In a case that has baffled his family, friends, colleagues, and the police, Gregory Franta, FAIA, has mysteriously disappeared. He was last seen having dinner with his daughter on Sunday, February 8, in Denver; and was captured on a surveillance camera leaving a club several hours later. He was driving a 2006 white Honda Civic Hybrid, four-door... Read more

Despite the economic downturn and the trend toward smaller crowds at building trade shows, Efficiency Vermont's 2009 Better Buildings by Design Conference was a great success and actually increased attendance this year. The enthusiastic response is a tribute to the sustainable building community at large and to Efficiency Vermont, which put on... Read more

Last week we reviewed the history of wind energy, including its use for pumping water and generating power. This week we'll take at look at the state of the art with wind power and what's ahead.

The growth of wind power over the past decade has been nothing short of spectacular. In ten years, from... Read more

Over the past few... Read more

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Last week I described why some environmentalists have shifted their position and now support nuclear power, and I described how we might be able to store nuclear waste more safely and cheaply than in the Yucca Mountain facility. So what's wrong with nuclear power? Why not move full-steam-ahead with this much more climate-friendly power... Read more

There are a lot of problems with our existing food production system. Consider: the average mouthful of food has traveled 1,500 miles before reaching our plate, losing nutrition and flavor while consuming an incredible amount of energy. Agribusiness has created vast monocultures of grains, corn, and soybeans that, directly or indirectly deliver... Read more

To achieve the rating, Gottfried renovated a... Read more

Panasonic has introduced what may be the first vacuum-panel-insulated refrigerator in the world. The 17.7 ft3 (501 l) NR-F503TE refrigerator-freezer, introduced in late 2008 in Japan, is insulated with Panasonic’s U-VacuaIV vacuum panels that consist of multiple layers of glass fibers and aluminum films sealed into a vacuum panel. The... Read more

Recent research published in the journal

Psychological Science gives a boost to the

biophilia hypothesis, which suggests that humans have an innate affinity for nature and that we benefit from exposure to nature—even through images (see

EBN

Vol. 15, No. 7).

Subjects in a University of Michigan study were... Read more

Since

EBN reviewed micronized copper as an environmentally preferable alternative to soluble copper formulas in treated wood (see

EBN Vol. 17, No. 2), those products have won over most of the U.S. market. According to Richard Kleiner, director for treated wood markets at the Southern Forest Products Association, most major wood... Read more

Can the presence of porches and stoops affect people’s health? Numerous designers, researchers, and authors have explored the connection; Jane Jacobs famously wrote about the benefits of “eyes on the street” and the architectural features that support them. A team led by Scott Brown of the Miami Miller School of Medicine recently published... Read more

The “Eco-Labeling Act of 2008” is far from becoming the law of the land, but U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is crafting federal legislation under that name to rein in the confusing proliferation of environmental product labels.

Eli Zabar’s bakery and market on East 91st Street in Manhattan seems like a classic New York market. On my half-dozen visits over as many years, I’ve reveled in the gorgeously displayed vegetables and fruits, the vast array of cheeses, and the wide assortment of breads and pastries baked next door. But Zabar’s market, the Vinegar Factory (... Read more

The potential environmental benefits of nanomaterials may be significantly offset by the intensive demands of their manufacturing processes, according to research recently published in the

Journal of Industrial Ecology.

EBN

Vol. 17, No. 3) for... Read more