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I love the way the seasons remind me of our planet’s journey around the sun. As another winter solstice approaches, I find simple pleasure noticing how the light reaches deeply into our home as the sun traverses its low, southerly arc each day. Another source of enjoyment this time of year comes in the form of giving to others. Exchanging gifts is a holiday tradition that can have great meaning. As a sincere expression …(more) Continue reading Gifting the Future   Leave a commentTags: Bill McKibben - climate change - consumerism - cozy feet - food - footprint - simple pleasure - solstice - winter solstice. 
Our Home is changing – unnaturally and much too quickly. The Earth’s fragile, life-sustaining balance is shifting due to rapid and massive releases of carbon, dug up from beneath the surface and thrust into the atmosphere at an explosive rate. This “Sacred Balance,” as Professor David Suzuki so eloquently described it in his book by the same name, is what we depend on to survive and thrive. It is the essence of …(more) Continue reading Five Years and Counting
This year marks the seventh anniversary of the Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour. It will take place this Saturday, November 5th from 10 AM until 4 PM and is open to the public. Organized by the dedicated volunteers at Solar NV, this year’s tour will be another great opportunity to meet face to face with neighbors around the valley who live with renewable energy on a daily basis. Sponsors include Bombard Renewable Energy, Geary Company, and Southwest Gas. Continue reading Tour of Solar Homes. 4 commentsTags: carbon - energy rates - footprint - local - Nevada - passive solar - pv - renewable energy - solar home tour - solar hot water - solar panels - solatube.  Every cloud has a green lining. They say that every cloud has a silver lining. That might be even more appropriate here in the Silver State, since the clouds caused by the housing market have caused more than a passing shadow. However, the sun is beginning to peek through, and it’s shining a bright light on some activities in the housing market that not only have a silver lining, but perhaps even gold or platinum. I’m talking about two projects, one quite old (by Las Vegas standards) and the other brand new. Both are equally exciting and represent a new wave of housing development that is just getting underway in Southern Nevada. Continue reading Housing’s Silver Lining. Leave a commentTags: climate change - economy - efficient - footprint - green building - Habitat for Humanity - HERS index - LEED - Nevada - performance - pv - USGBC.  Expired: to emit the last breath; to die out, as a fire. I think it’s time to set a big, audacious goal for Nevada. Let make it the nation’s first carbon-neutral state. That doesn’t mean we have to stop driving, cooking or heating our homes. It does mean that we would make a major commitment throughout the state to reduce energy consumption and increase renewable energy production. In the process, we will create jobs, build new infrastructure, transform communities and create something that all Nevadans can be proud of. We have all the ingredients we need to make this happen and it starts with our homes. The national push to improve home efficiency has taken root in Nevada. Home energy audits and retrofits are poised to be the “next big thing” as energy prices continue upward and awareness of our climate problem increases. Purchasing a home without a prior energy audit is like buying a car without knowing the mileage rating. It’s basic information that one needs to make an informed decision. Continue reading Carbon-Neutral Nevada. “Food and Hunger: Eating in America” was the topic of a panel discussion presented by the Black Mountain Institute last week at UNLV. The panel included celebrated chef and author Alice Waters, writer and organic farmer David Mas Masumoto and noted food scholar Raj Patel. The conversation was meaningful, thought-provoking, and at times, witty and humorous. The hall was overflowing and it was great to see so much interest in a topic that included …(more) Continue reading Local Gardens – Organic Food Leave a commentTags: co2 - food - footprint - fossil fuel - organic - sustainable - transition - UNLV - water. Remember the old Japanese monster flicks? Godzilla wreaked havoc on the city, stomping cars like they were ants. That monster had one serious footprint! We are the new Godzilla. Our footprints have been stomping the planet and it seems we’ve only recently looked back to realize the destruction. Can progress that leaves a trail of environmental ruin really be called progress? Can we reduce our collective footprint enough to tread lighter on the earth? …(more) Continue reading Godzilla Water Users It’s exciting to see the transformation taking place in the home building market. Perhaps the best example is the new Villa Trieste development by Pulte Homes. Located in Summerlin, this community of 185 homes is leading the way when it comes to responsible building in Southern Nevada. The community has gotten some good coverage recently but I noticed the focus is mostly on energy savings and the electrical solar panels that come with each …(more) Continue reading Green Options for Homebuyers Leave a commentTags: appraisal - co2 - efficient - footprint - green building - LEED - renewable energy - solar - sustainable - USGBC - video - water. |
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