There's an interesting green community in development in West Sacramento, California with 35 homes.  Good is a pilot project under LEED-ND and recently received the 2009 Smart Growth Award from Breathe California!  LJ Urban is the developer with a simple mantra:  Dream big.  Living Small.  Do Good.  That's the idea behind this community, and phase one is sold out.  Phase two is underway with prices from the mid-200 thousands, so check these out if you're in the market.  Good has an impressive list of the following green features:

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At the beginning of the year, when we wrote that energy efficiency would come into greater focus, we didn't know the World Business Council for Sustainable Development ("WBCSD") was going to say "energy efficiency is fast becoming one of the defining issues of our time."  But this is the message in a new report published by the WBCSD.  They invested four years and $15 million in what's being called the most rigorous study on energy efficiency in buildings ever conducted.  According to the report, energy use in buildings can be cut by 60% by 2050, but action is necessary soon.  Let's take a closer look …

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The Wall Street Journal asked four architects to draw up plans for the most energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable house they could imagine.  Moreover, the Journal asked them to do it without thinking about cost, technology, aesthetics, or the way people habitually live.   The plans were published yesterday.  What do you think about these green houses?

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Cosentino, the world’s largest maker of quartz, has just launched an eco-friendly countertop called ECO by Cosentino.  The new countertop is the embodiment of six million dollars of research over a three year period.  It’s available nationally through Lowe’s at a price of $68-$118, depending on thickness and color.  ECO contains 75% post-consumer and post-industrial recycled raw materials and 25% natural elements.

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I just love this grain silo home — it's a fantastic example of adaptive reuse.  In 2007, Gruene Homestead Inn purchased the 1940s grain silo and remodeled the interior and exterior.  The result is authentic and incredible.  Can you imagine chilling on that front porch, enjoying a little Texas summer?  The Silo includes one bedroom and one bathroom in a loft-type setup for the rental price of $175/$210 a night. 

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