Tax Breaks for Green Businesses

By: marcos@gbb.org

2010 is drawing quickly to a close and it's time to start preparing for your taxes.  As a green business, you're in luck!  There are many tax incentives, deductions and credits available to ease your burden.  The best resource to find tax breaks in your state is: www.dsire.com.  This is a comprehensive database of all federal, state, and sometimes local incentives for energy efficiency.  You’d be surprised at how many options are out there.  Depending on... Read More

Tips for a Greener Holiday

By: marcos@gbb.org

The 2010 holiday season is here!  It’s a time for big family dinners, extensive gifts, big spending and elaborate decorations.  It’s definitely a period of excess, and according to RecycleWorks, during the period between Thanksgiving and New Years, household waste increases by more than 25%.     At the GBB, we’re all about conserving – your money, your resources and the environment.  Here are our top tips for being a little kinder to the... Read More

State Incentives for Green Business in New York

By: news@gbb.org

One of the original 13 colonies, New York was the eleventh state to be officially admitted to the Union on July 26, 1788, the date it ratified the Constitution of the United States.  To celebrate this happy occasion, we've put together a list of just a few of the many incentives offered by the state of New York for businesses to go green. PACE financing - The Municipal Sustainable Energy Programs, which function on a local level, offer loans of up to 10% of appraised real property... Read More

Local Community Activist Joins Our PR Team

By: news@gbb.org

We are excited to announce the newest addition to our team; Maria-Elisa Heg, a Rice grad and local community activist, will be working in our PR Department. Ms. Heg has extensive experience in dealing with local Houston media on environmental issues. After graduating from Rice University in 2009, Ms. Heg co-founded the Montrose Land Defense Coalition, a grassroots campaign to foster sustainable urban development and business practices in the Montrose area. Ms. Heg and the Coalition have been... Read More

State Incentives for Green Business in Wyoming

By: news@gbb.org

On July 10, 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state in the Union.  Wyoming was famous for being the first state to have woman suffrage and refused to join the union so long as this was forbidden.  Its territorial legislature declared: “We will remain out of the Union a hundred years rather than come in without the women.”   To commemorate Wyoming’s admission day, we’ve assembled a list of state incentives for businesses in Wyoming to go green. ... Read More

Government Financing for Green Business

By: marcos@gbb.org

Whether you are looking to start a green business from scratch, or turn your existing business green, the government has lots of financing options available for Green Businesses. The Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) 504 Loan Program offers up to $4 million in financing to small businesses for new construction or retrofit projects with energy savings technologies or that contribute to the production of renewable energy.  There is also $2 million in... Read More

Companies Increasingly Turn to Environmental Actions to Cut Costs

By: news@gbb.org

While this recession has broken the mold in many ways, one surprising outcome is that corporate environmental activity has survived, even thrived during as companies increasingly turn to environmental actions to cut costs, comply with customer demands, and remain competitive, according to the annual "State of Green Business" report produced by GreenBiz.com You may be inclined to think that the difficult economy of the past two years may have caused companies to put their green... Read More

Top 15 Green Blogs

By: news@gbb.org

There are over 6,000 blogs related to the environment on Technorati, and countless more news feeds, and webzines.. There are hundreds of high-quality, well-written green blogs, so it’s very difficult to limit the list to just 15. This list seeks to balance depth with breadth and rankings popularity with diversity. These blogs represent many different topics, from general interest to news to lifestyle to tech. 1. Treehugger - Launched in 2004 by serial entrepreneur and designer Graham... Read More

Start a Green Business

By: news@gbb.org

Even Wal-Mart sells organic cotton T-shirts these days, but you definitely don't have to be a retailing behemoth to take your business in a green or organic direction. In fact, entrepreneurs have an advantage when it comes to reaching customers who care about the cause as well as the products. "It's a highly underrated opportunity for small business," says Dr. Karel J. Samsom, a specialist in environmental and sustainable entrepreneurship and author of Spirit of Entrepreneurship. A... Read More

12 Tips to Green Your Business

By: news@gbb.org

During the past several years, the word "green" has taken on new meaning and usage as it has quickly entered the business vernacular in its many forms. What was once strictly an adjective has quickly evolved into a noun and verb as we use green to describe everything from household products to office buildings to the process of becoming more environmentally responsible. What does it mean to design and operate a business in the era of green?   To that end, executives from... Read More

