News Analysis
It isn’t just environmental zealots who are up in arms about the U.S. Forest Service’s policies on managing the nation’s timber resources. The Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics has jumped into the fray—from the inside. Jeff DeBonis, the Association’s founder and executive director,... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Feature
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
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... Read moreReports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
Looking for the Top 10 on the 10th! webinar? Click here.
IRA NUTS & BOLTS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
Live webinar occurred on November 29, 2023.The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers us a once-in-a-generation chance to equitably decarbonize the built... Read more
Forum topic
Hello all,
The Bay Area SCL contingent has recently published an anti-idling toolkit so contractors can get empowered to enact their own anti-idling policy on their jobsites. We're all in this together - if you haven't already brought this up with your company management, hopefully this toolkit serves as a good starting point.
... Read more
Forum topic
It's time for our next Peer Networks webinar! Ariane wowed us with her five minutes on future climate data at the Show-and-Tell at HKS in Chicago last November. Now we'll get the deep dive.
Wednesday, May 29, 2:00 pm EDT
Register here: https://www.buildinggreen.com/peer-networks/webinars
Remember--this live webinar is for... Read more
Forum topic
Hi friends,
As you might have seen from my op ed last week on BuildingGreen.com, I’m convinced that just voting is not enough; we all need to do all we can to improve our chances of success in this election. My wife Janice and I have been writing get-out-the-vote letters using Vote Forward as our platform. I thought it might be fun, and... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Resilient Design: 7 Lessons from Early Adopters
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Recount the ten resilient design principles.
2. Recount each of the seven fundamental messages embraced by the model practitioners.
3. Describe... Read more
Forum topic
The Project StaSIO competition is in full swing, and its time to rate the submissions that made it to the public voting round! Fancy yourself a connoisseur of simulation graphics and have a spare 5-10 minutes this Friday? Take a browse through the gallery and rate the 10 graphics and 4 case studies that made it to the final round! Winners... Read more
Forum topic
I'm happy to let you know that Barbra Batshalom has joined the Green Gurus forum!
Many of you already know her from her Sustainable Performance Institute work, and from the great workshop she and her husband Moshe Cohen led before our Boston Summit, but she is also serving a consulting SD Leader for several firms. I'll let her say more... Read more
Forum topic
Hello SCL,
For those who missed our last call, I am posting the results from the 2023 Contractor's Commitment reporting cycle. Reporting at some of the higher tiers requires sharing case studies or information with SCL or the public. All the information that can be shared publicly (or that I received express permission to share) is now... Read more
Forum topic
Hi folks - update here for our FUN saturday night "show"!! What a great way to start the year and celebrate new beginnings!
The Lighter Side of Green will air THIS coming Sat night at 7pm with Anne Hicks Harney MC'ing - check out the link to see the roster of amazing talent and log on for great tunes, humor, camraderie and community! ... Read more
Forum topic
In the wake of pandemic WFH requirements, we are looking to revamp employee policies and I thought this type of information share would be something we Green Gurus would love to thought-share on.
We are a very 'low-policy company' (20 when I joined, now 75 employees currently) and our employee handbook is quite small (5 pages). Most... Read more

