http://www.greenbin.com/rss/GreenBin Forum Threads http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_6/ http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_6/ To take off from gsidari's post about doing the small things around the home, I wanted to create a post about sustainable thinking on a much larger scale also.  This is my first day on the site and I've got a lot to explore, so please redirect me if this should go elsewhere. I'm a land planner and my firm is taking the lead on a Renewable Energy and Sustainable campus-style development.  I am looking for any and all opinions, thoughts, questions, concerns, good/bad examples or whatever else user's might have to offer on the subject.  The following is the five minute version of almost a year of ideas... The parcel of land is located within walking distance of a medium sized downtown, along an extensive recreational trail system and will be one of the first mixed-use 100% sustainable neighborhoods in the country.  The primary focus is providing a business cluster style development that focuses on innovation, sustainability and alternative energy research and development.  Other uses on site will be a hotel, restuarants, some retail and various forms of housing that will be row homes, artist live/work lofts, and some multifamily.  Unlike most mixed-use projects across the country that are 75% reseidential with some ground floor retail, this project will be almost the opposite with the residential component being the smallest and just providing some affordable housing to the area.  The neighborhood itself will strive to be completely LEED certified; eventually self sustaining in terms of energy through the use of active and passive solar, geothermal heating and cooling and wind power; and the combination of a living laboratory and sustainability educational showcase.  The intent is really that the companies that occupy space within the research offices, use their products throughout the development and be able to study their new technologies in working conditions.  Another intent of the neighborhood is to provide a 24/7 urban atmosphere that people will enjoy living, working, and playing in for many years to come. This is an extremely brief and almost purposely vague rundown of the thoughts and I hope that some of you have tons of questions to ask as it will help me in the development of plans and strategies.  We are at the point in the project where an official announcement will be forthcoming shortly and the search for investors is ongoing. Mon, 10 Sep 2007 13:09:48 -0500 http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_5/ http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_5/ Over the past year we have been working hard around the house to find ways of conserving enegry and water. From changing out the lights to water use habbits we have made major improvements all around.  It would be great to hear what others are doing. Sun, 9 Sep 2007 22:09:11 -0500 http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_3/ http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_3/ Hello all new and existing users.  Do you have a question, wonder how to use the site.  Feel Free to ask any question and I will let you know what I know.  thanks, Geoffrey SidariFounder of GreenBin.com Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:06:29 -0500 http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_4/ http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_4/ Ok I am a fan of organic foods and organic farmers however growing up in a non-organic world how do you ensure you are buying fresh organic produce.  From my COOP to Whole Foods, my organic fruits and veggies will spoil faster which has created a new habit of shopping more often for less food but do any of you have tricks to keeping organic foods fresher, longer. Sun, 9 Sep 2007 22:09:58 -0500 http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_7/ http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_7/ I want to learn more about green computers and computer gear out there, and to share one piece I've found and am particularly liking and thought you all should know about. It's a laptop case from [link="http://www.act2greensmart.com"]act2 GreenSmart[/link], which turns out to be made almost entirely from recycled PET (soda/water bottle) plastic. Everything but the zipper! Digging a little into it, it turns out they're a company that has, since 1995, been a traditionally manufactured product, but when they found they could do otherwise, they decided to  go for it, 100%, by the end of 2008. A brave move, I'd say. So anyway, I got it, and nevermind the greenness, it's just a well put together piece of gear! I could go on, but I found a fine article recently written about it, [link="http://sustainablog.org/2007/11/27/product-review-act-2-green-smart-laptop-jacket/"]here[/link].What green computers or computer gear has got your attention these days? Does anybody else own an act2 case yet? I just noticed another neat thing, looking at their site: They're keeping track of exactly how many bottles have been used to make the products sold so far, how much energy that saved, and how many hours a laptop would run on that. My bag has a little tag telling me how much mine played a part, kind of like the New Leaf breakouts you see in magazines that use their product. Nice way to give a tangibility to your specific impact of your choices. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:11:59 -0600 http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_8/ http://www.greenbin.com/rss/link_forum/id_8/ Hi all... I just posted an article to the news section about online degrees and their impressively low carbon footprint. I'd love to get some feedback on the idea. The article is here (I'm the editor, not the author): http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-advisor/indepth/save-the-world.phpDo you guys think this is a viable topic in the environmental community? Online degrees still have a bad rap in many places, but it's undeniable that they use considerably fewer resources, and quality is increasing as they get more popular. If you were going (back) to school, would you consider studying online if it meant reducing your impact? Should the government offer tax or tuition incentives for students who choose online degrees? Should environmental organizations be promoting this option as a way to increase educational access in a sustainable way?    Fri, 4 Jan 2008 16:01:49 -0600