Elemental

These are my links for April 18th through April 19th:

• Construction Blog Practice – New blog from someone at Constructing Excellence
• Asus Eee 900 to hit shelves on 1 May – ZDNet.co.uk – Going to hold out for the new and improved version (plus the 7" is nigh impossible to source instore in the US)
• 11 April 2008 – iSBEM_v3.1.a Patch Release – We recommend all users to download and run the patch for iSBEM_v3.1.a which is available from the download page item 2.

mel starrs News asus, Blogging, CE, eee, isbem, laptop, May - ZDNet.co.uk, ncm, SBEM, Software, United States

These are my links for April 1st through April 5th:

• How To Find Lost Objects – via LifeHacker – a 122 page pdf on a similar vein to www.flylady.net
• IES <VE SBEM> EPC SOFTWARE MEETS 6TH APRIL DEADLINE – IES on the ball again when it comes to SBEM (even though their DSM software IMO is the tool you ought to use)
• Cover It Live – via Simon Dickson, a killer live blogging app. Might try this for Think 08…
• Cutting carbon will grow US economy – Researchers at Yale University reviewed 25 leading economic models and showed that GDP would increase by around 3 %/y if dramatic carbon cutting measures were adopted across the country.
• 1 April 2008: New release of iSBEM_v3.1.a for EPCs – The overheating calculation still isn't working – expect yet another version in the future…
• Hong Kong BEAM – Green Building Label – Interesting statistics – "A US study, for example, found that certified green buildings cost 1.8% more to design and construct, but yield 20% cost savings over the life of the building."
• PM helps householders go green – Article not that exciting in itself, but found it via Twitter. I love Twitter…"Green Neighbourhoods initiative will give a "green makeover" to up to 100 neighbourhoods in England with an aim to reduce their carbon footprints by more than 60 per cent."
• China Launches Green Building Council: An Interview with Kevin Hydes, World GBC Chair – China, BREEAM and LEED. International standards currently only used in office buildings for multinationals or upscale apartments. China's version called what? (link goes to mandarin site)

mel starrs News BEAM, Blogging, BREEAM, business_case, calculator, carbon, certification, China, commitments, dsm, ebook, Economics, free, government, green, Green Building Council, gtd, ies, Kevin Hydes, LEED, lifehacks, Productivity, SBEM, Simon Dickson, Software, United Kingdom, United States, web2.0, www.flylady.net, Yale University

What caught my eye today, March 23rd:

• This much I know: Amory Lovins – The US has cut by half the total amount of energy used to make a dollar of GDP. It has cut oil use per dollar by 54 per cent and electricity use by 17 per cent. The UK has started to think about ways of catching up.

mel starrs News electricity use, Energy, oil use, United Kingdom, United States

What caught my eye today, March 18th:

• EPA: US can halve greenhouse emissions for the cost of a cup of coffee a day – Interesting findings on Oikos “if emissions were cut by 56% by 2050, US GDP would grow by 80% between now and then, compared to 81% if emissions were allowed to increase on a business-as-usual basis”
• 2.5 Sneak Peak – Hang fire on the blog upgrade – WP 2.5 due out soon. The revisions look great but I’m not quite brave enough to dive in until offical release date…
• Government figures hide scale of CO2 emissions, says report – Two bases for calculation revealed by NAO. Second includes shipping and aviation.

mel starrs News Environmental Protection Agency, United States

What caught my eye today, March 1st:

• US rating system LEED poses challenge to BREEAM – Article from H&V on the challenges BREEAM faces from LEED.

mel starrs News United States

What caught my eye today, February 29th:

