Recently, reports issued by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Green for All, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute (PERI), showed that investment in a low-carbon economy can produce up to 300 percent more jobs.  Read the full story

We are now ‘tweeting.’ Come follow us at @Padosa on Twitter for updates 140 characters at a time. There is a second reason to check Twitter out – to find other people like you. If you want to be found on Twitter by other readers of the site please put your Twitter username in the comments section below.

Thanks to Darren Rowse and his Photography Blog for the idea!

Thanks!

Over at Clean Technica, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom has posted about the city’s recent composting bill, which he signed into law on Monday. The law is the United States’ first mandatory composting initiative and continues San Francisco’s long tradition of environmental legislation. Though it is expected to help the city reach its “zero waste” goal by 2020, the new law has caused its share of controversy. Read the full story

Time examines why wind power remains unpopular despite clear economic and environmental benefits in an article posted online today. According to the story, the United States’ hesitance to warm up to a large-scale wind energy program has no basis in science, but rather economics. Though wind is an abundant and powerful resource, it still costs more than electricity generated from fossil fuels. Washington is doing little to change its policies and wind energy advocates lack an organized, significant political presence. Currently, the U.S. falls behind countries like Germany, Spain, and Japan, who have developed robust wind energy generators in spite of their small size.

Click here for the full article.

It’s hard to imagine a world without Starbucks. The coffee giant serves almost six million customers a day or 2,190,000,000 beverages a year. That’s enough to give every American seven grande cappucinos (though I’m sure there are quite a few people who drink about that amount daily). There’s no denying the power and influence Starbucks has over not only the United States, but the whole world. Read the full story

Reuters offers another viewpoint on the carbon-cutting bill mentioned in the BICEP story a couple of days ago, reporting that the piece of legislation may help big businesses but provides little protection for consumers. Opponents of the bill speculate that instead of using the energy savings to lower rates, utility companies will keep the extra profit for themselves. Complicating the controversy is a provision that allows local power companies to buy “pollution permits.” The bill is expected to come to a vote before the House sometime in July.

Read the full story here.

A green lease is different from a typical landlord/tenant relationship in that provisions are built into the agreement to encourage green business practices. These agreements encourage owners to build and maintain sustainable spaces without limiting tenant comfort. They are becoming increasingly popular as companies look for ways to help the environment. Read the full story

Ireland has long been known as the island with forty shades of green, and in the last twenty years the green movement has begun to live up to that image. During that time a disparate group of ecologists, business people, scientists, politicians and others have been working together to develop sustainable living on the island. Read the full story

You’re a business owner looking for office space to rent. You want a cheap, long-term lease for a comfortable and productive environment where your company can thrive. You’re interested in green initiatives, but you’re unsure of their fiscal effectiveness. Is a green lease right for you? Read on to find out.

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A green workplace requires a team effort. It doesn’t matter how motivated you are to turn your business green; if your co-workers don’t share in your vision, your attempts will prove rather unsuccessful. Every company has that employee who just doesn’t care. He or she uses paper like it’s going out of style, fills up a garbage can like it’s a race to get to the top, and considers recycling to be a foreign concept. The first obstacle you have in your way of going green is that person. Inspire your co-workers to support your environmental goals by putting the following tips into action. Read the full story