News Brief
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
The... Read moreProduct Review
News Brief
Edited by David Gissen. Princeton Architectural Press, New York, and National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., 2002. Hardcover, 192 pages, $40
Princeton Architectural Press and the National Building Museum have jointly publishedBig & Green: Toward Sustainable Architecture in the 21st Century, a bound version of the museum... Read more
News Analysis
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
Op-Ed
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).
We are now collecting feedback and suggestions to inform its potential future... Read moreNews Brief
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
Measuring the Success of Greenis a report documenting the results from an online survey of a broad range of building professionals conducted in the 3rd... Read moreNews Brief
The Boston Society of Architects (BSA) and New York chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) are
looking for outstanding sustainable design projects. Co-sponsored by the groups’ Committees on the Environment, this biennial contest is open to designers practicing anywhere in the world and for any type of project located... Read more
News Brief
The
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has moved its headquarters from Oaxaca, Mexico to Bonn, Germany. FSC plans to use the new International Center to coordinate FSC activities worldwide. The Oaxaca office will serve Latin America, joining a network of regional offices that will eventually include hubs in Asia, Africa, Europe, the... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected its 2003 Honor Award recipients. The esteemed awards will be presented at the AIA National Convention and Expo, to be held in San Diego, California this May. This year’s selections, chosen from nearly 600 submissions, include 15 whole buildings, 11 interiors, and 5 urban design projects.... Read more
News Brief
The Portland, Oregon-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation has announced an impressive
increase in support of Northwest wind and solar energy production. Due largely to new commercial accounts, Bonneville’s Green Tag renewable energy sales were 471% higher in 2002 than in the previous year! These sales represent the avoidance of... Read more
News Analysis
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
Feature
News Analysis
News Brief
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
News Brief
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
Op-Ed
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.
However, what is not worthy of the award is the R-20 claim. The R-20 claim is almost certainly only for the... Read moreNews Brief
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
News Brief
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
News Brief
New York State’s Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) is offering $1 million for development and demonstration of
innovative heating and cooling technologies for residential and commercial buildings in the state. NYSERDA expects to give out multiple awards of up to $250,000 each to support new technologies or... Read more
News Brief
by Daniel D. Chiras. Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, VT, 2002. Softcover, $29.95
At first glance, passive solar design might seem simple: put most of a building’s windows on the south side, minimize north-facing windows, and add thermal mass to store solar heat. But, as Daniel Chiras’s latest book,The Solar House... Read more

