News stories, product reviews, and resource reviews from back issues of EBN are now accessible via computer on Energy Design Online, a new computer information service. The service also offers back issues of

Energy Design Update, a newsletter on residential energy issues, and product listings from Iris Communications’

This is with reference to the article on on-site wastewater treatment in the March/April 1994 issue of

Environmental Building News. In general, it was an excellent and comprehensive discussion of the various alternatives for on-site wastewater treatment.

My main concern is with the section of... Read more

In what the plastics industry is calling a landmark decision, the German town of Bielefeld has lifted its seven-year-old prohibition on PVC products in publicly funded buildings. According to

Plastics News, the move came “after a re-evaluation of the products, taking into account their long life expectancies, industry recycling programs... Read more

by Anne Simon Moffat, Marc Schiler, and the staff of Green Living, 1993. Appropriate Solutions Press, South Newfane, VT. Softcover, 230 pages, $17.95.

Landscape Design that Saves Energy (Morrow, 1981) was out-of-print, worry no more.

... Read more

Wood frame construction has been the unchallenged norm for residential building in North America for decades. Over the last few years, however, volatile wood prices, declining quality of framing lumber, and environmental concerns have led many builders to consider alternatives to wood. A 1993 survey done by the National Association of Home... Read more

If all goes as planned for Greenwood Cotton Insulation Products, Inc., there may soon be a major new competitor in the fiber insulation market. Greenwood Mills, Inc., of Greenwood, South Carolina has licensed the patent to make and sell cotton insulation from Cotton Unlimited of Post, Texas, makers of Insulcot. Greenwood... Read more

Co-founder of the Council David Gottfried is no longer on the staff, and the San Francisco office has closed. Gottfried is now vice chairman, and co-founder Michael... Read more

The Plastic Lumber Trade Association, announced in EBN

Vol. 2, No. 5, was formally established at a March 24 meeting in Montreal, Quebec. Charter member status is available to those who join by June 30. Contact the Association at 216/762-8989, 216/762-1613 (fax).

Yes, it does. But not for the reasons most people think.

It is true that a lot of green building materials cost more than their conventional counterparts, so you can spend more for an environmentally sustainable building. But construction costs do not have to be any higher.

... Read more

The U.S. EPA is joining with the National Particleboard Association to study the impact of urea-formaldehyde-bonded wood products on formaldehyde levels in new homes.

Notes:

1. Other insulation materials were listed previously.

2. When products have coatings, recommended levels are based on the weight of materials in the insulating core only.

3. American Society for... Read more

One of the most promising developments over the past few years has been the introduction of borate-based pesticides for controlling termites and other wood-destroying organisms. The use of these environmentally friendly products has significantly reduced the need for more toxic products such as soil-treatment... Read more

B&Q, the largest retailer of building and household maintenance supplies in the United Kingdom, has an ambitious program for environmental protection. Under the direction of Dr. Alan Knight, B&Q has undertaken to improve the lifecycle impacts of its stores and every product sold in them. To... Read more

Two of the Best Just Got a Whole Lot Better

Guide to Resource Efficient Building Elements, 4th Edition, 1994, from the Center for Resourceful Building Technology, P.O. Box 3866, Missoula, MT 59806; 406/549-7678. 94 pages, soft-cover, $25.The Center for Resourceful Building Technology (CRBT) did a superb job in... Read more

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Notes:

1. Assumes incandescent lamp cost of $2.75; fluorescent lamp cost of $2.95

2. Assumes 25 minutes to replace lamps @ $20/hr.

3. Electricity cost 8¢/kWh

Solarex Corporation has been selected by Misawa Homes Co. Ltd. of Tokyo, Japan to supply photovoltaic (PV) panels for new homes. The custom-made PV modules will be integrated into the south-facing roof of the houses, replacing the usual roofing tiles. Each house will generate a peak level of four kilowatts of... Read more

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is offering research funding for projects that improve the energy efficiency or environmental performance of buildings. A total of $750,000 is expected to be awarded under the program for such technologies as building products manufactured with recycled materials, recovery... Read more

Approximately 60% of all commercially incinerated hazardous waste is burned in cement kilns. Although small amounts of hazardous wastes may have been burned in cement kilns for decades, the practice became widespread in the 1980s as new regulations made landfilling more expensive. Although members of... Read more

An Austrian court has overturned a lower court's ruling and allowed billboards describing PVC as “an environmental poison” to stand. The industry is appealing the case to the Austrian supreme court.

“People are more likely to suffer health effects from worrying about EMF than from actual biological effects.” I found the tone of this statement from your recent article, “Building Design and EMF,” to be rather cavalier and the type of thing an industry representative would utter. While I hope you will refrain from such... Read more