Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Green Their Cities for Olympic Bid
from the Environmental Leader
Chicago, along with its competitors, is touting sustainability in a race to win the bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select a winner on Oct. 2. More

Algae-covered Buildings Boost Biofuel Production
from Inhabitat
Are living green buildings just around the corner? A report recently released by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers suggests that sealed containers of algae photobioreactors could be integrated into the sides of buildings to produce biofuels and sequester carbon, adding a whole new meaning to the term green building. As the algae grows it sucks up CO2 from the surrounding air which can then be stored. More

U.S. Braces for Long Flu Season
from The Wall Street Journal
This year's flu season is shaping up to be unusually long and unpredictable, with current outbreaks of swine flu in schools potentially followed months from now by waves of seasonal flu among the elderly, according to health officials. More

Building a More Livable Singapore
from ChannelNewsAsia.com
For the first time, four government agencies are working together with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to build a greener and more livable Singapore. Seven million dollars will be used to fund seven research projects such as designing buildings and common areas to maximize space usage. New landscapes such as the Marina Bay and the Jurong Lake district, as well as both mature and new housing estates like Punggol, will be examined in detail. Six of the projects will be carried out concurrently over three years. More

If you only attend one conference in this year, make sure it's IFMA's World Workplace 2009
from the Center for American Progress
Plenty of resources get wasted at offices, including paper, electricity and transportation costs for delivering office supplies. It’s easy to cut back on these costs and create a workplace that’s in tune with you and your coworkers' values. Here are a few ideas to help you get started. More

Plans for China's Super Sustainable Skyscraper Unveiled
from Construction News
Plans for a new 200 meter high super sustainable skyscraper in Shenzhen, China, have been unveiled. The 96,000 square meter building will be the regional headquarters for the Shenzhen Energy Company. More

Rest Stops Get Green Facelifts
from USA Today
Heading south on Florida's Turnpike, one of the last pit stops near the end of the road is at Milepost 65. Much like the seven other gas-and-food rest areas on the 312-mile toll road, the Pompano Service Plaza was built in the 1950s, got a makeover in the '80s and now looks like it badly needs a facelift. More

Work Bullying Linked With Poor Sleep
from The New York Times
The reach of the work bully extends well beyond the office. New research shows that victims of work bullying often have sleep problems once they get home. The trauma of bullying in the workplace is so great that it even appears to affect those who witness a coworker being mistreated, according to a study published in the medical journal Sleep. More

Lebanon's ACC Wins 124-floor Dubai Skyscraper Deal
from Reuters
Lebanon's Arabian Construction Co (ACC) has won a 1.46 billion dirham (US$397.5 million) contract in Dubai to build one of the world's tallest towers, the biggest skyscraper deal to be awarded in the emirate since the start of the global downturn. More

First Solar's Huge New Chinese Power Plant
from Technology Review Online
First Solar, a leading maker of solar panels, based in Tempe, Ariz., has announced that it will build an enormous, 2,000 megawatt solar power plant in China, starting next year. Bloomberg reports that it will be the largest solar power plant in the world. More