Publisher's Watch

This month the state of New York enacted the State Green Building Construction Act when Governor David A. Patterson signed the legislation, which was voted on this past June. This new law mandates that all new government-owned buildings and facilities must meet strict green building guidelines; this goes for major renovations as well. The state's Office of General Services (OGS) will be responsible for drafting new green building standards for these buildings.

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• Government | 1 comment • Email Article

A new study conducted by Siemens Building Technologies Inc. and McGraw-Hill Construction reports that 76% of the largest corporations in the U.S. are working toward sustainability goals that exceed those required by law. The report was a result of interviews with corporate sustainability officers at firms such as Microsoft, AT&T, and Owens Corning.

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• Sustainable Living | Leave a comment • Email Article

It's amazing how the obvious can grab one's attention. A recent study of U.S. consumers by Honeywell found that more than half of those planning to purchase a vehicle in the next two years consider fuel efficiency to be more important than it was during their last vehicle purchase. The study also found that more than 80% of American consumers were more likely to consider purchasing a turbocharged vehicle after learning that the readily-available turbocharger helps to increase the fuel efficiency of a gas engine by up to 20% without sacrificing performance or reliability. The operative line here is "after learning" turbocharged vehicles already exist and can be purchased here.

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Conventional wisdom dictates that states in the sunbelt should be the leaders in solar energy installations and incentives. However, conventional wisdom goes right out the window with a new study released by Global Solar Center, a New York City-based solar consulting firm servicing both residential and commercial sectors. The hands-down winner in offering solar energy incentives is none other than New Jersey, followed by Pennsylvania. New York, Delaware, and Colorado also make the top of the list. While California leads the country in total solar installations, New Jersey leads the nation per capita growth.

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• Government | Leave a comment • Email Article

I love Dunkin' Donuts. I love the way they taste and the way I feel after indulging in them. I don't eat them often. Donuts, in general, are not the healthiest choice in eating you can make, but then, not everything you do has to be good for you. But when the Dunkin' Donuts corporate office decided to couple its "Six for Three" bagel promotion with an environmental program, I had a hard time buying into it. As a native New Yorker, I have to dispense with my ideas about what a bagel is. If Dunkin' Donuts can sell these "bagels" more power to them (but let's just say if it's round and has a hole in it, that doesn't necessarily mean Dunkin' Donuts will be good at making it).

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• The Green Movement | Leave a comment • Email Article