Japan’s ancient culture has long represented a natural, beautiful lifestyle of peace and tranquility; however, the post-World War II technology boom made progression and destruction necessary.  In more recent years, the transition toward the 1600’s Edo Period mindset of natural efficiency is proving more successful than merely primitive. Read the full story

Ontario is leading the way in Canada in encouraging sustainable development. Both the government and private companies have developed initiatives to make the province more eco-friendly. Read the full story

As Europe leads the way in environmentally-friendly practices and design, more innovation is providing the United States, among other countries, with better ideas and efficiency. Europe has a variety of companies that sell energy efficient glass for residential use while America maintains merely one. Read the full story

The Taipei 101, located in Taiwan, was recognized as the world’s tallest building until it was outdone by an 800 meter skyscraper in Dubai last week. The 500 meter Taipei may have lost the record for height, but it has come up with a new idea. Although Asia is not necessarily known for its eco-friendly construction, SL+A International Asia Inc., Siemens, and EcoTech International Inc. are all working towards making Taipei 101 the highest green structure in the world. Read the full story

The World Bank recently issued grants to further green technology and research in Mexico, Brazil, and beyond. The regional project aims to reduce private vehicle use; create incentives for public and nonmotorized transport; improve transport planning; decrease carbon dioxide-equivalent tons emitted by ground transport; and increase the number of cities that are integrating environment and climate change components in their transportation policies. Read the full story

Italy is known for the Roman Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Renaissance art of Florence. These tourist attractions make Italy a popular vacation spot and therefore bring in a substantial source of revenue; the estimate for this past year is $23.5 billion. Although these sites contribute to the reputation of Italy, the country is most known for its love and production of food. From the pastas to the wines to the olive oil, Italy is brimming with delectable dishes that contribute to the financial stability of the country. As the food market has long  been a source of revenue for Italy, businesses are starting to realize that going green helps generate revenue, save money and contribute to global climate control. Read the full story

Internationally and within the U.S. , the global trend of conserving energy, utilizing resources wisely, and decreasing carbon footprints is beginning to perceive future success. As smaller businesses begin to model larger companies that pursue sustainable initiatives, competition for strategy, incentives to reduce climate change and increase revenue have seen promising outcomes. By starting environmentally friendly practices early on companies will maximize profits, hire more willing employees, and benefit the globe. Read the full story

No one can deny the fact that climate change is occurring quickly, and that we need to move even faster in order to combat it. This is why, according to BBC News, recently police in “Copenhagen say 900 protesters have been detained following a huge climate change rally. The move came after youths threw bricks and smashed windows as more than 30,000 demonstrators marched…” The goal of these protestors was to call the members of the conference to decisive action, as similar rallies around the world have recently done.  Read the full story

One of the many pressing issues discussed at this week’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen is rainforest deforestation.  With deforestation responsible for 20% of global carbon emissions, it’s crucial that the issue be discussed at Copenhagen and beyond. Read the full story

The main goal of the Copenhagen Conference that began Monday is to set up a basic political policy to reduce global greenhouse gases by a certain amount and to determine how much wealthy countries should pay developing countries not to pollute the environment. The current climate treaty, The Kyoto Protocol, does not expire until 2012, thus whatever treaty is agreed upon at Copenhagen will be non-binding. Read the full story