Periodically we bring you a roundup of posts from our blog that we think you’ll find interesting, informative, and entertaining–even if they’re written by an engineer. Florida Could Loosen Up LEED Reliance–Does it Matter? “A pair of Florida lawmakers is attempting to broaden green building compliance by loosening up reliance on LEED. If the bills are successful, state buildings could rely on lesser-known green certification programs such as Green Globes….

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United States Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin is urging Americans to learn about the dangers of asbestos exposure during Asbestos Awareness Week 2013 (April 1-7). For us, every week is asbestos awareness week. Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), says  the United States continues to endanger public health by importing asbestos, a known carcinogen. Reinstein says, “I am especially concerned about workers exposed to asbestos during…

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A pair of Florida lawmakers is attempting to broaden green building compliance by loosening up reliance on LEED. If the bills are successful, state buildings could rely on lesser-known green certification programs such as Green Globes. Most people are unaware that there is more than one certification program. The United States Green Building Council, which came up with LEED and issues points for certification is not the only player in…

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There is a new documentary exploring the ethics of American companies manufacturing and selling harmful materials, such as lead paint, on the African continent. According to Occupational Knowledge International, as published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, more than 40 percent of house paints in Cameroon contain lead. Some of the paints contain up to 50 percent of their weight as lead. Lead paint was banned in the…

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Each week we bring you a roundup of posts from our blog that we think you’ll find interesting, informative, and entertaining–even if they’re written by an engineer. Father of LEED: There are Good Buildings and Bad Buildings “Well, this is somewhat surprising and somewhat not. I’ve always said that just because a building claims to be green, or even has a LEED plaque on the front of it for that…

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Well, this is somewhat surprising and somewhat not. I’ve always said that just because a building claims to be green, or even has a LEED plaque on the front of it for that matter, doesn’t mean it’s saving energy or money. Mother Nature Network has the story with the link below: Interesting…Father of #LEED not a fan of #green buildings. ow.ly/iX5eZ — Green Building News (@GreenBuildNews) March 15, 2013 I…

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We use a lot of checklists in our office and in the field. New York Times Bestseller The Checklist Manifesto provides a commonsense approach to getting things done. It’s written by MacArthur Fellow and general and endocrine surgeon Atul Gawande. With so much information being thrown at us, smartphones buzzing in our pockets and distractions caused by information overload can easily turn a simple task into a complete disaster. Simplifying…

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Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has re-introduced S.484, the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2013, to amend the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair & Painting Rule (LRRP), which was developed to prevent lead exposure for workers and the general public. Contractors and trade groups have complained that the LRRP increases costs and unnecessarily applies to groups that are not as susceptible…

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Each week we bring you a roundup of posts from our blog that we think you’ll find interesting, informative, and entertaining–even if they’re written by an engineer. Mold Problems after Sandy (Audio) “Michael Reilly, Director of the Division of Planning and Response at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and Assistant Professor of Clinical Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University’sMailman School of Public, talks about the threat of mold in buildings after…

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A look at mold problems after Hurricane Sandy from WNYC: Michael Reilly, Director of the Division of Planning and Response at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and Assistant Professor of Clinical Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public, talks about the threat of mold in buildings after Hurricane Sandy, and what it could mean for public health during the ongoing recovery. Listen below: Do you have questions about…

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