News Analysis
It isn’t just environmental zealots who are up in arms about the U.S. Forest Service’s policies on managing the nation’s timber resources. The Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics has jumped into the fray—from the inside. Jeff DeBonis, the Association’s founder and executive director,... 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
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
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
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 moreNews 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
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
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
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
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
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
Quiz
Welcome to the quiz portion of Essential Playbook to Managing LEED Construction.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:
1. Understand the transition from LEED BD+C or ID+C v4 to LEED v4.1, especially in regard to material-related credits.
2. Discern how to properly... Read more
Forum topic
Hi Green Gurus!
Reaching out on behalf of the SDL "Expanding material re-use and including more people in the process" action group from the summer summit. (official name TBD - aka inclusive & circular economy, sustainable materials management, zero waste, deconstruction & reuse, etc.). In a nutshell ...unpacking where building... Read more
Forum topic
Dear SD Leaders: I'm writing to make sure that you've seen a letter that has been circulating protesting the ‘pro-asbestos’ rule change the EPA is considering. The letter is soliciting firm signatures/owners (as opposed to individuals). I encourage you to sign and/or get your firm to sign ASAP.
Please forward as well to any firm from... Read more
Forum topic
Hello Green Gurus,
Here is the information for this month's Peer Networks Webinar, Jobsite Sustainability Tracking Tools. We hope you will join us!
Register HERE.
Jobsite Sustainability Tracking Tools
Tuesday, May 18th, 2021
2pm - 3pm ET (11am - 12pm PT)
Description
‘You can’t improve what you don’... Read more
Forum topic
Everyone agreed during last Friday's meeting that we want to call the site BITuser. The question, however, is what domain name should be used.
Whatever domain name is chosen, it will redirect to the actual site URL -- https://bituser.buildinggreen.com (similar to how LEEDuser.com redirects to https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com).
... Read more
Forum topic
Hi All,
I try to respect this forum and limit sharing events to the ones that are extra exciting and this is one of them. Coming up on May 20th 4-6pm, Built Environment Plus (formerly USGBC MA) is launching our Building Tech Forum v2.0 Series. Here's the link to register: https://builtenvironmentplus.org/building-tech-forum-2020/
... Read moreForum topic
We're consolidating our office and I find I have back issues of EBN going back to 1999 on the bookshelf. Any use for these other than compost?
Forum topic
Hi everyone,
Just a reminder to please fill out the 2024 All-Networks Workshop Attendance Poll by the end of next Monday, December 18th. Thank you so much to those who have filled it out already! :)
-Amanda


