For years we've been hearing about the nation's crumbling and outdated electricity grid. The 2003 blackout that plunged 50 million people into darkness was a wake-up call. Then this summer T. Boone Pickens, who's planning on investing billions in building wind farms, called for massive investments to revamp our nation's aging grid, so that it can handle wind power distribution. Recently, President-elect Barack Obama called for a similar investment, perhaps billions, to begin work on a new "smart" electric grid to replace the nation's old, fragmented and inefficient system. More
One-in-Five Workers Plan to Change Jobs in 2009, Study Finds
from Yahoo! News
Even with slower hiring predicted for 2009, 19 percent of workers say finding a new job is on their list of New Year's resolutions and the same amount say they actually plan to leave their current job before the end of the year, according to CareerBuilder.com's latest survey. The survey, titled "2009 Job Forecast," was conducted from Nov. 12 through Dec. 1, 2008, and included more than 8,800 workers. Additionally, six-in-10 workers say the economy and the tightening job market are not making them hold off on their plans to change jobs. More
Earthquake Drill Finds Weaknesses in Steel High-rises
from Los Angeles Times
Modern steel buildings have long been considered among the most sturdy in the event of a major earthquake. But a model of a massive quake in Southern California has sparked debate among scientists and engineers over whether these structures are more vulnerable than previously thought. The Great Southern California ShakeOut, the nation's largest quake drill, suggested that about five high-rise steel buildings in the region would collapse in the modeled magnitude 7.8 quake. More
Report: LEED® Projects Underway in All 50 States
from Environmental Leader
Last month the U.S. Green Building Council released a three-page report (PDF) with statistics on the state of green buildings in America. Jetson Green says the authors of the report seem to have attempted optimism about progress in gaining market share for green building.The report said that over 4.2 billion square feet of commercial building space is involved with the LEED green building certification and that according to McGraw Hill Green Building Smart Market Report 2006, about 10 percent of commercial construction starts are expected to be green by 2010. More
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Product Showcase: LogiSon Acoustic Network
 More than 70 percent of employees say they would be more productive if their workplace was quieter. The LogiSon Acoustic Network increases speech privacy and reduces disruptions by introducing a masking sound that makes conversations and noises more difficult, or impossible, to hear. It’s a cost-effective method of improving overall acoustic comfort. More info
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In Some U.S. Cities, Downturn Rekindles Building Plans
from The Wall Street Journal
With talk about a massive federal stimulus plan to jolt the economy back to life, developers and local planning officials are moving to push through real estate projects to lay the foundation for their return to growth. To be sure, the credit crisis and recession have stalled major development projects. But the economic doldrums are giving impetus to several cash-strapped local governments to take a fresh, faster look at existing rezoning proposals that could add value to fallow or underused land and provide immediate jobs. More
Out of Africa: Saharan Solar Energy
from Time
For years the Sahara has been regarded by many Europeans as a terra incognita of little economic value or importance. But this perception may be headed for a drastic overhaul. Politicians and scientists on both sides of the Mediterranean are beginning to focus on the Sahara's potential to power Europe for centuries to come. These people believe the 3.32 million square-mile desert's true worth lies in the very thing long regarded as its biggest liability: its arid emptiness. Some patches of the Sahara reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit on many afternoons. It is, in other words, a gigantic natural storehouse of solar energy.
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Mind Your Workplace Manners —it Pays
from Reuters UK
Manners maketh the businessman, with a global survey finding Americans and the British to be the most easily insulted by lack of workplace etiquette, while Australians are among the most offensive. The survey, by Australian-based international office space provider Servcorp, listed the top five most offensive workplace behaviors as not saying hello or good morning, not offering office guests a beverage, speaking loudly across the room, using swear words and taking calls on mobile phones. More
Financial Crisis Delays Work on New World’s Tallest Tower
from Associated Press
The developer of a skyscraper planned to be the world's tallest said Wednesday it is halting work on the project for a year as the Middle East's business and entertainment capital grapples with the financial crisis. State-owned builder Nakheel's decision to shelve the landmark development—which it unveiled only in October 2008—came as a leading credit rating firm warned that falling real estate prices will likely hurt banks in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. The halted skyscraper was planned to soar the length of more than 10 American football fields, and analysts had said its unveiling late last year showed a lot of confidence amid the souring global economy. More
White Roofs are the Trillion-dollar Solution
from Gristmill
A global "cool roofs" strategy can achieve huge benefits to saving money and energy—the equivalent of several trillion dollars worth of CO2 reductions—since it can increase the albedo (reflectivity) of the planet, thereby directly reducing the absorption of incoming solar radiation and hence planetary warming. The strategy proposed "is equivalent to taking the world's approximately 600 million cars off the road for 18 years." More
 Bradley’s NEW AerixTM hand dryers are the only adjustable speed hand dryer in the USA. Turn the speed up for fast drying at the sports center, school or water park. Turn down for quiet operation at the library or museum. Aerix hand dryers suit all applications. Call 800.BRADLEY for information or visit – www.bradleycorp.com/aerix
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Study Shows Workplace Benefits of Influenza Vaccination
from Infection Control Today
Workers age 50-64 who received the influenza vaccine lost substantially fewer days of work and worked fewer days while ill, according to a new study in the Feb. 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online. Given the concerns about antiviral drug resistance among this year's flu strains, the study highlights the importance of vaccination to prevent influenza. More
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Development, Architectural-planning, budgeting, General Contracting. Even lease negotiations. From start to finish, a little or a lot. When we plan a job we're in it for the long haul. More |
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For years we've been hearing about the nation's crumbling and outdated electricity grid. The 2003 blackout that plunged 50 million people into darkness was a wake-up call. Then this summer T. Boone Pickens, who's planning on investing billions in building wind farms, called for massive investments to revamp our nation's aging grid, so that it can handle wind power distribution. Recently, President-elect Barack Obama called for a similar investment, perhaps billions, to begin work on a new "smart" electric grid to replace the nation's old, fragmented and inefficient system. More
