Sunroad Centrum I, a 275,000-square-foot Class A office tower located in Kearny Mesa, has officially achieved the coveted LEED certification as determined by the U.S. Green Building Council. Developed by Sunroad Enterprises, the building has set a new local standard for environmental responsibility as the city of San Diego's first speculative LEED-certified office tower. 

Reno Contracting, having completed Kilroy Realty's Sabre Springs three-building, Class A campus, holds the distinction of having built San Diego's first Silver LEED-certified core and shell building project. The prestigious Silver Certification, given by the U.S. Green Building Council, was awarded through the USGBC's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. Spearheaded by architectural firm Hanna Gabriel Wells, the building was awarded top-rating points for its many positive environmental attributes. Within the next few months, an additional four buildings built by Reno will also become LEED certified, which shows why the firm has been named as one of the "Top 50 Green Contractors" in the nation by Engineering News-Record. 

Calling cubicles a danger zone may sound extreme, but Mark Canavarro knows a dirty secret: Many of these workspaces contain pollutants that are harmful to the environment and people's health. 

Despite the recent turbulence in the financial markets as well as the dramatic drop in the price of oil, cleantech investing remains poised for significant growth over the coming years. According to the Cleantech Group, the third quarter brought in $2.6 billion across 158 companies in North America, Europe, India and China, and the sector may reach as much as $7.5 billion to $8 billion by year's end. While it remains to be seen how recent events will influence this sector, there are some positive signs that appear to indicate that the cleantech sector will successfully weather the current financial storm. 

SEATTLE (AP) -- One of the worst things about getting a new gadget or toy is trying to free it from the hard plastic casing that houses many products. To reduce those battles, Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) said Monday it is working with manufacturers to make the products it sells easier to open and more environmentally friendly. 

The Sweetwater Union High School District has designed and is about to start the first phase of construction. The district's board of trustees laid the groundwork for a long-term vision of the environmental and economic impact of district facilities by adopting board resolution 3794, which directs green building practices be employed where possible during the Proposition O construction program. The board's leadership has resulted in the largest green building program of a school district in the state of California.