August Newsletter

News and Views on Health and Sustainability

August 2011

It seems like it was just yesterday that we sent out the first installment of this redesigned newsletter. How quickly the end of August snuck up on us! Before we know it, the kids will be back to school (if they aren't already), and many of us will be back on the national and international trade show circuit.

Speaking of trade shows, the next couple of months promise to keep everyone here at GREENGUARD very busy. In September, we'll be exhibiting at two major children's product expos—one in the U.S. and the other in Europe—to raise awareness about the importance of low-emitting products in children's environments. And in October, we'll be heading north of the border to Toronto, Canada for Greenbuild 2011, where we'll also be exhibiting with a fresh new look for the 9th consecutive year!

And by now, you may have already heard about our newest product emissions standard, GREENGUARD Select. But if you haven't, we explain in more detail what, exactly, it is and what it means for interior products in "What's New at GREENGUARD," below. Just scroll down and click.

Of course, there's much else happening beyond GREENGUARD—from proposed revisions to LEED 2012 and their potential impacts on manufacturers and architects to the findings of a recent report on climate change and indoor air quality—all of which we've covered for you right here.

We hope you find this edition of our newsletter useful and informative. Maybe we'll see you at an upcoming trade show!

Cheers—

Henning

On June 15th, the USGBC released the Certified Products and Materials Pilot Credit (Pilot Credit 43). This pilot credit is important for two reasons: first, it rewards improved product environmental performance; second, it encourages transparency.

With the release of this pilot credit, the construction and design community now has an opportunity to understand more about the products we use in our buildings, and manufacturers can gain much-deserved recognition for improving and documenting their products’ environmental impacts.

Got a question you'd like answered by an expert? Submit it here.

Roughly 150 bills focused on reducing human exposure to harmful chemicals were introduced by state lawmakers across the U.S. in 2011, and will likely resurface when the state legislative session resumes in January.

A recent report by the Institute of Medicine explores how efforts to reduce climate change by building energy-efficient buildings can inadvertently lead to poor indoor environmental quality and, subsequently, poor health.

Proponents of strengthening indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements in LEED certified buildings celebrated some big wins this month with the release of the second version of LEED 2012. The latest draft of the proposed rating system includes a number of improvements over the original draft.

Be sure to check out the August issue of ED+C for a special section dedicated to indoor air quality and green building performance, written by staff members of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.

It’s been a busy summer across the country for sustainable building standards and codes developers. Here’s a high-level recap of recent activity on some of the most well-known programs:

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute has recently launched GREENGUARD Select, a new pilot product certification program.

In case you didn’t already know, GREENGUARD launched a formaldehyde free verification service earlier this year to help manufacturers more clearly communicate their products’ formaldehyde emissions and content criteria to the marketplace.

Products can make a room, but only low-emitting products can make a room healthy. That’s the message the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute will be delivering at Greenbuild 2011.

As part of its efforts to grow consumer awareness of GREENGUARD Certification and the health importance of low-emitting children’s furniture, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute will exhibit at two major industry trade shows this month: Kind + Jugend in Cologne, Germany and the ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, Ky.

Join Paul Bates, LEED AP, of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, for a live GreenExpo365.com webinar on September 14 as he helps design professionals identify reliable third-party certifications and, in turn, make their buildings healthier—from design through construction and operations and maintenance.

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GREENGUARD Environmental Institute • 2211 Newmarket Parkway • Ste 110
Marietta, GA 30067 • 800.427.9681