Championing the
Changemakers

Thomas Friedman argues that sustainable design is patriotic. Will non-choir members be convinced?

Posted the next day.

As Bourbon Street throbs beneath my hotel room window, it is a little hard to focus on anything else--and in my exhausted state it's all starting to get mixed up with Thomas Friedman's talk this morning.

... Read more

With an intense focus on regional design and other green building issues, AIA 2011 looks to the future.

I've just arrived in the press room at the AIA National Convention in New Orleans, and am really looking forward to learning a lot, finding some exciting new products to share with you, and perhaps even meeting some of you in person.... Read more

By HB Lozito

Ideas worth spreading have a way of crossing disciplines. At a recent TED event, HB Lozito found links to green building that may surprise you.

Like many other people, I have been lusting after attending a TED talk for the last several years. I tend to eat them up while on my lunch break. Or better still, if I can... Read more

Attending Decon '11

Reusing building materials is an increasingly pressing topic as the global recession continues and people begin to notice greenhouse gas emissions caused by the production of new building materials (see “A 2030 Challenge for Building Product Manufacturers,” EBN March 2011). Next week, I will attend the Building Materials... Read more

Enerconcepts' Lubi transpired solar air heating system uses perforated polycarbonate glazing to transfer solar energy into the space between a building exterior wall and the panel where it can be used to preheat ventilation air. Conserval's SolarWall was the pioneer in the transpired solar collector market, but innovations abound. How do the... Read more

We continue our primer on building responsibly in the post-carbon era: How do we design to honor and support nature's patterns, rather than co-opting them?

[Editor's note: Robert Riversong, a Vermont builder, continues his 10-part series of articles taking design and construction to what he sees as radical or "root" concerns. Enjoy--... Read more

Biomass supporters cite it as a "green" fuel like wind and solar. Using it to generate electricity, though, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of public health and efficiency.

"On a scale from 1 to 10, how nice are you?"

My nine-year-old neighbor put that question to me recently. He had been asked the question as part of an... Read more

Enter the greenwash-free zone with the webinar that answers your questions on what green labels really mean and which ones to trust.

Wed., May 18 | 3 p.m. ET Register now

What the heck do all these labels mean?

"Green" labels are everywhere today, from your breakfast coffee to every other building product. While there are... Read more

More than 10,000 Silva Cells were installed in downtown Minneapolis to support tree growth and help manage stormwater runoff. It's spring and time to get outside! GreenSpec looks at landscaping products that use recycled content, save water, reduce stormwater runoff, and even look good.

After a long, cold winter in Vermont (and yes, it even... Read more

Lots of big news from the 2011 Living Future event in Vancouver, including the winners of the Living City competition.

The 2011 Living Future "unconference" in Vancouver is a hopping, high-energy event. As usual, CEO, host, and MC Jason McLennan has set a high bar with his passion and willingness to push boundaries. Except Jason, all the... Read more

A primer on building responsibly in the post-carbon era: How do we design and build a wholly new paradigm which enhances, rather than depletes, the web of life?

[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

The preservationist wisdom is that a lot of energy--gallons and gallons of gasoline--is locked up in our historic buildings, and should be saved. It's time to update that wisdom.

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

Most ceiling fans come without lights, but energy-efficient light kits can usually be added. There are thousands of residential ceiling fans out there. GreenSpec picks three lines that outperform others on performance and efficiency.

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

It's easy to get confused about the difference between energy and power, between watts and watt-hours.  But if you can master inches and pounds, you can master this.

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.

Then: This historic print shows Brattleboro's Brooks House in all its glory. The building was originally an upscale hotel serving tourists who came from Boston and New York for the fresh air.

Brattleboro, Vermont is still... Read more

Owens Corning's EnergyComplete latex foam sealant is applied with a paint sprayer, goes on quickly, and remains flexible after curing.

Build tight, ventilate right is the building science mantra. Spray-on latex sealants provide a new tool for airtight construction.

Last month I watched a demonstration of Owens Corning's "... Read more

Sometimes being a practical person isn’t that fun. Last night my wife and I were watching the classic 1977 movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Leading up to the climactic scene, the protagonists are racing to the location where they expect aliens to appear, while outrunning the U.S. Army and the United Nations. To do... Read more

It turns out you can learn a thing or two from your fuel bill—and if you get fuel delivered, your delivery ticket.

But first, how cold a winter did you think it was? Or perhaps I should say, how cold has it been so far? I’m struggling to get a fire going this morning, and out my window there is two feet of snowpack still on the... Read more

In April's EBN, we take a look at green structural engineering, insulation in-fighting, and a revolutionary anticorrosion coating. Plus: embodied carbon in 500 words or less!

The roof of the Kogod Courtyard at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington is an undulating gridshell of steel, aluminum, and glass. For the April 2011 feature... Read more

The Evora cork flooring in this kitchen is renewable, comfortable, and surprisingly durable.

Kitchen renovation on your list? We pick some standout green products that are worth a look.If you're trying to green a kitchen, you're in luck. Kitchens use a lot of energy and water, and as an indoor environment, they are a place we like to keep... Read more