Useful info / navigation: Overall all the information is very specific to architects, though there are few articles and tools that worth to look at:

"Writing the Green RFP. Sustainable Design Language for Consultant Requests".

"Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building"

"Creating the Sustainable Workplace"

"Where to find Green product."

Navigation is easy, a lot of very specific architectural info and specific language.

Evaluation: Good resource for a more thorough research on building and architecture.

The Athena Institutte is a non-profit organization that helps architects, engineers, and other professionals with the assessment of new and existing buildings through the use and science of LCA related software, world class databases, and customized consulting services. They seek to improve the sustainability of the built environment by meeting the building community's need for better information and tools. The office is based in Merrickville, Ontario.

Evaluation: The Athena Institute provides different software and databases for both the public and private sectors in Canada as well as the United States. They don't offer much useful information on their website, and their tools are more designed for professionals dealing strictly with the structural elements and building shell, such as architects and engineers. You may find that it's not as useful for interior designers. They do offer consulting services that are applicable to new buildings, retrofits or major renovations, as well as workshops and seminars on LCA for those interested once you are in the professional field.

Green Building Materials Guide brochure with the link to the product and Manufacturers (US), links to specification tools and third party certification.

Evaluation: Great articles about the material selection and specification. Only provide US based company and product links.

Links that might be helpful: The Green Jungle

Useful info/ Navigation: Very easy navigation. Reliable information. Variety can find almost anything on Interior design. There is a special section for materials and resources. Many articles available in Full text and Downloadable.
Evaluation: Great resource for all Interior designers.

BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto feature of a building's environmental performance. Based in the UK, it is similar in many ways as an assessment method for buildings much like LEED. The website provides assessment methods and tools to help construction professionals understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of the developments they design and build. They offer a BRE Green Guide to Specification that provides guidance for specifiers, designers and their clients on relative environmental impacts of over 250 elemental specifications for roofs, walls and floors etc.

Evaluation: Because the organization is based in the UK, I found that the information is not as useful for North America. The tools and guidelines such as the 2008 Non-Domestic BREEAM Assessors are available on their website for download when constructing buildings such as courts, education, industrial, healthcare, offices, retail, prisons and gulf applications. Similar to LEED, the assessments cover different aspects of environmental impacts such as management, health, energy, water, material, waste, landuse, pollution and the like. Overall the website is not that useful unless you plan on using their assessment tools, and you must pay for their green guide to specification.

The Environmental Choice Program was established by Environment Canada in 1988 with over 300 categories of products to help consumers identify services/products which are less harmful to the environment. It is North America's most respected and established multi-attribute environmental standard and certification mark. EcoLogo is more than a label. It's a marketing program aimed at building market share for the world's most sustainable companies and showcasing true environmental leadership amongst products and services in the marketplace.

Evaluation: In a skeptical marketplace, EcoLogo builds the trust needed by providing scientific credibility and proof of environmental leadership. I like the easy find lists of products. Purchaser's toolbox is very easy to navigate through.

Any other links that might be helpful:

Canadian Home Builders Association: www.chbaalberta.ca

Calgary Region Home Builders Association: www.crhba.com

Build Green is available in Alberta and B.C. Membership in Built Green is open to all members of participating Home Builders' Associations (HBA's) including builders, renovators, product suppliers or manufacturers, service providers, community developers and municipalities.

Evaluation: It is great association with good standards, and helpful links, but you can't access most of the information unless you are a member.

Links that might be helpful:

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm?id=smartsource_program

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry.cfm?id=smartwood_program

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/profiles/documents/south_cone.pdfRainforest Alliance was established in 1989 and was the world's first forestry certification program. SmartSource, SmartWood and TREES are programs that are responsible for the conservation of forests in various ways and are based in over 20 countries. Through its programs, the Rainforest Alliance provides ways for consumers to use trees and non-timber products without degrading and depleting forests and their ecosystems.

SmartSource is a program that helps companies improve their forest product purchasing practices by aiding them in meeting their sustainability goals. It is customized to companies such as manufacturers, retailers, packaging consumers and office and communications papers. SmartSource helps these companies develop and implement a sensible and realistic purchasing plan; help the company understand its supply chain and track its impact and communicate its value on forests.

SmartWood is a forest management certifier and verifier program that sets the gold international standard for credibility through thorough examination and assessment of environmentally and socially responsible forestry. It certifies the world's leading Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). These audits have made over 2,688 companies in over 65 countries aware of the impact they are having on the planets forests and they are now implementing techniques for the harvesting and process wood, while maintaining and conserving the forests and the millions of animal and plant species that exist in these forests. Companies that are certified are aware of new scientific and helpful information that will assist them in their choice of becoming a sustainable and environmentally responsible company.

How useful and easy it is to navigate:
The Rainforest Alliance website is quite simple to use and includes a substantial amount of information. There are no direct links to other certification programs aside from the programs that branch from the Rainforest Alliance but it does have a great deal of in depth stories about the work that they do. It is essential to know what information you are looking for because of the amount provided.

How broad is the information provided:
The information on the website is very substantial and includes many examples of the work that they are doing worldwide to help large and small forests maintain their certification as well as help those who are not certified, receive their certification.

Evaluation:
This website is an excellent source for finding companies in Canada and the United States that are Rainforest Alliance certified and that have a wide variety of products. These include both interior and exterior residential and commercial furnishings, institutional furniture, raw lumber, millwork, molding, trim, panel products, veneers, cabinets and casework.

Links that might be helpful: http://www.greenseal.org/findaproduct/index.cfm

Green Seal is an independent non-profit organization that is dedicated to the environment by promoting the manufacture, purchase and use of environmentally responsible products and services. Green Seal was founded in 1989 and it provides scientifically based certification standards that are essential to a competitive and increasingly environmentally responsible market. It works together with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and plays an important role in the international level of environmental product standards. Green seal also works with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and many LEED standards are cited from the Green Seal environmental standards. The Green Seal results of the scientific tests are unbiased and they evaluate products and services that work well or better to others in the same class. The organization helps manufacturers, purchasers and users make responsible and environmentally sound choices. Green Seal provides certification to over 40 major product manufacturers including 3M and Benjamin Moore.

How useful and easy it is to navigate:
The Green Seal website was quite thorough and has very useful information that is helpful to more aspects of sustainability and not just interior design. It includes links to other sustainable programs and standardizing organizations such as LEED and ISO. There are a lot of menus to choose from and there are links directing you to other pages that expand on information.

How broad is the information provided:
The information on the Green Seal website is broad that is broken down to specific information.

Evaluation:
The Green Seal website provides a list of certified products from construction materials, paints and coatings, windows and doors, floor finishes and strippers and many other general products related to the interior design industry and beyond. Although it is an American organization, it provides information on products that can be found in Canada.