Because stormwater infrastructure is inherently site-specific, comparing system efficiencies can be difficult, but an inventory of stormwater control measures that represent eight distinct climate types is emerging. Researchers propose standardized terms, system categories and common constraints to better measure system effectiveness and cost efficiencies.

The Biden administration seeks industry collaboration to implement the National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technologies, aiming to promote innovation and national security without disrupting business operations. They aim to strike a balance between government involvement and a private sector-led international standards system while addressing a wide range of technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain and clean energy, through coordinated efforts and public input.

From masks that protect essential workers to equipment worn by firefighters, PPE plays a critical role in our world today. In the latest Standards Impact podcast, Brian Shiels, senior PPE engineer at Arcwear, discusses barrier face coverings and other crucial forms of PPE.

The Oregon legislature has appropriated $9 million for the Oregon Department of Agriculture to administer state meat inspections following approval of the inspection program by the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Oregon is one of 29 states to develop state inspection systems for meat that meet federal standards in an effort to support regional food systems, allowing Oregon businesses to sell products inspected within the state rather than relying on federally inspected plants.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a new rule that could reinstate "once in, always in" controls for factories and other industrial sites emitting air toxins such as benzene and arsenic. The Trump administration scrapped the original framework, which subject select facilities to maximum achievable control technology, or MACT, emissions standards.

A higher concentration of limestone in portland cement yields a significant 10% reduction in carbon emissions. Portland-limestone cement now has a yearslong track record and has proved versatile enough for any project where regular portland cement is used, including highways, dams, paving and buildings.

Milliken & Co. and more than 1,300 other companies are targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 in line with the Science Based Targets initiative, but the shift is being complicated by regulatory red tape and supply chain constraints, says CEO Halsey Cook. Milliken is considering small nuclear, carbon capture and hydrogen, and they "look really promising but they are big bets and scaling them is going to be really difficult," says Cook.

The United Nations is urging the construction industry to build less and take advantage of more sustainable materials. A report published by the UN Environment Program and Yale Center for Ecosystems and Architecture recommended cutting concrete use in half by 2060 and ensuring two-thirds of that concrete is recycled, resided or created with low-carbon cement as part of a prioritization of a "circular" approach to construction that involves avoiding waste.

GE Aerospace has developed a camera-equipped mini robot, the Sensiworm, that can inspect aircraft by crawling through hard-to-reach spaces. "With their soft, compliant design, they could inspect every inch of a jet engine, transmitting live video and real-time data about the condition of parts that operators typically check," says Deepak Trivedi, principal robotics engineer at GE Aerospace Research.

Some corporate leaders and coaching professionals say that employees can be most effective at work if they aim for about 85% productivity instead of going for 100%, overstressing themselves and then burning out. Business author Greg McKeown says 85% is a sweet spot because trying to achieve 100% all the time is too draining, and exercise physiologist Steve Magness says realizing that a person's entire self-worth does not depend on one action can help people relax and be more likely to complete the task successfully.

ASTM International is set to hold its 10th Symposium on Roofing Research and Standards Development on Sunday, December 3, 2023 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, in conjunction with December standards development meetings.