Number of the day: 300.

300: the percent by which real estate and construction professionals overestimate the costs of green building, according to a study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
5: the actual cost premium, in as a percentage, for green building. Further…
19: the percent of greenhouse gases emitted by buildings, according to survey respondents.
40: the actual percent of greenhouse gases emitted by buildings.

— Colin Dunn, Treehugger

7 Ways the military is using Echo Tech. Isn’t it hypocritical to use clean technology like solar, biofuel, fuel cells and hybrid vehicles, while “securing” nations with rich oil reserves? The U.S. military doesn’t think so. It wants to save money on energy, use new technologies that can be useful in remote environments, and heck, maybe even get some of that green PR in there as well. Here are 7 eco tools the military has been working on or with. — earth2tech

China and Germany sign environment cooperation deal. China and Germany have signed a combined document for setting up two work teams for energy and environmental protection. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met German Prime Minister Angela Merkel in Beijing and they held a series of discussions on the cooperation between the two countries regarding environment, energy and recycling. — ChinaCSR 

As bees go missing, a $9.3B crisis lurks. The mysterious disappearance of millions of bees is fueling fears of an agricultural disaster. A third of our food, from apples to zucchinis, begins with floral sex acts abetted by honeybees trucked around the country on 18-wheelers. In late June, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns starkly warned that “if left unchecked, colony collapse disorder has the potential to cause a $15 billion direct loss of crop production and $75 billion in indirect losses.” – CNN

Destiny USA offers preferred parking. People who own environmentally friendly vehicles will now have convenient places to park at Carousel Mall. Destiny USA created 65 special parking spaces at Carousel marked specifically for “green” car owners. Even the “green” parking signs are made from polyboard, which is recycled sawdust, diapers and paper. The program was created to educate Central New Yorkers about the benefits of buying “green.” — 5WTVH