Technology

Join Green Schools Designer Wendy Rogers as she interviews guests at the LPA Sustainable Office and Energy Showcase, in UC Irvine's University Research Park - LPA Irvine. The 15,000-square-foot expansion is tracking LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council - it's the next generation of collaborative, open office design. Related Articles Green School Buildings Serve our Collective Best Interest (Video) The Academic Superiority of Green Schools National Wildlife Federation's Campus Case Studies EPA's Green Power Partnerships Top 20 Colleges & Universities EPA's 2012 Green Power Partnership: Top 20 K-12 Schools Second Nature's Financing Sustainability on Campus Book Second...

Greener schools mean a brighter future for us all. Our schools house our most precious resource, yet many expose children to off-gasing toxins, artificial light and poor air quality. Conversely, green schools contribute to the health and well being of our children. Something as simple as more natural light can provide vitamin D which is crucial to human health. This video covers some of the many reasons why sustainable schools are good for all of us. This video includes a conversation with: Dr. Howard Frumkin, Director, National Center for Environmental Health / Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S....

Cool roofs fall into one of three categories: roofs made from inherently cool roofing materials, roofs made of materials that have been coated with a solar reflective coating, or green planted roofs. While green roofs are in many ways the best, they are also the most difficult to construct and maintain. Inherently cool roofs like vinyl are relatively easy to install, while the easiest and in this respect the best cool roof is a coated roof. Inherently cool roofs White vinyl roofs, which are inherently reflective, achieve some of the highest reflectance and emittance measurements of which roofing materials are...

On July 24, 2012,Toronto Greenhouse will present a Green Cars event in Toronto, Ontario. This event will answer questions like: How sustainable is your vehicle? Should everyone drive electric? Is fuel efficiency the answer? The discussion will be focused on green cars and will include representatives from General Motors, smart Canada (Mercedes-Benz) and Plug'nDrive Ontario. The panel will be composed of Dan Mepham, Product Manager - Chevrolet Volt - General Motors Canada, Richard Trevisan, Director - smart Canada, a division of Mercedes Benz Canada Inc., Cara Clairman, President and CEO at Plug'nDrive Ontario Toronto Greenhouse’s mission is to foster the...

The US Government says within 100 days it will co-host, alongside companies of the Consumer Goods Forum, a Partnership Dialogue in Washington DC. This US Government announcement concerns companies of the Consumer Goods Forum, representing more than 400 companies and brands operating with combined annual revenues of over US$3.1 trillion, to support the Forum's pledge to achieve zero net deforestation in their supply chains by 2020. “Individually both governments and business have already mobilized significant resources to address the challenge of deforestation but we all recognize that much more can be achieved if we align our efforts and work in...

Canada's carbon capture and storage efforts are grossly inadequate. Not only will these projects do little to reduce Canada's GHG emissions, but the three major companies involved in tar sands exploitation have pulled out of  Alberta's carbon capture efforts. As reported in the Globe and Mail, the three biggest companies involved in the project aimed at reducing Alberta’s carbon footprint have withdrawn. TransAlta Corp. (TA-T), along with partners Enbridge Inc. (ENB-T) and Capital Power Corp. (CPX-T), canceled their $1.4-billion carbon capture and storage effort, opting to pay the penalties for emissions rather than cutting them. Even if the carbon capture...

Today, January 10th 2012, is the early registration deadline for the Sustainable Learning Centre's (SLC) "Integrating ISO 26000 into your Management Systems" Workshop. Space is limited, but if you register today you can save $100. ISO 26000 is intended for large or small companies from any industry, for the public sector and for the third sector. In this course you will learn how ISO 26000 provides practical guidance to the standard measurement and operationalization of Social Responsibility within your company and your supply chain. There are many good reasons to attend this workshop: -The EU is adopting ISO 26000 as...

Ford and Zipcar are collaborating to deploy hundreds of car-sharing vehicles in college campuses. Car sharing is a more environmentally sustainable approach to transportation than ownership. It is an important way of minimizing traffic and emissions. Through the Students with Drive grant program, Ford will provide $300,000 in grants to be awarded to student organizations and universities.Through the collaboration with Ford, Zipcar is able to offer $10 off the $35 annual membership fee for the first 100,000 new University members to sign up, plus $1 off the Zipcar hourly rate for the first 1 million hours of use on any...

Ford and Toyota announced that they are working together on a new more efficient hybrid system and advanced telematics. Ford has developed an excellent reputation for trucks, and Toyota has owned the hybrid car market for a couple decades. So, it stands to reason that the two should be partnering to develop a hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. As stated in an August 2011 press release, "Ford and Toyota have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the product development collaboration, with the formal agreement expected by next year." That understanding will see them acting as equal partners...

Ford Motor Company is using SunPower Corp.’s panels for its solar electric vehicle charging system. The charging stations will fuel Ford's new EVs (Focus Electric and C-Max Energi). The system employs rooftop solar panels which feeds power to an electric vehicle charger. Under Ford’s “Drive Green for Life” program customers can get the 2.5-kilowatt solar-powered charging station for under $10,000. The price includes federal tax credits but not state or local rebates. Loans and leases to offset the cost of the solar roof are also available. The solar roof comes with a residential monitoring device that tracks the performance of the array...