I recently attended a series of seminars designed to inform realtors, lenders, appraisers and builders about the importance of energy efficiency and green building. The program, hosted by the Green Alliance/Nevada Energy Star Partners, featured Sam Rashkin, the national director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star for Homes program. The seminars were very informative […]
2009 National Clean Energy Summit
Perspective is an interesting thing. If you’re too far away from something, you don’t see the details. If you’re too close, you miss the big picture. In my experience, the best strategy for maintaining a healthy perspective is to keep both in mind. Look at the big picture and use it as a guide as […]
Food Inc.
Society has shifted in many ways in this historically brief Age of Oil, and our means of food production is no exception. The once-rich diversity of food crops has been decimated over the last few decades due to the intensive industrialization of farming industry. A vast array of products found on supermarket shelves is manufactured […]
Independence (from Fireworks) Day
Sometimes, all the logic in the world is still not enough. Perhaps its human nature, but we can be extremely resistant to change, even when the preponderance of evidence indicates otherwise. There are countless examples and some are so ingrained in our collective psyche that they are almost invisible to us. Traditional customs are like […]
Las Vegas Green Building Tour
If there’s one thing Las Vegas is known for, it’s change. Although our green building awareness got off to a slow start compared to some other cities, we’ve managed to turn that around. Many are surprised to learn that the rate of green building is accelerating rapidly in Southern Nevada, now home to some of […]
HomeFree Nevada
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” […]
Green Pools are Great
Here’s a summer riddle for you: What’s clear and fresh and very clean, all blue but still completely green? If you guessed a swimming pool, you’re right. But what’s green about a clean pool? The green isn’t from algae but from the energy saved by using a variable-speed pool pump. Most swimming pools use a […]
House Like a Tree
Hiking is one of my favorite activities since I love reconnecting with the natural world. Safety is always number one so I try to avoid paths that get too close to dangerous cliffs. Call it self-preservation. I’m also not a speed demon, preferring to savor the experience – noticing the details. Did you know that […]
Desert Water Solutions
I love a good challenge. The bigger the problem, the more fun it can be to solve. The most elegant solutions are simple, effective and often right before our eyes. Such is the case with water. For decades, we’ve focused on engineering “more is better” solutions that “improve” nature and bend it to our will. […]
Blowing in the Wind
Back in the 60s, Bob Dylan sang “The answer my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” At the time, I don’t think he had renewable energy on his mind, but wind energy is certainly a large part of the answer to today’s energy puzzle. All across America, homeowners […]