The implementation of LEED in property development has taken off tremendously in recent years due to increasing energy costs and awareness about the environmental problems facing our world. But some now fear that the eco-friendly building trend may turn out to be all hype and little to no substance.

Some feel that buildings may be using LEED and other “green” buzzwords to help sell properties without any real significant benefit in terms of resource and energy efficiency.  This has now changed....

If you haven't played yet, you owe it to yourself to check out Amecian Public Media's new interactive online game, Consumer Consequences.  The online game is aimed at exploring the question of the sustainability of the current American lifestyle.  The question itself is not new, but the Consumer Consequences game asks it in a novel way.  Starting from the question, "What would the world look like if everyone lived like me?", the game takes you through a series of lifestyle questions.  The questions cover categories such as the home, energy usage, transportation, waste, food and shopping, and the results show you how many "Earths" worth of natural resources it would take to sustain all 6.6 billion humans living just like you. 

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 offers homeowners and builders federal tax credits for purchasing and installing energy efficient upgrades in their homes. Though it’s probably too late to be of any help on your 2006 taxes, most of these tax credits remain in effect through 2007.  Keep in mind, a tax credit is generally more valuable than...