In the US the average person emits a metric ton of CO2 every two weeks. For the developed world as a whole it takes an average of one month. In the developing world, three months.

Ever wonder how big a metric ton of carbon dioxide really is? It’s a measurement thrown around in green circles and even mainstream media all the time, but a rather intangible concept. You can’t see a metric ton of CO2 emissions the same way you can a clear-cut forest.

With the Copenhagen convention to be held this coming December, the UN and an organization called Millennium Art are attempting to help us visualize a metric ton of CO2 with their project CO2 Cubes: Visualize a Tonne of Change. …read more of CO2 Cubes: Visualize a Tonne of Change here

When people hear the term “green” they often think of it as interchangeable with “expensive.” Of course, this is not a general rule: an environmentally sustainable lifestyle can actually save you a lot of money. Still, the stigma exists.

When it comes to politics, this link between green and luxury has put off many Americans who worry that promoting environmental sustainability may hurt the US economy or their own already stretched budgets. This can be seen as a major reason the political coalition fighting for environmental causes has long been small and exclusive.

A group of progressive thinkers began to recognize that this political isolation was keeping advocates for an environmentally sustainable society from accomplishing their goals in the US. Van Jones has become one of the many dynamic leaders who have reinvented the environmental movement through his call for a more inclusive vision of what a sustainable society looks like. …read more of Green For All here

Our children need to be given every opportunity they can to help align the paths of development and environmental sustainability. Those opportunities begin in our education system.

In a recent weekly address President-elect Barack Obama conveyed part of his plan to jump start the economy through the creation of green jobs by energy-retrofitting government buildings and schools: “My economic recovery plan will launch the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen. We will repair broken schools, make them energy-efficient, and put new computers in our classrooms. Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools.”

These words are a flash of brilliance that makes me believe in the hope and change ahead for America. It is from our youthful generations that the next wave or innovation and entrepreneurship will come, so why shouldn’t they have every advantage the 21st century can offer. …read more of The Best Investment Tax Money Can Buy here