Resources

Welcome to the THE GREENSPOT, our resource and research page where you’ll find some of the best on-line information about green building and living, and what those terms really mean.  We’ve done our best to sift through the digital mountain on the Internet to provide you with a one-stop resource shop.

Help us make THE GREENSPOT better. If you know great Web sites we’ve missed, tell us about them. We’d love to create a green super-index so you can find what you’re looking for easily.

ARTICLES

“Housing Bale-Out – Boulder Architect Streamlines Green Building,” StrawBale

MEDIA

GREEN MAVEN, SEARCH ENGINE
Search the Web for all things green.

GREEN LIVING PEDIA, WIKI
On-line open-source green encyclopedia based in Australia, modeled after Wikipedia.

WEBECOIST, BLOG INDEX
A list of the 100 best green blogs.

BIG GREEN PURSE, BLOG/BOOK
Eco-activist Diane MacEachern wrote the Big Green Purse, an encyclopedic reference that’s a must-have if you want to know how to save the planet and your health. Buy the book, and download it onto your Kindle or other e-book. And check in with her great blog, which are more of her researched ruminations on greening your life.

CLIMATE BIZ.COM, NEWS/BLOG
ClimateBiz provides info for business readers who seek a handle on climate management.

THE DAILY GREEN, MAGAZINE
An on-line guide for green living at home.

GREEN BIZ.COM, NEWS/BLOG
GreenBiz.com is the on-line media flagship for parent company Greener World Media. GreenBiz.com targets business readers, and other GWM offerings include ClimateBiz.com, GreenerBuildings.com, GreenerComputing.com and GreenerDesign.com.

GREEN INC., NEWS/BLOG
Green Inc. is the New York Times’ green blog with focus on emerging technologies and renewable energy.

GREEN LIVING LIFESTYLE, MAGAZINE
Living green doesn’t have to be style-free. Green Living Lifestyle does it with some verve.

GREENER BUILDINGS.COM, NEWS/BLOG
The built environment with green-colored glasses.

GREENER COMPUTING.COM, NEWS/BLOG
Green in the world of IT.

GREENER DESIGN.COM, NEWS/BLOG
Sustainability and industrial design.

HGTV GREEN HOME, MAGAZINE
Your friends at HGTV now bring you home makeovers green-style. Lots of “befores” and “afters.”

JOEL MAKOWER, BLOG
Joel Makower is a long-time business and sustainability expert. Blog with a heavy business angle.

LIVING GREEN, MAGAZINE
On-line magazine with easy ways to live and go green. Based in Minnesota, but relevant everywhere.

PLANET GREEN, MAGAZINE
Great on-line resource for green personal care and products.

SUSTAINABLE LIFE MEDIA, NEWS/BLOG
Find out how companies large and small are grafting sustainability into their businesses. Great Business Read

TREEHUGGER.COM, BLOG
News and blog by Discovery Communications.

DATABASES AND ON-LINE LIBRARIES

BUILDING MATERIALS REUSE ASSOCIATION, MEMBERSHIP STORE
Buy salvaged building materials for less than you’d pay shiny-brand-new. For $95, you can access the Building Materials Reuse Association’s store. The up-front cost pays for itself quickly in most projects.

CREATE GREEN HOME, GREEN BUILDING
Green Home 101. Library with user-friendly articles on the basics if you want to live in or build a green home.

DATABASE OF STATE INCENTIVES FOR RENEWABLES & EFFICIENCY, INCENTIVES
Fantastic database if you want to find state-by-state tax breaks and rebates for energy-efficiency upgrades. No digital bells and whistles, but when you’re saving money, who cares?

ENERGY STAR
GREEN BUILDINGS AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY, GREEN BUILDING
The Environmental Protection Agency is a frontline for government initiatives about federal greening programs and incentives. This site provides information geared more for investors and commercial building owners.

ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP’S SKIN DEEP COSMETIC SAFETY DATABASE, COSMETICS
Database providing info on toxicity of products like makeup, hair, skin, eye, nail, oral, baby care and fragrance.

EPA GREEN HOME, GREEN BUILDING
The “Library of Congress” database on green building with info for residential, commercial, schools, retail, healthcare facilities and labs. Pull up a chair ‘cause you’ll be here awhile.

