Corporate America's Adoption of Green Practices Doubles, Study Says
from GreenerBuildings
Corporate America's embrace of sustainability has more than doubled in strength in the past three years with 76 percent of the largest U.S. firms reporting efforts and commitments that exceed those required by law, according to a new study from Siemens Building Technologies Inc. and McGraw-Hill Construction. More

Dalian Shide: China's Stunning New Sustainable Stadium
from Inhabitat
Sports fans get ready for a spectacular new experience—NBBJ recently revealed their design for China’s new Dalian Shide Stadium and it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Built as though the stadium literally opened up from underground, two exterior walls of the structure are covered in grass and plants and the other two are open to connect the games with the city and allow glimpses of the intense action inside. Sustainability is a top priority and the design includes water recycling, daylighting, renewable energy and the beautiful and original living walls on the exterior. More

Survey: Managers and Employees Differ on Frequency and Quality of Workplace Communication
from PR Newswire via Market Watch
Managers say they are communicating better and more often with their employees now versus one year ago, a new survey shows. Unfortunately, their teams may not be getting the memo. Sixty-nine percent of executives interviewed said messages to employees have become more frequent, and 56 percent believed communication is of higher quality. Yet, only 37 percent of workers polled agreed there's been a boost in the rate of corporate updates and only 38 percent felt information has improved. More

How the U.S. Stimulus Impacts Green Building
from Reuters
The U.S. government is starting to understand the need for sustainability. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama in February to stimulate the sagging U.S. economy. By injecting US$690 billion to improve infrastructure the authors hoped to create millions of jobs pulling the U.S. out of the worst recession since the Great Depression. Interspersed within this US$690 billion is US$60 billion for green projects of which US$45 billion is going specifically toward energy related programs. Within this US$45 billion most will go directly toward the green building industry with some additional monies going towards large scale renewable energy production. More

If you only attend one conference in this year, make sure it's IFMA's World Workplace 2009
from Fast Company
San Francisco mayor and California gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom is attempting to jack up his eco-cred in a slightly controversial way by announcing the world's first airport carbon offset kiosk at San Francisco International Aiport. The Climate Passport Program kiosk will allow travelers to calculate the carbon impact of their flights and purchase offsets accordingly. More

How to Make Smart Use of Smarts in the Workplace
from The Washington Post
Whether you're the brainiac or the boss deciding how to make the most of one, intelligence can be a burden as well as a boon. So what are we to do? More

Europe's US$57 Billion Plan to Put Windmills in the Ocean
from The Christian Science Monitor
Wind is the fastest growing renewable energy in Europe—making up a third of new energy, with 20 turbines added every working day in 2008, according to EU statistics. What the European wind energy industry now wants is to expand—offshore. Ocean winds are a stronger and more predictable form of energy than the ones on land, and the industry is pushing a US$57 billion investment to allow broad-winged turbines to spin at sea. More

Advanced Solar Panels Coming to Market
from Technology Review
A promising type of solar-power technology has moved a step closer to mass production. Nanosolar, based in San Jose, Calif., has opened an automated facility for manufacturing its solar panels, which are made by printing a semiconductor material called CIGS on aluminum foil. The manufacturing facility is located in Germany, where government incentives have created a large market for solar panels. Nanosolar has the potential to make 640 megawatts' worth of solar panels there every year. More

Ambitious 'Russia Tower' Now a Parking Lot: Official
from AFP
A Russian billionaire's ambitious plan to build Europe's tallest skyscraper has been toppled by the economic crisis and the site will now be a parking lot, a top Moscow official said. The site will eventually contain some structure, but it will be "less grand" than the proposed 612-meter (2,008-foot) Russia Tower, Moscow Deputy Mayor Vladimir Resin said in an interview with Echo of Moscow radio. More

Environmental Scientists Estimate that China Could Meet Its Entire Future Energy Needs by Wind Alone
from Science Daily
A team of environmental scientists from Harvard and Tsinghua University demonstrated the enormous potential for wind-generated electricity in China. Using extensive metrological data and incorporating the Chinese government's energy bidding and financial restrictions for delivering wind power, the researchers estimate that wind alone has the potential to meet the country's electricity demands projected for 2030. More