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Building materials

A man stand next to a machine with large slabs of wood.

Building high-rises, hotels and stadiums out of wood — for climate’s sake

The Big Fix

Wood used to rule much of the building world, and now, it’s poised for a comeback, as engineered wooden buildings start to become an eco-friendly alternative to concrete and steel.

Worker in front of cement truck

Concrete production uses a ton of sand and emits a lot of carbon. Here are some greener alternatives.

Environment

University professor developing environmentally conscious cement

Environment
The World

Mixed Reaction to Asbestos Sentencing: ‘Justice is Not a Cure’

Global Politics
The World

Asbestos Executives Found Guilty in Italy

Conflict & Justice

The Living on Earth Almanac

This week, facts about… asphalt. The first asphalt road was constructed in 1870 on William Street in Newark, New Jersey. Today, almost two million miles of roads in the U.S. are paved with asphalt.

The World

City Trees

The century-old trees that grace many of our country’s urban centers are under assault. Development, with its encroaching asphalt, is an obvious danger. But so are more urban threats, like tail pipe exhaust, diverted water flows, and declining city budgets for tree maintenance. Steve talks with Boston Globe environmental correspondent Scott Allen.

The World

Cool Fix for a Hot Planet

A class in Taiwan builds a schoolhouse made of papercrete ?a mixture of cement, paper, and water.

The World

Re-designing Cities

Greening public rights of way helps to make for a healthy, economic and sustainable environment.

Re-designing Cities

Greening public rights of way helps to make for a healthy, economic and sustainable environment.