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July 25, 2008 Hot News, Cool Trends in Design for Sustainability SLM Home | Design News & Ideas | Connections | Events | About

Avoiding the Green Box "Don't call it green!" So says Nathan Shedroff, an Experience Design expert who's now hard at work creating a new "Design MBA" program for the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Speaking at this week's Digging Deeper event convened by IDSA-SF, Nathan told a rapt audience that putting design in a "green box" risks missing the much bigger picture - the critical role of design in driving sustainability forward. (Intrigued? We were, too. Click here to download a PDF of his presentation.) "Sustainability" means operating in ways that won't compromise future generations - and that includes a range of values beyond environmental impact. Some call it the triple bottom line of environmental, social, and economic impacts. We call it smart business. We founded Sustainable Life Media on the belief that "green" is too narrow a focus for business innovation, which is why we've renamed this newsletter "Sustainable Design Update." Nathan's mantra is "Less (Material), More (Meaning) Local, No PVC, Slow, Healthy." You’ll learn more from his presentation, but we think that about sums it up. In this and upcoming issues, look for stories that reflect the many facets of smarter, leaner, cleaner design that derives from viewing the design process through a sustainability lens. And stay tuned...we'll share more great more takeaways from IDSA's recent Digging Deeper event in these pages over the next few weeks. ~KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, SLM Founder and President Also This Week... Wells Fargo Banks on LEED to Cut Energy, Water Use Wells Fargo has earned LEED pre-certification for a new green-store design that cuts building energy use by 20% and water use by 40%. Read more... GM Follows Toyota's LEED on Dealership Certification A state-of-the-art General Motors dealership in Michigan is applying for LEED Gold certification, two months after a Texas Toyota dealership became the first in the U.S. to achieve the distinction. Read more... PWP Unveils Biodegradable Packaging for Food Products Packaging giant PWP Industries has found a way to avoid the pesky industrial coatings that frequently make food packaging non-recyclable - it's new AgroResin line is completely biodegradable and compostable. Read more... New Car Design Goes Lighter to Drive Greener It carries the exact same engine as its predecessor, but the new "Eco Elise" has been built 70 pounds lighter - an emerging trend for automakers looking to boost fuel efficiency without sacrificing power or speed, Newspress reports (via Motor Trend). Read more... Office Depot Opens First in Series of New LEED Stores Office Depot has put its pioneering LEED-certified store design to the test, opening its very first green retail location in Austin, Texas. Read more... More Greener Design News & Tools... We want to hear from you! Post your comments or questions below any SLM news story and we'll feature the best of them here. (Note: You must be a registered SLM user to post. Not yet signed up? Click here!) Forward to a Friend! Low-Carbon Refurbishment of Buildings - A Management Guide This guide from the Carbon Trust, a U.K. nonprofit, offers practical tips on carbon-saving building overhauls. The report follows ten typical projects through the design and renovation process, including monitoring building performance after each project is complete. Read more... Solution Providers Find Peers and Partners If you haven’t already joined the fastest growing online sustainable business community, create a profile now and start connecting. Advertise on SLM! Become a Sustainable Life Media advertiser or sponsor and reach thousands of business leaders looking for product or service solutions to help them build their sustainability story. Click here to learn more.

Sustainable Life Media is home for business professionals looking to build new value and competitive advantage by innovating more sustainable processes, practices and products. We bring you top stories related to the what, who and how of environmental and social innovation, and help you connect with thought leaders, peers, partners and solutions providers that can help you quickly reach your goals. This work is licensed under a CreativeCommons License. Copyright Sustainable Life Media Inc. 2008

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