Hi 100 Top Pollution Sites!.

Hi 100 Top Pollution Sites!.

1. Friends of the Earth
   Friends of the Earth is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the planet from environmental degradation.
2. Clean Air Council
   A member supported, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting Pennsylvanians' right to clean air.
3. Environmental Defense
   Environmental Defense is a not-for-profit environmental advocacy group with four main goals: (1)Stabilizing the Earth's climate, (2) Safeguarding the world's oceans, (3) Protecting human health, and (4) Defending and restoring bio diversity.
4. Scorecard
   Scorecard combines data from over 200 different state and federal databases to profile local environmental problems and the health effects of toxic chemicals.
5. Pollution.com
   The latest nuclear power and pollution news.
6. EPA: Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
   OWOW provides tons of information to raise public awareness and encourage involvement in water quality issues.
7. Clean Up Australia
   A very successful Australian organization that works to cleanup environmental pollution and to teach citizens how to lead greener lives.
8. Worldwatch Institute
   Worldwatch is dedicated to fostering the evolution of a society in which human needs are met in ways that do not threaten the health of the natural environment.
9. Greening Industry
   New ideas in pollution prevention.
10. EPA: Acid Rain Program
    The goal of the Acid Rain Program is to significantly reduce electric utilities emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the pollutants responsible for acid deposition.
11. EPA: Water Management Division
    Includes fact sheets, tips, definitions of key terms, state-by-state quality reports and more.
12. Greenpeace: Ozone Crisis
    Details Greenpeace's "Protect the Ozone Layer" campaign and up-to-date news and resources.
13. Toxics Release Inventory
    EPA's guide to toxic chemicals that are being used, manufactured, treated, transported and released into the environment.
14. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
    NOAA guides our use and protection of ocean and coastal resources and conducts research to improve our understanding and stewardship of the environment which sustains us all.
15. Union of Concerned Scientists
    The Union of Concerned Scientists works to ensure that all people have clean air and energy, as well as safe and sufficient food.
16. Enviro$en$e
    Single repository for pollution prevention, compliance assurance, and enforcement information and data bases.
17. Save Our Seas
    The mission of SOS is to preserve, protect and restore the world's oceans for the future of all life forms on the planet.
18. The Nature Conservancy
    The Nature Conservancy purchases and protects millions of acres of threatened natural habitats.
19. Capitol Reports/ Environmental News Link
    Provides environmental news and research aids on a number of issues, from pollution to climate change.
20. Nelson Institute of Environmental Medicine
    One of the nation's oldest and foremost centers for research into the health effects of environmental pollution.
21. Climate Institute
    The Climate Institute works to protect the balance between climate and life on earth by facilitating the dialogue among scientists, policy makers, business executives and citizens.
22. Clean Water Action
    A national citizens' organization working for clean, safe and affordable water and the prevention of health-threatening pollution.
23. The Southwest Network for Zero Waste
    This web site will provide you with tools and resources to help you identify money saving options to reduce pollution.
24. Environmental News Network
    ENN covers breaking environmental news, including pollution issues.
25. EPA: Office of Transportation and Air Quality
    Protecting public health and the environment by controlling air pollution from motor vehicles, fuels, and nonroad equipment, and by encouraging travel choices that minimize emissions.
26. Environmental Working Group
    A leading content provider for public interest groups and concerned citizens who are campaigning to protect the environment.
27. GREEN: Global Rivers Environmental Education Network
    An innovative, action-oriented approach to education, based on an interdisciplinary watershed education model.
28. NIPR--New Ideas in Pollution Regulation
    A site for researchers, government officials, and citizens interested in understanding and improving control of industrial pollution, especially in developing countries.
29. Living on Earth
    This weekly NPR radio program covers a variety of environmental issues, including pollution, sustainable development and transportation challenges.
30. Environmental Bureau of Investigation (EBI)
    Dedicated to the protection of public resources through the application and enforcement of environmental laws.
31. Noise Pollution Clearinghouse
    Efforts include building a library of resources and tools concerning noise pollution, establishing links to other groups that have similar collections, establishing networks among local noise activists, assisting communities and activists who are working to reduce noise pollution, and monitoring and advocating for stronger noise controls.
32. Natural Resources Defense Council
