Eco Friendly Flooring Doesn’t Have to be Drab
Undertaking a home building project? Sustainable, eco-friendly materials are the only way to go — they’re better for you, as well as the planet. According to GreenBuilding.com, “the US EPA ranks indoor pollution among top five environmental risks, and unhealthy air is found in up to 30% of new and renovated buildings.”
A hard look at hardwood consumption
Many people enjoy using tropical hardwoods as garden furniture and parquet floors, but few consumers make the link with global warming.
But the link is there, because some products are made from timber from areas like the Amazon and Southeast Asia that contain vast quantities of trees that absorb carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, but where the overall number of trees is diminishing under pressure from unscrupulous loggers.
Proximity: A Very Green Hotel In North Carolina
The Proximity Hotel is proof that a hotel can be very green without sacrificing the comfort of its guests. The hotel is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and it achieved a Gold LEED certification this year from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Proximity uses 36.5% less energy and 30% less water than a conventional hotel. It gets 60% of its hot water from 100 solar thermal panels on the roof. The hotel also boasts the first regenerative drive elevator, which recaptures energy as the elevator moves down.
The guest rooms take advantage of abundant natural lighting with large energy-efficient “operable” windows that measure 7’4” square.
Top Ten Green Projects of 2008 Announced
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on the Environment (COTE) has announced its Top Ten Green Projects for 2008.
1. Aldo Leopold Legacy Center (Baraboo, Wisconsin; The Kubala Washatko Architects)—The LEED Platinum headquarters for the Aldo Leopold Foundation uses 70% less energy than a conventional building and achieves net-zero-energy performance. Extensive daylighting and passive ventilation contribute to the energy savings.
Sudden Oak Death Pathogen Is Evolving, Restriction On Movement Of Infected Plants Urged
The pathogen responsible for Sudden Oak Death first got its grip in California's forests outside a nursery in Santa Cruz and at Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County before spreading out to eventually kill millions of oaks and tanoaks along the Pacific Coast, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. It provides, for the first time, evidence of how the epidemic unfolded in this state.
"In this paper, we actually reconstruct the Sudden Oak Death epidemic," said Matteo Garbelotto, UC Berkeley associate extension specialist and adjunct professor, and principal investigator of the study. "We point to where the disease was introduced in the wild and where it spread from those introduction points."
