News Analysis
trademark symbol Lists
IAQ-Rated Products
A new Web-based product registry from Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS) offers product manufacturers an opportunity to promote products that meet widely referenced indoor air quality (IAQ) guidelines. While the number of building materials listed currently is small, it is... Read more
News Brief
, who has served ably as executive director of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) for 12 years, has announced his resignation. Larry plans to leave the association following the ASES Annual meeting in April 2001. He does not have definite plans for the future.
Op-Ed
we can be doing. We’re committed to greening the building industry, but how are we doing... Read more
News Brief
of green buildings from the U.S. and Europe, will be traveling from its New York City origin to several other locations over the next year. The exhibit was organized by the Architectural League of New York and curated by Peter Buchanan. Details may be found online at www.archleague.org. At press... Read more
News Brief
William Bobenhausen, Director of Sustainability at Steven Winter Associates (SWA) of Norwalk, Connecticut, was conferred the honor of “Fellow” by the American Institute of Architects at the May 2000 AIA Convention in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, SWA has received an official citation from the Connecticut General Assembly for “exemplary efforts to... Read more
Op-Ed
News Analysis
Interface flooring has obtained sole licensing rights to make flooring products with NatureWorks™, the new corn-based polylactide (PLA) polymer. Jointly developed by The Dow Chemical Company and Cargill Inc., NatureWorks is made using 30% to 40% less fossil fuel than the amount required for conventional... Read more
News Brief
Meanwhile,
polar ice is melting. The July 21 issue of
Science reports that the massive Greenland Ice Sheet, which contains roughly 10% of all fresh water on earth, is melting at a rate of 12 cubic miles (51 km3) per year. This melting results in 0.13 mm of sea level rise worldwide annually, according to NASA researchers.
... Read moreProduct Review
Just as common window screening keeps airborne pests out of buildings, Termi-Mesh keeps out subterranean termites. But that is where the analogy ends. If you are going to bury a screen underground, build walls on top of it, wrap it tightly around pipes, make it “chew-proof”... Read more
News Brief
Although the number of
local green building programs is still relatively small—there are fewer than 20 nationwide—forces are growing. In June of this year, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (Greater Seattle) released their Built Green™ program. Partners for the home builder-based program include King and... Read more
News Brief
Recent doctoral work in geography by Ryan Jensen at the University of Florida-Gainesville revealed that the city of Gainesville has twice the leaf coverage of the nearby city of Ocala. When Jensen then checked average utility bills from the two cities, he found that Ocala residents were paying $126 more per year than Gainesville residents.... Read more
News Analysis
In what EPA is calling the “largest enforcement penalty ever taken against a single ‘smokestack’ company under the Clean Air Act,” Portland, Oregon-based Willamette Industries is expected to spend in excess of $90 million in fines and pollution controls. The company violated the Clean Air Act by failing to install proper pollution controls or... Read more
News Brief
Software from the Building and Fire Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). No charge. Download from the Web at
www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html or order from the U.S. EPA’s Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse, 202/260-1023, ppic@epamail.epa.gov. Information: Barbara C. Lippiatt, 301/975-... Read more
News Brief
Ocean
surface waters near the equator are warming at an “alarming” rate, according to analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released on July 28. Between 1984 and 1996, water temperatures have risen approximately 0.1°F (0.056°C) per year, which the researchers say is far more than can be explained by... Read more
Product Review
Op-Ed
The U.S. Green Building Council would like to thank
Environmental Building News for an excellent article in the June issue on the development and content of LEED™ Green Building Rating System (EBN
Vol. 9, No. 6). We are extremely excited by the market response we have seen and believe that LEED is, and... Read more
News Analysis
On August 1, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation merged its GreenStone cellulose insulation division with the U.S. Fiber division of Casella Waste Systems, Inc. to form U.S. GreenFiber, LLC. With the creation of this 50:50 joint venture, both U.S. Fiber and GreenStone have ceased to exist. The new company will... Read more
News Brief
Hilliard House is also a distinctly green project. The $1.2 million... Read more
News Brief
Champion Enterprises and the U.S. Department of Energy have partnered to produce
the first HUD-code (mobile) home made entirely of structural insulated panels (SIPs). The 1,384 ft2 (129 m2) home, built in Silverton, Oregon, uses SIPs in the walls, floors, and ceilings. Two SIP manufacturers, Premier Building Systems and Precision Panel... Read more
Product Review
Ecowork by Studio eg
In production since 1995, Ecowork is a line of freestanding office furniture made from 98% recycled materials—including tires, cardboard, newspaper—and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) from certified pine. Widely reviewed, and the recipient of several awards, this furniture is boldly designed,... Read more



