News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... Read more
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
News Brief
Carol Venolia, Publisher/Editor
If “progressive construction” can be defined as pushing the tools and techniques of conventional builders in the direction of less environmental destruction, then Building With Nature’s material goes beyond progressive, into the forefront of visionary thinking about construction. This bimonthly newsletter, now... Read moreProduct Review
To the best of our knowledge, this product is now being marketed under the name Rauhsaser by Better Wall System of Kenora, ON.
CoverAge is a tacky name for a great product that all remodelers should know about. It is a paintable, textured wallpaper that’s made entirely of recycled paper (at... Read moreNews Analysis
The recent ruling to allow logging on several thousand acres of old-growth forest in western Oregon was portrayed in the national media as a blow to environmentalists, but the action may not prove so damaging in the end. While the ruling permits logging on 13 of the 44 sites that were under consideration by the so-... Read more
Explainer
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
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
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
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
Forum topic
Hello Green Gurus,
We’re always trying to improve this online space, from adding an events calendar and 5-minute presentation recordings, to creating a filterable member directory. We have several other ideas in the works, and we’re looking for a group of Peer Network members to help us test them before they go live.
Requirements... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Community,
For those of you who will be in San Diego shortly for Greenbuild, and want to come together to honor Lance, please see the details at :
https://celebratinglance.eventbrite.com
We will meet up outside at 5pm on the 22nd. Details in the evite.
Please share with anyone outside of this list who was a... Read more
Forum topic
Hi MEP Leaders,
Just a reminder that our monthly call is next Tuesday, July 11, at 2pm ET. Chris Colasanti will be presenting on impacts of different facade characteristics on overall energy performance!
All Network members are welcome to join. Here is the agenda, and below is the Zoom info:
Join Zoom Meeting
https... Read more
Forum topic
https://www.architects.org/awards/sustainable-design-0
All,
My BSA Co-chair, Steven Burke, and I want to make you all aware of the BSA Sustainable Design Awards coming up soon. Please see the above link for qualifications and registration information. This is an award which is attempting to work towards the same stringency, rigor... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
Our team has been working hard to wrap up this year's SCL Summit Report, and we're excited to announce that it is finally complete!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zcSPctZ1BiyPQomiw4wTQLajR816mm3KJV0BL5B14-0/edit?usp=sharing
In addition to the usual summary of key points from the summit, this report captures... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
The live webinar occurred on Tuesday, June 20th 2:00pm Eastern (11am Pacific)Practitioners interested in reducing the embodied carbon of buildings are likely now used to considering the impact of different materials, like mass timber or low-carbon concrete. Low-carbon... Read more
Forum topic
Greetings, All.
The Resilient Outcomes Working group has been putting together a resource list (and map) of resources for supporting resilience-focused design across the US. So far, we have around 50 resources on the list, ranging from the AIA Resilient Design Toolkit to local Vulnerability and Adaptation reports and tools.
We... Read more