Five Ways to Go Green and Save $500 a Month

By: news@gbb.org

Challenged by the current financial crisis and recessionary woes? While the world is watching Wall Street, many of us are struggling to preserve our own checkbook on Main Street. There doesn’t appear to be a quick fix for the economy, but there are some things you can start doing today that will have a real impact on your personal finances as well as the health of the environment. We’ve found five easy changes that you can make which will save you $500 or more each month, all... Read More

How to Find a Green Job

By: news@gbb.org

Finding a green job can be difficult, but rewarding. Here is a list of resources to search for a green job. Where to start: E: The Environmental Magazine's list of booming eco-friendly job sectors is good place to start for inspiration. Grist, TreeHugger, EnvironmentalCareer.com, HotJobs, and Sustainable Business Green Dream Jobs' listings are drawn from throughout the country. Idealist.org Job Search specializes in nonprofits; search on "environmental &... Read More

U.S. Recovery Act Awards $100 Million in Green Job Training Grants

By: news@gbb.org

The U.S. government is distributing $100 million in green job training grants to 25 projects throughout the country, including $28 million going to communities impacted by auto industry restructuring. The grants, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, are supporting projects to help unemployed and dislocated workers, veterans, women and minorities find jobs in green industries. The projects will receive from $1.4 million to $5 million each and were based on... Read More

85% of Americans Expect to Reduce Household Energy Use in 2010

By: news@gbb.org

Americans say they are resolved to improve household energy consumption and recycling, according to a survey by Tiller LLC. About 85 percent of those polled said they were at least “somewhat likely” to reduce household energy consumption next year, while 84 percent said they expected to recycle more. Here are some other findings: - 76 percent said they expected to purchase more from environmentally responsible companies - 72 percent said it is at least somewhat likely... Read More

USPS Awards $28.5 Million Energy Efficiency Contracts to Lime Energy

By: news@gbb.org

Lime Energy has received three contracts, worth up to $28.5 million, to improve the energy efficiency of United States Postal Service (USPS) facilities along the East Coast. The company has already provided about $30 million worth of work for the USPS over the past six years. Under the new contracts, Lime will investigate energy efficiency projects and opportunities at USPS locations within seven regions that include New Jersey, Delaware, Philadelphia, District of Columbia, Maryland,... Read More

Carbon Trading May Reach $395B in 2014

By: news@gbb.org

The connection between carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and the carbon emissions trading market is growing, as carbon credits accrued from CCS plants will be traded at carbon exchanges, generating more revenue for CCS project developers, according to a new report from ABI Research. ABI’s study, “Carbon Capture, Sequestration and Emissions Trading: The Outlook for Global Carbon Markets,” evaluates two leading market mechanisms — CCS and carbon emissions trading... Read More

First Solar opens utility-scale power plant

By: news@gbb.org

Solar module maker First Solar on Monday opened the largest photovoltaic solar power station in California, which the company plans to replicate in order to expand its utility business. The plant in Blythe, Calif., which First Solar purchased from energy developer NRG, will have the capacity to generate 21 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 17,000 homes. It will supply electricity to Southern California Edison under a 20-year purchase power agreement. It's one of a number... Read More

California green jobs grow by 36%

By: news@gbb.org

California is one of the nation’s top green job producing states. This should come as no surprise, not only because of the state’s overall population, but also because California has always been a forward thinker when it comes to environmental legislation. A new report from Next 10 shows that green jobs increased by 36 percent in the state between 1995 and 2008 compared to overall job growth of only 13 percent.   The report went a step further and looked at how green jobs... Read More

AT&T Forms Sustainability Advisory Council

By: news@gbb.org

Fresh off hiring an energy director to help it reduce its carbon footprint, AT&T now is moving ahead with the creation of a sustainability advisory council. The new business advisory council will be comprised of AT&T staff, as well as third parties including the Carbon Disclosure Project, Cisco Systems, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the University of Colorado Denver, and University of Texas at Austin, according to a press release. On Dec. 1, AT&T hired John... Read More

Green Policies in California Generated Jobs, Study Finds

By: news@gbb.org

OAKLAND, Calif. — California’s energy-efficiency policies created nearly 1.5 million jobs from 1977 to 2007, while eliminating fewer than 25,000, according to a study to be released Monday. The study, conducted by David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at the University of California, Berkeley, found that while the state’s policies lowered employee compensation in the electric power industry by an estimated $1.6... Read More

Start a Green Business

By: news@gbb.org

Even Wal-Mart sells organic cotton T-shirts these days, but you definitely don't have to be a retailing behemoth to take your business in a green or organic direction. In fact, entrepreneurs have an advantage when it comes to reaching customers who care about the cause as well as the products. "It's a highly underrated opportunity for small business," says Dr. Karel J. Samsom, a specialist in environmental and sustainable entrepreneurship and author of Spirit of Entrepreneurship. A... Read More

How oil dependent is your state?

