GRC Virtual Research Guide: Sustainability

A panel discussion at the National Building Museum. Learn about the future of urban food production with Robin Osler, Elmslie Osler Architects; Dickson Despommier, Professor of Public Health, Columbia University; Carolyn Steel, Author of Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives; and J. William Thompson, FASLA , editor, Landscape Architecture magazine.

Bob Eisenman, executive director, Global Health and Safety Initiative; Robin Guenther, architect and co-author of Sustainable Healthcare Architecture; Roger S. Ulrich, Ph.D., director, Center for Health Systems and Design, Texas A&M University; and moderator Joanne Silberner, health policy correspondent, National Public Radio discuss why a green hospital is a healthier one.

Green-minded architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account "all children, all species, for all time."

In James Howard Kunstler's view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about.

The USGBC features information about LEED rating systems and certification, research and publications, and public policies.

DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the NC Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site promotes govenmental green initiatives.

The ATHENA EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides instant Life Cycle Assessment results for common building assemblies. It was commissioned by the Green Building Initiative in order to make LCA more accessible to the mainstream design community, and can be downloaded free of charge.

Research and discussion on vertical farms.

Delta creates, funds and implements programs that promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and thriving, vibrant communities. Working together with diverse partners from across the Great Lakes Region, we are blazing a trail for the green economy.

The ReBuilding Exchange provides a resource for affordable, green building materials, education and training opportunities, technical assistance on designing and building with reclaimed materials, and helps foster community-based rebuilding projects.