Do you feel a twinge of guilt every time you fill your tank with dirty gasoline? What if you could power your car with a carbon neutral fossil fuel substitute? Introducing Audi’s new e-fuel, an energy source that powers a standard engine like gas or diesel, but uses CO2 instead of dead dinosaurs and petrified algae. Seeing as most electric cars have a somewhat limited range, long charging time, and small nationwide re-fueling infrastructure, most believe that a majority of drivers will be riding around with an internal combustion engine for the next couple decades. The e-fuel has the benefit of already being able to take advantage of gas stations as well as the landfills and non-potable water sources it needs to create the compound. Here is how it works:

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Post tags: a3 tcng, AUDI, car, carbon-neutral, CO2, e-diesel, e-ethanol, e-fuel, e-gas, emissions, fossil fuels, gasoline, germany, global climate change, greenhouse gas, hydrogen, internal combustion engine, joule, methane, microbes, New Mexico, oil

To create a true net-zero building, one that literally generates as much or more energy than it consumes, is no easy task. Still, it’s a task that makes good business sense. After all, buildings consume a huge amount of energy, which cuts into profit margins. This simple equation finally hit home with Hines, the international real estate firm, and equity partner J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The two are partnering to build a new 13-story, 415,000-square-foot building at La Jolla Commons in San Diego that will become the nation’s largest carbon-neutral office building to date.

Read the rest of Hines Real Estate Breaks Ground on Nation’s Largest Carbon-Neutral Building

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Post tags: carbon-neutral, commercial building, Green Building, Hines, La Jolla Commons II, net zero, real estate

Read the rest of Nomura’s UK Headquarters is London’s First Carbon Neutral Building

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", carbon-neutral, eco design, eco office, energy efficient design, fletcher priest architects, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green roof, high performance facade, high-performance building, London, london's first carbon neutral building, louvers, net zero, nomura, nomura group, Office, photovoltaics, Solar Power, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Zero energy

Read the rest of EXCLUSIVE PICS: The PUNCHouse Is Santa Monica’s First Energy-Neutral LEED Platinum Home

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Post tags: carbon-neutral, DiMaccio, Dr. Paul Song, energy neutral, Famous Home", green home, Hollywood Home, Inhabitat LA, Inhabitat Los Angeles, la, LEED platinum, Lisa Ling, Los Angeles, Marco DiMaccio, PUNCHouse, Santa Monica, santa monica home, Sustainable Building, sustainable home, Zero Footprint

Marks and Spencer is the first retailer in the United Kingdom to become carbon neutral. In an announcement yesterday, the company described how a combination of increased energy efficiency measures and carbon offset purchases have led its stores, offices, warehouses and delivery fleets in the UK and Ireland to reach a net-zero carbon impact in accordance with the CarbonNeutral certification program. So what exactly has Marks and Spencer achieved so far?

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", carbon neutrality, carbon-neutral, carbonneutral certification, energy conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, joanna lumley, marks and spencer, plan a, sustainable business

Mecanoo has just broken ground on one of their most exciting projects to date – the green-roofed KIEM education complex in the Netherlands. Located in Dordrecht amidst several parks and a nature conservancy, the complex features five schools in one, all brick, and all covered with a sedum roof that creates continuity with the surrounding green spaces. Inside, carbon neutral wood panelling establishes a warm, homelike environment that promotes comfort, learning, and security.

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Post tags: "natural materials", carbon-neutral, Daylighting, decentralized air-conditioning, Dordrecht, education, green roof, KIEM, kiem school, mecanoo, Netherlands, sedum roof, storm water management, Wood

If you only see one environmental film this year, let it be The Island President. The subject of Jon Shenk’s documentary is recently deposed President Mohamed “Anni” Nasheed and his low-lying island nation, the Maldives. Shenk’s crew had unfettered access to the charismatic leader from the moment he took office as the country’s first democratically elected president through the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009.

Read the rest of FILM REVIEW: ‘The Island President’ Investigates the Submersion of the Maldives

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Post tags: bonnie cohen, carbon-neutral, Climate Change, cop15, copenhagen summit, democracy, developing nation, film review, green design, green development, island nation, jon shank, Maldives, mohamed nasheed, radiohead, richard berge, sea level rise, sf green film fest, the island president, UN, United Nations

The designers behind Ski Dubai’s artificial ski slope, Snow World and B01 Arquitectos, have teamed up to improve on their original design with the world’s very first carbon-neutral indoor ski slope in Barcelona. If approved by Barcelona’s City Council, this new Snow World will be a component of the Zona Franca redevelopment project, which aims to transform a neglected industrial complex into a thriving residential area. Both the ski dome and housing area will be powered with renewable energy, while the extreme cooling necessary to maintain an artificial ski slope in a warm country will be achieved by harvesting the byproduct of converting liquefied natural gas back into its gaseous form.

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Post tags: artificial snow, B01 Arquiectos, Barcelona, barcelona ski slope, carbon neutral ski slope, carbon-neutral, eco design, green design, green ski slope, is it green, methane, natural gas, plant waste, renewable energy, Ski Dubai, ski slope, snow world, Solar Power, sustainable design

Read the rest of Pixel Building: Australia’s First Carbon Neutral Building is Now Complete!

