Back in March I reported that I would be taking leave from this blog as I embarked on an eight-month sabbatical.

Choosing light bulbs can be a baffling ordeal. An award-winning app uses EPA data to make it simple again.

How many apps does it take to change a light bulb?

Apps can't actually do that yet: you still have to climb on a chair and balance precariously while holding a handful of glass. However, the winner of best overall app in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Apps for the Environment Challenge can help you choose the best and most efficient replacement option for incandescent bulbs.

Do you really know the difference between FSC and SFI? Has the federal government ended all our greenwashing woes? Find out below!

We invite you to test your knowledge with this quiz that we came up with covering key questions around when our building products are green, and when they're being greenwashed.

A victim of a hepatitis E infection she picked up unknowingly in Brazil, Genevive Bjorn's liver rebelled against her one night in Hawaii. Her body almost shut down on her, but with help from the hospital, a battery of tests, her watchful boyfriend at her side, and a diet of nothing but rice porridge, she squeaked through.

BuildingGreen presents a FREE 1-Hour Webcast on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 2 p.m. EST

To help professionals make the best design and material choices for their specific projects (and budgets), BuildingGreen recently developed and released the Guide to Insulation Products and Practices.

The report emphasizes that there are no universal right or wrong answers. Instead, it offers guidance to support appropriate material choices -- as well as best practices -- depending on the project and budget.

Letting short-term payback analyses drive economic decisions about high-performance buildings is crazy.

Can a building-integrated solar shingle compete with cheap crystalline? Focusing on aesthetics and installation is a great start.

Dow's Powerhouse photovoltaic (PV) roofing shingles are designed to integrate into a conventional asphalt shingle roof, and when Dow announced the product in 2009 they caused a lot of excitement.

Eco-friendly bamboo options have gotten better, but the choice is still not simple.

If you want the "greenest" bamboo flooring out there what do you look for? We have talked a lot about bamboo over the years, starting in 1997. The options have gotten better, but the choice is still not simple. See BuildingGreen's product guide, Hardwood & Bamboo Flooring, but let's break it down a bit.

DesignIntelligence has released its annual report on the top architecture schools, and 80% are campus-wide BuildingGreen subscribers.

We're always curious to see the DesignIntelligence lists of top architecture and design programs in the U.S.

New ways to make and save energy, from university research

An environmentalist dies and reports to the pearly gates, but there is a mix-up and she is sent to the gates of hell. Once in hell, she is horrified by the air and water pollution, global warming, and habitat destruction. But she gets to work and soon the hellscape is covered with grass and plants, the food is organic, the air is clean, and the people are happy.