. The agency is planning to build its most environmentally-friendly building at its Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. The structure, to be called Sustainability Base, will likely be the greenest building in the federal government, said Steve Zornetzer, associate center director at NASA Ames. More

Less May Be More for Wind Turbines
from Technology Review
One of the first R&D grants to a renewable-energy developer from the economic-stimulus funds approved by Congress this past spring could have a dramatic impact on the design of wind turbines. The US$16 million loan guarantee offered by the U.S. Department of Energy to Berkeley, Calif.-based Nordic Windpower will accelerate commercialization of the company's Swedish-designed, two-bladed wind turbines, marking the first utility-scale alternative to the industry's dominant three-bladed design in more than a decade. More

JetBlue and United Give Twitter a Try to Sell Airline Seats Fast
from USA TODAY
Looking for a quick, cheap getaway? A bargain may be just a tweet away. JetBlue and United airlines are offering their Twitter followers first dibs on some discounted fares, using the uber-trendy form of messaging to quickly connect with customers and fill seats on flights that might otherwise take off less than full. More

New LEED® Reporting Requirements Benefit Building Owners, Contractors and Managers Say
from Michigan Business Review
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED 3.0 rating system, which launched earlier this summer, focuses more on energy usage than previous versions did—and a new requirement is the first to focus on facility maintenance during the life span of the building. More

Why Nuclear Power is Part of Our Future
from The Wall Street Journal
America is falling behind in the race to develop green energy technologies. As John Doerr, a partner at the venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, recently told a U.S. Senate energy panel, "The United States led the world in the electronics revolution, and we led in biotechnology and the Internet. But we are letting the energy technology revolution speed by us." More

Australia Debates Iconic Makeover
from BBC
Australia's most instantly recognisable landmark is also its most contentious building, and once again the Sydney Opera House is at the center of a vigorous debate—this time over the cost of preserving it for future generations. More