Newsbriefs

Is this good news or bad? The Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (EIA), the agency that tracks energy consumption statistics and comes up with official projections, is revising its energy demand estimates downward to account for global warming. For the 12-month period from the fourth quarter of 1999 through the third quarter of 2000, energy demand for residential and commercial space heating and cooling are projected to change as follows: fuel oil demand down 0.71%; total petroleum demand down 0.15%; natural gas demand down 0.83%; fossil fuel demand for electricity generation up 0.03%; total electricity sales up 0.01%, and total primary energy demand down 0.26%. The projected electricity demand is for increased cooling degree-days. These findings were reported in a September 1999 paper by Michael Morris of EIA: “The Impact of Temperature Trends on Short-Term Energy Demand.”

A long-awaited report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) on

endocrine disrupters (or hormonally active agents) says that more research is needed to understand whether (and how) these chemicals might affect human health and the environment. Hormonally active agents (HAAs) include a wide variety of chemicals that mimic the actions of sex hormones and have been associated with adverse reproductive and developmental effects in wildlife (see review of

Our Stolen Future in

EBN

Vol. 5, No. 6). Although the NAS committee studying the issue says that there is evidence of harmful health and ecological effects associated with high doses of HAAs, little is known about the effect of these chemicals in low concentrations. The committee did say that environmental HAAs probably have contributed to declines in some wildlife populations, including fish and birds in the Great Lakes and alligators in Lake Apopka in Florida, but called for further studies to determine cause and effect. The study was funded by EPA, the National Biological Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information on the report, visit the NAS web site at

www.nas.edu.

Awards & Competitions

Tryon Farm Living Green Award, to be presented to the creator of a project in the Midwest (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin) demonstrating commitment to community and conservation. Include land-use plans, maps, images, and a short description of the philosophy behind the project. Submission deadline is September 20: Tryon Farm Institute, 1500 Tryon Rd., Michigan City, IN 46360. Call Eve Noonan, 219/872-1930, for details. The award will be presented at an October 8 workshop at the farm.

is slated to become the first “brightfield” under a U.S. Department of Energy program to rehabilitate blighted sites and promote renewable energy. A two-story building on the site will be renovated into a model green building, thanks to a joint effort between the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment and the Chicago Department of the Environment. This building will become headquarters for Greencorps Chicago, a program that trains low-income residents in landscaping and horticulture, and Chicago Solar, a new company formed by Spire Corporation to manufacture solar equipment. As part of the deal, Commonwealth Edison has committed to purchasing $6 million worth of Chicago Solar products for use in bringing renewable energy to the City.

The Passive Solar Industries Council is now the

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council. On August 15 the organization formally adopted the change, following a balloting of members. PSIC was formed in 1981, and its mission was refined in January 1997 as follows: “to advance the design, affordability, energy performance, and environmental soundness of residential, institutional, and commercial buildings.” At its May 1999 meeting, the PSIC Board of Directors concluded that “passive solar” no longer accurately represented the organization’s mission and charged the Executive Committee with finding a new name. For more information, contact SBIC at 202/628-7400 or on-line (for now) at

www.psic.org.

Colorado home builder

McStain Enterprises plans to build up to three environmental test houses near its Boulder headquarters. Long a leader in green building among tract home developers

(see EBN

Vol. 5, No. 6, p. 15), McStain expects to focus on such issues as indoor air quality and innovative materials, such as structural insulated panels (SIPs). Steven Winter Associates, through the Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (one of the Building America initiatives), will be working with McStain on the plans.

Digital Arts Ltd. has been selected by The Presidio Trust to begin exclusive negotiations for development of a campus for several of filmmaker George Lucas’ companies on a prominent site in San Francisco’s Presidio National Park. The plan, selected from among 18 initial proposals and 4 detailed proposals, includes architectural services by Gensler of San Francisco and landscape architecture by the Office of Lawrence Halprin. Bill Browning of Rocky Mountain Institute is providing green development services to the project, which includes 14 acres of open space. The buildings will have underground parking, daylighting, displacement ventilation, operable windows, rainwater storage, and other environmental measures.

Newsbriefs

fluorescent lamps (CFLs) became the latest product to join the Energy Star® program. To qualify under the program, manufacturers must put their CFLs through independent testing. Among the required standards are the following: minimum efficacy ranging from 33 to 60 (initial) lumens per watt, depending on the size and CFL style; average of 1-second start time; minimum color rendering index (CRI) of 80; minimum lifetime of 6,000 hours; and a warranty of 12 months or a comparable mechanism to address consumer complaints. Nine lighting manufacturers have formally joined as partners of the Energy Star program and are producing qualified CFLs. For more information, call toll-free 888-STAR-YES, or visit the Energy Star web site

www.energystar.gov.

Newsbriefs

A last-minute deal

saved over 100 community gardens in New York City from being auctioned off to developers in May. The City had been planning to sell the lots for development, claiming that they were unused and unwanted, in spite of the fact that some have been thriving gardens for decades. The deal involved sales of the lots to two groups: the Trust for Public Lands paid $3 million for 63 of the gardens, and an organization led by entertainer Bette Midler, the New York Restoration Project, paid $1.2 million for 50 more. While celebrating the achievement, Rose Harvey of the Trust for Public Lands noted that it would have been better if the City itself recognized the value of these gardens, and protected them without private intervention.

On March 1,

Jamison Ervin left her position as coordinator of the U.S. Initiative of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Jamie began work with FSC in 1992, even before the association was formally founded, and she helped to shepherd FSC through this complex formative process. Jamie plans to complete a doctorate in natural resource management and will remain active in forest management issues. The U.S. Office of the FSC is now managed by Hank Cauley in Washington, D.C.: 202/467-8329.