• FT.com / Home UK / UK – Walkable, pleasant, urbane, hot – Not sure if Edwin Heathcote is defending the new wave of Middle East architecture and planning or not, but food for thought…
• Tim Harford’s top 10 undercover economics books – Jane Jacobs at No. 1 – good taste. Must add a few of these to my wishlist.
• Build me a pyramid:; Daniel Libeskind and the oligarchitects – Times Online – Tom Dyckhoff’s take on Libeskind’s ethical stance, plus a useful primer on current dubious projects by starchitects (mostly in Russia)
• Construction Industry Faces Ethical Challenges, Exec Says – Fascinating US article. Are Gen X less ethical than Baby Boomers? Breslin argues the talk (Do no evil) is very different to the walk (succeed at any cost).
• Good Homes Alliance say ‘keep sustainability simple’ – Yesterday, AECB were converging with CSH. Today, GHA break away again with Level 3++ (2 extra conditions above CSH). Where will this madness end?

mel starrs News Daniel Libeskind, Edwin Heathcote, food, Good Homes Alliance, Jane Jacobs, Middle East, Russia, Tim Harford, Tom Dyckhoff, United Kingdom, United States

What caught my eye today, February 26th:

• The Art of Speaking: ?There is a special circle in hell for those who use laser pointers,? this and other advice from a master speaker. – via Ben Casnocha, an excellent guide to public speaking and making presentations. Given all the conferences in the upcoming calendar, I hope folks read this before they present…
• The Atlantic – US monthly magazine opens up it’s archives and new issues online. Can’t find RSS feed – must be in there somewhere…
• Lazy Productivity: 10 Simple Ways to Do Only Three Things Today – From a similar school as GTD or even good old Stephen Covey, another top 10 for productivity. Best tip – No.2 – choose impact over urgency.
• It’s the Planet, Stupid!: Great Expectations: Perspectives on Memories – Bry Lynas (Mark’s dad) has a lovely post on how life used to be and who will be best off come the collapse of modern society.
• BRE Global and UK-GBC to partner on BREEAM – Good news from BREEAM – Paul King (UK-GBC) wants it to “continue to innovate and develop if it is to serve the needs of this dynamic sector”. New Director in place too – Martin Townsend of EA

mel starrs News Ben Casnocha, laser, Martin Townsend, Paul King, Stephen Covey, United Kingdom, United States

What caught my eye today, February 17th:

• Too much information can lead to worse decisions – Rob May explains representative bias. One of my odd little obsessions – the psychology of decision making.
• TierneyLab: Good Climate Policy, Bad Politics – US presidential candidates ignoring carbon tax as a solution to carbon emissions.
• The benefits of local food: why did we ever leave it? – Stephen lays into India Knight, who is bemoaning the loss of local shops. His ultra free market approach is perhaps a little extreme and assumes everyone shopping in supermarkets has made their choice consciously, instead of drifting there by convenience,
• Woodgas – Good overview of wood gasification plant

mel starrs News local food, Rob May, United States

What caught my eye today, February 9th:

• The business case for green buildings 2008 – Building – Managed to miss this earlier – Jerry Yudelson makes the business case for sustainable buildings. A US slant with much reference to LEED.

mel starrs News Jerry Yudelson, United States

What caught my eye today, February 6th:

• Answers to your questions (Jonathon Porritt) – Great interview with Jonathan Porritt. I particularly like his response to the thorny issues of BP/BAA and offsetting flights.
• FT no longer on the QT about wind power – Summary from Greenpeace on recent article on wind power in the FT
• Bordeaux to measure wine’s CO2 footprint – I’m hoping for a low figure…
• Population bombs – George Monbiot joins the debate on population. Worth a read.
• Sustainability: Two Irreconcilable Perspectives – Thoughtful piece from Dave Pollard on how business is currently thinking about sustainability.
• The great fuel folly – Jeremy Leggatt in full conspiracy theory flow, thinks the big five are up to something and oil may have peaked at 85m barrels a day.
• China urges US, Oz to lead on climate change – Watch out – China could pull this off yet…

mel starrs News China, Dave Pollard, George Monbiot, Greenpeace, Jeremy Leggatt, Jonathan Porritt, Jonathon Porritt, oil, United States