News Analysis
A study published in the June 5, 1992, issue of
Science by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Arizona suggests that smoke emitted into the atmosphere from human activities may be having a significant effect in counteracting... Read more
Product Review
To the best of our knowledge, this product is now being marketed under the name Rauhsaser by Better Wall System of Kenora, ON.
CoverAge is a tacky name for a great product that all remodelers should know about. It is a paintable, textured wallpaper that’s made entirely of recycled paper (at... Read moreNews Brief
At first glance,
An Environmental Handbook for Florida Contractors looks like it deals only with the environmental regulations that Florida contractors must contend with. And, indeed, the Handbook describes in detail the requirements for complying with regulations at the federal, state, and local levels. But the book goes much further,... Read more
Explainer
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
Explainer
News Brief
Energy Source™ Directory
Life has been a whole lot easier around the office since theEnergy Source Directory arrived. Assembled and published by Iris Communications, this is the most complete and most useful guide to specialized products and materials used in energy-efficient construction that we've seen. The 500-page directory is... 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
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
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
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
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
Forum topic
Hello everyone,
For those I have yet to meet, I'm Candace Pearson. I've recently rejoined BuildingGreen after a brief interlude at law school and am now getting back into the swing of things with editorial, consulting, and peer networks.
We had a great turn out at this year's Show and Tell before Greenbuild and all of the... Read more
Product Guide
Glazing connects occupants to the outdoors, but with so many opportunities for air leakage, poor insulation, and thermal bridging, glazing is the primary weak link in building energy performance.
BuildingGreen-Approved Glazing SystemsBuildingGreen approves glazing that offers strong energy performance properties for a variety of... Read more
Forum topic
Following the summer SDL summit - we formed a spinoff user group called "Carbon Sync" to discuss Life Cycle and Carbon Assessment tools like Tally and Athena. We've had three successful calls with folks sharing a couple 5-minute presentations about various studies and explorations. We have a mix of experience levels - but are collaborating... Read more
Sales page
Can furniture be hazardous? You bet it can…
From flame retardants in foam cushions to unnecessary stain and dirt repellents on upholstery materials, everyday... Read more
Forum topic
Greetings Gurus!! I'm super excited to invite you all to help each other :)
As many of you know, BuildingEase (a completely free tool!) has been born this year, the newest function we just launched is the Crowdsourcing function.
Crowdsourcing lets anyone contribute products to a public Material List (similar to an Outline Spec)... Read more
Forum topic
Just had a contractor call who said they had a university client interested in using natural-gas-fed fuel cells as an alternative to grid power in some applications. They were interested in an intermediate scale: 300kW.
Anyone with any experience with these devices?
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Are Cool Roofs Green? The Answer's Not Black and White
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Explain why roofing choices are complicated by heating tradeoffs, climate effects, and condensation and how cool roofs are intended to reduce... Read more
Forum topic
Hello, All! I'm hoping for your help to keep a green roof on a project of ours. We have a large healthcare project in the Midwest that is coming in over budget. To avoid losing our extensive green roof, I'm looking for alternate sources of funding - grants, private sources, etc. Has anyone gone down this path before and have shareable... Read more



