When I received this month’s issue of

EBN [Vol. 15, No. 2], with its feature article extolling the virtues of polished concrete floors, I did a double take. Although I am drawn to concrete as a “modernist’s” material of choice, I believe it is of questionable value as an environmentally friendly choice.

It is difficult to... Read more

The Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) is inviting applications to its 21st World Habitat Awards, designed to recognize “practical, innovative, and sustainable solutions to current housing issues faced by countries of the global South as well as the North,” according to BSHF. “Projects are sought that view the term ‘habitat’ from a... Read more

The International Code Council (ICC) has developed Coastal Construction Flood Plain Inspector certification, which indicates “knowledge of general construction provisions, special high wind and load path continuity, special flood hazard areas, detached and accessory structures, and governmental regulations.” Certified individuals will be able... Read more

Lost Mountain, which describes mountaintop-removal... Read more

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New Mexico has become the first state in the U.S. to join the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the nation’s only market-based cap-and-trade system designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The state hopes to reduce its emissions to 2000 levels by 2012, 10% below 2000 levels by 2020, and 75% below 2000 levels by 2050. CCX membership is legally... Read more

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has announced the 2006 inductees into its College of Fellows, among the highest honors bestowed upon members. Several of this year’s Fellows have contributed to green design:

•G. Z. (Charlie) Brown, professor of architecture at the University of Oregon, founder and director of the school’s... Read more

A federal appeals court has overturned a policy that would have allowed power plants, refineries, and other industrial facilities to upgrade without also updating their pollution-control equipment. While the New Source Review program of the Clean Air Act ensured that older plants would clean up emissions whenever they performed upgrades beyond... Read more

New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to turn over information about the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in paints and similar products. Because VOCs contribute to smog and respiratory problems, EPA has limited the amount of VOCs that paints... Read more

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) has developed the Zero-Energy Building Award program to recognize energy-efficient projects designed for the Northeast climate. To be eligible, buildings must be located in the Northeast (including New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland), be occupied, and... Read more

Architects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR) has been a long-term supporter of

Environmental Building News (EBN) but was disappointed in your story on Wal-Mart’s environmental progress [Vol. 15, No. 1]. The article fails to examine the full breadth of the deleterious impact the company has on our country. You argue... Read more

In January 2006, New York City’s New School opened the Tishman Environment and Design Center, which will offer an undergraduate program in environmental studies. “One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Center will be the critical role of design,” says Joel Towers, former director of sustainable design at the Parsons School of Design... Read more

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has given Evergreen Awards to Watson Furniture Group, based in Poulsbo, Washington, and Shaw Industries, based in Dalton, Georgia, in recognition of their efforts in recycling, reducing waste, and offering environmentally preferable products and services. GSA recognized Watson in the furniture... Read more

Following nearly two years of planning and negotiations, 17 federal agencies and departments signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the White House Summit on Federal Sustainable Buildings in January 2006. Titled “The Federal Leadership Memorandum of Understanding to Adopt Guiding Principles for High Performance and... Read more

New federal efficiency standards for residential central air conditioners took effect in January 2006. President Clinton set the 30% jump in efficiency, from SEER 10 to SEER 13; President Bush challenged the move but was overruled by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in a lawsuit brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council (see

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Conservation International (CI) and George Washington University (GWU) are collaborating in the development and implementation of the Ecotourism Learning Program, designed to “provide a set of tools, knowledge, and standards to help communities create ecotourism destinations that successfully attract tourists while protecting the natural... Read more

The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is now accepting entries for its first annual Smart Environments Awards, intended to “honor the best in design solutions over the past five years, those that are environmentally and socially responsible as well as beautiful and functional.” Cosponsored by

Metropolis magazine, the... Read more