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"The Green Directory - Promoting Sustainable Living The Green Directory is Australia's bone fide online resource for locating genuine green business, products and services. All businesses in the categories below have been selected for their "green" attributes and sustainable business practices. Select from the categories on the left or you can perform a search in the field above. The Green Directory is Australia's premier online green directory, providing links between a broad range of producers and consumers wanting to do business in an environmentally sustainable way. It is the most popular and most visited directory for sustainable products."

Green has become the common term for people who care about the environment or for practices promoted as better for the environment than some other practices. When used for marketing, "green" can become downright misleading. In fact, there's a term "greenwashing" to describe advertising that makes something look greener than it really is. Sustainable, on the other hand, refers to practices designed to have the least impact on the environment, create the least waste, and capable of being carried out indefinitely. That is, something sustainable can't waste resources, can't pollute, can't be dangerous over the long term to life, can't cost so much that it causes social or financial disruption, etc.

""101 Ways to Go Green and Save Money""

ecolife.com is an online resource of hundreds of ways to green your everyday life. Whether you are seeking the low-down on dirty disposable diapers or need advice on how to make your next vacation green, ecolife aims to be the answer to just about any question you may have.

"When people think about green buildings, what generally comes to mind is solar panels, geothermal energy, improved insulation, green roofs, high-performance windows, rain-water recuperation, and so forth. However, the milieu in which the building is rooted also ought to be considered. Although we often forget it, being green also includes what lies beyond the walls! Landscaping, for instance, plays a major role in energy consumption. Trees, plants and the way you take care of them can have a significant impact on GHG emissions, and consequently, on your energy bills."

"Many Australians are happy to declare their interest in sustainability, to reducing their environmental impact. But how many of them are prepared to reduce the amount they actually consume?"

"Get out and about in the city to discover some of the best Green Star-rated icons. The Sustainable Melbourne Walking Tour is a self-guided, street-level exploration of some of Melbourne's greenest buildings. Walk the city while learning how green buildings are contributing to the sustainability of the inner-city community and leading by green example in the design and construction of our built environment."

"If you're thinking about building green, keep this infographic nearby, as it covers thirteen elements that you'll want to consider in the design and construction of your home. Also keep in mind that this list isn't definitive; it does, however, demonstrate well that building green involves big-picture thinking beyond "Hey, let's put solar panels up.""

We all know how much emphasis is being placed on green energy strategies these days. The folks over National Geographic recently teamed up with GE Power & Water and the Center for Science to release Plan It Green: The Big Switch, a new cloud based online gaming community where students come together to learn more about the importance of recycling and how eco-friendly habits that can help save our environment. 

"Good News Friday, April 25 {Solar Power, Extreme Green Buildings, Growth of Renewables}"

"When building a green home one chooses to do so to reduce the harmful impact on the environment. Careful thought and consideration must be placed on every aspect of this home design, from the roof to the foundation to everything in between - electrical work, air quality, and affordability. It is important to lessen one's footprint and not to disrupt the existing ecosystem. With all the knowledge and resources available to us today there really is no excuse for not being environmentally conscientious."

"The green games (environmental games) featured on ecogamer.org have been designed and created by developers. You may wish to visit the websites of the featured games to obtain additional information. The following is a list of online environmental games. Most of the green games are suited for people of all ages; nevertheless some games contain themes geared toward adult issues."

Andrew Winston - Harvard Business Review, The Top 10 Green Business Stories of 2010 - Monday December 20, 2010

"REFLEX, Australia's best-known brand of paper, is set to lose its international green accreditation within the next two months unless its manufacturer can strike an unlikely deal with some of its fiercest enemies. The loss of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification would force Australian Paper, which makes Reflex, to either abandon its public commitment to the FSC process or shift its sourcing from native forests to more expensive plantation timber."

"Ferguson spies a green energy future … and steps on the gas"

"Over recent years, mainstream media has reflected the increasing shift in mindset towards "the green agenda", "sustainable lifestyles", and "environmental responsibility". The term sustainability embraces various principles and practices designed to encourage active preservation of our environment and communities, while also promising attractive financial gains. Many companies now realize that millions of dollars can be saved by implementing sustainability programs across their value chains. Anyone willing to take a closer look at the subject can potentially profit from these programs."

"Published on Jul 9, 2013 Building a skyscraper? Forget about steel and concrete, says architect Michael Green, and build it out of ... wood. As he details in this intriguing talk, it's not only possible to build safe wooden structures up to 30 stories tall (and, he hopes, higher), it's necessary."

"Australian energy utility Origin Energy is under the SQHQ microscope this week readers. More specifically their claim that the carbon tax and subsidies for green schemes are the chief cause of the rise in the average electricity bill. Your correspondent received his bill from Origin on Thursday. While never a pleasant experience this was made worse by a clear message situated prominently on the lower right side of the document in big red letters. NSW Govt estimates that the Federal carbon tax and green energy schemes add about $332 a year to a typical 6.5MWh household bill. Sounds nasty readers but is it true?"

"One of the world's fastest-growing social movements is calling for citizens and institutions to sell out of fossil fuels - but it's not just a matter of morality. Hard-headed analysts say there's a growing risk of a collapse in the value of fossil fuel investments. Taken together, these warnings present a new way to understand our climate crisis. In this edited version of his Lunchbox/Soapbox address, Michael Green takes us inside the movement - starting in the offices of Goldman Sachs, listening to US climate activist Bill McKibben."