October 31 is the day of candy overload. I don’t know about your kids, but mine guard their stash better than Fort Knox. I kid you not. Sure they get their usual couple of pieces the night of Halloween, but after that I limit their candy intake. (So, I think. Check out the nerds [...]
October 2011
http://vimeo.com/paradigm
With all of our creature comforts, it is hard to imagine that somewhere in the world woman are carrying wood on their back for miles so that they can cook meals. Worse yet, their health is deteriorating from smoke inhalation from their cooking fires. The Paradigm Project was started to change these women’s lives by supplying them with a [...]
Since going vegetarian over a year ago, I had to revamp my eating habits. As you all know, I decided to go “veg” due to my distaste of factory animal farming and killing animals. But I can’t say I don’t miss the taste of certain food. There is one dish that I haven’t been able to duplicate. [...]
http://youtu.be/eepfIfgQFcY
The University of Illinois designed The Re_Home for the 2011 Solar Decathlon with disaster response in mind. It is a very adaptable, flexible space to accommodate different family situations. Why a disaster response house? The state is prone to destructive tornadoes. The beauty of the house is that two modular components of the Re_Home can be transported on one trailer. In addition, the solar [...]
http://youtu.be/H1-St3eI9oI
Team NJ’s Solar Decathon’s ENJOY House. Photo by Credit: Jim Tetro/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon The ENJOY beach house built by Team New Jersey was my first stop at the 2011 Solar Decathlon. Of course, my home state’s house received priority. Their 962 square foot home was built using precast Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) with [...]
Attending the 2011 collegiate Solar Decathlon in Washington DC this year was a dream come true. Nineteen domestic and international college teams competed to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that were cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The solar decathlon goal was to build a home under 1000 square feet and $350,000. At $350 a square foot, the cost to go [...]
Richard Campbell, founder of To Soil Less, never dreamed fifteen years ago that throwing a watermelon seed into gravel could change the way the world grows our food. What he discovered during his journey is that plants can grow in river rock without the aid of fertilizer or soil. He has successfully grown peppers, zinnias, lettuce, [...]
Over the years, I have become obsessed with stopping air infiltration. Each fall, I check my doors and windows looking for daylight peering through the sides. If you see light, you have an air leak. For years, one of my doors had me stumped. My weatherstrip was in good condition and I had a sweep on [...]
