With the holiday season upon us, everyone is busy searching for the perfect gifts for everyone on our list. I put together a short list of green gifts that I found interesting, followed by links where you can find even more green gift ideas.

DON'T FORGET! The 2009 Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings in Western New York is this Saturday, October 3rd, from 10 AM to 4PM.

In February's newsletter, we featured an article about UB's commitment to climate neutrality as a part of the UB 2020 strategic plan. For anyone who would like an update on overall plan progress, UB President John Simpson will be giving a progress report at his annual community address on Wednesday, September 23rd at 8am.

The WNY Sustainable Energy Association has announced that the Annual Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2009, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

As far as a graduate architecture thesis is concerned, you probably can't get much more sustainable than purchasing a vacant house, which would otherwise be slated for demolition, to apply an academic exercise to and at the same time, bring it new life. That's exactly what UB Graduate School of Architecture students Mike Bailie, Paul Dudkowski, Ernest Ng and Dan Stripp have done with a single family home in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood, and CIR was happy to donate time and material to their project.

Rock Harbor Commons (RHC) is the beginning of what Newell Nussbaumer of Buffalo Rising hopes will be a demonstration in sustainable college living. Nussbaumer is Community Liaison for the project spearheaded by developer Ed Hogle of Atlas Steel. RHC, a privately-funded student housing complex with the capacity to house 350 local college students, is phase 1 of the "eco-friendly, collegiate living and learning village" scheduled to open in August of 2010.

The latest news on New York State's Bigger Better Bottle Bill states that the legislation has been put on hold until April 1st, 2010. This follows an injunction to delay enforcement of the law filed by US District Judge Thomas P. Griesa on May 27th, as a result of the lawsuit filed by the International Bottled Water Association et al.

The big event is almost here! From May 12th to 16th, 2009, the American Solar Energy Society's (ASES) National Solar Energy Conference, Solar 2009, will be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The 2009 conference theme is "You've Got the Power"...

The latest buzz in energy efficient lighting has been focused on LEDs, or light emitting diodes. In the past, LEDs were most frequently seen in clocks and as indicator lights, but lately the technology has been rapidly moving towards general lighting applications.

A commitment to climate neutrality was taken on as one of the UB2020 strategic plan initiatives in the spring of 2007. It was at this time that University at Buffalo President John Simpson signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), and set into motion the process of creating a climate action plan that will serve as the framework for making all three campuses carbon neutral in conjunction with the comprehensive physical plan for UB.

As Inauguration Day approaches many questions arise in the minds of the American people regarding the political views of new presidential appointees and what effects they may have on policy making over the next four years. With volatile energy prices and the current state of the economy, President-elect Obama's choices for appointments closely involved with the issues of energy and the environment are of particular concern to many.

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System as a tool to assist building professionals, owners and operators in measuring the impact of various sustainable building practices. As energy prices continue to escalate,

The sun provides an abundant and ubiquitous energy source that will be available as long as it continues to shine. In fact, the amount of energy that the earth receives from the sun in one hour is more energy than the world consumes in one year, we just need to harness that energy. A common misconception exists that solar power could not supply a significant portion of US or world electricity demand, but the truth is the entire electricity needs of the US could be met by using photovoltaic (PV) modules in a 100 square mile area of Nevada. PV technology is only one of many ways to harness solar energy, which range from passive to active systems and from small building-scale to large-scale utility-type systems.

The doused plans for a new, state-of-the-art ‘clean coal’ facility at NRG Energy’s Huntley Plant in Tonawanda has been all over the news since the New York Power Authority pulled the plug on the project last month. Reports stated that the reasoning behind NYPA’s decision rested on the enormous costs of the project and that the proposed technology was unproven. But what is this unproven technology and why is it so expensive?

With all the talk in the media these days about global climate change and environmental degradation, many businesses and building contractors in particular, are left wondering why they should be concerned and what difference they can really make anyway. The answers are simple: You can significantly increase your bottom line while substantially decreasing your environmental impact. Here's why...