LETTERS TO THE EDITOR placeholder — Published 2013.0424
	AIA GREEN TOP TEN Located at the edge of Oakland, California's downtown Chinatown neighborhood, a colorful new affordable senior housing project transformed an abandoned site near a busy freeway into a community resource for disadvantaged and formerly homeless senior citizens while also exemplifying good universal and sustainable design. The six-story Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments, designed by Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, was certified at the Platinum level under a LEED for Homes Mid-Rise pilot program. — Published 2013.0424
	THE NEED FOR BIRD-FRIENDLY DESIGN For many people, birds and nature have intrinsic worth. Birds have been important to humans throughout history, often used to symbolize cultural values such as peace, freedom, and fidelity. — Published 2013.0327
	THE JOY OF EUI Energy use intensity (EUI) is one of the most important and useful metrics employed in the design of low energy and net zero energy buildings. EUI is a measure of total annual building energy use, divided by the gross building floor area. This can be expressed in terms of site energy or source energy. Common EUI units include kBtu/ft2, kWh/ft2, kWh/m2, and MJ/m2. In the United States, kBtu/ft2 is the EUI unit most commonly used. — Published 2013.0213
	FOUNDATIONS OF PASSIVE HOUSE As we discussed in a recent article, most buildings in 2050 — less than forty years from now — will likely have to get by with perhaps 10% of the carbon footprint common in the U.S. today. We know of exactly one established building standard that's been demonstrated to produce 2050-ready homes, today. And, harsh though it might sound, anything built today that is significantly less efficient than the roughly 90% energy savings achieved by Passivhaus, seems designed to be obsolete. —The Editors — Published 2013.0130
	2013 - YEAR OF CLIMATE DECISION Either by action, or by inaction, it's most likely that the climate decision will be made this year. The decision, simply put, is whether to step aside from business-as-usual, and fully mobilize, or to generally continue business as usual, and condem humanity to a thousand years of torture. — Published 2013.0109
	WHAT'S UP WITH U.S. GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS? A person — or a public figure, member of the media, maybe even an international climate negotiator — could be confused. In August, 2012, the Associated Press reported: — Published 2012.1205
	THE CORRUPTION OF WOOD Trees are fundamental to many urban landscapes and natural ecosystems. Wood from trees is a fundamental material for architecture. The tension between wood in living trees, and wood in buildings and other products, is arguably at an all-time-high on planet Earth. — Published 2012.1024
	USGBC FOUNDER RICK FEDRIZZI Rick, what does sustainability mean to you personally? To me, the definition of "sustainable" is simple: It means living my life today in a way that ensures my children, their children, and their children will be able to live as well as I did. — Published 2012.1003
	MASTERS PLAN FOR MABLETON "The only viable way to accept the gift and meet the challenge of longevity is to match the dramatic transformation of the 20th century that made it possible to grow old, with an equally dramatic and fundamentally new way of being old." — Kathryn Lawler, welcoming the Lifelong Communities Charrette Team, February 2009 — Published 2012.0822

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