, former editor-in-chief of

Professional Builder magazine, reportedly lost his job after writing an editorial taking issue with the National Association of Homebuilder’s (NAHB) anti-environment stance. Healthy homes builder and author John Bower, writing on the Green-building e-mail discussion group, notes that Carper was... Read more

Social awareness and recognition of efforts to reduce car-dependence are evident in the

1997 Builder’s Choice Design and Planning Awards, sponsored by Buildermagazine and the American Institute of Architects' Housing Committee. The "Project of the

Year" is a community of mixed housing types in downtown Foster City, California,... Read more

About the time you receive this, the

EBN staff will be settling into our new Brattleboro digs. We’ve outgrown the space above Alex’s garage and are moving to one of several renovated industrial buildings that once housed the world-renowned Estey Organ Company. Our corporate name has also been changed from West River... Read more

Interface, Inc.’s subsidiary

Interface Architectural Resources and Herman Miller are forming a joint venture to produce integrated office interiors. The carpet company and the furniture manufacturer will design products to work together, offering more design and layout options for users. Both companies have been leaders in green... Read more

3rd edition, by John Bower. 1997, The Healthy House Institute, 430 N. Sewall Rd., Bloomington, IN 47408. Paperback, 650 pages, $23.95.

by John and Lynn Marie Bower. 1997, The... Read more

As Greenstone Industries and Louisiana-Pacific did in the cellulose insulation industry, U.S. Plastic Lumber (USPL) is now buying up local manufacturers and creating the first truly national brand in recycled plastic lumber. Since acquiring Earth Care Global Holdings, Inc. in March 1996, USPL has been... Read more

In 1965, 54% of the world’s

registered cars were in the United States. By 1995 this number had increased by 80% to 135 million, but our share of the world’s total had dropped to 28%. Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Transportation Energy Databook, Edition 17 (August 1997).

Third-party certification of forest operations and wood products is picking up steam. Large new tracts of land are being certified, including a number of publicly owned forests. A few forest

managers—as opposed to the lands themselves—now carry blanket certifications, covering any forests they manage. New products are carrying chain-of-... Read more

I read with interest your July/August issue (Vol. 6, No. 7). I was particularly drawn to your article on Louisiana-Pacific’s new siding line, SmartStart.

While you were accurate in noting that MDI binder is more resistant to moisture and swelling than the competitors’ resin, I would like to comment on your portrayal... Read more

A new 20-page fact sheet on insulation, published by the U.S. Department of Energy, recommends that when steel framing is used for new construction, a layer of rigid foam sheathing be installed

in all U.S. climates. The

Insulation Fact Sheet includes a map of the U.S. showing nine different insulation zones, which factor in both... Read more

by Urban Ecology, Inc., 405 14th Street, Suite 900, Oakland, CA 94612; 510/251-6332, 510/251-2117 (fax), ueblueprint@igc.apc.org (e-mail). 1996, paperback, 144 pages, $27.

Blueprint for a Sustainable Bay Area is... Read more

The halogen torchiere light fixtures that have been sweeping the lighting world over the past few years are bad news. Not only do they have about the lowest usable-light efficacy (lumens per watt) of any common lighting source—their widespread use in recent years has erased all of the energy savings achieved to date through the use of compact... Read more

The

Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance has grants available for projects that will advance environmentally sound practices within construction and demolition activities. Maximum grant amount is $75,000. Projects must take place in Minnesota, but applicants need not be based in the State. Application... Read more

As this issue’s feature article points out, some fluorescent lighting equipment can pose a significant risk to both human health and the environment. Lamps contain mercury, one of our most toxic metals. More significantly, as many as half of the ballasts in use in the U.S.—those made before 1979—contain highly toxic... Read more

The

1997 Architecture + Energy Awards from the American Institute of Architecture/Portland Chapter have gone to:

•Pacific Gas Transmission Building in Portland, for energy efficiency;

•Widmer Bros. Brewing Co. Expansion 2, for reuse and renewal;

•... Read more

A new North American organization,

The Cohousing Network, was officially established on September 21 at the third North American Cohousing Conference in Seattle. The Cohousing Network will take over many of the activities of regional associations, such as the Rocky Mountain CoHousing Association. It will produce

CoHousing: The... Read more