Regarding your article “Promoting Green Buildings in Canada,” published in the July/August issue of

Environmental Building News, I would like to clarify the relationship between the Green Building Information Council (GBIC) and the Building Environmental Performance Assessment Criteria (... Read more

Members of the U.S. Green Building Council have organized a non-profit Green Building Fund in the hopes of providing ongoing support for research and demonstration of environmentally sound construction projects. So far six organizations have contributed to the Fund’s initial project—a feasibility study documenting funding sources for green... Read more

Fluorescent lighting was introduced in the 1920s as a more energy-efficient alternative to incandescent lighting. Over the past two decades, technology improvements have gradually increased the acceptability of fluorescent lamps for many more applications. Light quality was dramatically improved with triphosphor... Read more

Judith Kincaid, Cheryl Walker, and Greg Flynn for the Triangle J Council of Governments, PO Box 12276, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; 919/549-0551, 919/549-9390 (fax). July 1995. Three-ring binder and diskette, 115 pages, $20 (specify diskette type when ordering).

Architects and specifiers who have... Read more

A new “Mini Home Study Course” from the International Institute for Bau-biologie and Ecology™ (IBE) in Clearwater, Florida is designed to help the home-dweller understand, find, and remedy indoor air pollution, water pollution, and other home health hazards. Participants receive resource material, a video, and a Gauss meter. Contact IBE at 813/... Read more

Researchers at the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are looking into the idea of producing perlite using concentrated solar energy. Perlite is a natural volcanic rock that is expanded by rapid heating to between 870° and 1100°C. It is used as an insulation material and as a lightweight... Read more

Just as certain segments of the HVAC and insulation industries have begun a widespread shift to the ozone-safe, chlorine-free hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a, new environmental concerns have been raised about this compound. Researchers at the Cambridge, Massachusetts firm Atmospheric and Environmental Research suggested... Read more

NOLS had established a base for sea kayaking and other water activities on the Baja California peninsula, in... Read more

More recently, suburban neighborhoods and office parks began replacing farms in ever-widening circles around the cities and towns. Conventional practice is to landscape the open spaces around... Read more

Even as environmental regulations are being widely threatened by Congressional initiatives, a broad new effort to protect the nation’s water is now underway. Sixteen months after it first convened, the National Forum on Nonpoint Source Pollution has released a report that urges new approaches for cleaning up water pollution. The general thrust... Read more

2 Sink?

The manufacture of portland cement... Read more

I read your article “Steel or Wood Framing, Which Way Should We Go?” in the Volume 3, Number 4 issue of EBN with considerable interest and anticipation, but did not see a sufficient discussion on the major reason for building differently with steel studs: the problem of mold growth at the thermal bridge over... Read more

UPDATE: This keystone article was updated in 2010 to reflect changes in the industry.It is rarely possible to do everything we would like to reduce the environmental impact of building projects. It takes time to research alternative design and construction systems; new materials may not have proven track records; higher costs may be an... Read more

A new 68,000 ft3 grocery store in Kitsap County, Washington is being used to demonstrate the use of recycled-content building materials that can be used in commercial projects. A key element of the project is public education and increasing awareness within the design and construction community. For information, contact Scott Thomas of the... Read more

An ironic turn of events has resulted in a lobbying battle among two of the largest U.S. wood products companies. An in-depth article in

The

New York Times (May 21, 1995) reports that Weyer­haeuser is lobbying Washington policy makers to retain tight air pollution regulations,... Read more

A potential barrier to cellulose insulation use that was described in the last issue of EBN (Vol. 4, No. 3) has apparently been solved. The May 1995 issue of

Energy Design Update reported that the three model code bodies are removing recently adopted provisions that would have required more stringent fire testing for cellulose. Both... Read more

I read with interest and some misgivings your review of the American Forest & Paper Association’s (AF&PA) Sustainable Forestry Initiative in the News & Developments section of your May/June issue. While I agree that it is encouraging that the AF&PA’s membership appears to be taking steps to ameliorate... Read more

[enlarge image]Notes:

One and Two Family Dwelling Code is likely to spur adoption... Read more

Amoco Foam Products Company has added the new Amofoam-RCX™ to its existing Amofoam-RCY™ line of recycled-content extruded polystyrene insulation. The RCX products, aimed at residential markets, are laminated on both sides with a polyethylene film to protect them from damage during handling and construction, and they are configured in thinner... Read more