Championing the
Changemakers

A recent study published in

Environmental Science and Technology reports that the actual rate of greenhouse gas production from septic tanks is half what has previously been estimated. One-fifth of the U.S. population uses residential septic tanks to treat wastewater; during this process, micro-organisms decompose the matter and... Read more

EBN July 2009). Products can be certified as level... Read more

EBN Oct. 2010). The Maryland housing department and local governments are allowed to amend IGCC within their own jurisdictions. The bill, developed by the International Code Council and others, establishes a green model code focused on commercial buildings. For more information, visit mlis.state.md.us.

In a digital world, why are we still using analog power? That’s the question posed by Brian Patterson, general manager of business development for Armstrong Ceilings and chairman of EMerge Alliance, an industry association that is trying to change the way power is distributed. EMerge promotes the idea that a long-term switch from alternating... Read more

Test your energy personality! How much energy our buildings use matters to you, but comparing from building to building is tricky. Answer these questions and we’ll tell you which energy metric suits you best.

A. I want to be able to check my utility meter and my solar... Read more

When specifying or using forest products, some people want to know that they originated in a forestry operation that respects the long-term health of the forest and its important functions, such as wildlife habitat, recreation, and support for local communities. You can’t tell those things by scrutinizing the lumber or furniture product—that’s... Read more

Clanton Associates just completed a study for wireless lighting control company Daintree Networks that compares first costs and energy savings for six different lighting control retrofit options for a typical 1970s office space. Not surprisingly, the study shows significant first-cost savings with the wireless systems, with higher... Read more

[Editor's note: We have invited Robert Riversong, a Vermont builder (see full bio below), to write a 10-part series of articles taking design and construction to what he sees... Read more

A surreal magazine ad just got even more surreal for me.

After learning of the fire at the historic 1871 Brooks House here in Brattleboro, Vermont last... Read more

Have you ever tried to find an energy-efficient residential ceiling fan? There are thousands of models... Read more

How many mystery writers does it take to change a 60-watt lightbulb?

Two--one to screw the bulb almost all the way in, and one to provide a surprising twist at... Read more

Fire guts half a block of a small New England town, revealing the built-in vulnerabilities of dense development.

Brattleboro, Vermont is still... Read more