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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.

"This online course will emphasise a multitude of ways to enrich your teaching programs using the theme of sustainability. As a cross-curriculum priority of the Australian Curriculum, you will learn practical and creative ways to make sustainability come alive in your classroom. Busy teachers will find this course incredibly valuable, as you will be provided with a complete Education for Sustainability (EfS) 'getting started toolkit'. You will gain a: * A clear definition of what EfS is and why it is important to integrate it into teaching practices * Guidance on how and where it can be integrated into your classroom using the Australian Curriculum * Examples of best practice from leading schools and other inspirational teaching ideas * Strategies in overcoming barriers and enabling staff and students * Hundreds of FREE to access, high quality ready-made classroom lessons and hands-on activities that can be used by all teachers within your school. Get a head-start on 2015 and enrich your curriculum today!"

"Wind power nice in theory, better in practice"

"Eleven companies that perform hydraulic fracturing in Canada have signed onto a new code of conduct aimed at alleviating public fears about the practice. The code - which outlines standard practices for technical and environmental performance, as well as guidelines companies should follow when dealing with community groups and other stakeholders - was unveiled Wednesday in Calgary by the Petroleum Services Association of Canada."

"I would like to know to what extent regenerative agriculture practices could play a role in reducing carbon emissions and producing food, including meat, in the future. From what I have read it seems to offer much, but I am curious about how much difference it would make if all of our farmers moved to this kind of land management practice. Or even most of them. - a question from Virginia"

Think Brick Australia is proud to present a new tool that makes designing for climate extremely practical and accessible: The Climate Design wizard. It is designed to use localised data from a number of key locations around the country including Geelong

"The Schools Water Efficiency Program aims to provide data loggers to all Victorian schools to continue the education and demonstration of water efficiency in practice. SWEP is managed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment and supported by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development."

"If you're worried about dressing ethically, chances are you think about sweatshop conditions in developing countries, unsustainable farming practices, convoluted global supply chains that ring up a huge carbon footprint, and mountains of fast-fashion festering in landfill. But the first thing you should think about is how often you wash your clothes. It turns out that when you look at the whole life cycle of a piece of clothing, everyday washing and drying damages our natural environment the most."

"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."

Today, we produce about four billion metric tonnes of food per annum. Yet due to poor practices in harvesting, storage and transportation, as well as market and consumer wastage, it is estimated that 30-50% (or 1.2-2 billion tonnes) of all food produced never reaches a human stomach. Furthermore, this figure does not reflect the fact that large amounts of land, energy, fertilisers and water have also been lost in the production of foodstuffs which simply end up as waste. This level of wastage is a tragedy that cannot continue if we are to succeed in the challenge of sustainably meeting our future food demands.

"This 18th edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics evaluates leading consumer electronics companies based on their commitment and progress in three environmental criteria: Energy and Climate, Greener Products, and Sustainable Operations. The Guide scores companies on overall policies and practices - not on specific products - to provide consumers with a snapshot of the sustainability of the biggest names in the industry. This Guide is not an endorsement for buying products from one company or another. Read"

At MyGarbology, you'll find an interactive online game that teaches about Garbology and answers the question, "Where should my waste go?" You'll also find lessons and activities to extend your Garbology experience, from how to pack a waste-less lunch to getting the dirt on composting. Plus, read our Trash Talk blog for stories of Garbology in practice. In the classroom or at home, you can make Garbology a part of your everyday life.

Asphalt paving was removed and replaced with "structural grass," rigid plastic honeycomb cells sprinkled with ordinary lawn seed and nurtured into green swaths. Concrete strips were embedded on two sides, creating a durable driving surface. Permeable brick pavers were installed in driveways and at the lane way entrances; these allow rain water to infiltrate between their joints and into the ground, reducing  run-off, the bane of municipal storm sewer systems. The effect is both practical and pleasing to the eye. No more cracked and potholed pavements. Traffic on the countrified lanes continues, but motorists must slow down to navigate the concrete driving strips. The grassed lane ways are cooler than asphalt in summer and they don't emit the dreaded "off-gassing." They have also passed the test of time; they still look fine, almost bucolic.

"Josh Fox explains how he came to oppose the natural-gas industry's practice of hydraulic fracturing. Josh is an American filmmaker who wrote and directed the documentaries Gasland and Gasland Part II. gaslandthemovie.com/ This video was recorded on 4/29/13 in New York, NY as part of the Dish's "Ask Anything" interview series." For more see https://vimeo.com/album/2455766

"Earlier this year, the 1 millionth Australian household - about one in nine across the country - installed solar photovoltaic panels. There are half a million with solar hot water services too. The process doesn't always go as expected, for reasons both practical and political: rebates and feed-in tariffs have been in flux in every state. But now there are so many systems on roofs, solar homeowners are gaining a stronger public voice."

"Green Cross Australia helps people adapt to our changing climate, in ways that embrace sustainability and community resilience. We are motivated by our understanding of a resource-constrained, warming planet and our belief that this challenge presents opportunities for a bright future. Our mantra, Think + Act + Share = Change, is key to every project we deliver. We believe the power of our projects is empowering Australians to take practical, informed action. So we don't just focus on awareness, we encourage people to take action, and then give them the tools via social and digital media to share their actions with their friends."

"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."

"UB's SMB Campus is home to the Ballarat branch of the National Centre for Sustainability. The NCS provides educational leadership and works in partnership with industry, government and community. It undertakes program delivery, resource development, project work and applied research to support the development of sustainable practices. NCS staff with their knowledge and expertise are positioned to form strategic partnerships with industry, government and community, consulting and educating about sustainability. UB, through its innovation and regional community focus, is meeting the demands of the Western Victoria community in sustainability in the urban and natural environment."

"Businesses and organisations have a massive role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water conservation and waste management. Implementing sustainable practices in your business now will equip you for the challenges and opportunities ahead. "

"The Swinburne Centre for Sustainability has developed an online software tool to allow small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to conduct a sustainability self-assessment of their operations. In addition to generating 'triple bottom line' reports for business, the tool provides practical information and resources to encourage SMEs to pursue immediate and realistic strategies to move towards sustainability"