Route 4 near Killington, Vermont was closed for more than a month due to flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. Photo: Lars Gange and Mansfield Heliflight. Click on image to enlarge.

We're making our GreenSpec list and checking it twice. Crossing ozone depletion off of it feels mighty nice! By Jennifer Atlee

With the holiday season upon us (yet no snow on the ground here in Vermont since the freak October storm that knocked out power across the Northeast) and the Durban climate deal still largely symbolic, I thought some environmental good cheer was in order.

Grid-tied solar could have a siginificant role in the smart grid--if we can get the lithium ion battery technology right.

People living off the grid using photovoltaics (PV) or other renewable energy to generate power typically depend on maintaining banks of lead-acid batteries and carefully managing the amount of energy they store and use as well as maintaining those batteries for long-term durability.

Most of the area I biked through last spring was parched, including this ranch in New Mexico.  

Back by popular demand, BuildingGreen presents a FREE 1-Hour Webcast on Thursday, December 15, 2011 1 p.m. EST

After presenting this webcast this week to a full house, Alex Wilson is bringing it back next week with an encore performance!

To help professionals make the best design and material choices for their specific projects (and budgets), BuildingGreen recently developed and released the Guide to Insulation Products and Practices.

Drying your hands requires far more water than washing them, according to a surprising new manufacturer study.

All alone on Route 118, approaching the Davis Mountains in West Texas.

Choosing light bulbs can be a baffling ordeal. An award-winning app uses EPA data to make it simple again.

How many apps does it take to change a light bulb?

Do you really know the difference between FSC and SFI? Has the federal government ended all our greenwashing woes? Find out below!

We invite you to test your knowledge with this quiz that we came up with covering key questions around when our building products are green, and when they're being greenwashed.

A victim of a hepatitis E infection she picked up unknowingly in Brazil, Genevive Bjorn's liver rebelled against her one night in Hawaii. Her body almost shut down on her, but with help from the hospital, a battery of tests, her watchful boyfriend at her side, and a diet of nothing but rice porridge, she squeaked through.

BuildingGreen presents a FREE 1-Hour Webcast on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 2 p.m. EST

To help professionals make the best design and material choices for their specific projects (and budgets), BuildingGreen recently developed and released the Guide to Insulation Products and Practices.

Letting short-term payback analyses drive economic decisions about high-performance buildings is crazy.

Dow's Powershingle BIPV is designed to blend in with asphalt shingles and provide power via CIGS PV cells. Can a building-integrated solar shingle compete with cheap crystalline? Focusing on aesthetics and installation is a great start.

Eco-friendly bamboo options have gotten better, but the choice is still not simple.

If you want the "greenest" bamboo flooring out there what do you look for? We have talked a lot about bamboo over the years, starting in 1997. The options have gotten better, but the choice is still not simple. See BuildingGreen's product guide, Hardwood & Bamboo Flooring, but let's break it down a bit.

DesignIntelligence has released its annual report on the top architecture schools, and 80% are campus-wide BuildingGreen subscribers. The top architecture schools for 2012, according to DesignIntelligence. Hey, don't we know you?