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Healthcare currently accounts for 16% of our nation’s GDP, and is expected to rise to 20% by the year 2015. Hospitals employ 4.6 million people with their 24/7 operations. That is alot of good jobs. They also spend about $8.3 billion each year on energy, are often the largest water users in a community, and produce over 2 million tons of waste per year. I see a green opportunity here…

“Kaiser Permanente recognizes we can improve health today and for the future by taking a close look at the products we purchase,” said Dean Edwards, vice president and chief procurement officer. “With Kaiser Permanente’s size and influence, the work we’re doing is continuing to move the industry.”

“Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and “proprietary chemicals” are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.” Land owners that Josh Fox interviewed across the country all had similiar stories of polluted drinking water and toxic air surrounding these frack wells. A Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire.

Continually, I hear from business about how we are breaking bounds on “Green” at the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.  This is really fun for me; business as “green”?  Is that no longer an oxymoron?  Ironically, we are focusing more on the “business case” for going green than ever before; and yet, it makes more sense … Read More

Over 150 Pilot Projects are participating in the SITES two-year Pilot Program (June 2010-June 2012). These projects represent a diverse cross-section of project types, sizes and geographic locations in various stages of development from design to construction and maintenance. SITES Pilot Projects will be the first projects in the United States and abroad to demonstrate the application of The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009, released on November 5, 2009.

June first is the application deadline for the 2010 Small Business Energy Star Award! Don’t wait. If you are a small business that has worked to improve energy performance at your company over the past two years, you are eligible to apply. Preference is shown to businesses that have used ENERGY STAR tools and resources to achieve … Read More

The Nordson sister companies of Asymtek, March, and YESTech are committed to minimizing their impact on the environment. Nordson ASYMTEK is a world leader in automated fluid dispensing, jetting and conformal coating. They design and manufacture a full line of equipment for semiconductor package assembly, printed circuit board assembly, LED assembly, FPD assembly, life science … Read More

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) has been tasked with an awesome responsibility; they are to provide a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for San Diego County. According to one of the documents they gave to me at a community workshop on April 28th in Carlsbad, “Smart Growth” for our region means this: Smart growth … Read More

In a smaller office or in a home office, it is still possible to make some changes that will influence your paper usage. Also keep in mind that in reducing paper use you can also save money and time. And, you create a reduction in the trees, water, electricity, and oil used to manufacture and transport that paper.

Slow and steady vs jumping right in. Which is the best way to run this Green Race? What is a business to do?