EPA’S FUEL ECONOMY.GOV, CARS
This Web site allows you to compare the fuel efficiency of various models.

FAIR TRADE FEDERATION, MANUFACTURING
Deep and wide membership database of manufacturers that are sweatshop-free.

GREEN CHOICES, GENERAL
Database provides green alternatives for everything from clothing to cleaning to media.

GREEN BUILDING ADVISOR.COM, GREEN BUILDING
Their tag line says it all – “The complete resource for building, design and remodeling green homes.” Also has a product guide. For professionals and brave DIY’ers.

GREENER BUILDING SOLUTIONS, GREEN BUILDING
Library with articles about the various components that make up a green residential building.

GREENER LIVING GUIDE, GENERAL
Digital repository with articles about the green home, office, food and energy.

HEALTHY HOUSE INSTITUTE, GREEN BUILDING
Archives with stacks and stacks of virtual articles about healthful, safe homes.

HGTV PRO.COM, GREEN BUILDING
The helpful folks at HGTV have put together a super library of videos, articles and other information to help you green your home. Or have an informed conversation with a professional you pay to do it for you.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GREEN BUILDERS NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM, LIBRARY
‘Want to find a green homebuilder? Or talk to one intelligently? The National Association of Home Builders’ Green Home Web site can help you understand the process of greening your dream house AND getting a certified building, if that’s important to you.

NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL/GREEN LIVING, GENERAL
The Swiss Army knife of green Web sites, the NRDC site has nifty offerings like a database for toxic chemicals, a catalog un-subscription service and a household savings calculator so you can see your carbon savings when you change behaviors.

PLANET REUSE, STORE
‘Need a 200-year-old barn door? Planet Reuse can help you locate one. Provides a platform for buying and selling reused construction material. They can also help you place salvage (in good condition) you no longer need. And they try to match you to materials within 500 miles.

REGREEN ASID & GBC, GREEN BUILDING
Database for building and design professionals, including articles and project design strategy help. Amateurs may be in over their heads here.

SIERRA CLUB GREEN HOME, GREEN BUILDING
This virtual reading room has a seemingly bottomless well of articles, videos and information about green living and building. User-friendly and well-researched.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS DATABASE, HOUSEHOLD Get the lowdown on what’s under your sink and in your garage. Database with the dish on cleaners, pesticides and other household products.

U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL GREEN HOME GUIDE, Q&A
The U.S. Green Building Council has its own green home guide, in case you don’t want to go through LEED certification. This site is really great because you can post questions to the USGBC’s panel of green building experts and get answers.

CERTIFIERS

Lots of makers and manufacturers spout claims about their products like “environmentally friendly,” “eco-“ and “natural.” But do these labels mean anything really? Are there any standards out there?

Third-party verifiers are organizations, many of them non-profit, that have established criteria to insure manufacturers are on the up and up. Look for these independent certifications in stores when you shop. When you buy items that bear these verifications, you know you’re getting the real deal.

BIRD FRIENDLY
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center lists coffees grown organically in the shade. Bird Friendly coffee growers use methods that protect tree canopy, vital habitat for birds, and are pesticide-free, also good for wildlife.

CERTIFIED HUMANE RAISED & HANDLED
The ONLY animal-welfare label requiring the humane treatment of animals from birth through slaughter. The goal? Improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices. Labeled are meat, poultry, eggs and dairy.

CLIMATE COUNTS
Climate Counts measures corporate action to mitigate carbon footprints, the impact on climate change, support of progressive climate legislation and public disclosure of actions. With cell-phone apps so you can check on the fly.

CHLORINE FREE PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION
Why is chlorine so bad? It doesn’t degrade so it lingers in the environment to interact with other chemicals, and it has also been linked to cancer. This certification insures that paper and its production are chlorine-free. Also that paper manufacturers don’t add chlorine to recycled papers.

CRADLE TO CRADLE
Cradle to cradle manufacturing means the end stage of one product (waste) becomes the raw material for another. So when products are past their useful life, they become recyclable or reusable.

ECOCERT
ECOCERT is an international certifier of products, systems and services like food, organic farming, cosmetics, perfume, detergents and textiles.

FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED
This label means that workers are paid fair wages, have safe working conditions and social and business development like scholarships and organic certification. The coffee, tea, sugar, flowers and wine that bear this label are free from child labor and harmful agro-chemicals. Sustainable farming practices have replaced genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
The FSC certifies that sound forestry management principles govern the wood harvested. The Council insures laws are obeyed, rights of indigenous people are respected to manage their own lands, old growth wood is protected because it serves as a carbon repository and harvesters maintain a forest’s bio-diversity.

GREEN SEAL
Green Seal is a non-profit certifier of construction materials and equipment, household products, food prep and food service packaging, office products and facility operations and maintenance (like floor strippers, hand soaps and cleaners, industrial cleaners and paper products). They also certify cleaning services and lodging facilities.

GREEN e-SEAL
Certifiers of renewable energy that meets environmental and consumer protection standards.

GREENGUARD ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE
Greenguard checks anything that may emit toxic gases – building materials, finishes and furniture. Certification of multi-family buildings means that the owners protected against mold during building construction and operation.

LEAPING BUNNY
The Leaping Bunny appears on products that are cruelty-free and not animal-tested – cosmetics, household and personal products.

MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
Have you heard that the world’s oceans are over-fished? The Marine Stewardship Council seal appears on seafood caught in a way that promotes sustainable fisheries.

SCIENTIFIC CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS
Scientific Certification Systems is a certifier’s certifier. SCS verifies all manner of sustainability claims – carbon footprints and offsets, greenhouse gas levels, environmentally preferable and formaldehyde-free products, sustainable fish, organic produce, fair labor practices, sustainable growing practices and agricultural testing.

SHADE GROWN
The Shade Grown label or claim means that coffee is grown naturally under a tree canopy rather than doused in pesticides on a clear-cut coffee plantation. Shade-grown coffee preserves trees, which also serve as animal habitat.

USDA ORGANIC
The United States Department of Agriculture has defined organic – pesticides, insecticides and herbicides are strictly animal or vegetal (not chemical); animals aren’t fed the byproducts of other animals or given hormones; and they’re raised humanely. The term “100 percent organic” means exactly that. Food producers can say “organic,” and that implies 95 percent of the ingredients are. “With organic ingredients” means that 70 percent of the ingredients are organic.

VERIFLORA
A floral certifier. Veriflora-certified growers raise flowers safely and sustainably with the least environmental impact, they protect wildlife in and around farms, provide a healthy work environment with safe storage and disposal of farm chemicals, and support local communities.

HOUSEHOLD

GREENDEPOT.COM, STORE
Everything that’s green for inside and outside the home. Bricks and mortar locations, and on-line.

LIVING GREEN, STORE
Great place to buy all kinds of furniture, finishes and building materials for home.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC GREEN GUIDE, PRODUCT REVIEWS
Who’s been giving us a bird’s eye view of the Earth’s splendor longer than the people at National Geographic? So who better to help us preserve it? GreenGuide has lots of product recommendations across the spectrum, measuring affordability and green-ness.

RESEARCH

CERES, RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
Ceres is a network of investors and environmentalists all pushing for sustainable prosperity. Their PUBLICATIONS page allows access to reports that take a hard-nosed look at all sorts of green financial news and investments.

“THE DOLLARS AND SENSE OF GREEN RETROFITS,”
White paper by Charles Lockwood and Deloitte, 2008.

“GREEN BUILDING IMPACT REPORT 2008”
Rob Watson, Greener World Media, 2008.

“GREEN BUILDINGS AND PRODUCTIVITY”
Norm G. Miller, Ph.D., et al., Journal of Sustainable Real Estate, Fall 2009.

“IT’S TIME TO JUMP INTO SUSTAINABILITY”
White paper by Build2Sustain, 2009.

“RECOVERY THROUGH RETROFIT”
Executive Office of the President of the United States, Middle Class Task Force, Council on Environmental Quality, October 2009.

U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, HELPFUL LINKS
The U.S. Green Building Council has a “kitchen-sink” page with links for everything from case studies to non-profit organizations, from government initiatives and guidelines to certifiers.

U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS
The U.S. Green Building Council has loaded up this page with LOTS of material about all aspects of green building and its economic impact.