Conscientious Consumers: Making a Statement with Your Shopping Cart I recently bought a 2.5 pound bag of Fair Trade Colombian Supremo at Sam’s Club for $14.98. I did so for two reasons. First, because I love the taste of the coffee: Arabica beans handpicked in the northern Andes Mountains and roasted according to a centuries-old tradition. Second, I was hoping to contribute to the greater good of all the farmers involved in producing this coffee. My bag of coffee advertises “better business for better living" and claims that “fair trade raises incomes and living standards by guaranteeing fair prices, direct trade, environmental sustainability, community development and fair, safe labor conditions.” I set out to find out how the system works and get a realistic assessment of its success.

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Is the World Really Changing? A Horoscope for World Sustainability A revised and updated copy of the owner’s manual for the world in the 21st century, WORLDCHANGING, is on my nightstand. Daily I read some new, thought-provoking wisdom, encapsulated by innovative thinkers into quick-read tidbits. Solutions, tools and ideas rise from the pages, eliciting hope for those of us who realize that we have been part the world's environmental problems, but have the will, and ability, to change. In it, you will find an updated “world horoscope” as it relates to people, places and things. You will journey through the latest ideas of independent journalists, designers and thinkers as they describe some of the best visionary ideas for our future on this planet and get a sampling of successes.

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Wiping Out the Forests of the World At an Earth Day festival in Madison, Wisconsin, I was privileged to hear Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speak profoundly on the impact of environmental problems on current and future societies. One message I walked away with was related to the amount of virgin forests, including Canada’s boreal forest, being destroyed by paper companies in order to produce triple-ply toilet paper. Unfortunately, although this northern forest comprises about one third of the world’s forested area and 23% of the world’s stored carbon, only 8% of boreal forest is protected, according to ForestEthics' reports.

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Deconstruction: Opportunities Rise from the Dust Picture this: 13,000 feet of lumber, 14 tons of concrete, 2,300 sq. ft. of siding, 3,000 sq. ft. of roofing material, 3,000 sq. ft. of insulation, and 6,000 sq. ft. of interior wall materials – all this to build a 2,000 square foot home. According to the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, the total amount of waste from this project would be about 8,000 pounds, which would take up 50 cubic yards of space in a landfill. If we deconstructed 25% of the buildings demolished every year, we could prevent about 20 million tons of debris from ending up in the landfill and instead put it to good use.

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Green Associate Training Online

leed ga exam This Leonardo Academy training course covers the key knowledge areas for the LEED® Green Associate exam and the information needed to be an effective participant in the green building marketplace, including what you need to know about

Sustainability
Sustainable buildings
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)
The LEED® Green Associate Exam
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World Green® - The Sustainability Social Network

About the World Green® Community

world_green_2011_web Leonardo Academy's vision for World Green® is to fundamentally transform the way we think about sustainability by providing a forum for sharing information and working together on green actions.

World Green® is a unique online sustainable community created to help social entrepreneurs on all levels develop and communicate the impact of their green actions. By providing a forum for the discussion of environmentally sustainable materials, reduction of negative environmental impacts and increased energy efficiency, Leonardo Academy extends its knowledge-base freely to the public. Leonardo Academy also emphasizes designs and materials that safeguard the health of residents and locations.

World Green® is designed to help companies, investors, builders and home owners make the transition to a greener future and a sustainable living standard.

Leonardo Academy’s World Green® Community provides a forum for sharing information and working together on green actions. This site launch will be followed by upgrades that include additional communication channels and interoperability with other social media sites. Leonardo Academy would like to leverage its knowledge with all sustainable communities to help create a World Green® Vision.

Leonardo Academy is a (501c3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 that is dedicated to advancing sustainability and putting the competitive market to work on improving the environment.

Leonardo Academy is a Think and Do Tank. We develop and distribute strategies, guidance, metrics, standards, education, and information on how to increase sustainability. We also help companies, organizations, families, and individuals successfully promote, encourage, and implement sustainability. Our integrated approach makes sustainability very practical for our clients.