California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, came to power in his environmentally concerned state in part because he believed that people and the government need to do something about climate change. While Governor Schwarzenegger has committed California to many government programs that advance the cause of a healthier environment, he is also exhorting people to do what they can for the environment in their daily lives. Part of this public outreach is taking place on a new website called EcoDriving USA [www.ecodrivingusa.com].

The website provides advice for car drivers on how they can lower their carbon footprint from their perches on car seats. Educating people on ways to conserve energy are crucial to preventing a climate disaster. Given the slow pace of alternative energy adoption in this country, there are few avenues for average Americans to make a difference than employing conservation strategies in their daily lives.

Check out this resource and see what you can accomplish!

Often times, people talk about buildings as being LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. Generally speaking, the term is used to convey a standard of sustainability in a building. Buildings made out of post-consumer waste products or using non-toxic insulations, or that involve conservation strategies for energy, heat, water and waste can be considered components of what makes up a LEED certified building.

Finding buildings that are LEED certified and putting them on the eco-mmunity map is a great way to populate useful information on the map. We encourage you to investigate the buildings in your town or city, as you may find that some of them are quite sustainable.

For a more in depth understanding of LEED certification, Wikipedia has a very good page with lots of links. Check out the Wikipedia page. [en.wikipedia.org]