The Green Building Top 5 - December 16, 2015

Tips for Getting a Job in Cleantech

There are roughly 8 million jobs globally in the renewable energy sector.

A lot of people -- both young students and those with established careers -- want to know how they can snag one of them.

In this week's podcast, we'll talk with Dawn Dzurilla, founder of Gaia Human Capital Consultants, about best practices in job hunting: Should you get a graduate degree? What kind of skills are employers looking for? How do you keep yourself relevant during a long job search? Read Full Article

The Future of Architecture: Moss, Not Mirrors

For most architects, moss and lichen growing up the side of a structure is a bad sign. Building materials are designed specifically to resist growth, and much research has been done to develop paint treatments and biocides that make sure the concrete and wood and bricks that sheath a building aren’t colonized by living things. But a new group is trying to change all that. Instead of developing surfaces resistant to moss and lichen, the BiotA lab wants to build facades that are “bioreceptive.” Read Full Article

Solar Farm Rejected Amid Fears It Will 'Suck Up The Sun's Energy'

A town council in North Carolina rejected plans to rezone land for a solar farm after residents voiced fears it would cause cancer, stop plants from growing and suck up all the energy from the sun.
Two citizens reportedly made the allegations at a Woodland Town Council meeting in Northampton County, northeastern North Carolina, on Wednesday. Read Full Article

7 Reasons Businesses Should Accelerate Their Renewable Energy Strategies Now

Yet again, Congress has been working furiously to pass a year-end version of the "Tax Extenders" bill, something that has become an annual ritual to forestall the executioner on a variety of wide-ranging temporary tax incentives. Meanwhile, those with a vested interest in the U.S. renewable energy market wait with bated breath. The bill includes provisions to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and Investment Tax Credit (ITC), two powerful economic subsidies for continued renewable energy expansion. Read Full Article

COP21: Climate agreement will not be business as usual

In the early years of the climate negotiations, immediately following the agreement in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, three types of business people attended the annual negotiations. There were, of course, persons like myself and other representatives of industries who were positioned to sell products and services to the countries that agreed to reduce CO2 emissions, and who were generally very supportive of the process. Read Full Article