The International Specular Reflector Association has broadened its scope and changed its name to the

Energy Efficient Lighting Association. According to David Brown, president of the two-year-old organization, “ISRA goals have been achieved—reflectors are now recognized as an effective tool to help achieve energy-efficient... Read more

Plastics recycling suffered many setbacks in 1996, not the least of which was the demise of Amoco’s 50%-recycled extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation. The original Amofoam-RCY™, introduced in December 1991, has been officially discontinued. The newer Amofoam-RCX™, which is available in... Read more

Earth and Straw:

by Bruce King, P.E.

1996, Ecological Design Press, Sausalito, California (distributed by Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, Vermont). Paperback, 170 pages, $25.

Three new committees have been established within the France-based International Union of Testing and Research Laboratories for Materials and Structures (RILEM). Together with one committee established previously, these three aim to assess international standards for reporting on environmental... Read more

The internationally sanctioned phaseout of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) is causing an unprecedented pace of change and innovation in the refrigeration industry. The old standby refrigerants no longer make the grade. These ozone-depleting chemicals are now well on their way to being contained—1995 global production of CFCs was down 76% from its... Read more

Sustainable Building:

by David Anink, Cheil Boonstra, and John Mak.

1996, James & James (Science Publishers) Limited.

Paperback, 175 pages, $40.

With their National Green Plan, the Dutch have long been leaders in their environmental thinking, and this book shows that the same applies to their... Read more

The

United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is now working on promoting the use of environmentally sustainable practices, products, and technologies in building systems within the U.N. Among other initiatives, a pilot demonstration project involving the greening of UNEP’s Regional Office for North America is now underway. A... Read more

Lean and Green for a Municipal Office Building

Many commercial buildings that have received attention over the past few years for environmental features are beautiful, high-end corporate buildings, or attractive demonstration buildings for utility companies or environmental organizations. The Ridgehaven Building... Read more

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A scientific panel convened by the

National Research Council, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, reports that after surveying hundreds of studies, it found no clear and convincing evidence that exposure in the home to electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) causes any human disease. The panel determined that research... Read more

In the Old World, humans and animals have been adapting to each other for a long time, so it should come as no surprise that the owl habitat protected by new local regulations in Britain is of human construction. According to the Autumn 1996 issue of

Building for a Future, the North Cornwall and Derbyshire Dales District Councils now... Read more

by John Carmody, Stephen Selkowitz, and Lisa Heschong.

W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1996. Softcover, 214 pages, $22.

Simply put, this is one of the best books on energy to come out in recent years. The authors have done a superb job of clearly and accurately describing the complex developments in window... Read more

Not a Bright Idea

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Submission deadline for the 1997

Quality Building Conference Design Competition is February 15, 1997. Prizes will be awarded to projects that incorporate cost-effective energy and resource conservation systems into their buildings. A range of categories will be judged, including both built and unbuilt projects. Awards will be presented... Read more

Among the recipients of the first

Building Innovation in Home-ownership Awards was the Super-Insulated Straw Bale Affordable Housing Project of Tucson, Arizona. Project organizers receiving the award included Judy Knox and Matts Mhyrmann of Out On Bale, (un)Ltd., David Eisenberg of the Development Center for... Read more

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With this first issue of 1997 we’re excited to announce a number of changes that will, we hope, provide you with more of what you like in

EBN, and in a more accessible format. Most important, you will now receive

EBN ten times each year instead of six. That’s right, we’ll be publishing monthly, except for... Read more