Top 5 Things To Do

From my perspective, there is quite a gap between what is occurring in the world and the actions, or lack thereof, of the general public in the United States. Even those who understand the severity and potential harm of things like climate change and peak oil often behave as if somehow their personal actions do not matter.

I think we are living in a time where every single choice we make is meaningful. Question the carbon footprint of everything you do, buy and eat; then go for the lowest carbon solution. Sometimes that means *not* doing or buying anything at all.

There is nothing wrong with laying back and watching the clouds instead.

More Humans, Less of Everything Else

The extraction of “unconventional” fossil fuels, whether through fracking, deep-water drilling or the unimaginable waste of Canadian tar sands, has provided much of the motivation in my personal life to methodically reduce our family’s CO2 footprint. Since the baseline year of 2000, we have managed to reduce our contribution to greenhouse gasses by approximately 90%. […]

Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour – 2014

The largest climate change march in history recently took place in New York City. Over 400,000 people joined together to demand genuine action on the issue. Hundreds of thousands more participated in coordinated events around the globe. This is no longer considered the radical fringe. It is time to stop using fossil fuels. Even those […]

Limits Exceeded – The Predicament of Mankind

Civilization has come a long way in the last 10,000 years. To those who follow the latest scientific findings, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be an easy ride going forward. In the early 70s I read the ground-breaking book “Limits to Growth,” detailing a study by 16 scientists at MIT about the consequences […]

Adapting Las Vegas

For over eight years, I have shared ideas about Green Living in this space. The intent has been to hasten a shift toward sustainable community in Southern Nevada while also addressing big issues like climate change. There are many who share my concerns and I am grateful for the significant steps so many have taken […]

Windows, Efficiency and Techniques

Windows have been around a long time. The origin of the word is centuries old and the original “wind eye” was nothing more than an unglazed hole in the roof that provided ventilation and day lighting. Today’s windows have come a long way since then. Good windows add much to the enjoyment, comfort and value […]

A Bevy of Green Happenings!

There are a lot of green happenings in Southern Nevada this weekend! Whether you are in Las Vegas or Henderson, or anywhere in Southern Nevada (or maybe even California), here are some events worth attending: U.S. Green Building Council – First Friday OctoberFest 2013 Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour Southern Nevada Trails Day Solarbration Team […]

Solar-Ready Homes

The policies set by local governments can do much to move us toward sustainability. We do not have to wait for national regulations to change the way we build or rebuild the homes in our communities. There is much to be done and with the political gridlock in Washington, local action is our best hope […]

Keep Energy Efficiency Energized

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 […]

Recreating the American Home – The Passive House Approach

I found a great book and I’m recommending it to anyone who would like to know more about just what a high-performance home can be. It’s called “Recreating the American Home: The Passive House Approach” by Mary James. The publisher is Low Carbon Productions. Ms. James has put together an extraordinary and diverse collection of […]