ArchWeek Green 2009.0714
ArchitectureWeek Editors
editor at architectureweek.com
Tue Jul 14 13:27:23 PDT 2009
Dear Designers, Builders, and Friends,
ArchWeek Green, from the editors of the leading architecture magazine
online, brings you weekly sustainable design and building news from
around our planet.
It can be hard to watch as the political sausage-making process is
applied to something with the technical clarity and life-and-death
consequences of climate change.
Along those lines, we've been in support of the overall Waxman-Markey
bill, though we know it falls short of what's needed, and some of the
last minute corruption of its elements has been terrible, to be polite.
The position has put us at odds with some environmentalist friends -
and in alignment with others. At least we know we share the same goal
- definitive, substantial, enlightened reductions of U.S. greenhouse
gas emissions. The divergence comes around tactics, and in the case of
the climate bill, given how very badly America has done for the last
eight years, we've felt getting something going in the right direction
is the most immediate need.
U.S. climate initiatives will need to be tightened up very
substantially in the coming years. But at least it does appear that
Waxman-Markey will get us started on some important steps. Let's
help the Senate pass it without further dilution.
When special interests lean into the politics of such technical
issues, as they do, it takes some extra effort to see through the
flack. Former Fortune magazine editor Eric Pooley does a real
service in deconstructing some recent heavyweight comments on the
climate bill in this Bloomberg column:
Warren Buffett carries plenty of weight in any debate - even when
he gets it wrong.
So as the Senate digs into the climate-change bill that passed
the House of Representatives last month, it's worth taking a hard
look at how Buffett's views on the bill went off course.
Buffett knows global warming is real and carbon emissions must be
cut. But he's worried that the bill might hurt his electric
utility, Des Moines, Iowa-based MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.
He may be right. But that doesn't mean this is a bad bill; it may
mean MidAmerican made some bad decisions.
On another count, Buffett is simply wrong when he calls the bill
a "huge, regressive tax" that would ensure "very poor people are
going to pay a lot more for their electricity." Likewise David
Sokol, the chairman of MidAmerican, was wrong when he testified
that the cost of buying carbon allowances under the bill would
drive up Iowa electricity prices by $110 per month per customer
in the first year.
Why Warren Buffett Is Wrong About Cap and Trade: Eric Pooley - Bloomberg, 2009.0714
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aiPQRMSW8JzY
In other recent news, the approach proposed in research described here
by Reuters looks like a huge step forward. It appears to provide a
simple, fair, and balanced way to apportion carbon footprint reductions
across the full range of developed, developed-but-inefficient, and
undeveloped nations:
To fairly divide the climate change fight between rich and poor,
a new study suggests basing targets for emission cuts on the
number of wealthy people, who are also the biggest greenhouse
gas emitters, in a country.
New Climate Strategy: Track the World's Wealthiest - Reuters, 2009.0706
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE56562Y20090707
Discuss online:
http://www.architectureforum.com/topic-29125.html
Green and Sustainable Design and Building News This Week
--------------------------------------------------------
Non-Green Asset Managers Could Be Sued: U.N. Report - Reuters, 2009.0714
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE56D43B20090714
EU Carbon Reform Proposals No Threat to China: Official - Reuters, 2009.0714
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE56D1KM20090714
A Solar Land Rush - New York Times, 2009.0713
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/a-solar-land-rush/
Boiling the Frog - New York Times, 2009.0713
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/opinion/13krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
Court Overturns Bush-Era Smog Rule - New York Times, 2009.0710
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/court-overturns-bush-era-smog-rule/
The Two-Degree Solution - New York Times, 2009.0709
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/the-two-degree-solution/
A Push to Hide Solar Panels in Santa Monica - New York Times, 2009.0709
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/a-push-to-hide-solar-panels-in-santa-monica/
Russians Plan Floating Nuclear Plants - New York Times, 2009.0709
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/russians-plan-floating-nuclear-plants/
Poorer Nations Reject a Target on Emission Cut - New York Times, 2009.0709
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/world/europe/09prexy.html?ref=earth
Preserving Memorial Coliseum - Portland, Oregon - ArchitectureWeek, 2009.0708
http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2009/0708/index.html
The perimeter of Memorial Coliseum bounds the equivalent area of
four city blocks in Portland, Oregon, yet the entire envelope of
the building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, stands on
just four columns. In a 1958 or '59 photograph of the building
under construction, when just the columns and great cantilevering
roof truss had been erected, the structure appears as one massive
blend of sculpture and engineering, a proud, dramatic emblem of
20th-century optimism and industry.
