With thousands of safe and economical photoluminescent (PL) exit sign installations in buildings throughout North America, we at Active Safety initially wanted to tar and feather Alex Wilson for the inaccuracies and misconceptions in his feature article “The Evolution of Exit Signs (and Why the Latest is a Bad Idea),”

Vol. 15, No. 11.... Read more

In December 2006, Congress passed a last-minute extension of several tax credits related to renewable energy resources. The one-year extension covers tax credits, set up in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, for the installation of residential and commercial photovoltaic equipment, the construction of energy-efficient buildings, and the production... Read more

The Environmental Stewardship Council of Kaiser Permanente, a leading health-maintenance organization, has announced that it will require all new roofing on its facilities to be PVC-free starting in January 2007. According to Tom Cooper, chair of the High Performance Buildings Committee at Kaiser, the new policy includes the option to continue... Read more

This was the first program I’ve seen in which you can tell that someone approached the building with sustainability in mind,” says Scott Shell, of EHDD Architecture, in reference to the client’s concept document for the Department of Global Ecology, a new arm of the Washington, D.C. –based Carnegie Institution. Located alongside the venerable... Read more

It’s a common saying in the green building movement that “the greenest building is the one that isn’t built.” This ideal may be great, but with growing demand in many parts of the U.S.—and the world—for buildings, it’s often ignored. Meanwhile, millions of buildings already exist but are not being used to their full potential, despite... Read more

Heifer international is a nonprofit organization that addresses global problems with an approach founded in sustainability. It gives livestock such as goats, cows, and chickens to families in need as a lasting source of food and income. In 2000, during a period of strong growth and with its 200-plus staff spread across five locations in Little... Read more

The Communities and Local Government ministerial team in the United Kingdom has announced that it will release its new green building code, the Code for Sustainable Homes, by the end of 2006. Although the code is voluntary for private sector projects, all projects funded by the government will have to meet the code’s requirements. The code will... Read more

As part of the 2006 Greenbuild conference in Denver, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the winners of its annual Leadership Awards. The awards, given in five categories, were presented to “select companies and individuals with exceptional vision, leadership, and commitment to the evolution of green building design and... Read more

Despite strong opposition from industry groups, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a strict new lead bill into law, saying, “Protecting public health is a top priority.” Bill AB 1953 mandates that all pipes and fixtures carrying water for human consumption be “lead free” and lowers the levels of allowable lead in lead-free fixtures from the... Read more

EBN

Vol. 13, No. 7) and then discontinued in 2005 (see

EBN

Vol. 14, No. 10) is back, and from more than one company. This product uses a booster compressor that makes it viable as an air-source heat pump even in very cold weather. David Shaw, designer... Read more

Two players in the wood treatment industry are joining forces. Starting in January 2007, Rohm and Haas Company will operate a joint venture with Chemical Specialties, Inc. (CSI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. The new venture will join Rohm and Haas’s wood biocides division with the wood protection chemicals division of... Read more

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed new energy efficiency standards for home furnaces and boilers in October 2006. The standards, which were due in 2004, would require all gas furnaces to achieve a minimum annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating of 80%, a level already met by most furnaces on the market today. The current... Read more

Viridian Energy and Environmental, LLC, a new company specializing in energy modeling, green building consulting, and commissioning, was created on November 1, 2006, by four leading consultants from Norwalk, Connecticut-based Steven Winter Associates (SWA). The four—Adrian Tuluca, John Amatruda, Carl Ian Graham, and Vevashish (Dave) Lahiri—... Read more

Among the many announcements at the 2006 Greenbuild conference was the formation of the Green Cleaning Network, a nonprofit group dedicated to spreading information about green cleaning in hospitals, schools, offices, and other buildings (for more on green cleaning, see

EBN Vol. 14, No. 9). The founding members of the network include... Read more