News Analysis
The recent ruling to allow logging on several thousand acres of old-growth forest in western Oregon was portrayed in the national media as a blow to environmentalists, but the action may not prove so damaging in the end. While the ruling permits logging on 13 of the 44 sites that were under consideration by the so-... Read more
News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... Read more
News Brief
At first glance,
An Environmental Handbook for Florida Contractors looks like it deals only with the environmental regulations that Florida contractors must contend with. And, indeed, the Handbook describes in detail the requirements for complying with regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. But the book goes much further,... Read more
Product Review
The company's promotional material is the epitome of environmentally friendly packaging—like a Ben & Jerry's annual report. The article reprints sent were even bound in a jacket made from corrugated cardboard. So we were quite intrigued by the product. Syndecrete™ is a lightweight, pre-cast,... Read more
Feature
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... Read more
Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Gurus,
I’m writing to share with you an effort a small group of lighting designers from the Boston area started which is now rolling into a large scale effort. We’ve put together a Lighting Advocacy Letter to accelerate the sustainability of lighting products. Inspired by the AIA Materials Pledge, the letter is intended to... Read more
Forum topic
Colleagues,
As we all know, ventilation rates must be kept the same between the LEED Baseline and proposed energy models. However, we're aware of projects that have been able to claim energy savings associated to reducing ventilation using systems like Aircuity.
Have any of you successfully claimed credit for reduced airflow due... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Sages,
As you may have seen in my message, the Peer Networks Member List is not very helpful to us (yet), because a person can only show up in one network. Many of us are also in SDL or other networks; there are many more of us than show up when you filter that list for "Sages."
Until we can get that fixed, we'll share the... Read more
Forum topic
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Show and Tell at Greenbuild! Here are slides from the presentations:
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Chemical Transparency: The HPD Issue.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Discuss why chemical transparency matters and answer common technical and practical questions regarding HPDs.
2. Offer solutions for the legitimate concerns... Read more
Product Guide
Solvents and other hazardous ingredients contained in flooring adhesives can pose a significant health risk and compromise indoor air quality.
BuildingGreen-Approved Flooring Adhesives
BuildingGreen approves flooring adhesives that
exceed South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) 1168 VOC content limits and also... Read moreForum topic
Hello Green Gurus!
Here are the details for an upcoming Peer Networks webinar, Strategies for Streamlining Sustainable Materials.
Save the date! The registration link will be posted shortly.
Strategies for Streamlining Sustainable Materials
September 24th, 2020
2pm - 3pm ET (11am - Noon PT)
This session... Read more

