green building news stories on Newser

New Orleans Repair an Experiment in Green

Harry Kimball — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 19:12:00 CDT

Four years after Katrina, the rebuilding of New Orleans is becoming an exercise in environmentally friendly reconstruction, Bryan Walsh writes in Time . Global Green USA, the American arm of a group founded by Mikhail Gorbachev, is leading the pack by building a sustainable village in the city's Lower Ninth Ward,...

Empire State Building Going Green

Rob Quinn — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 01:50:06 CDT

The Empire State Building is getting a makeover to reduce its King Kong-sized carbon footprint, NY1 reports. As part of a larger renovation, "green" improvements will be made to the 78-year-old building—including an update for all 6500 of the structure’s windows—to reduce its energy consumption by 38%. City...

9 Ways to Go Green and Save Green

M. Morris — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 02:58:14 CDT

Being sensitive to the environment doesn't have to cost a fortune. In fact, the green option is often the most cost-effective one. Scientific American spotlights nine ways of cutting your bills as you save the Earth: Shrink your living space. Prefab homes and plans for dwellings as small as 65...

A Look at Obama's Energy Blueprint

Kevin Spak — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:56:01 CST

Detroit's looking for a bailout. China just announced a massive stimulus package, including big investments in transportation and energy. What’s a president-elect to do? Barack Obama would be best served by making good on his promise to create an alternative energy economy, writes Joe Klein in Time. Thankfully, the head...

RFK Jr. Takes Green Dream to Reality TV

Elizabeth Wolff — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:15:29 CDT

The most prominent American political dynasty is branching out into reality TV. Environmentalist Bobby Kennedy Jr. and wife Mary are developing a 13-part series that will document the building of their dream green home, the New York Daily News reports. This Old House star Bob Vila will supervise construction of...

Green Housing: From Good Idea to Good Business

Clay Dillow — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:56:00 CDT

With US homes on average twice as large as they were 50 years ago—and, of course, dwarfing those in all other developed countries—rethinking our idea of "home" is as crucial to cutting global warming as switching to a smaller car, says architect Edward Mazria in Fast Company . Half...

McMansions Make Way for Green Pads

Caroline Zimmerman — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:41:46 CDT

When it comes to building green, a LEED rating is the ultimate cachet-- but they're tough to get, the New York Times reports. And homes approved by the Leadership in Energy and Evironmental Design council tend to be small and pricey, with one platinum-certified four-bedroom house in California on the...

'Greenwashed' Products Mostly Hype

Sam Gale Rosen — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:44:04 CDT

"Green" is in, and many new products being marketed as Earth-friendly are in reality only marginally less unfriendly. The Boston Globe points to hybrid SUVs that get barely better mileage than their standard brethren, water bottles that use less plastic but still require large amounts of energy to make and...

Green Homes Gain Heat in Cool Housing Market

Matt Cantor — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:55:00 CDT

Eco-friendly homebuilders are faring well despite the plunging US housing market, Newsweek reports. With home sales at a 15-year low, a national survey showed that buyers last year were ready to spend an extra $8,964 on a home that cuts utility bills. "It's taken almost as a fait accompli...