    NRDC uses law, science, and the support of more than 400,000 members nationwide to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things.
33. Pacific Rivers Council
    A nonprofit organization passionately committed to protecting our streams and the species that inhabit them.
34. Sierra Club
    A leading environmental organization with chapters in all 50 states and Canada.
35. World Wildlife Fund
    Information on the WWF's global campaign to reduce the use of toxic chemicals.
36. U.S. Water News Online
    Find the latest news concerning water and water issues, including water supply, water quality, conservation and more.
37. Burning Issues
    Facts, news and the latest research on air pollution.
38. Earth 911
    Green shopping tips and ideas on how to reduce water pollution and air pollution, as well as energy conservation and real-time beach water quality information, are all available through Earth 911.
39. Center for Sustainable Systems
    Seeks to facilitate sustainability through education on pollution prevention.
40. Earthshots: Satellite Images of Environmental Change
    Earthshots is an ebook of before-and-after Landsat images showing recent environmental events of the last 27 years.
41. DOE Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
    A centralized source of US Department of Energy Pollution Prevention information that assists with valuable P2 resources outside of the DOE.
42. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee council
    Updated pictures, publications, policies, news, and more regarding the restoration of the Exxon Valdez spill.
43. Keep America Beautiful
    Non-profit organization that educates individuals about litter prevention and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and properly manage waste materials.
44. The National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network
    Collects data on the chemistry of precipitation for monitoring of geographical and temporal long-term trends.
45. IPEN-The International POPs Elimination Network
    The mission of IPEN is to work for the global elimination of persistent organic pollutants, on an expedited yet socially equitable basis.
46. 20/20 Vision
    Advocates for pollution reduction, sustainable development, and other environmental issues.
47. American Rivers
    The American Rivers' mission is to protect and restore America's river systems and to foster a river stewardship ethic.
48. Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand
    Provides a forum for discussion of environmental issues and to facilitate contacts between environmental practitioners.
49. Earth Force
    Earth Force helps youth discover and implement lasting solutions to environmental problems in their communities.
50. CEEI: America's Threatened Streams
    An index of comprehensive studies on water quality-limited streams.
51. Office of Air and Radiation
    Deals with issues that affect the quality of our air and protection from exposure to harmful radiation.
52. The International Ozone Association
    The IOA serves as a central gathering and disseminating information point on a variety of ozone issues.
53. SETAC
    Develops and applies multidisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems.
54. Marine Conservation Biology Institute
    Tackles numerous marine conservation issues head on, including the effect of pollution on marine life.
55. National Response Center
    The NRC is the sole federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills.
56. Oregon Environmental Council
    OEC's mission is to restore and protect Oregon's clean water and air, now and for future generations.
57. UTK - The Energy, Environment and Resources Center (EERC)
    The Energy, Environment, and Resources Center (EERC) at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville finds real-world solutions to problems related to the environment, energy, economic development, and technology.
58. Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center
    The P2RIC provides access to pollution prevention information from and about EPA Region 7.
59. Pollution Prevention
    Pollution prevention programs and information from the EPA.
60. Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention
    Pollution prevention resource from Canada.
61. Australian Water Association
    IAWQ is a professional membership association dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of water pollution control and water quality management worldwide.
62. Water Environment Federation
    A not-for-profit technical and educational organization whose goal is to preserve and enhance the global water environment.
63. Clean Car Campaign
    Help reduce air pollution and global warming by letting automakers and policymakers know that consumers want clean cars.
64. Air Cycle Corporation
    Air Cycle Corporation offers recycling services and transportation throughout all of North America to assist facilities in properly disposing lamps, ballasts, batteries, and computer hardware.
65. ATSDR
    The ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances present in the environment.
66. International Water Law Project
    Provides information and links on international water law and policy and related water pollution and conservation topics.