By: news@gbb.org

The effects that fluctuating oil prices have had on the average American vary widely by state, according to a report released Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States' Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change," a report (PDF) prepared for the NRDC by David Gardiner & Associates, ranks U.S. states in two major ways. One list ranks U.S. states by their dependence on oil, taking in factors like gas prices. The other ranks... Read More

Where the clean-tech jobs are

By: news@gbb.org

General unemployment may be on the rise, but the clean-tech sector should be a bright spot for job seekers, according to a report released Thursday by Clean Edge research. The clean-technology sector was one of the largest recipients of venture capital last year, raising about $3.35 billion in the U.S., according to New Energy Finance statistics in the the "Clean Tech Job Trends 2009" report (PDF). Unlike most reports from research firms, this one is free to download in... Read More

New school year brings 'Green IT' college degree

By: news@gbb.org

Making data centers more energy efficient has been elevated to a college degree. Story IBM on Wednesday said it has developed a two-year associates degree in "green data center management" in collaboration with the Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Neb. Starting in December, students will learn how to design and manage data centers to run efficiently in what IBM says is the first college degree in the subject. Classes will be offered online to remote students as... Read More

Domestic Green Engineer An Emerging Profession

By: news@gbb.org

With the rising concern for the environment, the demand for a domestic green engineer is on the rise. In the past, the nations were more concerned about their developments than the environment. This resulted in the gradual degradation of the environment, and an ecological imbalance. Consequently, there have been changes in the food chains; increases in air and water pollution; depletion of non-renewable energy resources; and deforestation and fast erosion of the top fertile soil. Now, the... Read More

Easy Ways to Green Your Desk

By: news@gbb.org

Whether you’re deep in the trenches of Corporate America, working for an small local business, or running your own office from home, it’s not hard to create a personal green haven at your desk. Here are just three ways to get started… Detox and Destress Whether it’s a lush potted jungle or a single plant on your desk, living foliage removes airborne contaminants and electromagnetic fields, as well as balancing humidity and decreasing office noise and stress... Read More

Green Efforts Save Symantec $2.1M in Energy Costs

By: news@gbb.org

Symantec Corp., an infrastructure software provider, is achieving significant business cost and productivity benefits including a projected energy cost savings of $2.1 million thanks to its ongoing “green” IT efforts. The cost savings is attributed to hardware device reduction and related power consumption savings from August 2007 to December 2010. Symantec hired Alchemy Solutions Group to perform an Operational and Economic Impact (T.O.E.I.) analysis on its Green IT efforts from... Read More

10 Tips For Saving Money While Traveling Green

By: news@gbb.org

In today’s post we’ll be combining two things that we love: saving money and traveling green.  Recently, we highlighted a study that revealed that most Americans are not ready to pay the extra money for traveling green.  Well, we believe that the premise of this study is a little skewed, because there are plenty of ways to save money while still traveling more green.  Many travelers have this notion that traveling green means visiting eco-friendly locations. ... Read More

Report: 274 green patents filed in Q2

By: news@gbb.org

A report by the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index showed that 274 new patents were filed during the second quarter for green and alternative energy sources. Of those, 156 were in fuel cell technology, up from 42 in the same quarter of last year. Solar patents totaled 51, compared with 36, while biofuel had 13, compared with five. Japan led the geographic areas tracked with 75 granted clean energy patents and California was second with 29 granted clean energy patents. The Clean Energy Patent... Read More

Green Collar Job Sector Sparks New Trends with Online Degrees in Sustainable Business Practices

By: news@gbb.org

According to a recent article in USA Today, the growth in the "green collar" job sector is sparking a new trend in the world of higher education: degrees that prepare students for a career incorporating sustainability. From technical training in new energy technologies to graduate degrees in sustainable business practices, students looking for green degree programs will find a wide selection of colleges eager to meet that demand. As society's concern for the future of the environment... Read More

