A report from the United Nations Environment Programme, titled “Buildings and Climate Change: Status, Challenges, and Opportunities,” details connections between the building industry and efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. According to the report, which focuses primarily on Europe, more rigorous energy efficiency standards there could... Read more

Noting that “it is the policy of the United States that federal agencies conduct their … missions in an environmentally, economically, and fiscally sound, integrated, continuously improving, efficient, and sustainable manner,” President George W. Bush signed an executive order titled “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and... Read more

According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Americans took more than 10 billion trips on local public transportation in 2006, reaching the highest level since 1957. Ridership was up 3% between the end of 2005 and the end of 2006, and up 28% in the decade since 1996. Over the last decade, the growth rate of public transit... Read more

BuildingGreen Suite.

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EpiCenter, Artists for Humanity (Boston;... Read more

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

In a perfect world, energy simulations and design tools would be so well integrated that each time an architect moved a wall, added a window, or changed a lighting specification, the building’s predicted energy performance would be updated and displayed instantly. With that sort of real-time feedback, designers would quickly become skilled at... 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

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

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World Birding Center Headquarters in Mission, Texas, designed by Lake Flato Architects, is an integral part of... Read more

CertainTeed Corporation has altered the formulation of its fiber-cement siding lines to add recycled flyash. CertainTeed WeatherBoards and ColorMax fiber-cement siding lines now include 30%–50% flyash in addition to wood fiber, portland cement, and other additives. Cement is energy intensive to produce, and the use of flyash, a waste product... Read more

The American Institute of Architects has announced the admission of 76 architects to its College of Fellows for 2007. Elected to the position by a jury of their peers, fellows are recognized for their design achievements and for their service to the profession and the public. Among the fellows recognized were several who specialize in green... 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

In conventional CFLs, a

hot... 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

Disposal of unused drugs in toilets, as well as human and livestock excretion of drugs, has polluted surface water and groundwater with traces of pharmaceuticals. In coordination with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently... Read more