67. Fostering Sustainable Behavior
    Offers information on effective strategies for engaging people in the behavior changes required to reduce waste, increase water and energy efficiency, and alter transportation patterns.
68. Air & Waste Management Association
    The A&WMA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan professional organization that provides training, information, and networking opportunities to 12,000 environmental professionals in 65 countries.
69. Skepticism: Clean Air
    Challenges EPA clean air regulations.
70. Pollution Equipment News
    Online source for product news and information on hazardous waste, water, air and wastewater.
71. The Great Lakes Information Network
    GLIN offers a wealth of data and information about the Great Lakes region's environment and economy, tourism, education and more.
72. Canadian Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse (CPPIC)
    An online database and comprehensive resource that provides Canadians with the information they need to put pollution prevention into practice.
73. Green Car
    The clean car campaign.
74. One World News Service: Pollution
    Provides news regarding pollution issues.
75. PEER
    The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) group provides uniquely valuable services to government employees charged with safeguarding the nation's natural resources.
76. PPRC
    The Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center is a leading resource for promoting a cleaner environment through pollution prevention.
77. Chem-Tox.com
    Researching the effects of chemicals and pesticides on health.
78. National Environmental Technology Institute
    NETI focuses on the design and modification of processes and materials "upstream" to minimize pollution prior to ultimate treatment and disposal.
79. Bureau of Reclamation
    The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.
80. Water Partners International
    Works to ensure safe drinking water for developing countries.
81. Water Online
    The most convenient source of technical, operational, product, management and regulatory information available for the water industry.
82. Water Recycling
    Explore an ecological waste water recycling system in Chatham County, North Carolina.
83. The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
    CDIAC's scope includes potentially anything and everything that would be of value to users concerned with the greenhouse effect and global climate change.
84. Health and Energy
    News and information on pollution, energy efficiency, renewable energy, global warming and more.
85. No Butts About It Litter Campaign
    No Butts About It is a campaign to help rid the earth of cigarette butt litter.
86. Basel Action Network
    An international network of activists seeking to put an end to the export and dumping of hazardous wastes from rich industrialized countries to poorer, less-industrialized countries.
87. Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI)
    "ZERI seeks to create a new paradigm of sustainable industry by targeting zero gaseous, liquid and solid emissions, and by making zero emissions a world-wide industry standard."
88. Coalition for Alternative Transportation
    Supports better travel options to reduce the amount of pollutants.
89. EMPACT
    The Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking program.
90. Nonpoint Source Pollution Homepage
    Clearinghouse for information related to Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, which occurs when rain or snowmelt wash pollutants into waterways, wetlands and underground water.
91. GASP: Group Against Smog and Pollution
    GASP has been working to prevent air pollution on local, state, and national levels since its creation in 1969.
92. Flush Gordon's Dirty Water Page
    Information on water pollution and how to prevent it.
93. Ocean Pollution
    Basic information about the problem of ocean pollution and how it affects human health and resources.
94. Tracking and Analysis Framework
    The TAF is an integrated modeling framework developed to assess, inform, and guide U.S. regulatory policies on emissions of precursors to acid rain.
95. Pollution Engineering
    Provides broad, balanced coverage of technical news and features to meet the information needs of environmental professionals with multiple pollution control responsibilities: air, water, solid and hazardous waste.
96. National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
    The largest membership organization in the United States devoted solely to pollution prevention.
97. RCO On-Line
    Promoting environmental sustainability through waste minimization and resource conservation.
98. Healthy Communities Environmental Mapping
    Empowers local communities to build smarter and healthier neighborhoods.
99. Cleaner Production in China
    The site is designed to provide information in English on Cleaner Production, on China's Cleaner Production policy and legislation, and on existing and planned activities to implement Cleaner Production in China.
100. Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste Center of Expertise
     Brought to you by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Hi Top Ten predictions for Green Buildings "From Down Under":

