Greater Clevelanders are fortunate to live near an abundant source of fresh water. Lake Erie and the Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply. Many places in the world are not so lucky -- in fact, more people die each year from contaminated water than from all forms of violence and war combined.

This month, a group of environmental artists are taking over a vacant space at Tower City Center to create an art display on the importance of water. The ex... Read more >

A packed house at Monday night's Local Food Cleveland meeting on raising backyard livestock demonstrated growing interest in raising chickens, bees and other animals in urban neighborhoods across Northeast Ohio.

When audience members at the Great Lakes Brewing Company's Tasting Room in Ohio City were asked by event organizer Peter McDermott if they currently were raising backyard livestock or were planning on it, approximately two-thirds raised their hands.

Two ... Read more >

Michele Iacobelli Buckholtz has treasured memories of going to lunch with her dad in Little Italy. He grew up here when it was an Italian neighborhood with markets on nearly every corner. She soaked up the old neighborhood during these childhood visits.

Today, Buckholtz is recreating the tradition of the small Italian market -- with a contemporary twist. She recently renovated an historic storefront at Murray Hill Road and Paul Avenue in Little Italy. It reopened as... Read more >

When Mayor Jackson promoted Andrew Watterson from sustainability programs manager to Chief of Sustainability, a cabinet-level position, he illustrated in very certain terms his commitment to sustainability. Watterson will have his work cut out for him. Recently, the City kicked off Sustainable Cleveland 2019, an ambitious 10-year initiative to leverage sustainability as an engine for economic growth while distinguishing Cleveland as a "Green City on a Blue Lake."

The Cleveland Conserves Campaign is an effort by the City of Cleveland and local environmental groups to cut waste, save money and boost the local economy. Calling 2011 "The Year of Energy Efficiency," these groups are promoting energy conservation efforts to individuals and businesses.

The Cleveland Indians are among the local businesses championing the initiative. The Tribe has had a comprehensive recycling program since Jacobs Field opened in 1994. The Indians were the... Read more >

Slow and steady may win the race, but a quick oil-change company is winning kudos for its sustainability practices. Cleveland-based Lube Stop has been recognized nationally for its formal sustainability program and its re-refined oil change service, EcoGuard. The latest recognition comes from the Institute for Sustainable Development's Green Plus awards, which named Lube Stop a Medium-Size Business of the Year recipient.

This award recognizes a company's ability to affec... Read more >

President Obama came to Cleveland on Tuesday to hear what small business owners say they need to grow their businesses and thus strengthen the U.S. economy. But the President took the time to praise the region for its growth in biotechnology, sustainability and other innovations.

"Cleveland is a city founded on manufacturing," the President said during his closing remarks on the Winning the Future Forum on Small Business, held at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Cent... Read more >

When TV crews descended on Slavic Village three years ago, the neighborhood was dubbed the "epicenter" of the foreclosure crisis. While that infamy was brief -- the crisis soon expanded to other parts of the country, with California, Florida and Nevada among the hardest hit -- the damage it left behind was real.

However, this resilient neighborhood is now becoming known for its innovative response to foreclosures. Through its Neighbors Invest in Broadway program, Slavic V... Read more >

Justin Husher graduated with an MBA from Cleveland State University in May of 2008 -- just in time for the collapse of the financial markets.

Instead of wringing his hands, Husher considered his bleak job prospects as a sign. "I never wanted to be a banker," he told the audience at last week's forum on vacant land reuse at Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs. His college major had been botany, and he'd always dreamed of tending the soil.

... Read more >

The stately Tudor Arms has been vacant since 2007 when its last tenant, Cleveland Job Corps, moved to a new home. Now, thanks to a $22 million restoration project, the landmark property appears set to reclaim some of its former glory when it reopens this spring as a Double Tree Hotel. The project is the latest in a string of successful urban developments by local firm MRN Ltd.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH) will soon break ground on SmartHome Cleveland, a passively-heated home that does not require a furnace and is designed to challenge the way that people think about the issue of climate change.

The 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom home will be presented in conjunction with the traveling exhibit, Climate Change, from June to September 2011.

"The SmartHome will show that it's possible to use dramatically less energy i... Read more >

For years, the trend in Ohio City was for young couples to buy homes, live there a few years, and then flee to the suburbs when they had kids. Thanks to a close-knit group of pioneering parents, that story may soon have a different ending. With hopes for a new public charter school becoming a reality, many young parents see a future that doesn't include a home in suburbia.

Inspired by one of Mahatma Ghandi's famous mantras -- "we must become the change we wish to see in the world" -- Open Yoga Gallery, a yoga studio with a mission, will launch this weekend at 4736 Lorain Avenue in Ohio City.

"One of our goals is to get people onto the yoga mat for the first time," says April Arotin, the studio's founder. To that end, Open Yoga offers several classes per week that merely suggest a donation. During the opening weekend, the studio will offer ... Read more >

Two weeks ago, we told you about the many jobs likely to develop in the area over the next several years thanks to a wind turbine project on Lake Erie. Lorry Wagner, Ph.D., president of Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), which is overseeing the project, says that Cleveland's growing expertise in the wind energy industry could reach well beyond the local shores.

The wind turbine pilot project, which is in its infant stages, will be a learning process for th... Read more >

The Flaming Ice Cube. When this strange moniker debuted on a downtown storefront in July, the phrase alone was buzzworthy.

No, it's not a new superhero or Cirque du Soleil act. It's a restaurant in downtown Cleveland. Located in the Park Building on Public Square, Flaming Ice Cube (aka the Cube), is a tasty new vegan restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Yet the Cube didn't just one day appear in a puff of smoke, if you will. The opening was the resul... Read more >

In a true zero-waste system there is no garbage, there are no landfills. Entrepreneurs for Sustainability's Zero Waste Network is urging Cleveland organizations to track and reduce their waste stream. Those that do are discovering that the benefits extend well beyond a slimmer carbon footprint, including economic windfalls, community engagement and marketplace recognition.