Light pollution is usually defined as a problem of the night, when artificial lighting obscures our view of the stars and disorients migratory birds and other animals. A newly identified type of light pollution expands that definition to daytime, however, and may endanger the many animals that use water to find food and habitat, to orient themselves, or to find prey. Dark, glossy surfaces in the built environment—glass, asphalt, polished stone, photovoltaic panels, automobiles, and oil slicks, among others—all reflect polarized light, often more intensely than water, the chief natural source of polarized light in the environment.

According to a recent article in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, artificial polarized light affects aquatic insects in particular but also waterbirds, turtles, reptiles, fish, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Reacting to light from artificial sources, birds become disoriented, and insects mate and lay eggs in inappropriate locations. Animals may fruitlessly seek to feed at parking lots full of shiny cars, and food webs can be altered when prey species are drawn in unusual concentrations to a polarized light source such as a glass curtainwall, where predators easily catch them and then themselves fall prey to other predators drawn to the easy feeding site.

The paper’s authors suggest reducing polarized light pollution by avoiding dark, shiny surfaces such as tinted glass on buildings and minimizing outdoor lighting, especially near bodies of water.

The factory in Electra, Texas, where Agriboard Industries has made straw-core structural insulated panels (SIPs) since 2000 (see

EBN July 2002) was destroyed by a wildfire on April 9, 2009, when strong, shifting winds burned 4,500 acres (1,800 ha) in Wichita County. The loss is estimated at $20 million. The company is now operating in temporary quarters and expects to resume production by the end of May 2009. Vice president for sales and marketing Don Buchan said Agriboard is looking at locations for rebuilding.

A celebration of the life and work of Gail Lindsey, FAIA, will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 20, 2009. All are welcome to come to share memories of Gail and meet others whose lives were impacted by her (see

EBN Mar. 2009 for our memories). More details and contact information are available at www.celebratinggail.com or from Alicia Ravetto at Alicia@aliciaravettoarchitect.com.

 

Like a growing number of municipalities that are concerned about algae growth in freshwater reservoirs, Westchester County, north of New York City, has banned all phosphate-based fertilizers, effective January 2011. The law also imposes restrictions on all fertilizer use between April and December, effective in 2009, and prohibits most use of fertilizers within 20 feet (6 m) of bodies of water.

Exceptions include vegetable gardens and newly planted lawns that are being established. An effort to exempt the use of organic fertilizers was defeated. Similar bans are in place in Saginaw, Michigan; Sarasota County, Florida; all of Wisconsin; and the province of Québec.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in April 2009 that it would step up its regulation of emissions from cement kilns, including the first-ever regulations for existing facilities. In response to a lawsuit brought against the agency in 2006 by environmental groups and nine states, EPA is drafting a rule that would set stricter limits on emissions of mercury, hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide from cement kilns of all sizes, and would reduce hydrochloric acid emissions from kilns that are large emitters.

According to EPA, cement kilns are the fourth-largest source of atmospheric mercury in the U.S., and this rule could reduce their contribution to total mercury emissions by 80%–90%. The rule would apply to 136 kilns in 35 states; dozens of other kilns, notably those that burn hazardous waste, will be regulated separately.

The draft rule was published May 5, 2009. After a 60-day public comment period, EPA will hold a hearing if one is requested.

Florida developer Kitson & Partners has announced plans to build a new city powered entirely by solar energy. The proposed development, Babcock Ranch, would include 19,500 homes on 17,000 acres (6,900 ha)—much of which would remain protected green space—northeast of Fort Myers, Florida. A 75-megawatt photovoltaic plant, the largest in the world, is to power the city, and a “smart grid” will allow users to monitor and adjust their energy consumption in real time.

In addition to homes, the developer will include 6 million ft² (560,000 m²) of retail, commercial, office, civic, and light industrial space, all built to the standards of the Florida Green Building Council. The solar energy component of the project, to be operated by Florida Power and Light, is awaiting legislative approval, but construction could begin in 2009.

The textile maker Invista recently reached a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which sued the corporation for environmental noncompliance at 12 facilities that Invista acquired from the chemical giant DuPont in 2004.

Invista, a former DuPont subsidiary known as DuPont Textiles & Interiors, reports that it discovered 680 violations within weeks of the purchase and voluntarily submitted its findings to EPA. According to Invista, DuPont did not disclose the problems prior to the sale and is accountable for cleanup and mitigation. DuPont denies this charge and has made no move to take responsibility—hence Invista’s suit against DuPont for $800 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The violations include noncompliance with air, water, hazardous waste, emergency planning, and pesticide regulations.

Representing a standard of consumer product performance for 100 years,

Good Housekeeping magazine’s Seal of Approval is expanding to consider environmental impacts. The new Green Good Housekeeping Seal will launch in the second half of 2009, according to the magazine’s publishers. Although the criteria for judging products have not been set, they will likely include the impacts of packaging, materials, and manufacturing as well as energy use and other attributes. All products considered for the green seal must also meet the reliability requirements of the regular seal.

Businesses seeking competitive advantage through sustainability are the target market for Ecoimpact, a partnership of Penny Bonda, FASID; Diana Horvat, IIDA; and Ken Wilson, FAIA. The Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm will offer such services as LEED training, industry analysis, tax-incentive guidance, and marketing help. Bonda is the founding chair of the LEED commercial interiors committee of the U.S. Green Building Council and an editor of Interior Design magazine.

Mayor Phil Gordon is on a mission to make Phoenix, Arizona, the first carbon-neutral city in the U.S. In a State of the State address in March 2009, he laid out a 17-point plan to achieve this goal (see below). His plan includes energy conservation, renewable energy generation, mass transit, urban planning, agriculture incentives, and water conservation, among other measures. By pursuing carbon neutrality, Gordon hopes to bring renewable energy manufacturers to the city and provide more green jobs.

Mayor Gordon’s 17 Steps to a Carbon-Neutral Phoenix

1.Train workers to rehabilitate existing homes.

2.Require photovoltaics and solar-thermal systems for public buildings; offer incentives in the private sector.

3.Extend the light-rail system.

4.Subsidize home-energy retrofits.

5.Increase water-conservation and recycling efforts.

6.Retrofit public buildings to LEED standards.

7.Convert downtown brownfield sites to mixed-use development.

8.Rehabilitate the Discovery Triangle district downtown to make it more energy- and water-efficient.

9.Develop renewable energy sources beyond solar, including the use of biomass and the capture of waste heat and methane.

10.Convert outdoor city lights to high-efficiency fixtures.

11.Increase markets for local farmers.

12.Develop the canal system for recreation and transportation.

13.Green the school system, with students’ help.

14.Develop a regional desalination facility.

15. Develop joint protocols for transportation, information, and communications management.

16.Rework flood-management and water-delivery systems to reduce stormwater runoff and water demand.

17.Work with the public to develop a sustainability plan for the city.