The Green Building Top 5 - January 20, 2016

10 Green Building Megatrends from the “Godfather of Green”

Green building is facing a number of changes, according to “The Godfather of Green,” Jerry Yudelson. A LEED fellow and former president of the Green Globes rating system, Yudelson has recently written a book, Reinventing Green Building, in which he identifies 10 “megatrends” he believes will impact certification systems, markets, government rules, and green building technologies through 2020 and beyond. Read Full Article

U.S. Solar Created More Jobs Than Oil And Gas Extraction

The Solar Foundation released its annual Solar Jobs Census Tuesday, and found that for the third straight year, the solar workforce grew 20 percent in the United States. According to the census, the industry added 35,052 jobs, elevating its grand total to 208,859. That builds on the 31,000 jobs added the year before, and 23,600 added the year before that. Read Full Article

Leonardo DiCaprio, Eco-Tourism, and Blackadore Caye: Has Green Building Jumped the Shark?

In early April 2015, the New York Times reported on Leonardo DiCaprio’s recent purchase of Blackadore Caye, a small island off the coast of Belize that has faced significant environmental degradation and erosion. A patron of several environmental projects, DiCaprio is partnering with Paul Scialla, CEO of the Delos real estate and wellness platform, to create an eco-resort intended to serve as the latest model of cutting-edge, environmentally-responsible tourism development. Read Full Article

The 7 best green cars from the 2016 Detroit Auto Show

This week the world's biggest automakers gathered in snowy Detroit to kick off the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Over 40 new models debuted at this year's event -- including some groundbreaking green vehicles. From the world's first electric minivan to next-gen hybrids and futuristic hydrogen cars, read on to learn about seven of this year's standouts. Read Full Article

Central Park-inspired exoskeleton encases LEED-seeking 170 Amsterdam tower

What better way to celebrate NYC's concrete jungle than with an exoskeleton-wrapped tower inspired by trees? International architectural firm Handel Architects drew inspiration from Central Park to design 170 Amsterdam's unique concrete latticework facade. The twisting tower is also expected to achieve LEED Silver certification. Read Full Article