Oil Baron's Wind Farm Project Hits Doldrums - CNN, 2009.0708
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/07/08/pickens.wind.farm/index.html
The First Living Building Sets the Bar - eMagazine, 2009.0708
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4721&src=QSA079
Environmentalists Sue over Energy Transmission Across Federal Lands - New York Times, 2009.0708
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/environmentalists-sue-over-energy-transmission-across-federal-lands/
-- * --
Double-Helix Spiral Stairs
A York Spiral Stair is distinguished by its double-helix stair
design - two handrails and no center post. The handcrafted wooden
spiral stairs can be customized with your choice of woods,
finishes, risers, balusters, and nosing. Shipped prefabricated
and almost fully assembled for quick and easy installation.
http://www.archweek.com/ad.cgi?090708_york.html
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Iceland's Environment Minister Discusses Geothermal Power, Aluminum Concerns - New York Times, 2009.0708
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/icelands-environment-minister-discusses-geothermal-power-aluminum-concerns/
Study: Geoengineering Won't Help Oceans - New York Times, 2009.0708
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/study-geoengineering-wont-help-oceans/
More on Thinning Arctic Sea Ice - New York Times, 2009.0708
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/more-on-thinning-arctic-sea-ice/
Chicago Traffic Delays: A Tiny Break in the Traffic Logjam - Chicago Tribune, 2009.0708
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-traffic-congestion-08-jul08,0,1335171.story?track=rss
Despite Shift on Climate by U.S., Europe Is Wary - New York Times, 2009.0707
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/science/earth/08climate.html?ref=earth
Gore Says Climate Deal Needs More Public Pressure - Reuters, 2009.0707
http://www.reuters.com/article/internal_ReutersNewsRoom_BehindTheScenes_MOLT/idUSTRE56649R20090707?sp=true
Couple Is Living the 'Platinum' Life - Greenville Online, 2009.0707
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090707/PCN/907070336/1004/NEWS01/Central-couple-is-living-the-a[euro]~Platinum--life
Combative Start to Senate Climate Hearings - New York Times, 2009.0707
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/07/combative-start-to-senate-climate-hearings/
Omega Center for Sustainable Living Opens in Upstate New York - Inhabitat (blog), 2009.0707
http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/07/omega-center-for-sustainable-living-opens-in-upstate-new-york/
Is Energy Harvesting Moving into the Smart Home? - Reuters, 2009.0707
http://www.reuters.com/article/earth2Tech/idUS109659598620090707
France Imports UK Electricity as Summer Heatwave Puts a Third of Its Nukes Out of Action - Climate Progress (blog), 2009.0706
http://climateprogress.org/2009/07/06/france-imports-uk-electricity-summer-heatwave-puts-nuclear-power-plants-out-of-action/
Incandescent Bulbs Return to the Cutting Edge - New York Times, 2009.0706
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/energy-environment/06bulbs.html?em=&pagewanted=all
-- * --
Using Autodesk 3ds Max Design for Visualization & Collaboration
Give your transportation project a boost. Join this webcast and
find out how you can use Autodesk solutions to help you better
convey the intent of your road designs to the public, and more
effectively analyze these designs for environmental impact,
and more. Register now!
http://www.archweek.com/ad.cgi?090708_autodesk
-- * --
Environmentally Friendly Homes Reward Builders - Rocky Mount Telegram, 2009.0705
http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/news/environmentally-friendly-homes-reward-builders-701321.html
Center for Architecture Earns Top LEED Honors - Portland Business Journal, 2009.0702
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/06/29/daily56.html
Pacific Northwest Forests Could Store More Carbon, Help Address Greenhouse Issues - Eureka Alert, 2009.0702
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/osu-pnf070209.php
Saratoga Eyes Big Green Step in Residential Construction - San Jose Mercury News, 2009.0701
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12733661
Organic Farms as Subdivision Amenities - New York Times, 2009.0701
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/business/energy-environment/01farm.html?ref=commercial
L.A. Business Leans Green - Los Angeles Times, 2009.0629
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/06/green-business-in-los-angeles.html
People and Places by Nancy Novitski
http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/2009/0708/news_1-1.html
RTKL in West Chester, Ohio - NBWW in Miami, Florida - Otak, Inc.
in Lake Oswego, Oregon - kadawittfeldarchitektur in Sighartstein,
Austria...
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Press Release - Lutron Electronics Donates Energy-Saving Lighting Controls
http://www.archweek.com/2009/0708/press_release_1-1.html
Product News - Hurricane-Resistant Windows from Pella(R)
http://www.archweek.com/2009/0708/products_update.html
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Sustaining Infrastructure White Paper from Bentley Systems
Creating a sustainable world through infrastructure requires
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http://www.archweek.com/ad.cgi?090708a_downloads.html
Cyberattacks Hit U.S. And South Korean Web Sites - New York Times, 2009.0709
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/technology/09cyber.html?_r=1
With the Chrome OS, Google's Software Stack Is Revealed; Shrapnel Everywhere - ZDNet, 2009.0708
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=20827
Review: The 15-inch MacBook Pro Soars to New Heights - Computer World, 2009.0707
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9135253/Review_The_15_in._MacBook_Pro_soars_to_new_heights?taxonomyId=12&pageNumber=1
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