With some tree and shrub species, whether you specify males or females can make a huge difference for allergy sufferers. This point is one of the most intriguing to emerge from recent work of Thomas Ogren, a San Luis Obispo, California-based expert on flowering plants and pollen-related allergies.... Read more

by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins. Little, Brown & Company, Boston, 1999. Hardcover, 396 pages, $26.95, or free online at

www.natcap.org.

As I was returning to the U.S. from a recent trip to Vancouver,

Natural Capitalism, sticking out of my shoulder bag, caught the attention of the... Read more

At its March 30 Federal Government Summit, the U.S. Green Building Council presented the first twelve buildings to receive LEED™ certification (see descriptions, starting at right). These buildings are certified under the standards of the pilot program—also known as LEED 1.0—so no actual scores or levels (such... Read more

In what is believed to be a first, a municipal government in the United States is joining with an international alliance of island nations to combat global warming. The Monroe Board of County Commissioners in the Florida Keys passed a resolution in mid-March acknowledging the likelihood of significant impacts from global warming and agreeing to... Read more

We’re pleased to announce that Dan Woodbury is moving from the role of marketing director to that of publisher! Dan has proven himself invaluable in expanding our circulation and helping to produce and sell our other products, and we’re excited that the responsibilities of publisher will now be in such capable... Read more

by Chris Magwood and Peter Mack, 2000. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C., Canada.

Paperback, 234 pages, $24.95.

Straw Bale Building makes a substantial contribution to the literature in many ways.

First and foremost, the book is authored (and published) by Canadians with a definite focus... Read more

In an ironic example of a great idea that is struggling commercially, Amoco Fabrics and Fibers Company has created a new carpet backing but is having trouble selling it. Amoco’s AdBac® Composite Backing System has a host of advantages: it is lighter weight, easier to install, and free of the odor (... Read more

The first quarter of 2000 was the

warmest first quarter ever recorded in the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The average temperature for this period, 41.7°F (5.4°C), exceeds the previous record (1990) by a full degree Fahrenheit.

Natural Home magazine is sponsoring a

“Natural Home of the Year” contest for both new construction and remodeled residences and single rooms. The winning homes will be featured in the magazine’s November/December 2000 issue and will receive additional national press exposure. There is no charge to enter, and... Read more

Flooring, paneling, and other wood products from Green Mountain Woodworks (GMW) in Southwestern... Read more

The secondary mortgage lending market is complex and can be confusing. While sale of mortgages on the secondary market can actually limit green options (with the requirements for conventional heating and wastewater systems, for example), it can also be a way of encouraging green—at least if Fannie Mae’s new Green... Read more

Initial efforts to repeal portions of the 1992 Energy Policy and Conservation Act that mandate

low-flow toilets and other water-conserving plumbing fixtures have failed. A House subcommittee voted 13-12 on April 12 to keep the water conservation standards. Joining the 11 Democrats on the vote were two Republican lawmakers from quickly... Read more

In February, the Virginia legislature rejected a bill that would have allowed local officials to

control development through restrictions on home building and infrastructure fees for developers. The measure was supported by a coalition of communities in high-growth parts of the state but strongly opposed by the development and real... Read more

I always read

EBN all the way through, but I look for the best parts and go to them first. After leafing through the whole magazine, I started on the “Structure as Finish” article (

EBN

Vol. 9, No. 3), thinking at first—“not so interesting.” By the time I was into the third... Read more

On May 9, 2000 the

NextGen factory-built house developed through the U.S. government’s

Partnership for Advanced Technology in Housing (PATH) will be unveiled in Danbury, Connecticut. NextGen was designed with support from Steven Winter Associates, Inc. of Norwalk, Connecticut, and built by New Era of Strattanville, Pennsylvania... Read more

EBN

Vol. 8, No. 5) as their first climate-neutral product, and Saunders now offers climate-... Read more

On March 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new regulations designed to reduce

pollution from small power equipment, such as lawnmowers, chainsaws, and weed trimmers. The regulations, to be phased in over seven years, are expected to reduce the emission of smog-causing pollutants by 350,000 tons (320,000 tonnes... Read more

By the time you read this,

EBN’s Internet presence, including our Web site and e-mail addresses, will be at the BuildingGreen.com domain. Ebuild.com, the cyber-identity we grew up with, is being sold to a leading publisher in the homebuilding industry. We’re excited about the change for two reasons: 1) the... Read more

2nd edition, 2000. Austin Energy, PO Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767-8844; 512/505-3700, 512/499-2859 (fax). 3-ring binder format, 266 pages, $60.

The

Sustainable Building Sourcebook came out in 1993 (see

EBN

Vol. 3, No. 1) as one of the leading resources on green building, providing... Read more

In a major achievement for environmental activists, two of the nation’s largest homebuilders, Kaufman & Broad (K&B) and Centex Homes, have publicly committed to eliminating their use of wood from endangered forests. Both statements arrived just days before an April 1 “Day of... Read more