The energy firm BP (formerly British Petroleum) has announced the creation of the Energy Biosciences Institute and has selected the University of California–Berkeley, the University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to lead the effort. In addition to contributing $500 million over ten years, BP will also... 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

The American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment has so far signed on 145 presidents, including those of the nation’s largest universities. The commitment endorses a goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by mid-century and commits signatory institutions to pursuing climate neutrality. Universities have two... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council’s 2007 Emerging Green Builders Natural Talent Design Competition is accepting registrations. The competition is being held on the local level again this year, with 19 participating chapters each creating their competition around a local design challenge. For example, the Northern California chapter is asking... Read more

Thank you for your recent review of Cradle to Cradle certification (see

EBN

Vol. 16, No. 2), and the more general look at nascent attempts to understand and assess the thousands of materials we put in our buildings. As usual, the article was thorough, clear, and complete, and I salute both

EBN and all those about whom... 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

Both major associations of interior designers, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), have entered into collaborative agreements with BuildingGreen, publisher of

Environmental Building News, that make online access to

BuildingGreen Suite available at a special... Read more

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) seem to have reached widespread acceptance: large retailers such as Wal-Mart are encouraging their customers to purchase the energy-saving lamps, Chinese manufacturing has significantly reduced costs, and rebates are available for them in some areas. Now there are several initiatives to ban the sale and use of... 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

The Bank of America (BOA) has announced significant additions to its environmental initiatives, unveiling $20 billion in loan programs, market encouragement, and consumer products. For its commercial customers, BOA will launch a carbon emissions trading system and offer favorable consideration to loans for companies focusing on environmentally... Read more

Great Britain is the latest to join the growing portfolio of countries with their own green building councils. The U.K. Green Building Council (UKGBC), headed by Paul King, will be the official British affiliate of the World Green Building Council and will promote and represent green building throughout the country. UKGBC has officially adopted... Read more

New Resource Bank, a San Francisco bank founded by a group of green entrepreneurs, is offering financial incentives for green building projects. The bank will offer a higher loan-to-value ratio and a 1⁄8% discount on rates for loans to commercial or multiunit residential green projects. Open since November 2006, the bank has financed several... Read more

With the durability and moisture-resistance advantages of cement and a carbon footprint closer to that of gypsum, Green E-Board panels are an intriguing new option for tile backerboard, wallboard, and potentially even exterior sheathing. The panels are manufactured from magnesium oxide (MgO) cement (also known as oxychloride cement), which is... Read more

Outdoor wood boilers (OWBs) have enjoyed increased popularity in recent years as homeowners, particularly in rural areas, have looked for lower cost alternatives to oil or gas heat. At the same time, the boilers’ reputation for high emissions levels and low efficiency has caused some states and municipalities, in the absence of federal... Read more

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center for Communities by Design has selected five communities as recipients of technical assistance through the Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program in 2007. The five communities—Tucson, Arizona; Culver City, California; Dubuque, Iowa; Central, Louisiana; and Albany, New York—will receive... Read more

Joining several other major building industry organizations, including The American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council, the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) has announced its support of the 2030 Challenge. Issued by the organization Architecture 2030, the 2030 Challenge calls for an immediate 50% reduction in... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has opened a public comment period on language requiring all projects using the LEED® Rating System to obtain a minimum of two points in its energy optimization section. Announced in November 2006, the proposal is part of USGBC’s focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions resulting from buildings (see... Read more