Ten Tips for Finding Grants to Make Your Business Greener

By: news@gbb.org

Wading through the morass of information on green business grant programs can be challenging, particularly for small businesses that don't have the expertise or staff to manage grant writing. To ease the burden, our industry experts offer this advice on how to find the best programs for your needs and how to increase your odds of winning their approval. 1. Call your utility company and ask about the grants and rebates they offer. The variety of programs vary, but almost all utilities offer... Read More

3 Tips on Green Business Opportunities

By: news@gbb.org

Environmentalists are having their year with so many new green business opportunies popping up, thanks to President Obama's call to environmental action. Starting a Green Business and profiting from the cause only makes environmentalist optimistic for the environment. "I don't care what it takes for someone to go green" Said Miami based GreenWorks President, Miles Anderson. "If profiting from a good cause get's others to help save our environment, I'm all for it" He said. If... Read More

Why Clean Tech Start-Ups Should Go Green

By: news@gbb.org

I had the opportunity to be a sustainability coach to some of the Clean Tech Open semifinalists last week. The Annual Business Competition provides green mentoring and sustainability workshops to help clean tech entrepreneurs integrate sustainability into their business plans. And I found myself stressing the business case for why integrating green made business sense. While some of the companies we met with were very committed to sustainability, others seemed to be going through the motions... Read More

200 Green Business Ideas

By: news@gbb.org

Green Biz Plan has compiled a great list of 200 green business ideas. The startup costs for each idea range from virtually nothing to millions of dollars. There are ideas from every industry from pet care, health care, to sports, construction, and art. You name it there is a green business opportunity in every category of business.

Jet Blue Launches New Jetting to Green Initiative

By: news@gbb.org

Traveling with your family is always a fun experience, but traveling on a green airline makes the trip much safer for both you and the environment. With so many people going green nowadays, it’s important to know that you and your family aren’t leaving a huge carbon footprint every time you take a vacation. JetBlue recently became the latest green airline when it created its Jetting to Green program. The program aims to reduce the airline’s carbon footprint, to promote... Read More

10 Rising Solar Careers

By: news@gbb.org

The world is changing very quickly. One of the fastest growing job markets is the solar industry. In the coming years, these jobs will dominate the marketplace. The best thing about solar jobs is that you can easily retool your current knowledge base to fit into a rising green career. Solar Operations Engineer - A Solar Operations Engineer is essentially an architect of new solar energy facilities. They design new solar systems, supervise and inspect the structures during construction, then... Read More

Unlocking Sustainability in the Music Business

By: news@gbb.org

What do steel, rubber factories, mechanics, gas pumps, freeways, and Detroit have in common? They all play a part in the ‘technological lock-in’ - as the academics say – of a less-than-green American car culture. The music business, it seems, is locked in to huge stages, bright lights, semi-trucks, tour busses, jewel cases, power-hungry analog equipment and, perhaps most challenging, millions and millions of miles driven by fans to catch the show. The notoriously... Read More

Going Green Makes Hotel Guests Happy

By: news@gbb.org

Amid a flurry of studies and surveys showing marked declines in occupancy, a new report shows that those guests who are visiting your hotels are satisfied. J.D. Power and Associates reports that despite cost-cutting measures and reduced occupancy, guest satisfaction ratings are going up. They’re happy with the check-in and the check-out procedures. They’re also quite pleased with the reservation process. Guest service has gotten high marks, showing that cash-strapped hotels (thanks... Read More

Markets for Green Businesses: Law, accounting, and architecture firms

By: news@gbb.org

When asked: how “green” are you, the brains behind accounting, IT and architectural firms who, kudos to them – both the closet greens or eco-warriors who proudly bear their eco-badge on their sleeve – jump up to say that they are helping their clients drive sustainability solutions. Even lawyers are realizing their impact on their environment. No seriously, lawyers are sharp enough to know that using all that virgin paper cannot be good to the environment. But when it... Read More

Ferrari Cuts Emissions, Admits Irrelevance

By: news@gbb.org

Ferrari's lineup will spew less CO2 in the coming years. Setting a goal of using 40% less fuel by 2012, Ferrari is set to experiment with lighter materials and increased engine performance. Oh yeah, and since the luxury automaker expects to sell around only 6,000 cars this year -- most of which will sit under a car cover in a climate controlled garage 364 days a year -- they admit that it's kinda pointless. So, why is Ferrari making this asinine press release? Good PR, free advertising from... Read More

GBB Featured in the Houston Chronicle

By: news@gbb.org

Read the latest article on Green Business Bureau featured in the Houston Chronicle.

