Championing the
Changemakers

Most builders today own one or more portable, battery-powered tools. While properly maintained nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries should last for years (averaging over 650 charging cycles), the batteries do eventually wear out, and disposing of them can cause environmental problems.

Portable tool... Read more

Waiting for hot water to get hot wastes about 10,000 gallons of water per year in an average household of four people. So says the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in a brochure suggesting that customers collect that water in a bucket for watering plants or flushing the toilet. That’s a great idea,... Read more

By exposing mice to fumes from samples of carpet, scientists at Anderson Laboratories, Inc., have demonstrated significant toxicological effects. In the most severe sample tests, four out of four mice exposed to the fumes died. Of samples purchased at random off-the-shelf, 25% showed some effect, according to Mark Goldman... Read more

On January 19th the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its proposed regulations for complying with the Copenhagen Amendments to the Montreal Protocol for phase-out of ozone-depleting substances (see EBN,

Vol. 2, No. 1). Under the proposed rules, HCFC-141b (the foaming agent being... Read more

By Al Gore. Penguin Books USA, Inc., New York, NY, 1992. Paperback edition $13.

As an analysis of where we stand and what we can do about our global environmental problems,

Earth in the Balance is an excellent resource. That it was written by the leading Senate environmentalist who is now Vice President of the United States makes... Read more

Sirs,

I caution you not to ignore the unique needs of the eco-conscious remodeler. They are not the same as those of a new builder.

Thank you for your efforts.

David Jones

The EPA has levied its first fine for illegal venting of CFCs or HCFCs into the atmosphere. The prohibition on refrigerant venting, which was part of the 1990 Clean Air Act, took effect on July 1, 1992. The violation occurred when a worker for Global Construction Corp. of Laconia, New Hampshire cut a... Read more

Lead poisoning is arguably the most significant health risk faced by remodelers and restoration contractors. According to HUD, 57 million homes in the United States contain at least some lead paint. To work safely in older houses, you have to know whether lead paint is present. Analysis using sophisticated x-ray... Read more

Rammed-earth construction may be the ultimate in local material use. Most of the mass in the 24"-thick walls comes from the house site itself. Combining rammed-earth construction with state-of-the-art energy-efficient appliances and lighting, and some advanced water conservation strategies, builder David Easton and... Read more

Editor's Note:For more information about concrete in green building projects, we recommend our 43-page special report, "What You Need to Know About Concrete and Green Building." The report is free with a trial membership to BuildingGreen Suite. Learn more.

Cement and concrete are key components of both commercial and residential... Read more

155 Pine St., Amherst, MA 01002; 413/549-3616. $15/year individual, $30/year group.

As a regional CoHousing newsletter, Northeast CoHousing Quarterly (NCQ) has two primary missions. The first is provide a forum in which the many CoHousing groups can network and learn of each other’s progress. The second is to provide general information... Read more

On November 25th, international delegates in Copenhagen, Denmark, completed negotiations on a second major revision to the Montreal Protocol for the phaseout of ozone-depleting substances. Under the Copenhagen Amendments, the schedule for eliminating CFCs is moved up to January 1, 1996, four years ahead of the schedule... Read more

Non-exposed Wood

Boron has long been recognized as an effective and very safe pesticide in wood. In part, it effectiveness comes from its ability to diffuse freely throughout the wood, thus protecting even the center of large timbers, which are not affected by pressure treating. Unfortunately, the diffusability... Read more

Representatives of the timber industry and environmental groups are hopeful that a Pacific Northwest timber summit, promised by Clinton during his campaign, will settle issues that have long polarized loggers and environmentalists in efforts to protect jobs and old-growth forests. The summit is expected in March or April.

... Read more

CoHousing development—is it sustainable? Kathleen O’Brien thought maybe; I think yes. Yes because CoHousing offers another scale of social organization—an intermediate scale between the single family and the town or municipality—thereby expanding the palette of technologies that can be applied. It does this simply by being a... Read more

Richard L. Crowther, Butterworth Architecture, 80 Montvale Ave., Stoneham, MA 02180; 617/438-8464 (800/366-2665 for orders). 1992, $39.95.

Richard Crowther is clearly committed to understanding and practicing “ecologic architecture” in every way possible. The scope and breadth of material in this book is remarkable... Read more

While expanded polystyrene (EPS) is the only type of rigid foam insulation that is currently made with neither CFCs nor HCFCs, it has one environmental drawback: pentane emissions during manufacturing. EPS is produced by expanding styrene beads using pentane gas, a hydrocarbon that contributes to... Read more

In recent months we've seen increasing signs that timber interests and environmentalists are beginning to talk. After years of finger-pointing and scapegoating, some serious, constructive communication is long overdue. In the words of Tim Lovlien, a voice of reason from Boise Cascade, “anytime you open the forum to discuss the issue, it’s... Read more