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", australia, australia's first carbon neutral building, carbon-neutral, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green roof, Melbourne, net zero, pixel, pixel building, pixelated facade, shade screen, studio505, sun screen, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Zero Carbon, Zero energy

Read the rest of Influx_Studio Wants to Turn Chicago’s Marina City Into an Algae-Producing CO2-Scrubbing Powerhouse

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", algae, algae bioreactor, carbon scrubbing, carbon zero, carbon-neutral, chicago, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, influx studio, influx_studio, net zero, photovoltaics, proposal, rainwater harvesting, self-sufficient, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, vertical farm, vertical garden, Zero Carbon, Zero energy

Read the rest of The Houl: A Sleek Net-Zero Carbon Long-House in Scotland

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", "wind power", carbon neutral home, carbon zero, carbon zero home, carbon-neutral, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, net zero, net zero carbon, net zero home, Scotland, simon winstanley architects, Sustainable Building, sustainable design

The University of Florida has just added a Solar Dok to its growing sustainability profile. Solar Dok is an off-grid solar powered electronics charging hub perfect for Internet cafes, college campuses and your back deck. Designed and fabricated by EnerFusion, the “SD-1″ design is made from recycled and recyclable materials (milk jugs, water bottles, aluminum) and includes internal batteries large enough to store energy for nighttime use, 4 power outlets, 2 USB ports and timed LED lights for late night bookworms.

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Post tags: "green furniture", carbon-neutral, college campuses, eco design, eco-friendly, enerfusion, energy neutral, Environment, environmental design, green colleges, green design, green living, off the grid, off-grid, Recycle, solar dok, Solar Umbrella, Sustainability, sustainable design, sustainable living, sustainable uf, uf, university of florida, upcycle

“The carbon footprint of your life on Google is zero.” It may be hard to believe, we know, but the search giant announced for the first time today that it is completely carbon neutral and has been since 2007. In a blog post they detailed how the road to this announcement was paved with many different actions — from installing solar panels at their headquarters, to purchasing large amounts of wind energy and reducing as much of the energy that their employees use as they can. Google is everywhere these days — giving you directions, mapping the world, sending your e-mail — and perhaps that’s a good thing if they’re really as low-impact as they say.

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Post tags: carbon neutral businesses, carbon-neutral, Google, google corporation, google energy use, google mail energy use, internet energy use, server energy use

Vincent Callebaut, visionary behind the Lilypad and Dragonfly, has created a whale-shaped floating garden designed to drift through the world’s rivers while purifying their waters. The Physalia is a self-sufficient ecosystem that generates all the power it needs from the sun and works to reduce water pollution through bio-filtration.

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Post tags: boat, carbon-neutral, floating garden, physalia, rivers, vincent callebaut, water pollution, Zero energy

Hundreds of thousands of electric cars are expected to be on the road in the next five years. Charging these vehicles has proven to be a challenge, mostly because of the lack of infrastructure — but now SolarCity is stepping in and answering consumer demands for cleaner transportation by offering installation services for ClipperCreek‘s solar-powered EV chargers, which are compatible with all EVs currently on the road.

Read the rest of SolarCity Brings Solar-Powered EV Charging Stations to the Masses

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Post tags: carbon-neutral, charger, Charging Station, ClipperCreek, electric vehicles, ev, plug-in hybrid, solar, Solar-Powered EV Charger, solarcity, zero-emissions

Read the rest of Brockholes: UK’s First Floating Nature Reserve Is Now Open For Exploration

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Adam Khan Architects, BREEAM outstanding, brockholes, Brockholes Nature Reserve, carbon-neutral, eco design, floating building, floating house, floating visitor center, floating visitor centre, green architecture, Green Building, green design, nature preserve, nature reserve, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Zero energy

Read the rest of EcoZa Launches South Africa’s First Carbon Neutral Green Estate

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Post tags: "solar energy", biosphere, building integrated photovoltaic, carbon-neutral, conservation, constructed wetland, LED lights, North Facing Windows, passive design, rammed earth, recycling, South Africa

Read the rest of Spider-Legged Templestowe Sporting Pavilion Built With Recycled Brick From Old Stadium

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Post tags: "solar energy", "sustainable architecture", australia, carbon-neutral, Daylighting, eco design, football club, green architecture, Green Building, green design, old bricks, phooey architects, Reclaimed Materials, Recycled Materials, reused bricks, Solar Power, sporting pavilion, sustaianble design, Sustainable Building, templestowe, templestowe football club, Zero energy

With Valentine’s Day approaching, wouldn’t it be nice to escape for a few days with your loved one and relax in pampered luxury – without feeling guilty about the huge footprint you are adding to the environment? The world class conservation-based Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in the Blue Mountains, located just a 1.5 hour drive south of Sydney, Australia will provide you with luxury AND a guilt-free carbon-neutral experience! It’s the first hotel in the world to achieve international carbon neutral certification through carboNZero, so you are in for quite a treat.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", carbon-neutral, eco design, eco resort, eco-travel, green design, green holiday, green valentine, Sustainable Building, sustainable building awards, sustainable design, Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa

Read the rest of Herzog & de Meuron Completes Tetris-Like Actelion Business Center in Switzerland

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Actelion Business Center, carbon-neutral, Eco Architecture, eco building, green architecture, Green Building, green design, green roof, h & d, Herzog & De Meuron, Solar Power, solar shading