Wal-Mart Unveils Ambitious Eco-Friendly Program

By: news@gbb.org

If they green it, will we shop? Wal-Mart Stores Inc. today officially unveiled its widely rumored plan to slap an “eco-rating” on products in its stores. The world’s largest retailer is betting that shoppers will care how green their purchases are -- and maybe even pay more for environmentally friendly merchandise. The green ratings will take years to show up on the chain’s shelves. In the first phase of its initiative, Wal-Mart will ask suppliers questions about... Read More

The Greening Of The United States Military

By: news@gbb.org

It's pretty safe to say that the military doesn't spring to mind when you're making a list of organizations looking to go green. But, just as it does for any business, it makes sense -- and it's important -- for them to do so. According to green tech blog Clean Technica, the Department of Defense is responsible for over 1.5% of all U.S. energy consumption, and it's now looking at greening the military. The U.S. military has been trying to green up its operations in response to skyrocketing... Read More

Top 10 U.S. Cities with the Most Green Buildings

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Every decently sized company with a PR team can claim to be going green these days. But how do you separate those who simply hang out an Earth Flag once a year to those who make real commitments in their daily activities? One good way is by looking at their physical facilities, since commercial and industrial buildings in the U.S. are responsible for about 45% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions and 50% of energy use. America's 4.8 million commercial buildings and 350,000 industrial... Read More

Ten Tips for Finding Grants to Make Your Business Greener

By:

Wading through the morass of information on green business grant programs can be challenging, particularly for small businesses that don't have the expertise or staff to manage grant writing. To ease the burden, our industry experts offer this advice on how to find the best programs for your needs and how to increase your odds of winning their approval. 1. Call your utility company and ask about the grants and rebates they offer. The variety of programs vary, but almost all utilities offer... Read More

Green California

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The state of California's gateway for the latest about how the state is working to reduce consumption and improve the environment. It offers information for government agencies, purchasing officials, schools and those in the commercial real estate sector. Follow links to detailed guides to the state's energy efficiency and conservation policies, sustainability, green building and green purchasing practices. http://www.green.ca.gov

Going Green in the Workplace

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There are endless ways to create a greener workplace from using recycled products to installing doubled-paned windows for better insulation. The best way to start is by taking small steps. Here are a few ideas you can work with. 1. Green up your commute. Since your workday begins when you arrive, let's start with how you get there. The best-case scenario is to telecommute by working from home. Today's technology--e.g., video conferencing, instant messaging and online seminars--has made this a... Read More

Green Cleaning Businesses – What they are doing

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Green cleaning businesses are emergent among all other green businesses. Residential and commercial cleaning services are embracing all natural cleaning methods as the core of their business value. Cleaning was generally associated with toxic and harmful chemicals. It is not unusual for cleaners to have rashes in their hands as a result of continued exposure to chemicals. Today, cleaning businesses have evolved into green and eco-friendly measures that benefit not only their customers but their... Read More

Silos & Green Do Not Mix

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‘Errare humanum est’, meaning ‘to err is human’. The green awakening is striving to put a brake on man’s erroneous ways with respect to mother earth and all her denizens. For decades together man has abused the generosity of nature and the fact that the rest of the earth’s population cannot protest. There is quite literally no one to voice a protest as entire ecosystems collapse and species after species die out because their world has turned hostile thanks... Read More

What Are Hotels Doing to Be Green?

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The first time I came across the ‘please re-use your towel’ policy at a hotel, I was stumped. They even said they would change the sheets daily if I demanded it, but not otherwise. What was the point of living at a hotel if I could not lord it? But in retrospect I realized what a simple do-able thing it was. We do not throw towels in the wash after a single use at home, do we? Neither do we change the bed linen every day. Contrary to popular belief, going green does not cost more.... Read More

How to Weather a Recession? Go Green!

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Businesses looking for recession-proof strategies to grow their brands and widen their consumer bases need look no further than going green. According to a recent spate of market surveys and reports, consumers are increasingly taking environmental ethics into consideration before purchasing a product. Reports from Forrester Research, the Carbon Trust Standard, and IRI find anywhere from 15 to 62 percent of shoppers in the U.S. and U.K. take environmental considerations to heart before... Read More

Congratulations on Earth Hour!

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The Green Business Bureau wants to recognize all the green businesses across the country that participated in Earth Hour this past Saturday, March 28th.  Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. By turning off the lights of their business for one hour, they not only helped the environment, but more importantly, made a public display of their support of the sustainability movement. Businesses of all shade of green... Read More