NEWS AND RESOURCES
FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
IN ARCHITECTURE,
DEVELOPMENT,
& CONSTRUCTION

From my perspective, they actually do real harm. At the most obvious level, individuals who have the power to effect change positively will be turned off. For those who want to delay or obfuscate environmental initiatives, the really bad actors, disseminating quotes from extremists is an ideal technique to undermine the validity of the underlying issues.  ... more

I have written extensively on corporate EHS organizational design, but very little on structuring EHS functions at the facility level. This article was prompted by a call from an environmental manager at a mid-sized manufacturing plant who wanted to know the basics of forming an effective EHS group. Here is the essence of what I told him. It appears in the current issue of Environmental Quality Management.  ... more

I'm no marine biologist, but anyone can clearly see that the dynamics are complicated. Coral bleaching only recently has received the prominence it deserves, even though it is a story that has been around for more than a decade. Politics and media myopia shape our thinking on what is good or bad for the environment. The law of unintended consequences plays havoc with us. ... more

Environmental professionals hold in high regard their technical skills and their ability to deliver tangible results. Obtaining permits, maintaining compliance, and reducing waste definitely takes keen analytical skills and the ability to effectively interface with frontline employees. If environmental dynamics were unchanging, these skills alone would serve us well throughout our careers. But the environmental scene over the past year is changing like never before, probably more rapidly than the business world itself. Will environmental professionals have the networking skills to influence executive management during this period of rapid change? ... more

Not since the beginning of the environmental movement in the late 1960s has the fate of planet earth received so much media attention. Business executives are, without a doubt, very sensitive to global warming concerns. The downside may be that with all the current focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, executives may be unaware of other, possibly just as significant, environmental issues and opportunities. ... more

Top-quality reporting requires a strategic approach. It should be intimately linked to both the business strategy of the company and its internal system for measuring environmental, social, and governance performance. More and more, such performance measurement systems are becoming critical to running a competitive enterprise. While these links may seem obvious, few companies actually make this cognitive leap. One reason may be lack of understanding (and hence support) from top management. Executive involvement and direction are essential to ensuring that the company forges the key link between its reporting effort and its core business strategy. A strategic corporate responsibility reporting process should serve a dual role: It should communicate externally with the company’s stakeholders while also informing the company’s internal management processes. ... more

These are the most common questions I receive in regards to building green. If the questions have a tinge of cynicism in their tone, it comes from those asking the questions ... more

Adaptive reuse is the single best way to achieve energy efficiency in building. Too often buildings are demolished senselessly because their potential is unrecognized. ... more