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Changemakers
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BuildingGreen Report
News Brief
The Supreme Court recently ruled against EPA, limiting its ability to regulate coal-fired power plants. But the news may not be as dire as it looks.
The Supreme Court recently ruled against EPA, limiting its ability to regulate coal-fired power plants. But the news may not be as dire as it looks.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a blow from the Supreme Court in late June when the court ruled against the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which would... Read more
Product Review
Salient Energy is developing a zinc-ion battery that avoids some of the safety and supply chain concerns of current lithium-ion systems.
The Holy Grail of energy is for our buildings to go all electric and get that energy from renewable sources. The problem, of course, is what to do when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. Batteries are the clear answer, and we already have lithium-ion-based systems that work well in electric cars and for building... Read more
News Brief
New data reveal the continued fallout of overt government racism from the 20th century.
It’s been decades since redlining—the federal government practice of refusing to guarantee loans in predominantly black neighborhoods—was outlawed in the U.S. But the impacts continue to ripple through formerly redlined neighborhoods, according to data released by LightBox, a geospatial data and software firm focused on the... Read more
News Brief
The code newly addresses thermal bridging, air leakage, and cool walls and also requires renewables for most projects.
Proposed changes to the ASHRAE 90.1 standard for 2022 could have a huge impact on building energy performance, according to Leonard Sciarra, AIA, of Farr Associates. “There’s a lot in version one that I feel is going to change the way that people design buildings,” said Sciarra, who chairs the building envelope subcommittee of... Read more
News Analysis
Forced labor is used to create many building products, but changes are underway that are helping to address this serious issue.
Forced labor, or modern slavery, is widely spread across the globe. People—including children—in forced-labor conditions work without pay or for recruitment fees, leaving them in debt bondage. Workers are threatened with relocation, deportation, and worse.
Nearly 25 million people are trapped in forced labor, according to the... Read more
Blog Post
When it comes to sustainability, many smaller architecture firms are interested but still getting there.
We hear a lot about the sustainability commitments and plans of large architecture firms, but the reality is that the vast majority of firms—about 75% in 2019, according to research done by the American Institute of Architects (AIA)—are small (by their definition, “small” means ten or fewer employees). Although these small firms represent a... Read more
Webcast
This program explains why increased forest protection and improved stewardship are key to addressing the climate crisis and reducing the embodied carbon of wood products — and how the green building movement can help.
For 25 years, Jason Grant has been a leader in the sustainable forestry and green building movements. He is the... Read more
Product Guide
Hardwood used for flooring can come from unsustainable sources, such as tropical forests and genetically engineered monoculture tree farms.
The availability of domestic hardwood from third-party FSC-certified forests makes this type of flooring a great option. Uncoated hardwood flooring does not require emissions testing, but... Read more
News Analysis
With federal funds flooding in, the industry can transform K–12 education in the next three years—but only if we do it right.
“It’s a huge opportunity, and we’d be crazy to miss it.”
Jonathan Klein, cofounder of the nonprofit UndauntedK12, wants building professionals to know they have a major role to play in transforming public education in the next three years. That’s because unprecedented federal funds are pouring into school districts, thanks to the... Read more
News Brief
Building owners have filed a legal challenge to Local Law 97, New York City’s building performance standard.
Unconstitutional. Draconian. Short sighted and dangerous.
That’s how a lawsuit brought by building owners describes New York City’s carbon caps for buildings—a.k.a. Local Law 97. The building performance standard (BPS) has yet to go into effect, but owners are already anticipating the fines they’ll have to pay come 2024, and some aren’t... Read more
Product Review
Hemp is a sustainable, low-embodied-carbon building material, but few products are actually made from it. HempWood is out to change that with its flooring and non-structural lumber made from hemp fibers.
What if you had a natural building material that could be grown from seed to harvest in three to four months, is good at sequestering carbon, requires no fertilizer, helps fix nitrogen in the soils, requires little water, can be grown on a small plot so it can replace more polluting and/or slower-growing materials such as... Read more
News Brief
EPIC from EHDD is used very early in building design to help project teams make choices about structure, envelope, landscaping, and more.
Energy modeling and whole-building life-cycle assessment are sophisticated software for predicting the energy use and carbon footprint of a building. But often, these methods are used too late in design to make a difference. Now, a free online tool from architecture firm EHDD can help project teams home in on lower-carbon... Read more
Product Review
Mohawk uses high recycled content and carbon offsets to reduce the embodied carbon of its EcoFlex One cushioned carpet tile.
When it comes to weighing sustainability, design, and comfort, few products have the challenges that carpet does. On the one hand, it is comfortable to walk on, it absorbs sound, and there are colors and patterns to complement nearly any design. But for all these positives, carpet has a history of containing potentially... Read more
News Brief
More than 300 solar energy projects were in danger of being canceled or delayed as the U.S. Department of Commerce investigated China, but Biden will waive the tariff threat for two years.
UPDATE: This article was updated on June 8, 2022 to reflect the news that Biden will waive the tariff threat for two years.
In March the US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced its investigation into whether Chinese companies are circumventing U.S. tariffs by moving components for solar panels through four Southeast Asian countries. ... Read more
Feature Article
The Contractor’s Commitment to Sustainable Building Practices calls on construction firms to practice green building on the jobsite and beyond. Here’s why the whole industry needs to get behind it.
Health and wellness are in high demand in sustainable design. Soft daylight, superb indoor air quality, enhanced thermal comfort, great ergonomics … all these design elements and more are becoming standard for students, patients, and office workers.
Once design is done, though, the human beings who... Read more
News Brief
The International Living Future Institute has added thousands of PFAS compounds to its Living Building Challenge Red List.
The International Living Futures Institute recently added 4,844 perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) to its Red List and 5,947 to its Priority List. PFAS are a group of chemical compounds that do not break down in the environment and can cause potentially serious health and environmental problems. Beyond... Read more
Webcast
Electrochromic glazing holds the promise of less glare and better energy efficiency with fewer moving parts. The reality is much more complicated and includes information you won’t hear from the sales reps.
Join us for a conversation with the nation’s leading experts on smart glass technology. We'll explore how the performance has... Read more
Spotlight Report
Health and wellness are in high demand in sustainable design. Soft daylight, superb indoor air quality, enhanced thermal comfort, great ergonomics … all these design elements and more are becoming standard for students, patients, and office workers.
Once design is done, though, the human beings who construct the resulting high... Read more
Product Guide
Resilient flooring is often made from PVC, which BuildingGreen does not recommend due to potential life-cycle impacts. Once installed, emissions from frequent stripping and floor cycles can hurt indoor air quality.
Cautions Although most manufacturers have phased out orthophthalate plasticizers, some of which are hazardous, check an HPD... Read moreProduct Guide
There are a wide variety of acoustic materials that can be used to manage interior noise and help create a welcoming space. The acoustic wall and ceiling panels described here are typically part of a noise reduction strategy that incorporates carpet, acoustic ceiling tiles, and other interior products. (For information on acoustic ceiling... Read more