, in a commencement address to graduates of Stanford University in May, broke ranks with many in the petroleum industry by expressing concern about global warming. He was quoted in the July/August issue of

Solar Today as asserting that it is “unwise and potentially dangerous to ignore the mounting... Read more

You stated in response to a letter from Structural Board Association President John Lowood in your July/August issue that “while formaldehyde emissions from panels made with PF (phenolic formaldehyde) binder are quite low, they are still problematic for some individuals.” While this could be true for some... Read more

William McDonough, prominent environmental architect and dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, has now founded a new Institute within the School he heads. The Institute for Sustainable Design has goals nearly as broad as McDonough’s vision, aiming to reinvent industry and... Read more

During May 1997, the United States reached an all-time high in petroleum imports, with 52.4% net imports, according to the

Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Total imports in May were 57.2% of petroleum supplied, but the U.S. exports some petroleum to U.S. territories, resulting in lower

... Read more

One factor driving up the size of American homes may have been removed with the recent changes to the U.S. tax code. The August 8, 1997 issue of the lumber industry newsletter Eastern Quotes & Comments notes that people who sell homes in expensive markets and retire to less expensive areas often bought huge houses to avoid paying the... Read more

I recall quite clearly my first introduction to Amory Lovins. It was 1980, in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Amory was speaking at the annual Life Technics Conference at Ghost Ranch. Amory was then—as he is now—an energy guru, but his message that day was not primarily about energy. He made the point that dealing with our energy woes was relatively easy... Read more

Vol. 1, No. 1 through

Vol. 6, No. 4. The CD-ROM format allows us to make back issues available at a very reasonable price, and adds the capability of full-text... Read more

The Alternative Energy Corporation, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, has a new name: Advanced Energy. The nonprofit AEC was established in 1980 by the North Carolina Utilities Commission and has been a valuable resource for technical support and training related to energy efficiency in buildings, among other areas. Advanced Energy can be... Read more

One of the last comments in President Clinton’s June 26 address to the United Nations “Five Years from Rio” Conference contained a commitment solar energy advocates were hoping for: to help establish the conditions that will lead to photovoltaic (PV) generation on a million buildings within the next... Read more

A new organization entitled the Center for Ecological Building Design (CEBD) has been established in London, Ontario, Canada. CEBD defines as its primary goal: “to seek out people-friendly, earth-friendly and cost-effective residential building methods and designs.” CEBD is

developing a touring display of eco-building techniques and... Read more

David Kibbey, editor, Northern California ADPSR, P.O. Box 9126, Berkeley, CA 94709-0126; 510/273-2428. Paperback or diskette for use with Filemaker Pro, $18 each, $27 for both.

The latest green building product directory to come our way is the work of a handful of dedicated volunteers at the... Read more

Concerning “More on the Redwood Boycott” in your May issue (EBN

Vol. 6, No. 5), I would like to address several inconsistencies in Mr. Platt’s observations.

The Pacific Lumber Company has been in continuous operation on the same contiguous timberland in Humboldt County, California for the last 128 years... Read more

The Good Wood Alliance, formerly the Woodworkers Alliance for Rainforest Protection (WARP), is shifting its direction to serve as a trade association for the sustainable forest products industry. Based in Burlington, Vermont, with chapters in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and Scandinavia, the Good Wood Alliance has a membership of... Read more

I recently was provided with the January 1997 issue of EBN (Vol. 6, No. 1) and found the information

of considerable interest. However, I would like to offer a few comments on “Material Selection” and the use of a simplified life-cycle analysis (LCA).

I can relate to the statement... Read more

Industry targets for the recycling of packaging waste in Germany were met in 1996, the first full year that specific quotas had to be met, according to the June 2 issue of Plastics News. Under the German Packaging Ordinance of 1991, the manufacturers and distributors are required to take back used packaging. The industry’s Green Dot program... Read more

Supporters of tropical forest conservation were optimistic at the recent biennial meeting of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) but were disappointed as delegates failed to restrict mahogany trade for the third consecutive meeting. The 10th... Read more

I read with interest your feature article on Rainwater Harvesting (EBN

Vol. 6, No. 5) and found it very concise, complete and full of good information. One area not covered in the article or in the research I have read to date on the topic is the harvesting of snow melt during the winter months.

In Salt... Read more