The Bank of America (BOA) has announced significant additions to its environmental initiatives, unveiling $20 billion in loan programs, market encouragement, and consumer products. For its commercial customers, BOA will launch a carbon emissions trading system and offer favorable consideration to loans for companies focusing on environmentally... Read more

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

EBN

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

CertainTeed Corporation has altered the formulation of its fiber-cement siding lines to add recycled flyash. CertainTeed WeatherBoards and ColorMax fiber-cement siding lines now include 30%–50% flyash in addition to wood fiber, portland cement, and other additives. Cement is energy intensive to produce, and the use of flyash, a waste product... Read more

New Resource Bank, a San Francisco bank founded by a group of green entrepreneurs, is offering financial incentives for green building projects. The bank will offer a higher loan-to-value ratio and a 1⁄8% discount on rates for loans to commercial or multiunit residential green projects. Open since November 2006, the bank has financed several... Read more

Both major associations of interior designers, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), have entered into collaborative agreements with BuildingGreen, publisher of

Environmental Building News, that make online access to

BuildingGreen Suite available at a special... 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

• The

World Birding Center Headquarters in Mission, Texas, designed by Lake Flato Architects, is an integral part of... Read more

The energy firm BP (formerly British Petroleum) has announced the creation of the Energy Biosciences Institute and has selected the University of California–Berkeley, the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to lead the effort. In addition to contributing $500 million over ten years, BP will also... Read more

In conventional CFLs, a

hot... 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

In a strengthening of a previous commitment, DuPont has announced its intention to stop making or using the likely carcinogen perfluooctanoic acid, or PFOA, by 2015. Known as the “Teflon® chemical,” PFOA is used to manufacture a variety of fluoropolymer products, including components used in roofing, solar panels, and wiring (see

EBN... Read more

A report released by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that power generation from enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) could provide 100 gigawatts of electrical capacity within 50 years, or 10% of the current U.S. capacity. EGS uses forced water to fracture hot rock deep under the Earth’s surface, opening reservoirs that... 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

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

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

EBN

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