Recent Green Living Posts | By Steve Rypka on April 22nd, 2010  April 22 should be a GLOBAL holiday of deep significance. Seriously, I mean that. I can’t think of any other day whose meaning carries greater potential or consequence for life. It should be a celebration, and calibration, of our future. Earth is home to all people; every religion, nationality, race and political persuasion – not to mention the millions of other species we share it with. Surely Earth Day should reign supreme as the Big Enchilada, the Mother of all Holidays. But in the overall scheme of our daily lives, it barely gets a nod in the mainstream media.
Continue reading Earth Day – or rather, Eaarth Day. By Steve Rypka on April 8th, 2010  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. By Steve Rypka on March 25th, 2010  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. By Steve Rypka on February 25th, 2010  Panels on the roof of this home have provided domestic hot water and space heating for years. My last column focused on our man-made solar eclipse, some of the damage that results from drilling for fossil fuels and ways we can reduce our need for natural gas by using the sun to heat water and even our homes. A new solar hot water rebate program is in the works for Nevadans, similar to the rebates already in place for photovoltaic (PV) systems. The program details are not finalized but it will be available to NV Energy and Southwest Gas customers. Continue reading Solar Hot Water Incentives. By Steve Rypka on June 4th, 2009 We’ve all heard a lot about green jobs lately. But what exactly is a green job? When are they coming? Where can a person find one? A lot of people want to know how they can make a living while making a difference. While I believe that any job in any company can be “greened” with the right attitude and attention to detail, there are some that fall squarely in the green job category. …(more) Continue reading HomeFree Nevada | 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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