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.

When it comes to green building, you can't always get what you what. So how do you get what you need?

Note: some of the links below will only work for registered subscribers. See low-cost membership options.

Spray foam is only one of a number of building products and methods which increase the risk of catastrophic fire loss (and potential loss of life).

[Editor's note: After asking him to pen his series of 10 Riversong's Random Reflections on our blog earlier this year, we asked Vermont builder Robert Riversong back to discuss fire safety issues in residential construction. Riversong is a volunteer firefighter. Enjoy! – Tristan Roberts]

Spray foam is only one of a number of building products and methods which increase the risk of catastrophic fire loss (and potential loss of life).

[Editor's note: After asking him to pen his series of 10 Riversong's Random Reflections on our blog earlier this year, we asked Vermont builder Robert Riversong back to discuss fire safety issues in residential construction. Riversong is a volunteer firefighter. Enjoy! – Tristan Roberts]

Building to the Passive House standard is hard enough for the pros. We get a peek into what happens when you try to go it alone.

The last BuildingGreen field trip we wrote about was at the Syracuse Center of Excellence.

More new products from Greenbuild! This week we introduce you to some water-saving fixtures, recycled content products, a residential rainscreen system, and hemp insulation.

A couple weeks after Greenbuild, and we are still looking at products from a productive show.

By leveraging social media, a national campus competition helps students turn small commitments into large-scale change.

Back when I was in college, I learned lots of fascinating but impractical things. The difference between phrenology and phenomenology. The anatomy of a flatworm.

According to the USGBC about 40% of the newly registered projects are now non-US projects. So finally the USGBC provides new guidelines for international projects.

A guideline for alternative compliance paths for the following credits:

LEED NC 2009

SS c1, SS c3, SS c4.1, SS c4.4, SS c6.1, SS c8

WE c1

MR c5

You rely on LEEDuser. Can we rely on you?

LEEDuser is supported by our premium members, not by advertisers.

Go premium for $15.95  »

I recently caught up with where the rest of the world was in 2005 by watching the hit documentary "March of the Penguins." It's been on my list for a while but when evening arrives I'm much more prone to watching films about people--people like James Bond, for example. But my wife and I had a baby two weeks ago, and suddenly movies narrated by Morgan Freeman seem like more appropriate family fare.