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With the increased talks about sustainability and solving environmental issues, people are becoming more aware of the importance of ‘greening’ their lives. As a result, some of them are moving to green communities. Green communities refer to communities that are developed and redeveloped on the principle of minimizing and then eliminating environmental damage due to human activity. Green communities may feature buildings made and insulated with recycled or biodegradable materials, community gardens and composting, and general attention to using earth-friendly products, appliances and features. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency gives a checklist of things that qualify a community as a green community, in three categories: environmental, economic and social.
Additionally, a new rating system, created under the Obama administration’s Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities, was implemented to help home buyers separate the green from the green washed when it comes to eco-savvy communities. This now allows communities to achieve the title of ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development’ (LEED-ND).
If you want to live in a green community, check out the links to help you pick the best one or help make your community green:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/
http://www.greenecocommunities.com/
http://www.bestgreenhometips.com/2008/10/choose-a-green-community/
http://www.livegreencommunities.com/
http://www.enterprisecommunity.com/solutions-and-innovation/enterprise-green-communities
Written by: Sade Richardson, class of 2015
At the University of Rochester, multi-tasking seems to be a part of everyday life. Some people eat while they walk, read a book as they run on a treadmill, or even browse Facebook while doing work. Technology, which is never too far behind, has caught up to our multitasking abilities, with the help of server virtualization.
Virtualization allows one piece of hardware, such as a desktop computer, to run multiple operating systems at the same time. Essentially, virtualization multi-tasks like we do. This multi-tasking saves theUniversity of Rochester space, energy, and thousands of dollars a year. In this case, only two servers are needed …
Children of Earth (okay, shamelessly taken from Torchwood. Parents, ask your kids, or do the Google), it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. Yes, you may panic now, I’ll wait while you calm down and I may be of some help. We all have at least two moms, the one that birthed us and the one that birthed the earth. And luckily enough some of us have/had very special women in our lives who have influenced us, guided us, loved us, nurtured us, gave us a metaphorical slap upside the head when we needed it (but will never admit it) and were there for us even if not “biologically” related. Some …
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Created in 1993, the USGBC is a non-profit organization with a focus on setting the standard for creating cost-effective, energy efficient buildings. According to the USGBC, “Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a …
It’s always fun to find creative ways to reuse or recycle items. We all know how an old tire can become a tire swing and that popsicle sticks can become a child’s artwork project. But some ideas are a little more out-of-the-box than others. How about making something new out of an old satellite dish? Well, that’s exactly what happened when a satellite dish that used to sit on top of the University’s own Rush Rhees Library was no longer needed. Now in the information center of a local church called The Father’s House, there is a central art feature made of the dish’s sections. Video displays hang from the piece which has 5 sections arching overhead …
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Partnership for Sustainable Communities, was implemented to help home buyers separate the green from the green washed when it comes to eco-savvy communities. This now allows communities to achieve the title of ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development’ (LEED-ND).