Many of these businesses stress packaging reduction, water or air conservation, and community development strategies.

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Organizations throughout the metro and the surrounding areas champion initiatives for cleaner air, conservation and better public transportation.

FORBES: Written by Josh Lew

Personally, I will bemoan the beach and park closings, the shorter library hours, the cuts in water, air, and soil conservation, and mass transit funding.

FORBES: The Crotty Plan: Cut 25% Off the Federal Budget Now

Tonawanda Coke Corp. was found guilty Thursday in federal court of 11 counts of violating the Clean Air Act and three counts of violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery act.

WSJ: NY coke plant, manager convicted in pollution case

There was special emphasis on reducing energy consumption, improving conservation and solving the country's serious air, soil and water pollution.

NPR: China To Stress Social Wellbeing Over Growth

Sustainable design elements include plenty of daylight and fresh air, green space in the form of terraced gardens and water conservation.

FORBES: Why Virtual Construction Is The New Normal

Seoul's air, once famously noxious, is much improved, but South Korea lags at conservation.

ECONOMIST: What Lee Myung-bak still needs to do

Other resource-efficient projects like New York's 4 Times Square office building, Atlanta's EarthCraft House and Village Habitat Design's cohousing conservation communities include such innovations as energy-efficient insulation, water and air filtration, or hydronic heating, aiming for healthy, nontoxic construction processes and buildings for humans and the environment.

CNN: Developer advocates 'spiritual' approach to building