That represents 9 days worth of household CO2 production!

(1,397/150 = 9.31 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

1. Generate Electricity Everywhere!

Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

That represents 8 days worth of household CO2 production!

(1,191/150 = 7.94 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

2. Deliver Clean Energy to Distant Cities!

Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

That represents a little more than 1/2 day of household CO2 production!

(98/150 = 0.65 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

3. Store Power in Super Batteries!

Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

That represents 2 days worth of household CO2 production!

(321/150 = 2.14 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

Did you see the Feb 13, 2009 post about Shai Agassi’s Project Better Place? Project Better Place aims to build a national infrastructure of battery swapping and charging stations. “Agassi contends that the clustered populations on the west and east coasts make it easy to deploy… charging stations.” – excerpt from earth2tech.com June 13, 2009 post. Turning this well funded startup into a future industry powered by green electricity will require what has been called smart grid technology. Click HERE for more information.

4. Monitor the Electrons in Real Time!

Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

That represents 79 days worth of household CO2 production!

(11,903/150 = 79.35 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

5. Trade Electricity Like Pork Bellies!

Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

“Clean energy may be the greatest opportunity of this century”. – excerpt from Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Click HERE for more info.

That represents 4 days worth of household CO2 production!

(599/150 = 3.99 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

6. Think Negawatts, Not Megawatts!
Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

That represents 3 days worth of household CO2 production!

(435/150 = 2.9 days of household CO2 production)

1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

A study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory may suggest that it is. Some will think yes and some will think no depending on their personal definition of green. You should decide for yourself. Click HERE for more info.The images above are from the  Dryvit Systems website.

7. Make Conservation Simple (and Easy)!
Power to the People: 7 Ways to Fix the Grid, Now! is an article in the 17.04 issue of Wired Magazine. Click HERE for more information on all seven. The illustrations above are from the article.

(1,521/150 = 10.14 days of household CO2 production)
1 Day = 150 lbs of CO2 per U.S. household – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

An article in the Kitchen Center area of the Servicemagic.com website states that green kitchen design increases environmental efficiency without sacrificing luxury. To view the entire article click HERE.

“The average U.S. household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 per day… 5 times the global average…” – excerpt from the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine titled Saving Energy – It Starts at Home. The images above are from the article. You can also get them at National Geographic Wallpapers.

President Obama signed an executive order yesterday on energy independence. In signing the order he pledged to lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines, make 75% of federal buildings more efficient and weatherize 2 million homes. Click HERE for more information from The Wall Street Journal.

It takes just 15 minutes but can save you anywhere from $30 to $44 per year. Let National Geographic’s Green Guide show you how… Click HERE!

From ovens to organic produce, National Geographic’s Green Guide will show you how to have a greener kitchen. Click HERE for more info.

Doesn’t this home look like something straight out of The Hobbit?

The “low impact woodland home” exists in Wales.  It was built by the owner with regard for the environment.  It’s dug into the hillside, which means it’s probably energy efficient too.  The foundation and retaining walls are made with mud and stone. Straw bales in the floor, walls, and roof help insulate the home.  Reclaimed wood was used for the floor and fittings.

This building is one part of a low-impact or permaculture approach to life. This sort of life is about living in harmony with both the natural world and ourselves, doing things simply and using appropriate levels of technology. These sort of low cost, natural buildings have a place not only in their own sustainability, but also in their potential to provide affordable housing which allows people access to land and the opportunity to lead more simple, sustainable lives. For example this house was made to house our family whilst we worked in the woodland surrounding the house doing ecological woodland management and setting up a forest garden, things that would have been impossible had we had to pay a regular rent or mortgage. This is an excerpt from Alternative Housing

“Windows are the weak link, thermally speaking, in most building envelopes. Modern windows are much better than old single-pane windows and store-fronts, but they still represent a compromise—we accept their mediocre thermal performance because we want the daylight, views, and ventilation they offer…” - excerpt from “Reducing Heat Flow Through Windows” post at BuildingGreen.com

Many buildings constructed within the last decade have already experienced major failures due to water damage and air leakage across the building envelope that caused condensation and mold growth. Now, building scientists are emphasizing the benefits of using effective air barriers for homeowners and trades. Air barriers significantly reduce random air leakage, conserving up to 40 percent of a building’s energy loss and improving indoor air quality, when combined with mechanical ventilation. Air barriers also extend the life of a building by minimizing the flow of airborne moisture that can breed condensation, mold growth and decay.Icynene delivers high-performance solutions for efficient building envelopes, thermal comfort and a healthy living environment – all of which are integral components of green building and design. Icynene can also contribute points/credits to LEED for Homes + the NAHB National Green Building Standard. – excerpt from Icynene.com

According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings in the United States account for 70% of our nation’s electricity use. Find more Green Building Research click HERE.

Green Directory

Increasing concern about global climate change has raised public awareness about sustainable design and now requires architects to address these critical issues. “Sustainable design has entered the mainstream as a significant environmental and economic force in building design, construction, and development,” according to authors Muscoe Martin, AIA, LEED and Gregory Franta, FAIA. Sustainable Design II takes an in-depth look at the emergence of green building rating systems, most notably the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification. It also examines the costs and benefits of green buildings and integrated design strategies.

Successful completion of the Sustainable Design II quiz earns 12 professional development units (PDUs) and/or AIA learning units in health, safety, and welfare. The monograph’s price includes the monograph, the web-based quiz, the score reporting process, and one free retest if needed. Online, fax, or mail orders are accepted for all NCARB monographs.

Order online or visit the publication section of NCARB’s web site at
http://www.ncarb.org/publications/index.html to see other available titles.

Sustainable Design II
By Muscoe Martin, AIA, LEED, and Gregory Franta, FAIA
138 Pages
Regular Price: $275
NCARB Record holders: $175

NCARB’s monograph series provides a convenient, low-cost way for architects and other design professionals to learn about new developments in the industry and meet continuing education requirements. Current NCARB Record holders may earn multiple PDUs in health, safety, and welfare for less than $16 per unit— one of the lowest continuing education unit costs available today. All passing scores are reported to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at no extra cost.” – Copied from www.NCARB.org.

Click on the link below to find out more about this series.

NCARB Monograph Series

After the tornado.

 

Artist rendering of the new Greensburg.

Last May, the small Kansas town of Greensburg was almost demolished by an EF-5 tornado.  Twelve of their residents died and 95% of the community’s structures were lost. 

This May we see that the small town is “rebuilding as a model green community, focusing on energy self-sufficiency and other principles of sustainability, with the aim to become the greenest community in America”. -  Excerpt from www.GreensburgGreenTown.org.

Click on the links below to read more about the rebuilding of this community.

“There’s No Place Like a Green Demo Home”

Town Rebounding