It is true that money does not grow on trees, but it could come from people traveling to see them. A report titled “West Is Best: How Public Lands in the West Create a Competitive Economic Advantage,” written by Headwaters Economics this month, details how the West’s 355 million acres of parks and wilderness areas are drivers for high-wage jobs and local economies. Incredibly, in rural counties where land was under some sort of federal protection, employment increased by 345% over the past four decades. By contrast, in areas that had no protection, jobs increased by only 83%. It seems that preservation is a lucrative business.

Read the rest of Report Shows That Protected Wilderness Areas Are Excellent Drivers for the Economy

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Post tags: economy, headwaters economics, high wages, high-tech jobs, monuments, parks, preservation, protected land, protection, public lands, report, west is best, wilderness

The 2012 Presidential Election is tomorrow, and critical decisions regarding how the United States should tackle climate change and energy security will need to be made in the near future. Therefore, it is of great importance that Americans elect a leader capable of addressing these issues. After three years of President Obama in the Oval Office, Americans have seen the current administration’s environmental policy agenda enacted. But in order to cast an informed ballot in the November election, the American electorate – especially independent and undecided voters – needs to know how presidential hopeful Mitt Romney plans to meet the challenges of a changing environment. Spoiler alert: Romney’s approach to the environment is unsustainable at its core and contrasts greatly with President Obama’s.

Read the rest of How Sustainable is Mitt Romney’s Vision for America and the Environment?

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Post tags: 2012 Election, clean air act, clean water act, Climate Change, energy security, environmental regulations, global warming, gop, keystone pipeline, Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney, offshore oil drilling, Paul Ryan, republican, sea level rise

Americans may produce more municipal waste per capita than any other country in the world, but improving our recycling rate is one major way we can turn the tide and become a more sustainable society. According to a new report released by As You Sow (AYS), an environmental and social responsibility-focused advocacy group, a significant source of the problem lies in our failure to recycle packaging made from recyclable materials.

Read the rest of $11 Billion Worth of Recyclable Packaging is Buried in American Landfills

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Post tags: As You Sow, carbon emissions, end of life, extended producer responsibility, green jobs, green materials, landfills, Packaging Design, packaging materials, post-consumer content, social responsibility, Sustainable Brands, total life cycle

Read the rest of Recycling Co-operatives In Sao Paulo, Brazil Light the Path for Sustainable Development

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Post tags: "sustainable development", Brazil, centro gaspar garcia, coopere, coorpel, filadelfia, green job, green jobs, recycling, recycling co-op, recycling cooperative, rio plus 20, rio+20, rio+20 conference, sao Paulo

Read the rest of 5 Green Employers Share Insider Job Advice on How to Get Hired

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Post tags: eco design, eco fashion jobs, eco jobs, green architecture jobs, green company, green design, green design jobs, green job advice, green job search, green jobs, green position, how to get a green job, how to get a job, how to get a job at a green company, sustainable design

Greenbiz.com recently released their free, downloadable “State of Green Business 2012″ report and some of the statistics are quite surprising. The report begins by explaining the stalemate on green progress by saying that “…sustainable business is suffering a recessionary hangover.” The study goes on to look at 20 key indicators, such as organic agriculture, e-waste, and  toxic emissions, to determine whether US businesses are “swimming”, “sinking”, or “treading water”. With 80% of the indicators getting a “Tread” or “Sink” rating, this is a big wake up call that most big companies are not doing their part to make progress towards a sustainable future.

Read the rest of US Has a “Recessionary Hangover” According to Greenbiz 2012 Report

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Post tags: corporations, Eco, green, green business, green economics, green report, greenbiz, greenbiz report 2012, ratings, recession, state of green business 2012, state of the industry, statistics, Sustainable, united states