Recycled content is the most widely cited attribute of green building products. Numerous federal, state, and local government agencies have “buy recycled” programs aimed at increasing markets for recycled materials—these programs typically have an explicit goal of supporting recycling programs to reduce solid-waste disposal. A handful of... Read more

NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines. Austin, Texas, homebuilder Ray Tonjes, chair of NAHB’s Green Building Subcommittee, presented the Guidelines as “a milestone in our efforts to provide safe,... Read more

When Ed Ehlen paid $19,000 to purchase and install artificial turf at his new home in Florida’s upscale Marco Island community, he thought he was doing an environmental service. “We have such a water problem in Southwest Florida,” Ehlen told the

News-Press. And with artificial turf, he said, “you don’t have to water. You don’t have to... Read more

BuildingGreen, Inc. is excited to announce that we’re partnering with the

Boston Architectural Center (BAC) in the online delivery of its Sustainable Design Certificate Program. BAC has a long history as a leading provider of architectural-degree and continuing-education programs. Like BAC’s onsite program, all of its online courses are... Read more

The member nations of the European Union (EU) have begun trading the right to emit carbon dioxide (CO

2), a global-warming gas and the chief culprit in climate change. The Emissions Trading Directive, begun in a pilot phase on January 1, 2005, was planned as a keystone in the EU’s bid to comply with the Kyoto Protocol. Industry critics... Read more

Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, the sole manufacturer of the two forms of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants that are considered most toxic—penta-BDE and octa-BDE—ceased production of those chemicals at the end of 2004. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Great Lakes Chemical announced the voluntary phaseout of... Read more

Following a “tough underwriting reception,” the environmental home-improvement television series

Build It Green! (see

EBN

Vol. 12, No. 12) is once again on track after the nonprofit GreenBlue (see

EBN

Vol. 12, No. 6) agreed to sign on as fiscal sponsor. The series, to be broadcast nationally on PBS, will... Read more

2004 Nathaniel A. Owings Award by The American Institute of Architects’ California Council. Named for the late Nathaniel A. Owings, FAIA, of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, the award recognizes “individuals or groups who have demonstrated... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council has announced the results of the election for its 2005 board of directors. The new members are

Charles Angyal, FAIA, chief architect of Sempra Energy Utilities;

Dan Burgoyne, sustainability manager at the California Department of General Services;

Tim Cole, director of support services at... Read more

Following its July 2004 declaration of Chapter 11 bankruptcy (see EBN

Vol. 13, No. 9), U.S. Plastic Lumber (USPL) has announced that it will discontinue its composite lumber product lines and focus exclusively on 100%-plastic products as part of its restructuring plan. The decision means that USPL will discontinue composite decking and... Read more

Pennsylvania became the 16th state to pass a renewable portfolio standard in November 2004, requiring that 18% of the state’s energy come from alternative sources by 2020. More notably, this is the first statewide renewable-energy standard to include a fossil fuel component. The bill defines Tier 1 energy sources as solar, wind, low-impact... Read more

When deciding where to live, Americans’ top priority is being within a 45-minute commute to work, according to the 2004 American Community Survey, sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America. A short commute is “very” or “somewhat” important to 79% of respondents. The second most important factor, at 75%, was “... Read more

In the wake of the U.S. Green Building Council’s April 2004 decision not to allow trade associations to become full members (see EBN

Vol. 13, No. 6), the snubbed organizations have banded together to create “The North American Coalition on Green Building.” This group, which at last count had 34 members but no single point of contact,... Read more

During the international climate change conference in Buenos Aires in December 2004, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), representing the 155,000 Inuit, or Eskimo, peoples, announced plans to demand a ruling from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that by contributing to global climate change, the U.S. is threatening Inuit... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Technical and Scientific Advisory Committee (TSAC) has released a public comment draft of its long-awaited report on polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Commissioned to determine “the availability and quality of the evidence as a basis for a reasoned decision about the inclusion of a PVC-related credit in the LEED Rating... Read more

A new website is focusing on the market for buying and selling homes that were built or remodeled to be green or healthy. “Although some real estate professionals may be familiar with the concept of green and healthy homes, many are not knowledgeable about the inherent extra value of a specialty home,” according to Roy Prince of Green and... Read more

Aluminum and packaging manufacturer Alcan, Inc. and the International Business Leaders Forum have awarded their first-ever

Alcan Prize for Sustainability to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Alcan created the $1 million prize “to recognize outstanding contributions to the goal of economic, environmental, and social sustainability by... Read more

Cartoonist Scott Adams has announced the completion of Dilbert’s Ultimate House (DUH), an online, virtual Silicon Valley home for his most famous character. DUH was created by Heartwood Studios, a 3D animation and multimedia studio, with suggestions from more than 3,000 Dilbert fans and energy consultation from Pacific Gas & Electric. The... Read more