Products earning Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certification, a multifaceted program run by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), are now recognized in the LEED Rating System, following an April 2007 ruling by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The new “administrative credit interpretation ruling” allows projects to earn a LEED credit if... Read more

Much has changed in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Technical Scientific Advisory Committee [TSAC] final report on PVC [see

EBN

Vol. 16, No. 3]. In this round, TSAC expanded its analysis to account for life-cycle issues that traditional LCA (life-cycle analysis) tools often miss, such as disposal issues and occupational... Read more

A bill passed by the Washington State Legislature places a limited ban on the use and sale of all polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. The legislation includes a widespread ban, effective January 1, 2008, on the octa and penta forms of PBDE, which were voluntarily discontinued by the sole manufacturer, Great Lakes Chemical... Read more

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced in March 2007 that four firms have achieved accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to perform chain-of-custody certification audits for SFI and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) sustainable forestry certification systems. PEFC is an... Read more

Michael Potts has replaced Amory Lovins as CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Colorado-based nonprofit and self-described “think and do tank.” Potts has been a member of RMI’s board of trustees since 2005. He previously served as CEO of software design company American Fundware, and, most recently, as a managing partner at Galway... Read more

Energy Star, the federal energy efficiency program, has announced that it will no longer certify programmable thermostats. According to Energy Star spokesperson Jill Abelson, the thermostats have the potential to save homes $150 or more yearly when used properly, but in practice, homes with programmable thermostats don’t consume less energy... Read more

The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) has recognized the Greenguard Children and Schools product certification program from the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) as a means of improving indoor air quality in school buildings. GEI’s product certification program complies with California’s Department of Health Services... Read more

Fire... Read more

Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are permanent forms for poured-concrete walls; the forms are typically stacked without mortar before concrete is poured, providing insulation and often reducing the amount of concrete needed for the resulting wall.

The insulation material varies from system to system, with the most common being high-... Read more

The remarkable ability of titanium dioxide (TiO2) to refract, or bend, light makes the substance suitable for myriad applications, including pigment in paint, paper, plastics, cosmetics, and food; a light-blocking ingredient in sunscreen; and a UV-reflector in applications including ceramics and glass. In addition, some TiO2 molecules in a... Read more

Both major associations of interior designers, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), have entered into collaborative agreements with BuildingGreen, publisher of

Environmental Building News, that make online access to

BuildingGreen Suite available at a special... Read more

Great Britain is the latest to join the growing portfolio of countries with their own green building councils. The U.K. Green Building Council (UKGBC), headed by Paul King, will be the official British affiliate of the World Green Building Council and will promote and represent green building throughout the country. UKGBC has officially adopted... Read more

The Bank of America (BOA) has announced significant additions to its environmental initiatives, unveiling $20 billion in loan programs, market encouragement, and consumer products. For its commercial customers, BOA will launch a carbon emissions trading system and offer favorable consideration to loans for companies focusing on environmentally... Read more

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) seem to have reached widespread acceptance: large retailers such as Wal-Mart are encouraging their customers to purchase the energy-saving lamps, Chinese manufacturing has significantly reduced costs, and rebates are available for them in some areas. Now there are several initiatives to ban the sale and use of... Read more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the recipients of its first WaterSense labels for landscape irrigation certification programs. The Irrigation Association’s programs to certify irrigation designers and contractors have been recognized by EPA for their ability to teach principles of water-saving irrigation design.... Read more

New Resource Bank, a San Francisco bank founded by a group of green entrepreneurs, is offering financial incentives for green building projects. The bank will offer a higher loan-to-value ratio and a 1⁄8% discount on rates for loans to commercial or multiunit residential green projects. Open since November 2006, the bank has financed several... Read more

A McGraw-Hill Construction study, the

Education Green Building SmartMarket Report, suggests that green schools represent a growing sector of the construction market. The $53 billion education sector currently represents over 27% of the construction market by value, and the study suggests that the green portion of this market will be... Read more