The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) has released its 2002

Residential Home Appliance Programs National Summary. The summary details various incentive programs around the country designed to promote energy-efficient clothes washers, dish washers, refrigerators, and room air conditioners. The programs together apply to over 77.2 million consumers. Examples include a $75 bounty for Long Island, New York residents who replace old air conditioners with Energy Star^® units; a $50 mail-in rebate for Waverly, Iowa residents who purchase Energy Star refrigerators; and a $100 water bill credit for Albuquerque, New Mexico residents who purchase resource-efficient clothes washers. The complete summary can be downloaded at

www.cee1.org/resid/seha/02seha-progsum.pdf.

Beginning with the 2003 fiscal year, all new U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) facilities will be designed and built to achieve at least basic LEED™ certification; higher-level certification (Silver, Gold, Platinum) is encouraged. The GSA’s Federal Building Fund includes $276 million in appropriations for 2003 and is responsible for projects such as federal courthouses and border stations throughout the country. More information can be found at www.gsa.gov.

The

Journal of Industrial Ecology has issued a call for papers for a special edition on the

environmental impact of biobased materials. The issue was inspired by recent studies casting doubt on the environmental benefits of biobased materials—and demonstrating the need for the “systems-based analysis”

JIE is known for. The deadline is December 2, 2002; all papers will be peer-reviewed. For further information, look online at

www.yale.edu/jie/cfpbiobased.htm.

, according to the results of a recent survey by

Metropolis magazine. Fifty-four percent of 500 Web site respondents agree that within 5 years, to be considered “good,” any design will have to address sustainability, and a whopping 93% of practicing design professionals say they would like to know more about green design. Education, though, poses a barrier. While 92% of design educators and 86% of students are interested in green design, only 14% of students say the topic is discussed in studio. To view complete survey results, visit

www.metropolismag.com.

The Los Angeles City Council agreed in April to commit to sustainable building techniques by adopting LEED™ certification standards for all new public works projects of 7,500 ft² (700 m²) or larger. Council members hope the initiative will not only improve environmental performance of the city’s buildings, but also benefit taxpayers—largely through energy savings. Board of Public Works president Valerie Lynne Shaw describes the action as “a major victory for the environment and for everyone in the city who pays taxes and rates.”

The City of Lubbock, Texas is replacing substandard and deteriorating

low-income housing with homes constructed of insulated concrete forms (ICFs). The city’s Energy Savings Reconstruction Program is partially funded through state, federal, and private partnerships, including support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The city’s research found that the cost of the ICFs would increase an average homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment by several dollars, but that energy savings would not only offset that cost but provide a net savings of $33 per month. The ICF homes are also expected to perform better than frame houses in the face of hurricanes and tornados. Suppliers to the program to date have included American Polysteel, Eco-Block, and Caswall.

DuPont Commercial Flooring has created the DuPont™ Antron^® Sustainability Advisory Council, a volunteer network of multidisciplinary experts who will help the company understand and manage the total environmental impact of its Antron fiber over the entire life cycle of commercial flooring applications. Members of the Council are: Penny Bonda of L. C. Clark Publishing, Bill Browning of the Rocky Mountain Institute, Asher Derman of Green October, Dave England of Alcatel Americas, Thomas Gladwin of the Corporate Environmental Management Program at the University of Michigan, Holley Henderson of TVS Interiors, and William Odell of HOK Architects.

during 2001, accounting for 59.3% of petroleum consumption during the year, according to EIA. The fraction of imports coming from OPEC countries in 2001 averaged 46.1%. By comparison, during the 1970s, our peak dependence on foreign petroleum reached 47.8%, but the fraction of this oil from OPEC countries was as high as 70.3%.

, compared with 2000, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data from the U.S. Department of Energy. Consumption totaled 96.96 quads (102.3 x 10¹⁸ J). Nuclear power production climbed 1.8% to 8.15 quads (8.6 x 10¹⁸ J), while solar and wind power output grew by 20.6% to 0.146 quads (0.15 x 10¹⁸ J).

Beginning with the 2002-2003 academic year, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania will offer a

Master of Science degree program in Sustainable Design. The two-year program is intended for graduates and young professionals with degrees related to the built environment, including architecture, landscape architecture, planning, urban design, ecology, engineering, construction, interior design, public policy, political science, and others. Admission with advanced standing is possible at the discretion of the graduate admissions committee. For details, visit

http://weld.arc.cmu.edu/grads/, or call 412/268-2363.