With this issue we begin our fourth year of publishing EBN. The milestone gives me an opportunity to reflect back over our short history and tell you about some developments for the future. It has been a good three years—no, make that great. We’ve had our share of ups and downs and financial struggles, to be sure, but positive... Read more

The results of the Boston Society of Architects’ 1995 Sustainable Design Awards were announced on June 17 at the Boston Area Solar Energy Association’s annual Solar Cooker Picnic. The sole award was given to Christopher Grant Kerwan, Bart S. Uchida, and Matthew Urbanski, all of Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the demolition and reconstruction of... Read more

In a statement released this April, The American Physical Society argued that the electromagnetic fields (EMF) emanating from power lines and appliances do not show a consistent, significant link with cancer. APS, the world’s largest organization of physicists with over 43,000 members, argues that the... Read more

[enlarge image]Notes:

One and Two Family Dwelling Code is likely to spur adoption... Read more

A new 68,000 ft3 grocery store in Kitsap County, Washington is being used to demonstrate the use of recycled-content building materials that can be used in commercial projects. A key element of the project is public education and increasing awareness within the design and construction community. For information, contact Scott Thomas of the... Read more

This rule recommends minimum recycled content for various materials purchased by the government or purchased for... Read more

I read with interest and some misgivings your review of the American Forest & Paper Association’s (AF&PA) Sustainable Forestry Initiative in the News & Developments section of your May/June issue. While I agree that it is encouraging that the AF&PA’s membership appears to be taking steps to ameliorate... Read more

A potential barrier to cellulose insulation use that was described in the last issue of EBN (Vol. 4, No. 3) has apparently been solved. The May 1995 issue of

Energy Design Update reported that the three model code bodies are removing recently adopted provisions that would have required more stringent fire testing for cellulose. Both... Read more

Canada’s Green Building Information Council (GBIC) was inaugurated in July of 1994 in Toronto. Coordinated by University of British Columbia School of Architecture Professor Dr. Raymond Cole, the Council is dedicated to stimulating public and private efforts to “advance the energy and environmental... Read more

The visibility you gave to BLOOMS ACROSS AMERICA in your May/June 1995 issue is greatly appreciated, however; I do want to clarify a key point in order to prevent any alarm or confusion about the product. While the wildflower seed mix is not made up entirely of North American native wildflowers, it is composed of... Read more

Amoco Foam Products Company has added the new Amofoam-RCX™ to its existing Amofoam-RCY™ line of recycled-content extruded polystyrene insulation. The RCX products, aimed at residential markets, are laminated on both sides with a polyethylene film to protect them from damage during handling and construction, and they are configured in thinner... Read more

An ironic turn of events has resulted in a lobbying battle among two of the largest U.S. wood products companies. An in-depth article in

The

New York Times (May 21, 1995) reports that Weyer­haeuser is lobbying Washington policy makers to retain tight air pollution regulations,... Read more

The Passive Solar Industries Council and the American Solar Energy Society will announce the first pilot sites for their Buildings for a Sustainable America: Education Campaign at the annual ASES conference in July. The campaign hopes to demonstrate the potential of passive solar and renewable energy strategies in buildings. For... Read more

Bruce K. Ferguson. 1994, CRC Press, 2000 Corporate Boulevard, NW, Boca Raton, FL 33431; 407/994-0555. 270 pages, hardcover, $77.45.

This is a technical book—much more than most designers and builders think they need to know about the topic—but it is reviewed here because of the significance of good... Read more

Of all the common materials used in construction, none poses quite the challenges of roofing—particularly from an environmental standpoint.

Roofs provide one of the most fundamental functions of a building: shelter from the elements. Roofs must endure drastic temperature swings, long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, high winds,... Read more

David Engwicht. 1993, New Society Publishers, 4527 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143; 800/333-9093. 180 pages, paperback, $12.95; cloth, $39.95.

Reclaiming Our Cities & Towns is the sort of book one wishes everyone would read. It is relevant whether you design communities,... Read more

A new series of case studies is providing evidence that efforts to make buildings more energy efficient may also enhance the built environment in ways that are economically much more significant than the energy savings. While scientifically valid data about occupant well-being and performance is extremely... Read more

John Tillman Lyle. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1994. 340 pages, hardcover, $49.95.

“Post-consumer recycled” is a term we generally associate with consumer products like paper and plastic, but now a wood flooring has that designation, too, with official, third-party certification. International Wood Products, Inc., of Queen Anne, Maryland has been certified by Scientific Certification Systems for 100 percent post-consumer... Read more