News Brief
Carol Venolia, Publisher/Editor
If “progressive construction” can be defined as pushing the tools and techniques of conventional builders in the direction of less environmental destruction, then Building With Nature’s material goes beyond progressive, into the forefront of visionary thinking about construction. This bimonthly newsletter, now... Read moreExplainer
News Analysis
The recent ruling to allow logging on several thousand acres of old-growth forest in western Oregon was portrayed in the national media as a blow to environmentalists, but the action may not prove so damaging in the end. While the ruling permits logging on 13 of the 44 sites that were under consideration by the so-... Read more
Op-Ed
Introducing the first issue of our newsletter.
Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. In North America, buildings and the building industry account for about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, 35-40% of ozone depletion, 20-30% of municipal solid waste, vast quantities of natural resource consumption, and dramatic loss of open space each... Read more
News Brief
The American Institute of Architects convention in Boston this past June was the setting for a changing of the guard in the American architectural establishment. The Institute’s first woman president took the reins, the Committee on the Environment became its largest and fastest growing committee, and the first installments of the Environmental... Read more
Feature
Carefully stake the building site and driveway, remove trees that are within the excavation area or too close, then erect a fence to keep heavy equipment off fragile soils and away from nearby trees.
Protecting trees and the local ecosystem when building on previously unbuilt land is a vitally important—yet often overlooked—part of environmentally responsible construction. Healthy trees and shrubs can reduce a home’s environmental impact and directly benefit homeowners in a number of ways:
•Enhancing comfort by shielding the house... Read more
Feature
Ozone depletion and global warming are two of our most serious environmental problems—and foam insulation materials containing CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) contribute significantly to both of these problems. The environmentally concerned builder or designer should make it a highest priority to avoid them. Even many of the non-CFC alternatives... Read more
Feature
Susan Maxman is the first AIA president to make sustainable design a priority.
Q.Where would you say architects as a group stand on environmental issues?
A.Architects tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is important that we take the lead on these environmental issues. The architecture schools in particular tend to be conservative. They just aren’t... Read more
Reports, Courses, Study Guides, Live Webinars
THIS WEBINAR PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
The live webinar occurred on Tuesday, June 20th 2:00pm Eastern (11am Pacific)Practitioners interested in reducing the embodied carbon of buildings are likely now used to considering the impact of different materials, like mass timber or low-carbon concrete. Low-carbon... Read more
Forum topic
We are working on a Core & Shell project with a developer that we work with frequently. I'm looking for advice on best approaches to achieving the Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment credit- we haven't used TALLY and done this type of analysis before. What are some approaches to achieving this credit that others have found successful? I... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Sustainability leaders,
Realizing that many of us are now stuck and home and may be feeling isolated, we thought it would be fun to offer an open hang-out time for anyone in the Peer Networks. If you'd like to connect, share some thoughts, hear from others, or just get to know other Green Gurus, join us on Zoom this Thursday. If it... Read more
Forum topic
Looking for 2-more flushometer style dual-flush flush valves to put in a public project spec alongside sloan uppercut and cannot seem to find any. Does anyone have any that they have used?
Thanks in advance!
Forum topic
Hi Folks,
I mentor startups in the clean tech space and there are a number of cool new things coming to market. I am looking to gather names of interested people who want to get the opportunity to take a look at these cool new things and give some feedback and even - if stars align - pilot and test some of these new technologies (given... Read more
Forum topic
If you want to know more about the MEP 2040 Challenge, our first quarterly forum will be held on March 18th, 2022 11 am to 1 pm Eastern, and will be discussing decarbonization in the MEP space. See link below for the agenda and registration.
https://network.carbonleadershipforum.org/civicrm/mailing/view?id=206&reset=1
I... Read more
Forum topic
I am the Moderator of the 2023 Strategic Council and the call for nominations for the 2024-2026 Strategic Council at-large representatives has just been released. I would encourage any interested parties to apply for this position.
The Strategic Council’s purpose is to develop ideas to inform future needs and opportunities for the... Read more
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Finding Products for LEED v4—A Guide
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Describe ways in which the LCA approach is gaining ground in LEED v4 and how the transition is reinforced by manufacturer transparency and disclosure.
2.... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Sustainability Leaders!
It’s been almost a month since we met in NYC for our Regional Mini-Summit! I’m pretty sure time moves faster when the seasons are changing! I hope the fall is treating you all well.
We have completed our Post-Summit Report, and would like to share with you all. Click here to view the report.
... Read more


