The egg of a Forster’s tern, a fish-eating seabird common in the San Francisco Bay, has been found to have 63 parts per million (ppm) of toxic PBDE flame retardants (see

EBN

Vol. 13, No. 6), the highest concentration ever found in any animal, according to a September 10, 2004

Los Angeles Times article. According to... Read more

green tent design competition (see

EBN

Vol. 13, No. 7): “Thermal Wing,” designed by Thicket from London, U.K.; “Cocoon,” designed by Robert Schwermer and Dietmar Koering from Cologne, Germany; and “Endemic Synthetic,” designed by Strawn/Sierralta(2) from Chicago,... Read more

The FedEx Corporation and the city of Oakland have announced plans to build California’s largest corporate solar electric system atop the FedEx hub at Oakland International Airport. The 904 kilowatt system will be made up of nearly 6,000 photovoltaic modules comprised of more than 300,000 solar cells from the Sharp Electronics Corporation and... Read more

Green Building Products is a residential edition of the widely acclaimed

GreenSpec

® Directory—with a few important distinctions:

•

Green Building Products includes... Read more

The attorneys general of ten states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have filed a lawsuit charging that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development relies too heavily on chemical pesticides in public housing developments. According to the Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, passed in 1996, federal agencies are required to use... Read more

The National Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Department of Energy have opened project registration for the

2005 H2U Design Contest. Teams of graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to submit designs for hydrogen power parks. Team entries are due January 14, 2005. (For information on the 2004 winner, see

EBN

... Read more

The New York State Public Service Commission has adopted Governor Pataki’s proposal that 25% of the state’s electricity come from renewable energy sources by the end of 2013. “Our decision today is based on a detailed examination of the costs, benefits, and potential impacts on system reliability of implementing an efficient and forward-... Read more

The Noisette Company, LLC announced in August 2004 the formation of the Noisette Urban Alliance, a network of 15 manufacturers organized to aid in the redevelopment of the 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) Noisette District of North Charleston, South Carolina (see

EBN

Vol. 10, No. 5). The Alliance includes Herman Miller, Inc., Interface,... Read more

Just two years after New York City scrapped its recycling plan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced in September 2004 a 20-year contract with the Hugo Neu Corporation, one of the country’s leading recycling companies. Under the contract, Hugo Neu, which is based in Manhattan, will build a $25 million, state-of-the-art recycling facility on city-... Read more

Following endorsement by both houses of parliament, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Kyoto Protocol on November 4, 2004, allowing the 1997 agreement, which aims to limit greenhouse-gas emissions and slow climate change, to take effect for signatories around the world. In order to be set in motion, the agreement required ratification... Read more

Caulking installed during the 1960s and ’70s threatens public health, according to a study published in the July 2004 issue of

Environmental Health Perspectives. The warning was spurred by the discovery of high polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in Boston-area buildings. The U.S. government banned the production of these chemicals in... Read more

The Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Chicago) has announced its first-ever Sustainable Design Awards as part of its annual Design Excellence Awards program, which honors the construction and renovation work of local architects. “Sustainable design represents a movement, not a trend,” said Susan King, chair of AIA... Read more

Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) has initiated a boycott of all prison design, construction, and renovation in protest of the prison-industrial complex and its effects on society. ADPSR works for peace, environmental protection, ecological building, social justice, and the development of healthy communities. For... Read more

The

National Association of Home Builders is now accepting entries for the

2005 National Green Building Awards, which recognize individuals, companies, and organizations demonstrating a commitment to environmentally responsible residential construction. The submission deadline is December 15, 2004, and winners will be announced... Read more

U.S. buildings are blamed for the deaths of nearly one billion birds each year, a statistic that bird experts will address during the first conference anywhere focused on designing buildings to be more bird-friendly. Chicago’s Department of the Environment, Department of Planning and Development, and Ornithological Society are planning the... Read more

I wanted to tell you that my ease in passing the LEED® Accredited Professional test is in large part due to my loyal reading of your newsletter for the last several years. Thanks for your excellent coverage of green issues.

Sarah Nettleton, AIA

Sarah Nettleton Architects

Minneapolis, MN

Editors’ Response: Reading... Read more