Upon ending her fourth attempt to swim from Cuba to the United States yesterday, 62-year old endurance swimmer Diane Nyad said that “this sport, and this ocean, have changed.” Choppy waters, tropical depression storms, and prolific jellyfish thwarted her attempt to cross the 103-mile stretch—a lifelong dream culminating in unfettered sorrow.

From the oceans to the forests, our planet’s transformation is undeniable. Even renowned Berkley professor and climate change skeptic Richard Muller has recently come to terms with the sobering truth. Muller, who had previously publicly denounced the very existence of global warming, conducted a series of studies last year with the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature project that concluded not only that global warming is real, but also that humans are almost entirely the cause.

In Muller’s own words, the project results unmistakably demonstrate that ‘the average temperature of the earth’s land has risen by two and a half degrees Fahrenheit over the past 250 years, including an increase of one and a half degrees over the most recent 50 years. Moreover, it appears likely that essentially all of this increase results from the human emission of greenhouse gases.’

The fundamental rules of our natural environment are rapidly shifting. The eternal summer in California now begets a year-long fire season. Rapidly melting ice caps trigger rising ocean levels, which means that certain areas of previously inhabitable land are being submerged (the Maldives are just one example). Neither global temperatures nor energy prices are going down in the foreseeable future.

While we can forecast, project, and speculate, we ultimately remain entirely uncertain of what the future will bring relative to the survival of our ecosystems.

Americans seem particularly tongue-tied when it comes to discussing climate change issues. From flaccid politicians preoccupied with infighting to mainstream working people overwhelmed by basic survival, our myopic focus on daily details perpetually overshadows our long-range vision.

Although we hide in the fiction of debate, the problems are clear and the solutions are at hand. All we need is the courage to manifest the voice of reason. Climate change shouldn’t be a wedge issue. It should actually be the great unifier—a force beyond ourselves that propels us to work together and respond appropriately. It’s not gloom and doom—it’s an empirical conclusion, and we need to face the truth as consenting adults, not frightened adolescents.

In the building community, the answer is fairly straightforward. We can no longer slap together inefficient, unsustainable houses with only lowest upfront cost in mind. We can do better than that. Our structures should be built to last—constructed to endure the trials of time and nature, rather than haphazardly assembled only to become tomorrow’s ruins.

Organizations like the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) and Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) offer extensive information about disaster mitigation and building practices that are appropriate for our changing climate. There are many things that we as building professionals can do to protect our homes and buildings, and it’s beyond time that we begin incorporating the affects and nuances of global warming into our design approach.

As Mark Twain said, “I am not an American, I am the American.” If we are going to fulfill our potential as a global community, then each one of us must accept our moral duty to do what we can to develop solutions for our urgent climate issues.

What are you doing to create sustainable solutions? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com, follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

The Recession, major climate events, and rising oil prices have placed new pressures on the global marketplace. Austerity measures in Europe have lead to increased uncertainty about the strength of Western economies. That uncertainty, in combination with increased productivity in countries like China and India, as well as innovative renewable energy strategies in countries like Brazil, is shifting global economic strength to the East and South.

With increased international competition, eroding consumer confidence, unprecedented strain on our natural resources, and rising levels of socio-economic discontent, companies face a unique challenge not only to produce innovative products that solve everyday problems for consumers, but also to stand out in a meaningful way by blending economic profitability with social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

We’re beginning to see the implementation of bold sustainability strategies from companies around the globe that recognize environmental and social issues as critical to long-term business success, risk mitigation, and legal compliance. A report by Deloitte entitled ‘Towards Zero Impact Growth: Strategies of leading companies in 10 industries’ highlights steps that companies such as Puma, Nike Nestle, Unilever, Natura and Ricoh are taking towards greater sustainability.

One U.S.-based company that has caught my attention with a recent enterprising sustainability move is Microsoft, which announced its plan in May to become carbon neutral across all direct operations by July 1, 2012.

In Microsoft’s own words: "Beginning in fiscal year 2013 (which started this July 1), Microsoft will be carbon neutral across all our direct operations including data centers, software development labs, air travel, and office buildings. We recognize that we are not the first company to commit to carbon neutrality, but we are hopeful that our decision will encourage other companies large and small to look at what they can do to address this important issue."

To achieve this goal, Microsoft will implement an internal carbon fee in offices across the globe in more than 100 countries, which will make each business division responsible for the cost of offsetting its own carbon emissions. The company will purchase renewable energy and carbon offsets for emissions not eliminated through efficiency measures, and the price for excess carbon emissions will be determined based on market pricing for renewable energy and carbon offsets.

