Good news: The recession is over. Even though Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke is shy about going out on a limb just yet, The NEWS is not quite so reluctant. Obviously, there are a lot of bad things still going on in the general economy. However, there have been enough good signs to point toward an end to the Great Recession.

To be sure, some real integration does take place thanks to cooperation among some suppliers and control protocols, but for the most part, a pipe dream still exists. As new protocols or control platforms are introduced that do not seamlessly and transparently cooperate with each other, a chasm seems to be widening.

Being one of the 20 million people who participated in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, I am happy to report that I will not join with the 500 million worldwide participants on the 40th Anniversary.

When I happen upon an HVAC contracting company or a distributorship, I usually show up early for morning appointments and walk around to the back lot before ever knocking on the front door. The back lot is fun.

The Big Picture is not just a catchy slogan and logo. As the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) closed its 42nd Conference & Indoor Air Expo, immediate past-chairman Stan Johnson, president of Stan’s Air Conditioning & Heating of Austin, Texas, said, “ACCA’s 2010 Conference was not just about looking at ‘The Big Picture’ - it has been about taking control of it.”

Some of you must wonder what global business really means to people in Wooster, Ohio, or Paducah, Ky. - and, does it really play in Peoria? So, when I found this little tidbit, I had to share.

In August 2009, Equiguard Inc. announced that it would seek bankruptcy protection in filing for Chapter 11 reorganization due in large part to a dispute with its insurer. As the Chapter 11 legal wheels began to turn, there were a few bumps in the road. With those bumps now behind it, Equiguard president Craig Funke recently told The NEWS that everything is again moving full-speed ahead.

In 2005, the green building movement was relatively small - only about 2 percent of both nonresidential and residential construction, valued at $10 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction’s Green Outlook 2009 report. In 2009, the green market was approximately $36 to $49 billion, and is projected to be between $96 and $140 billion by 2013.

Unfortunately for most duct tape manufacturers, almost nobody recommends using duct tape to seal ducts because eventually the adhesive dries out and the tape begins to peel. So what good is duct tape if you can’t use it on your ducts?

According to a recent article in USA Today, a new generation is being identified that is even difficult for older siblings to completely understand. This latest demographic group is dubbed the iGeneration by some. The “i” in iGeneration might represent information, but more likely will stand for “individualized,” according to psychologist Larry Rosen.