Feature
Water: Doing More With Less
The U.S. uses about 400 billion gallons of water a day, and water shortages are becoming more common. Water-saving products and technologies, some currently on the market and others in development, can reduce that wasteful flow to a trickle.
From the Editors
Bringing Water Back into the Discussion
Most Americans treat freshwater as if it were limitless and free, even as water shortage is becoming a reality in many areas of the United States. But there are many cost-effective ways to reduce that consumption.
What's Happening
Solar Services Bridge the Owner-Tenant Gap
Recurrent Energy has landed $200 million in financing to install solar electric panels on leased rooftops and sell the power to tenants.
2007 Energy Bill Promotes High-Performance Buildings
Although several important provisions were stripped from the federal energy bill, key improvements to appliance standards and building energy-efficiency standards remain.
California to Require Net-Zero-Energy Buildings
The California Energy Commission has recommended strong energy-efficiency requirements for buildings, and is working to incorporate them into building codes.
Newsbriefs
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Product Review
Smaller Copper Particles, Smaller Environmental Impact for Treated Wood
With its MicroPro treated wood, Osmose is one of several companies making innovations in copper preservative techniques. MicroPro's use of tiny copper particles offers environmental benefits when compared with conventional copper treatment.
Product News
SierraPine Offers Improved Fire-Retardant MDF
SierraPine has reintroduced its popular fire-resistant, medium-density fiberboard, which contains no added urea-formaldehyde.
Revolutionary Vacuum Glass Coming from Guardian
Revolutionary vacuum-insulated glass coming from Guardian provides an insulating value of R-12, and should be available in 2009.
LED Lamp Sets Efficiency Record
A prototype reflector-style LED lamp from LED Lighting Fixtures has shattered efficacy records, achieving an efficacy of 113.6 lumens per watt.
From the Library
The Architecture Handbook: A Student Guide to Understanding Buildings
This high-school textbook teaches the basics of architectural drawing and thinking through an extended case study of an environmentally friendly house.
BackPage Primer
Good Ozone, Bad Ozone
The same ozone that causes air quality problems near Earth's surface protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation high in the atmosphere. This protective ozone layer is thinning due to manufactured chemicals.
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