The Incredibly Busy Green World

So much is happening in the green world that it's hard to keep up. Emails pour into my inbox, magazines arrive in the mail and there are websites I know I should visit regularly, but who's got that kind of time?

News summaries are one of my coping strategies. One of my favorites is a Google Alert I set up for green buildings. Every few days I receive an email with links to news stories, blogs, videos and discussions of happenings in green buildings from around the world.

Often the links are to publications I wouldn't generally see. For example, today's email included an article on the connection between green buildings and health from Arab News. It quotes representatives from the Saudi Green Building Council (SGBC), an organization that "seeks to minimize the consumption of utilities such as water and electricity and raise environmental awareness." I had no idea that such an initiative existed in Saudi Arabia or that there are efforts to seek alternative sources of energy in this oil rich country.

There are also links to articles about green building efforts closer to home - in St. Louis, Phoenix, Boston, and more. Below the featured link is one that leads you to more stories on that topic. From the Sydney Morning Herald I learned about the new LEED certified InterContinental Times Square hotel in New York City and read more about it on multiple other sites.

I also use Twitter to stay current, not by tweeting but by clicking on the links of my followers or folks I'm following. Most tweets have links to some pretty interesting stuff that I never would have found on my own: for example, MIT's "Green Alternatives Wizard."

Caution, tweet surfing can take up a lot of time, which is precisely what I'm trying to save.