Championing the
Changemakers

Fitness blogs and mainstream media have been claiming that “sitting is the new smoking” for years. It sounds like an exaggerated claim and, depending on how you look at it, could imply more than it should: if you are thinking that the obesity epidemic is going to be solved by standing desks, you’re probably mistaken. But it might be time for... Read more

As of January 2017, we’ve changed the name of our flagship publication to match the name of our company. Environmental Building News is now The BuildingGreen Report. With the change, we’re staying focused on the reporting you depend on and giving you one less brand to keep track of.

In 1985, Alex Wilson saw the need for a company that... Read more

Water scarcity has become one of our biggest environmental concerns. In the southwestern U.S. and California, there is now serious competition for water for agriculture, manufacturing, recreation, and basic human needs.

In response to the growing water shortage, California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) was updated in January... Read more

As the Trump administration takes the reins of power this month, the environmental community faces a new reality.

Assuming confirmation, we are looking at:

In 2003, as part of their presentation (“Ventilation Myths and Misconceptions”) at the Affordable Comfort conference, Collin Olson and Paul Francisco debuted a software tool they developed called SEE STACK. (If you want to experiment with the software, you can safely click here to download the virus-free executable file and training manual from... Read more

Given the intense interest in the architectural community on health and wellness inside buildings, and in the related WELL building standard, you’ve probably heard someone tell you recently that we spend 90% of our time indoors. Usually this is followed by some assertion that we need to make our products, materials, and interior spaces... Read more

While studying aerial photographs of the hilltop campus of Sidwell Friends Middle School, the project team recognized the campus also sits atop two watersheds, both of significant ecological value. That insight led to an integrated approach to water management as the centerpiece of a comprehensive appeal to environmental stewardship... Read more

Editor's note 1/5/17: This article has been updated to reflect a change in Arc's name that was announced subsequent to GBCI's initial announcement.

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the sister nonprofit to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), recently announced the launch of wholly-owned subsidiary. The new for-profit... Read more

After water and air, sand is the next most-consumed natural resource in the world, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Though a visit to the beach may make this material appear abundant, this resource—used to manufacture nearly everything from plastics to microchips—is actually under serious stress worldwide, and the... Read more

This year’s Greenbuild expo had a surprising number of interesting products, so many in fact that we couldn’t fit them all into our first Tour of Cool Products from Greenbuild 2016. Well, we have saved some of the best for last. This month we look at a new solar water heater, super-efficient photovoltaic panels, a new cellular glass insulation... Read more

GBCI started life as the Green Building Certification Institute, a nonprofit sister organization to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Created in 2008, GBCI’s first responsibility was to administer everything involved in the LEED credentials, from writing exams to defining continuing education requirements.

In 2009 GBCI took over... Read more

Design professionals imagine their shiny new green buildings as welcoming, comfortable, interesting, energy-efficient, healthy spaces full of light and clean air that will stay that way for years to come. No one wants to think about rats, mice, bedbugs, and cockroaches. Those are problems for old buildings, inner cities, and affordable housing... Read more

A recent study conducted in two call centers in China found that air pollution significantly hampered worker productivity. Pollution zaps mental processing abilities, the researchers found, causing employees to take longer breaks on bad air quality days.

The study analyzed data from almost 5,000 employees... Read more

Back in 1985, when I started what is now BuildingGreen and was working for a construction company part-time (yes, I had to make a living), I remember installing a type of foil-faced foam insulation that was then being promoted as the highest-R-value insulation on the market. It was Koppers’ Exceltherm, which I think was advertised as providing... Read more

The Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change requires Canada to meet or exceed its international greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 30% below 2005 levels by 2030—but how is still being worked out. A new Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) report, Building Solutions to Climate Change: How Green Buildings Can Help... Read more

The annual Greenbuild Expo is one of the best places to discover exciting product innovations and the 2016 convention in Los Angeles was no exception. We’re going to present in two parts the standouts that we saw. This article will cover water-saving products, drywall, weather barriers, and select wood products. Stay tuned next month when we’ll... Read more

Every year, 1.3 million people die in road accidents, and nearly half of the fatalities are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report Global Outlook on Walking and Cycling. Deaths are likely to increase in coming years given that the world’s fleet of private cars is expected to... Read more

People often talk about the “energy penalty” associated with more fresh-air ventilation. Some level of fresh air is needed for human health and comfort, but pulling in and conditioning fresh air negates hard-earned efficiency measures.

Demand-controlled ventilation is a way to reduce that energy penalty by pulling in fresh air only when... Read more

Stone is one of our most durable, timeless, and beautiful building materials, but is it sustainable? Yes, if best practices are employed in stone quarrying, processing, and transportation (see Stone, The Original Green Building Material). To improve the sustainability of stone production and help projects find greener products, the Natural... Read more

If you’re designing an expensive, high-end office tower, you’d better be sure the people inside of it can do their best work. So as Ben Tranel, AIA, principal at Gensler, began working on the Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, he thought a lot about air.

“When people are working their hardest, you always hear them say ‘Let’s go out and... Read more