The results of a survey by the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) about the

effect of building codes on green building practices (see

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Vol. 10, No. 7/8) are now available, and confirm what many practitioners already knew: building codes can be a barrier to the use of alternative building materials and methods. A report, “Breaking Down Barriers: Challenges and Solutions to Code Approval of Green Building,” by David Eisenberg, Robert Done, and Lorretta Ishida, provides detailed results of the survey, which was completed by nearly 200 “code users” and 56 “code officials.” Included in the report are analyses of the reasons for rejection by code officials, as well as strategies for success. (See

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Vol. 10, No. 9 for more on these.) The survey also explored the impact of perceived barriers: 65% of code users indicated that they have chosen not to include a green alternative because they expected it would not be approved. Download the report from

www.dcat.net.

The same microbe that is killing off oak trees in California may also be damaging to Coastal Redwoods, according to researchers at the University of California – Berkeley and UC – Davis. The

“Sudden Oak Death” pathogen has killed tens of thousands of oak trees since 1995. Along with killing three species of coastal oaks, the microbe—a contagious fungus related to the organism responsible for the potato famine in Ireland in the mid-1800s—affects rhododendrons, California bay laurel, madrone, and several other species. If damage to redwoods is confirmed, it will be the first occurrence of the microbe in a conifer, and it could prove very damaging both to California’s timber industry (redwood accounts for about 25% of timber sales) and to the state’s coastal forest ecosystem.

The Boston Architectural Center is offering a

Certificate in Sustainable Design under its continuing education program (BAC also offers bachelor’s and master’s programs in architecture and interior design). Students must complete five required courses and one elective to earn the new Certificate. Details are available from the BAC at 617/585-0101 or on the Web at

www.the-bac.edu.

The

Sustainable Products Purchasers Coalition (SPPC) is a new organization that seeks to improve the quality of information with which green purchasing decisions are made. The SPPC is encouraging manufacturers to generate and share detailed life-cycle assessment (LCA) information on their products, and is supporting the creation and use of tools to interpret that information. As an incentive to companies, the group is touting the buying power of its members, who have committed to using LCA information in their purchasing decisions. This initiative is spearheaded by Johanna Sands, environmental coordinator of the Portland, Oregon-based Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, which is a sponsor of the Coalition, along with the City of Portland, Austin Energy’s Green Building Program, Yost Grube Hall Architecture, B2&Co Interior Design & Planning, Portland General Electric, and SRG Partnership. Details at

www.sppcoalition.org.

Following two years of preparation, the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) has released a

certification program for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technicians, supervisors, and contractors. TABB was created by the National Energy Management Institute (NEMI), a not-for-profit corporation sponsored by the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA). SMACNA is promoting the certification and encouraging engineers to require TABB-certified installation contractors and technicians in their HVAC specifications. Noting that efficiency suffers when testing, adjusting, and balancing aren’t carried out properly, program administrator Erik Emblem states: “By specifying utilization of TABB Certified technicians, contractors, and supervisors, they ensure that their customers receive a product at the highest levels of quality.” For additional details, see

www.tabbcertified.org.

The Florida Solar Energy Center has become the first U.S. laboratory accredited for testing and certifying the

power rating of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The accreditation audit was done by PowerMark Corporation, which is the sole U.S. agent for the Photovoltaic Global Approval Program. Once manufacturers have put their products through this certification process, it will be possible to get true apples-to-apples performance comparisons of modules and packaged PV systems from different manufacturers. For information, call 321/638-1015 or visit

www.fsec.ucf.edu.

globally (with records going back to 1880), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Only 1998 was warmer. Temperatures in the United States were the sixth warmest since records were first kept in 1895. NOAA believes that conditions are ripe for 2002 to become a record-breaking year, because of observed Pacific Ocean warming—a trend that could lead to El Niño conditions by early spring.

, a developer who pursued visionary environmental solutions for projects as mundane as shopping malls, died unexpectedly on November 30, 2001 at age 46, after suffering a heart attack while playing basketball. O’Connor was chairman of Gravestar Inc., the company that financed the environmental renovation of Porter Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also founded Greenworks, a company that helps incubate environmental start-ups.

In a December 19, 2001 letter to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Affairs, the U.S. Green Building Council clarified that the lack of any LEED credits for the exclusion of vinyl flooring should not “be taken as reliable evidence that PVC is considered environmentally benign.” The letter was signed by Christine Ervin, President and CEO of the Council, and Malcolm Lewis, Chair of the Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee that is studying the PVC issue. The issue arose as New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs considers adoption of a generous, $7,000-per-unit subsidy program in support of green affordable housing. Industry groups have objections to several provisions in the guidelines for that program, including recommendations to consider avoiding PVC.

Agreement has been reached on the innovative

industry-wide carpet takeback program (see

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Vol. 10, No. 2), and the formal “Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship” is scheduled to be signed on January 8, 2002 in Atlanta. Participants in the voluntary agreement include carpet and fiber manufacturers, the Carpet & Rug Institute, state governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agreement calls for the amount of carpet recycled annually to grow from 180 million pounds (81.6 million kg) in 2002 to at least 1,354 million pounds (614 million kg) in 2012. The amount of carpet expected to be landfilled is also slated to increase, however, reflecting the larger growth in the volume of carpet discarded. Details on the initiative can be found at

www.moea.state.mn.us/carpet/.