Microsoft has set a laudable corporate objective to be ‘lean, green and be accountable,’ which it will achieve by using software to increase energy efficiency in its buildings, purchasing renewable energy, using technology for virtual meetings to decrease air travel, carefully measuring its carbon footprint, and retrofitting existing data centers with LED lighting, economizers, compressor energy reduction, and efficient HVAC systems.

Not only will these steps enable Microsoft to add another arrow to its PR quiver, but it also will save a projected $1.5 million on energy costs in fiscal year 2013, with an ROI in 18 months.

For more information on Microsoft’s carbon neutral strategy, read its recently published whitepaper, “Becoming Carbon Neutral: How Microsoft is Becoming Lean, Green, and Accountable.”

What bold steps is your company taking to become more sustainable? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com, follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

Internationally celebrated conservation photographer Art Wolfe loves nature. In our Impact Series: Game Changers in Sustainability interview with him yesterday (which will be available for viewing next week in our archives , Wolfe spoke about his passion for life—of all kinds. His adoration and respect for wildlife, landscapes, native cultures, ecosystems, and communities around the planet is unmistakable.

In his lifetime of travels, Wolfe has seen the creep of human development overtake habitat. He has photographed failing ecosystems. He has watched helplessly as indigenous cultures have been decimated by Western illness.

Despite those alarming experiences, Wolfe’s greatest gift, besides his photographic mastery, is his optimism. Wolfe affirms that for every failing ecosystem, there are countless organizations counterbalancing negative human impact with positive work focused on protection, restoration, and education.

When asked if native cultures will be absorbed by Western civilization, he asserts his belief that the strongest cultures, such as the Shambhala nation of Bhutan, will be able to adopt 21st century technology while firmly maintaining traditional customs.

Wolfe has documented changes in the planet with his photographs. He laments disappearing glaciers and other significant environmental changes due to climate change. But, if nothing else, his travels have helped him develop an unyielding faith in nature’s perseverance and humans’ ability to adapt to changing environments.

Not all of the environmental changes that Wolfe observes are negative. He remarks that even the most remote communities around the world have built sturdy structures with local natural resources, and have also developed simple, cost-effective solutions for accessing clean water. He sees solar panels in the most unlikely places.

Whether in an adobe hut in the Mali desert, a thatched shelter in the Dogon mountains, or the floating of villages in rural Vietnam, Wolfe is a keen observer of the connectivity between the cultures of our very small world. He is convinced that nature is resilient if given a fighting chance, and that what we need more than anything is for charismatic leaders in communities across the planet to stand up and show the way towards a more sustainable future.

In the artistry of his images, Wolfe delivers an intimate portrait of nature to inspire stewardship. What can you do in your community to deliver the message of sustainability in a powerful, meaningful way?

Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com, follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.

Excellence is truly inspirational, and the Olympics never disappoint. It’s impossible to not be encouraged by all the bright young athletes, so full of hope and promise. Watching those athletes experience the entire spectrum of triumph to despair is simultaneously exhilarating and heartbreaking.

Perhaps the most enthralling thing about the Olympics is the athletes’ willingness to put everything on the line, take huge risks, in order to achieve their goals. The games are a culmination of decades of diligence, and the fortitude that the athletes display is symbolic of all things good and pure in the world. Regardless of whether or not they make it to the podium, each one of those athletes is a champion.

As I listen to their stories, I can’t help but wonder—what if we all decided to dedicate the same level of mastery to our own lives? How would we each translate Olympic excellence into the language of life? How different would the world be if we all chose to be heroes? And what would our culture and economy look like today if our leaders in Washington displayed Olympic endurance and courage?

In this election year, the dramatic disparity between the unbridled enthusiasm, rigorous discipline, and untainted fearlessness of the Olympics and the convoluted dysfunction of our national political discourse couldn’t be more apparent. The contrast between the optimistic, even buoyant, energy of the Olympics and the tragic, almost embarrassing, tone of the election is chafing at best and shameful at worst.

We are forced to look everywhere except our own elected officials for inspiration and exemplary behavior. So, the flame of responsibility is passed to every one of us to embody the best of humanity and to display real leadership. I know that I will never compete in the Olympic games, but I will always endeavor to manifest the Olympic spirit in all aspects of my life.

What lessons are you learning from the dedication to mastery displayed by the Olympic athletes? Write to me at sara@greenbuildermag.com, follow me on Twitter @SaraGBM.

For more information about green building and sustainable living, visit www.greenbuildermag.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @greenbuildermag and @VISIONHouseGBM for regular updates and breaking news.