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On Homes and Cars and Jets and Supermarkets
Home building has undergone dramatic changes since the early 20th century. Houses used to be assembled from a relatively small number of different components—wood, brick, plaster, tile, pipe—and not too…
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When Will They Ever Learn?
Once again, the obstructionists are hard at work. According to a recent article in The Hill, a nonpartisan, nonideological daily paper for and about Congress, climate and energy bills currently…
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Green From the Start – Home Edition
A few weeks ago I spent about eight hours with Barley and Pfeiffer Architects in Austin, TX, working up a preliminary design for my new house near Atlanta. While I…
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A Baffling Demo House
My friend Justin Jones of Building Performance Solutions sent me a link to this article about a demonstration house in Troy, Michigan, that apparently was designed to show the public…
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Tote Bags and Energy Efficiency (or Lack Thereof)
At a local Earth Hour party, the largest electric utility the area, Georgia Power, handed out "eco-friendly" tote bags made of vinyl recycled from its billboards. The company claims, "Each…
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Designation Exhaustion
Many industries have designations and certifications available for practitioners, some of which have strong legal implications, such as MD and RN. Many others have been created by professions themselves, and,…
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How Green Is My Architect?
Made it to San Francisco for the AIA (American Institute of Architects) annual conference yesterday, and while there was not a single bow tie in sight, I did see at…
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Dispatch from ACI
A convergence of weatherization and home performance professionals (aka "Roomful of Geeks") met in Kansas City at the end of April for the annual ACI Advancing Home Comfort Conference. This…
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The Verdict Is In: Green Homes Sell Faster
In August 2008, FMLS, the leading real-estate listing service in the metro-Atlanta area, began including green certifications in its database. Sellers can now add to their listing EarthCraft House, LEED…
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Let’s kick the “easy” habit
Practically everyone has seen the Staples advertisements on TV featuring the "easy button." Few people question the idea that things should be easier, but maybe more of us should. "Easy"…