Here are my top ten predictions for the built environment in the years to come.

1. The focus on existing buildings will intensify

In the United States, the fastest-growing rating tool in 2011 was the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings program. Closer to home, some policies – such as the Australian Government’s Commercial Building Disclosure scheme – are already encouraging owners to upgrade their existing buildings. To help the industry green its existing stock, the GBCA is developing the Green Star performance rating tool, which will assess the operational performance of existing buildings against the nine current Green Star categories. We expect this tool to revolutionise the industry.

2. Zero net energy designs will gain traction

There will be little room for buildings that aren’t carbon neutral, or energy, ecology and water positive. Many GBCA members are active in this space. The architecture and design firm Woods Bagot, with engineering consultants Buro Happold, have developed an interactive design platform that tracks the energy and carbon footprints of different building designs. It enables designers to experiment with options and start the design process with the question: ‘what can this building do for the environment?’

3. Building products and materials will become greener

The shift to green materials is being driven by life cycle assessments of materials – that is, the impact of a material from the beginning to the end of its life. An emerging trend will be more emphasis on ‘cradle-to-cradle’ thinking, where materials are purchased based on both their first and second lives. Organisations such as InterfaceFLOR, which is recognised as the world’s most sustainable carpet manufacturer, has implemented a take-back and recycling program to ensure its products have a useful ‘second life’.

4. Affordable green will be the norm

Many people associate green with higher costs – but this is changing. New business models, technologies and high-performance materials are bringing green within reach. Mr Rowan Griffin, Head of Sustainability for the property division at Colonial First, comments that there is no longer a premium for green property.

‘We have already gone to the stage where it’s the norm to be green and energy efficient, so people expect that out of premium buildings,’ he says. ‘So, it’s more a discount of those that are not energy efficient and not green.’

5. Energy sources will transform

We live in a country with more sunny days than anywhere else on the planet. Yet, we are lagging behind Asia, Europe and North America in the installation of solar photovoltaic panels. Expect this to change, as we begin to see solar, wind and photovoltaics routinely integrated into buildings and used as a building material, rather than simply being installed on top. And, many of these renewable energy sources won’t be large. Microturbines are already becoming popular in Asia, and we will see more Australian innovation in this area as we recognise the benefits of integrated small systems over one giant, geographically remote power source.

6. Building information modelling will become standard practice

Expect a more sophisticated approach to building monitoring as building information modelling (BIM) systems become more comprehensive. BIM will enable cross-disciplinary teams to share knowledge and track data of complex building projects. The project team on 1 Bligh Street in Sydney, for example, employed 3D-BIM technology during the design and construction phases. The BIM model brought together more than 30 individual discipline models, and all subconsultants were, in part, appointed on the basis of their BIM capability. The team found that 3D-BIM saved costs and construction time, and supported better building performance and control. Furthermore, the DEXUS property group – a partner in the project – believes BIM can generate efficiencies throughout the life of 1 Bligh Street, as all building data is made available to property managers.

7. Government focus on energy efficiency and overall sustainability will improve

Governments are stepping up their mandates for green buildings, for both their own buildings and the private sector. The desire to reduce carbon emissions by going green will lead more government agencies to require green buildings. New schools and hospitals will be built to the highest environmental standards as community demands and government priorities shift towards sustainability. More than 100 education projects are currently registered to achieve Green Star ratings – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

8. Investors will demand greater action on climate change

When the GBCA first published The Dollars and Sense of Green Buildings in 2005, little attention was played to the role of investors. Two years later, our revised version tracked an overwhelming change in attitude. Today, the Investor Group on Climate Change warns that investors are monitoring the approach of companies on climate change and carbon pricing, including what they say in the public realm. In fact, 75 per cent of investment fund managers believe organisations need to integrate climate change issues into business strategies and set policy commitments on climate change, while 57 per cent of super funds believe companies need to improve their reporting and disclosure on climate change risks.

9. Blue is the new green

It’s not all about energy. Building designers and managers are taking steps to reduce water consumption through the use of water-saving fixtures, rainwater recovery systems and innovative water technologies. Lot 12 TradeCoast Central, for instance, gained a Green Star innovation point for its shared, precinct-wide nonpotable water storage and distribution system. The system reduces potable water consumption by 80 per cent – more than 10 000 litres per day – and the only potable water used within the precinct is for kitchens, showers and hand basins.

10. The demand for green communities, cities and infrastructure will grow

Beyond the building envelope, we’re already seeing the conversation shift – we are now looking at how to green our communities and cities. The penny has finally dropped: buildings are part of larger systems. We will no longer view our buildings in isolation, but as interconnected pieces of a larger community. When released mid-year, the Green Star Communities rating tool will be Australia’s first independent, transparent, national scheme able to assess and certify the sustainability of community-level projects. The tool will usher in a new era of sustainable development: one that looks beyond environmental efficiencies in the built environment to how we build liveable, sustainable communities.

Romilly Madew is the Chief Executive of the Green Building Council of Australia.