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

Urban Revision, LLC, led by Stacey Frost, has announced a series of competitions, Re:Vision, that will occur in five phases over the course of a year. The first of these, Re:Volt, which is open for registration through March 15, 2007, challenges entrants to imagine new ways to power a city block with renewable sources of energy. Subsequent... Read more

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According to a report sponsored by MRC McLean Hazel, Ltd., and Siemens AG, decision makers in megacities (cities with populations over 10 million) are focused primarily on economic growth and transportation infrastructure. Over 500 experts in 25 cities were interviewed for the report, which found that, although city planners and officials are... Read more

Two millwork manufacturers based in Manitoba, Canada—Yarrow Sash and Door, Ltd., of Winnipeg and Loewen of Steinbach—recently began offering Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification as an option for all of their product lines. Compared with certification of a simple lumber product, chain-of-custody certification ensures... Read more

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a final rule on test procedures to determine the energy efficiency of several residential and commercial appliances. The new procedures are part of an effort by DOE to comply with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which required the agency to create the procedures and set new efficiency standards... Read more

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center for Communities by Design has selected five communities as recipients of technical assistance through the Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program in 2007. The five communities—Tucson, Arizona; Culver City, California; Dubuque, Iowa; Central, Louisiana; and Albany, New York—will receive... Read more

Joining several other major building industry organizations, including The American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council, the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) has announced its support of the 2030 Challenge. Issued by the organization Architecture 2030, the 2030 Challenge calls for an immediate 50% reduction in... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened a public comment period on language requiring all projects using the LEED® Rating System to obtain a minimum of two points in its energy optimization section. Announced in November 2006, the proposal is part of USGBC’s focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from buildings (see... Read more

According to a study released by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, children living within 1,600 feet (500 m) of a freeway had the functioning of their small airways reduced by 7% at age 18 when compared with those who lived at least 4,900 feet (1,500 m) away from a freeway. This reduction might... 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

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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

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

Green Guide to Specification (see

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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

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