Children who play on wooden playsets treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) may face an increased risk of cancer, according to a study just released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In the federal government’s first recognition of health risks resulting from CCA-treated wood, the study estimates that between 2 and 100... Read more

The

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has put out the call for presenters for its

2003 International Conference and Expo, to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this November 11–15. The Council is seeking proposals and abstracts for both formal presentations and poster sessions in four categories: design and case studies,... Read more

In Volume 11, No. 12, EBN included Kalwall® R-20 (RSI-3.1) with Nanogel in its list of ten best new green building products. Certainly the first commercial use of aerogel is a remarkable milestone. It is very worthy of an EBN award.

The American Society of Landscape Architects will celebrate the second annual

National Landscape Architecture Week April 19 to 27. The week, which encompasses both Earth Day (April 22) and the birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted (April 27), will be marked by public events across the nation. Information on chapter events will be posted at... Read more

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has announced a call for papers for its ninth

Performance of Exterior Envelopes of Whole Buildings conference, to be held December 5–10, 2004 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The conference will be organized along two tracks: “principles” will be devoted to research, while “practices” will explore applications... Read more

The

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products Association (AACPA) offers a wealth of information about autoclaved aerated concrete and its structural and insulating capabilities. The organization aims “to promote the AAC industry in all aspects,” with the eventual goal of mainstreaming AAC in American construction. For more information on... Read more

Five additions to the federal government’s list of “known human carcinogens” and ten “reasonably anticipated carcinogens” debuted in the tenth

Report on Carcinogens, recently released by the National Institutes of Health. The biennial report was presented to Congress in December by the National Toxicology Program, a branch of the... Read more

According to research performed by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), 22% of available

residential gas furnace models are rated at or above 90% annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). Only 12% scored that high five years ago. Although the federally mandated minimum efficiency for gas furnaces is 78% AFUE, 90% AFUE is... Read more

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Document 220/K-02-001, Sandra Mendler, HOK, principal author. Available at no charge from: US EPA, Office of Administration and Resources Mgmt., MD-C-604-05, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711; or as a PDF file from:

www.epa.gov/rtp/new-bldg/environmental/environmental.htm. Paperback, 75 pages

is a free resource from the Feds that provides information on technologies and processes for improving the sustainability of large buildings. We at BuildingGreen edited the 2nd Edition (see review, EBN

Vol. 10, No. 7/8).

Edited by David Gissen. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, and National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., 2002. Hardcover, 192 pages, $40

Big & Green: Toward Sustainable Architecture in the 21st Century, a bound version of the museum... Read more

Report from Buildings magazine and Corporate Realty, Design & Management Institute, 2002, 46 pages. Order at

www.squarefootage.net or by calling 800-452-4480, $495 + $7.50 s+h

Proton Energy Systems, Inc. has been awarded a $375,000 contract to develop a solar-powered fuel-cell system for the U.S. Navy. During daylight hours, the one-kilowatt demonstration system will supply solar power while also generating hydrogen fuel through electrolysis of water. When the sun is not shining, the system will rely on the stored... Read more

In related news, USGBC has awarded Meeting Strategies Worldwide the challenge of “greening” the 2003 Conference. The Portland, Oregon consulting firm will work with local hotels, food and beverage caterers, the city of Pittsburgh, the Lawrence Conference Center, and the exhibit hall decorating company to incorporate sustainable practices into... Read more

Four social-justice organizations recently pooled their efforts to author a report, released in October, titled “Air of Injustice: African Americans & Power Plant Pollution.” The study, a sobering crash course in environmental justice, explains health threats associated with coal-fired power plants, lays out why people of color are... Read more

The Honorable Gaylord A. Nelson was awarded the

American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) Olmsted Medal in January. Nelson championed environmental legislation as a U.S. Senator (D-WI) from 1963 to 1981, and founded Earth Day in 1970. The Olmsted Medal is the highest award presented annually by the ASLA to an individual outside... Read more