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Choosing a site on which to locate a new home is not a simple task. Countless factors – natural, man-made, social and economic – must be examined. Where we choose to build and how we build on a site have an impact on the local and global environments, ongoing costs (utility bills, maintenance) and our physical and psychological well-being. With today’s rapid growth, dwindling resources and increasing pollution threats, concern for human and environmental health are causing us to take a closer look at our building practices, starting with the building site. Whether selecting a site or working with an existing site, and whether the site is urban, suburban or rural, there are many aspects that can be examined with respect to how “green”, that is how healthy for people and the planet, the home on that site can potentially be. . . . → Read More: Site Selection and Analysis
By Alyson Kenward A couple of weeks ago, the social media networks were buzzing over the announcement of new technology that uses sunlight to split water for energy purposes; the so-called “artificial leaf.” It’s a man-made form of photosynthesis, a water-splitting technology that could potentially overcome the big challenges facing solar energy, like its current costliness and inability to provide energy when the sun goes down. MIT chemist Daniel Nocera unveiled the new artificial leaf at a recent American Chemical Society annual meeting, but many of the people commenting on it in the press didn’t have the opportunity to see the technology in action. . . . → Read More: Artificial Leaf
By Doug Garrett (this article first appeared in the Austin American Statesman in 1996, but it is still relevant today)
We all know that we can pay our auto mechanics a little now for routine service, or pay them a lot later for a major repair. The same idea holds true for your air . . . → Read More: Service Your Air Conditioner for Summer Comfort
Word on the street is it’s pretty well done: http://www.leedforhomes.org/OST/homepage.aspx
Did it work well for you?
Update: I got a chance to give this a spin. The “quick score” is straightforward and works well (the dream building I entered came in about half way between Gold and Platinum). The more detailed scoring gets into . . . → Read More: New Free LEED for Homes Scoring Tool
By Dick Peterson
Winter is one of the best times to plant a tree. Many excellent varieties are available at your local nursery, with some of the best trees available in the winter. Your new tree will use the winter dormant season to establish new roots. When spring arrives, your tree will be . . . → Read More: Plant a Tree This Winter For a Green Spring
by Erik Bliss
For decades we have relied on chemical barriers to keep pests out of our homes, rather than trying to physically exclude them. As more people become concerned with the health and environmental risks associated with chemical pesticides, the focus of pest control has shifted towards a more “integrated” approach. Officially called . . . → Read More: Deter Pests and Use Less Pesticide With Good Home Maintenance
May 27, 2010
The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the launch of the Highly-Insulating R-5 Windows and Low-e Storm Windows Volume Purchase Program, part of a multi-year integrated strategy to transform the market for high efficiency windows. The initiative will facilitate the broader deployment of these windows by pairing manufacturers with buyers looking . . . → Read More: DOE Launches the High Efficiency Windows Volume Purchase Program
You bought a home–it cost a lot of money. Now you want a landscape that will enhance your home’s beauty, add value to your home, and be easy to maintain. Landscaping choices are an important part of the City’s Green Builder Program. By making good choices when you plant, you can save time, money and protect Austin’s beautiful natural environment. . . . → Read More: Logical Landscapes for Green Living in Central Texas
Not too long ago about the only place you saw a concrete floor was in a warehouse or industrial setting-not anymore. Concrete slab foundations finished as floors are becoming more commonplace in residential and in all types of commercial construction. . . . → Read More: Concrete Foundations that Double as the Finished Floor
As the weather turns warmer, landscapes are breaking their winter dormancy and waking up to a powerful thirst. Although the current drought has been especially tough on ranchers and farmers, homeowners are to feeling the pinch too. Many are turning to local irrigation contractors, who are scrambling to fulfill an overload of requests for sprinkler system installations and repairs. Used efficiently, automatic watering systems are a powerful tool for dry weather. However, you don’t need a sprinkler system to reduce drought-stress in your landscape. By following these tips you can conserve precious water and save money. . . . → Read More: Drought Protection on a Budget
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