Video by Jim Hamm Productions with the National Film Board of Canada, 1999 (U.S. release: 2000). Narrated by David Suzuki. Distributed by Bullfrog Films, Inc., 610/779-8226, 800/543-3764;

www.bullfrogfilms.com. 46 minutes, $75 to rent, $250 to buy

Turning Down the Heat is a super introduction to the field of renewable energy as a... Read more

Product Briefs

Glass manufacturer

Pilkington was awarded the 2000 Crystal Achievement Award for the Most Innovative Glazing Component by

Window & Door Magazine for the newly launched Solar E™ sun-control low-e glass. Like the company’s Energy Advantage™ glass, introduced in 1989, Solar E has a durable hard-coat (pyrolytic)... Read more

Newsbriefs

An unusual collaboration among British Columbian forest products companies and environmental groups will examine

conservation-based ecosystem management of temperate rainforests. Four of the largest timber companies in BC (Canadian Forest Products, Fletcher Challenge Canada, Western Forest Products, and Weyerhaeuser) will... Read more

Newsbriefs

For the first time ever,

a hole in the stratospheric ozone layer opened up over a populated area. During two days in early September the South Pole ozone hole extended over the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, a city of 120,000 people. Residents were exposed to very high levels of ultraviolet radiation, significantly increasing... Read more

The Worldwatch Institute Board of Directors has named

Christopher Flavin as the second president of the Institute. Flavin replaces Lester Brown, who wants to cut back on his level of activity but will remain Chairman of the environmental research and policy institute he founded in 1974. Flavin has been with Worldwatch since 1978 and is... Read more

Awards & Competitions

The American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment has announced a juried design competition for the

2001 Earth Day Top Ten green building awards. (In past years the Committee has used a less formal process to select projects for this recognition.) Entries will be reviewed for architectural... Read more

Cotton Insulation is Back!

The allure of a building material made from blue jeans is undeniable. One of the new cotton insulation products we field-tested attracted attention even at its 6:45 a.m. delivery here at the

EBN office. Peering into the blue bundles of batts, passersby peppered us with questions: what is this stuff, how does... Read more

Newsbriefs

84 Lumber has just joined the ranks of Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menard’s as the largest home improvement retailers to commit to some type of certified lumber policy (stores rank in total U.S. sales: Home Depot–#1, Lowe’s–#2, Menard’s–#3, and 84 Lumber–#6). The details and level of specificity of each store’s policy and plan vary—84... Read more

Errata on BEES Review

In our review of the BEES 2.0 software (EBNVol. 9, No. 9), we made two unfortunate errors:

1. When we expressed skepticism about the installed costs of vinyl siding and stucco, we reversed the numbers. BEES uses $1.29/ft2 ($13.89/m2) for stucco and $2.07/ft2 ($22.39/m2). for vinyl. We have also learned that these... Read more

TXU Electric

, the largest electric utility in Texas, has entered into a “sell all, buy all” wind power contract with FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of Florida Power and Light, a $6 billion national provider of electricity-related services (15% of FPL’s energy portfolio comes from wind power, with 85% coming from renewables or natural gas). FPL... Read more

DOE Promotes High-Performance Buildings

At an October 3 reception on Capitol Hill and an October 4 press conference, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will roll out the initial results of its roadmapping initiatives for promoting high-performance commercial buildings. The series of roadmapping efforts to be featured involve broad-based... Read more

There’s No Lack of Engineers Who Know Buildings!

I disagree with the reported remark concerning the mechanical engineering community and education in building design (“What the U.S. design profession really lacks is creative mechanical engineers!” in

EBN

Vol. 9, No. 7/8, p. 8). Yes, a mechanical engineer from one of the many... Read more

Awards & Competitions

On June 15, 2000,

Collins & Aikman Floorcovering was presented with one of six Corporate Conscience Awards from the New York City-based Council on Economic Priorities. C&A was recognized for its ER3® carpet products, made largely from old carpet; for its take-back program for old carpet; and for its... Read more

Regulations on Lead Paint in Salvaged Materials

A well-intentioned lead-based paint disposal rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has inadvertently caused confusion and concern in the building materials recycling and salvage industries, but the situation is improving. EPA intended to facilitate lead abatement by... Read more

Researchers at the University of Florida have demonstrated that existing stack-scrubbing technology can be applied to wood-burning boilers to remove and render insoluble volatilized heavy metals from the

incineration of CCA-treated wood (see

EBN

Vol. 6, No. 3 for background discussion). Bubbling stack exhaust through... Read more

Builder John Abrams of Martha’s Vineyard is a storyteller. One of his favorite stories is about Gandhi:

A woman approaches the well-known visionary seeking help with her son’s addiction to sweets. He listens to her concerns but does not meet with the child. Over the following weeks she asks him several more times for help. Each time he... Read more

Armstrong World Industries has dramatically expanded its ceiling tile recycling program (

EBN

Vol. 7, No. 10). The company now pays the freight (within the lower 48) on trailer loads—30,000 ft2 (2,800 m2) or more—of approved tiles, has streamlined the process of recycling, and gives great guidance on job-site practices for efficient... Read more

Capstone Microturbine: Opening Up Cogeneration Opportunities

Looking a bit like an oversized computer tower, the Model 330 Capstone MicroTurbine™ is paving the way for cost-effective cogeneration in commercial and industrial buildings. While state-of-the-art power plants can achieve a conversion rate for source energy to electricity as high as... Read more

Larry Sherwood

, who has served ably as executive director of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) for 12 years, has announced his resignation. Larry plans to leave the association following the ASES Annual meeting in April 2001. He does not have definite plans for the future.

Savings from T-5s Questioned

Your publication is at the very top of my periodical reading list. I am concerned, however, about the article regarding HID vs. T-5 fluorescent lighting (July/August 2000). While I’m totally in agreement with the concept, it appears to me that the 1st Source lighting analysis may be flawed. It is very risky to... Read more