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The Houston Toyota Center, home of the NBA's Houston Rockets, recently earned certification through the US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Program. The Center becomes the first such venue in Texas to be certified, and joins the Portland Rose Garden, Miami's American Airlines Arena, and Atlanta's Philips Arena as the only LEED certified NBA facilities.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has approved the Cape Wind offshore wind farm project!  In additon to giving the go-ahead, Salazar outlined a few tweaks to incorporate the concerns of those who have opposed the project.

1. The project will be reduced in scope from the original 170 turbines planned to 130.
2. Additonal marine surveys will be required before construction to make sure the archaeological heritage of the site can be preserved.
3. Other measures will need be incorporated to minimize the "visual impact" of the wind farm.

Eric Corey Freed, architect and principal of Organic Architect, has a new book in stores this month -- Green$ense for the Home -- and Allison Arieff was able to pry a list out of Freed of simple green home projects for renters and homeowners. This is the low-hanging fruit, to use the proverbial phrase, but that doesn't mean there's no impact or benefit.

A group of more than 100 university and college student government presidents submitted a letter (PDF download) today urging Congress to launch a national program for clean energy science and engineering education. The presidents - representing more than one million American students -warned Congress that advanced energy education is critical for U.S. leadership in the global clean energy industry.

Joshua Foss, principal of Thrive Design Studio and ambassador for the Living Building Challenge, recently completed this clean and contemporary kitchen renovation in a home near Theodore Wirth Park. Foss and the owners went with a color palette that, in the end, resembles nature in many ways. The light blue walls resemble water or clear blue skies, the steel and aluminum mimic smooth stones, and the cabinets and floors ground the space with wood.

It's interesting to see Passive Houses -- like the Breezeway House in Millcreek, Utah -- gain more and more recognition in both the mainstream media and design and construction circles. Another project worth keeping an eye on, Passive House in the Woods, is quietly moving forward with carbon neutral ambitions and a goal to be the first Passive House in the state of Wisconsin. Located in the Town of Hudson, this three-bedroom, 1,940 square foot single-family home spans two levels.