Steelcase, Inc. has announced its Environmental Partnership Program, enabling companies to resell, refurbish, donate, or recycle used Steelcase office products through a network of recyclers, resellers, and nonprofit organizations. “Today, many companies are not sure what to do with their furniture when it reaches the end of its useful life to... Read more

Additional research would have revealed that the European Union disagrees with

EBN’s recommended general ban on certain brominated flame retardants (see

EBN

Vol. 13, No. 6)—which, through its generalization, could be dangerous for your readers, other builders, and their customers by reducing fire-safety protections.... Read more

tidal turbines in New York City’s East River will begin cranking out about 150 kilowatts (kW) of electricity. If all goes as planned, a tidal power farm of 200 to 300 of the 15-foot-tall (4.5 m) turbines will be installed, beginning in the fall of 2005. These will produce about 10 megawatts (MW) of power by 2006, enough... Read more

The

U.S. Green Building Council and

Meeting Strategies Worldwide were awarded the

Environmentally Responsible Meetings Award from the International Hotels Environment Initiative for their work to limit the environmental impact of Greenbuild 2003. This award is the highest honor for environmental responsibility among... Read more

EBN

Vol. 8, No. 7), now all the major manufacturers are on board. For low-rise applications, these machine-room-less elevators... Read more

(PWGSC) has announced a series of initiatives to green its operations. The department has pledged, among other strategies, to cut its energy use by 60% over 1990 levels by March 2008, to achieve a LEED® Gold or BREEAM Four Leaves green building standard with all new construction, and to... Read more

Surprising both politicians and environmentalists, Russian President

Vladimir Putin made a strong statement in support of the Kyoto Protocol in May. The European Union (EU), which ratified the protocol in May 2002, has agreed to support Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization only if Russia ratifies the protocol. “The EU has... Read more

, a green design laboratory based in Joshua Tree and Los Angeles, California, has announced a

competition to design “an environmentally sustainable camping shelter—a ‘green’ tent—for use in the Mojave Desert in and around Joshua Tree National Park.” One to five winning entries will each receive $500 and may be prototyped on... Read more

The nonprofit product-testing organization Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) plans to open

the nation’s first commercial wind turbine certification and test facility near Cheyenne, in rural Laramie County, Wyoming by the end of 2004. Distributed Generation Systems, Inc. will coordinate the design and construction of the facility,... Read more

European and North American scientists and medical specialists issued a forceful warning on the threats of chemical pollution during a conference hosted in May 2004 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The

International Declaration on Diseases Due to Chemical Pollution, also called the Paris... Read more

Portland, Oregon’s Office of Sustainable Development has recognized ten local businesses with BEST (

Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) Awards for efficient use of resources, waste and pollution reduction, and sustainable business practices. The winners with a building-related focus are listed here; a list of all ten... Read more

, a mechanical and electrical engineering firm with offices in Seattle, Washington; Portland and Salem, Oregon; and Sacramento, California, is in the process of

converting its entire vehicle fleet to hybrid cars. Interface is passing its fuel savings, estimated at 20 extra miles per gallon of gasoline (8.5 km/... Read more

Rebuilt Green, and the lead character is the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, a LEED® Gold... Read more

University Student Hydrogen Design Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Hydrogen Association, ChevronTexaco, Natural Resources Canada, and Swagelok Company. The... Read more

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will be accepting

feedback on the LEED® for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) rating system through Tuesday, July 13, 2004. The current draft includes significant modifications from the version that has been in use for the LEED-CI pilot program over the past two years. The official release is... Read more

The World Environmental Center has awarded

Johnson Controls, Inc. its 20th annual

WEC Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development for “providing global leadership in revolutionizing the way businesses and institutions approach the design, construction, and renovation of their facilities.”... Read more

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized

landmark regulations on off-road diesel fuel and the engines that burn it. Sulfur concentrations, which are currently unregulated in off-road diesel fuel, will be capped at 500 parts per million (ppm) in 2007 and 15 ppm in 2015; meanwhile, soot and smog limits will be capped... Read more