Recent Green Living Posts | By Steve Rypka on March 8th, 2012  Want to know what the “Next Big Thing” in home ownership will be? No one can predict the future with absolute certainty, but there are no safer predictions than these: non-renewable energy sources will become increasingly scarce; energy costs will rise over time; and people will continue to desire comfortable homes that are affordable to maintain. Wrap it all up in a solution that makes sense for the vast majority of existing homes and …(more) Continue reading The Next Big Thing: Energy Efficiency Remodels By Steve Rypka on February 23rd, 2012  Home energy efficiency is a very common topic around here. I believe it is one of the best investments a person can make. It’s also one of the best investments our society can make. Home efficiency saves resources, reduces pollution, increases comfort and improves the economy. The best results occur with the local utility gets on board, offering programs that provide immediate savings and even greater benefits over the long-term. Over the past decade, …(more) Continue reading Keep Energy Efficiency Energized By Steve Rypka on September 8th, 2011  Photo Credit: Josh Lopez Last week’s National Clean Energy Summit provided a partial snapshot of the status of our nation’s shift toward clean energy. It featured a wide range of presentations representing green building, military, commerce, transportation, utilities, manufacturing and labor interests. The message was strong and clear: Renewable energy along with a vast array of innovative technology is here and vital to our future. The concept of clean energy includes everything from …(more) Continue reading Taking Back Our Future By Steve Rypka on August 11th, 2011 
I never met Ray Anderson but he had a profound effect on my life. I learned much from him. I believe others can too. Thank you Ray, for proving that a better world is possible. We must only decide to make it happen. Continue reading In Memory of Ray Anderson. By Steve Rypka on August 11th, 2011  Recent malfunctions in our home’s irrigation system have wreaked havoc with my water efficiency efforts. The real problem wasn’t the leak, sometimes things happen and occasional maintenance is necessary. The issue was that the leak went undetected until weeks later when the water bill showed up.
Water is a basic human right and is priced relatively low for a good reason: We need it to survive. But one unintended consequence is that we also tend to take it for granted, even here in the parched Mojave, the driest desert on the continent and one of the driest areas in the world. In a place where we should value every drop of every gallon, it’s still considered acceptable, even normal, to detect leaks after the fact. I can only imagine how many others have the same experience every month and the cumulative waste it represents. Continue reading Thoughts on Water Use in the Mojave Desert. By Steve Rypka on July 28th, 2011  Think about this: We are living during an incredibly unique period in the ongoing history of humanity.
How often did that same thought cross the minds of our ancestors? Did the first generation of farmers realize the profound impact the agricultural revolution would have on the formation of modern society? In the early years of the industrial revolution, did anyone have even an inkling of what they were setting into motion? These key turning points in the development of our species have dramatically changed the world. As important as they were, they will pale in comparison to the Next Big Thing. I’m talking about the new Green Revolution. Continue reading Green Revolution and the Clean Energy Summit. By Steve Rypka on June 30th, 2011  Nothing is more important to the human spirit than freedom. People sacrifice their lives so that others may experience it. As we celebrate our country’s independence this weekend, friends and family will gather for barbeques and many homes will display the flag. In addition to displaying a symbol of our patriotism, our homes and businesses represent a vital opportunity that, if we choose to take action, can do more to strengthen and enhance our freedom than almost anything else.
Continue reading Celebrate Independence. By Steve Rypka on May 5th, 2011  My wife and I live and work in a solar-powered home. I’m writing this from my office using a computer running on the freshest electrons you can get, produced just a few feet away, from photons only eight minutes old. That’s how long it takes light to travel 93 million miles from the sun to the photovoltaic panels on our roof. Everything we do here that uses electricity is powered by them. 100%.
A small device called a Sunny Beam sits on my desk displaying information about our energy production. As I write this, there are some high clouds so we’re not at maximum but the system is still cranking out nearly five thousand watts of clean, renewable energy – much more than we’re currently using. The extra power is going to the grid, spinning our meter backwards. Continue reading Solar Increases Home’s Value. By Steve Rypka on February 24th, 2011  Have you ever looked back on a traumatic or difficult period in your life and realized that you actually benefited from the experience? It’s not just that time provides a different perspective. Challenges present opportunities for growth, innovation and learning. We can all benefit from difficult experiences.
Sometimes fear and resistance keep us from moving forward, even though we know a change is needed or even inevitable. Holding back just compounds the issue, making the eventual and ultimately unavoidable transition all the more difficult, expensive, time-consuming, or even dangerous. For example, I often hear people express their fear of rising energy costs. At first glance, that seems logical and understandable. It’s no wonder that so many people have such strong opinions about their energy providers, after all, energy has become synonymous with life – and we use a lot of it in this country. What if I said that paying two or three times as much for energy could be the best thing that ever happened to us? No, I don’t work for or get paid by the power company and no, I’m not crazy. There are very good reasons why paying more for energy would be a good thing for all of us. Continue reading Why Pay More? Why Not?. By Steve Rypka on August 26th, 2010  Living lighter on the planet is a worthy endeavor. For most of us, the best opportunities for green living are right in our own home but there are many other ways to make a difference, respect the planet and help heal the world. The creative application of green living can also be fun, inventive and good for business.
There’s no better example of this than a new locally-owned startup near the Galleria Mall called Atomic #7 (605 Mall Ring Circle #110 in Henderson or on the web at atomicnumber7.com). This curiously- but as it turns out very appropriately-named small business is all about green living, in a very enjoyable way. In a nutshell, the owners of Atomic #7 specialize in custom-made desserts, of the ice-cold, healthy and very refreshing sort, using a wide array of healthy ingredients combined as you wish. They’ve developed a very unique process to fast freeze them before your very eyes. Continue reading Atomic #7: Way Cool. | The Clark County Library District is sponsoring a series of five presentations on Green Living to be held at the West Charleston Library. I hope you can join us!
Download the flyer (PDF). Green Transportation: Getting Over Oil Thursday, May 31 6:30 p.m. The future of transportation is exciting and changing rapidly. Learn how people are saying adiós to the gas pump, saving money and helping the environment. |
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