The U.S. Green Building Council’s 2007 Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition is accepting registrations. The competition is being held on the local level again this year, with 19 participating chapters each creating their competition around a local design challenge. For example, the Northern California chapter is asking... Read more

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has announced the creation of its first certification programs for ASHRAE members and other professionals. The four programs, to be launched between 2007 and 2008, will focus on healthcare facility mechanical systems, sustainability, commissioning and... Read more

Thank you for your recent review of Cradle to Cradle certification (see

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Vol. 16, No. 2), and the more general look at nascent attempts to understand and assess the thousands of materials we put in our buildings. As usual, the article was thorough, clear, and complete, and I salute both

EBN and all those about whom... Read more

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) seem to have reached widespread acceptance: large retailers such as Wal-Mart are encouraging their customers to purchase the energy-saving lamps, Chinese manufacturing has significantly reduced costs, and rebates are available for them in some areas. Now there are several initiatives to ban the sale and use of... Read more

With the durability and moisture-resistance advantages of cement and a carbon footprint closer to that of gypsum, Green E-Board panels are an intriguing new option for tile backerboard, wallboard, and potentially even exterior sheathing. The panels are manufactured from magnesium oxide (MgO) cement (also known as oxychloride cement), which is... Read more

The federal Energy Star™ program has announced that homes built with structural insulated panels (SIPs) are no longer required to undergo a blower-door test to qualify for an Energy Star rating. Instead, homes built using SIPs for all exterior walls and roof construction can choose to qualify for Energy Star through a visual inspection by a... Read more

The recent release of

Green Guide for Healthcare (GGHC) version 2.2 marks the end of a successful pilot program that included 115 healthcare facilities across the country (see

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Vol. 14, No. 1). Improvements to GGHC, a point-based guide to green building for the healthcare industry, were based on feedback from project... Read more

Outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) have enjoyed increased popularity in recent years as homeowners, particularly in rural areas, have looked for lower cost alternatives to oil or gas heat. At the same time, the boilers’ reputation for high emissions levels and low efficiency has caused some states and municipalities, in the absence of federal... Read more

TerraPass, Inc., one of the more prominent companies providing consumers with an easy way to offset the greenhouse gas emissions of their air travel by buying carbon offsets, has partnered with a manufacturer and a retailer to bring that option to a retail product. A pressure washer made by Kärcher USA will be sold on the shelves of Sam’s Club... Read more

Green Guide to Specification (see

EBN... Read more

The

Forest Products Annual Market Review for 2005-2006, released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, describes an increase in the area of certified forest throughout the world and growth in chain-of-custody certifications. Certified forest area increased 12% from 2005 to 2006, with much of the certified forest... Read more

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Vol. 12, No. 10); the company has expanded that... Read more