Despite steady increases in residential energy-efficiency technologies, homes built over the past decade use an average 92.7 million Btus of energy each year, more than homes built in the previous three decades, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Administration. DOE blames the larger size of new homes for the increased energy usage, in addition to the higher incomes of the owners of newer homes, which may discourage energy conservation and encourage the purchase of electronics and appliances. Details are online at www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/recs2001/detail_tables.html.

Leading sustainable design and engineering firm Arup has opened a Seattle office to better serve the Pacific Northwest. Arup is currently working on projects in Seattle and Portland, including the new Seattle Public Library (with Rem Koolhaas’ Office of Metropolitan Architecture), the new Justice Center, Weiden and Kennedy’s Corporate Headquarters, and the Museum of Flight Expansion. Seattle operations are led by Jonathan Markowitz (principal mechanical engineer), Gary Lawrence (principal sustainability consultant), Sarah Nicholson (mechanical engineer), and Brian Glover (structural engineer). The office is at 403 Columbia Street, Suite 220, Seattle, WA 98104; telephone: 206-749-9674, fax: 206-749-0665, www.arup.com.

California has become the first state in the country to ban the manufacture, processing, and commercial distribution of two chemicals that have been shown to cause neurological and developmental damage to humans. The legislation affects two types of PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), both of which are common flame retardants: The penta form is used as an additive in polyurethane foams, and the octa form is used in some plastics. The California ban is set to take effect in 2008, allowing manufacturers time to find alternatives. “When Washington is unable or unwilling to act, we must protect the health of our citizens,” declared Governor Davis. A European Union ban on these two PBDEs is set to take effect next year.

Germany leads the global biodiesel market, producing over a million metric tons each year and making the alternative to conventional, petroleum-based diesel fuel available at filling stations around the country. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded $960,000 in grants to conduct a biodiesel fuel education program. The National Biodiesel Board will create education programming with technical support from the University of Idaho. More information is available at www.usda.gov.

The financial benefits of clean-air regulations over the past decade were 6 to 10 times greater than the costs of complying with them, according to “Informing Regulatory Decisions,” a comprehensive study undertaken by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. According to the same report, the benefits of major rules enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency in the last year were 7 to 25 times greater than the costs of compliance. OMB is required to report to Congress each year on the costs and benefits of federal regulations and unfunded mandates on state, local, and tribal entities. The report is at: www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/2003_cost-ben_final_rpt.pdf.

GreenWood Ranch Estates held a grand opening in August for what is thought to be the country’s first grid-independent subdivision. Homes in the Arizona community (midway between Phoenix and Las Vegas) start at under $100,000. Each of its 487 homes will be equipped with a 1.65 kW photovoltaic power system. The homes will use propane for some applications, including heat and optional backup generators. Details are at www.66greenwood.com.

In recognition of the United Nations’ “International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer” on September 16, the nonprofit Global Environment & Technology Foundation released

a comprehensive report on “The State of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion.” The report is available online at

www.getf.org.

Chicago’s Mayor Richard Daly has recruited

Sadhu Johnston, founder and executive director of the Cleveland Green Building Coalition (CGBC), to fill a newly created position overseeing the greening of Chicago. Johnston began work on October 1. In related news, CGBC is seeking a new executive director; details are online at

www.clevelandgbc.org.

The

ozone hole over Antarctica had reached a record size by early September and may break the all-time record of 11 million square miles (28.5 million km²) before shrinking as the austral summer begins, according to British Antarctic Survey scientist Jonathan Shanklin, one of the hole’s discoverers in 1985. Hopes were raised that the ozone hole was on the mend last year, when it shrank considerably; scientists now believe that unique atmospheric conditions caused only a temporary reprieve. Though the international Montreal Protocol has significantly diminished the emission of ozone-depleting gasses, scientists don’t yet know how long it will take for the reductions to be reflected in the size of the hole itself.

Portland, Oregon builder

Renaissance Homes has agreed to build exclusively to Portland General Electric Earth Advantage™ standards. Each home (up to 300 over the next two years) will be certified to Earth Advantage standards, using at least 15% less energy than required by Oregon’s strict energy code in addition to meeting criteria for indoor air quality, material efficiency, and environmental responsibility. Details are online at

www.earthadvantage.com.