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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
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
News Analysis
EBN Advisory Board member Mike Nicklas led an international delegation of renewable energy experts in promoting sustainable energy at the Earth Summit last month. He and others were negotiating for inclusion of renewable energy and energy conservation measures into agreements being worked out for the United Nations... 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
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
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
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
Forum topic
Check out Fast Company's new list of innovative architecture firms with Perkins + Will and NBBJ at the top with great sustainability tag lines.
That's a great demonstration of the mainstream importance of sustainability!
Congrats to all.
Here's the link: https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2018/sectors/... Read more
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 Sustainable Advising Leaders,
Happy 2022! Here's your reminder that this network's first monthly call of the year is next Tuesday, January 25 at 3pm ET. Zoom call information is below.
All members of the network are welcome! You can see the agenda here. Here's a quick preview:
Rushyan kickoff presentation: Research and... Read moreForum topic
We have another great class of COTE Top Ten winners—congratulations to all of you with recognized projects. Join us on May 10 at 2:00 pm Eastern time for an inside peak at many of this year’s winners, along with insights from jurors. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
To keep things open and honest we won’t be recording this session. This “safe... Read more
Forum topic
***Cross-posting this from SCL Group***
Last year I was approached by Green Advantage, remember them from like 2005? There has been a LEED innovation credit for as long as I can remember.
Has anyone seen employed Green Advantage recently? Is anyone asking for it?
Do you see value in GCs/CMs/trades having this training... Read more
Forum topic
I'm working on convincing my firm to hire a director of sustainability. I'm gaining some traction with the discussion thanks to the fantastic feedback and input from the summer summit "Role of the Sustainable Design Leader" breakout session. Thanks everyone! Does anyone have job descriptions for sustainable design leaders that they'd be willing... Read more
Forum topic
Hi all,
The USGBC Pacific Region is launching a new award this year that recognizes projects that have aspires to promote health of occupants and surrounding communities. In true USGBC style, this award has not been properly publicized, so they are still looking for submissions. I believe the deadline will be extended to June 7. I... Read more
Forum topic
Has anyone here been involved (taken or taught sessions) in the Healthy Materials Lab Online Certificate program for Healthier Materials?
https://healthymaterialslab.org/learning-hub/e-learning-online-certifica...
I'm thinking about having some of our staff take this course, especially those that don't have a background in... Read more



