Networx has published a new series of my articles on home heating systems:
• Here is a story about pros and cons of common heating options.
• Here is a piece about thermostats.
• Tips on how to choose a furnace.
• And my favorite story, which is about energy-efficient heating systems.
Stay warm this winter.
Four out of five roof replacements use asphalt shingles (and this house on the left needs some new ones). Many of these roofs could be more environmental while looking a little better (albeit costing quite a bit more). My latest story on green building materials at Networx.com is about composite shingles that have recycled, eco-friendly content.
The snow hasn’t melted for months in my yard (and yes, that is unusual for the Front Range of Colorado), but I guess it will melt someday, and I can get cracking on my landscaping, vegetable gardening and Xeriscaping projects for the year. At least all this moisture should be good for the yard. Also, home improvement site Networx.com is posting new stories about outdoor ideas, including my piece on landscaping for your climate. Hint: start by figuring out your climate zone from this psychedelic map.
I’ll use any excuse to put heavy trucks on my blog. I guess I never grew out of the little boy obsession with heavy machinery. This cement truck adorns the page because the latest piece in my series about green home improvement and construction at Networx.com is an article about ways to go green in building with concrete. Concrete is basically cement with chemical binders and additives. Neither is the most eco-friendly building material, but there are ways to improve the sustainability of concrete, and use it more sparingly than in traditional construction. Rock on.
My blog at EcoHearth.com is back for 2010, and better than ever. I will be posting every Wednesday with some jabber about businesses profiting (or saving) through sustainability. This week’s update is about food — one of my favorite topics. Restaurants plan to go more local and sustainable this year. Those are the top trends, according to chefs and restauranteurs.
The New York Times has a feature on upscale bowling alleys today. But I scooped the Times back in September with my story about Brooklyn Bowl, an eco-friendly and upscale New York bowling alley.
My story is on Eco-Hearth, an environmental news site where I have been writing stories and blog entries since August. The site’s content is constantly expanding and improving, and it is becoming the go-to site for environmental news and opinion.
Last month, 9-1-1 Magazine published my investigative story about changes in emergency communications during the 10 years since the Columbine High School shootings.
Sadly, the story became an unintentional memorial to a key source, Cindy Cline. She died last month. Cline was the shift supervisor at the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office 911 call center during the Columbine shootings. She helped the center field hundreds of calls on April 20, 1999, including one from President Clinton. The call center was among the only segments of the law enforcement response that didn’t face scrutiny and harsh criticism after the tragic shootings. Cline was a national model for police communications.
The magazine did not post the story online because the editors want to drive print circulation. I want to respect their wishes. Contact me to read more of the story.
I continue my Associated Content series on real estate with several more stories about energy savings for homeowners. Here are some tips on buying a house if you plan to install a home wind turbine. Along the same lines, here are some things to look for in a new house where you might put up solar panels. I also posted an interview with a green real estate agent here in Fort Collins.
Doctors, legislators and the American public all agree on the need for health care care reform. Yet the federal government has not discussed health care for 16 years. I remember all the optimism two months ago and the discussions of how President Obama was taking a smarter, better approach than the Clintons.
It may be all for nought. It seems Congress will once again fail to pass meaningful health care reform this year. Even doe-eyed patriots who trust their government have to believe health insurance and industry lobbies have undue influence and are fighting reform.
Fight back. Tell your legislator you want health care reform. And find out how much health care PACs and companies are trying to influence your legislators. It’s hard to remotely track every lobbyist and every Congressional staffer, but you can track the campaign funding for each legislator. Here’s my favorite online campaign tracking tool.
I used the database to look up my representative, Betsy Markey. She has received at least $7,000 from health care PACs since the November election. See more details here.
It would be nice if there was a little green sticker on products that would tell us it is organic, recyclable, locally and sustainably created, chemical-free, minimally energy-intensive and fair-trade-friendly.
But there’s not. Nothing is that simple. Sustainability questions for every purchase can be overwhelming and depressing. For example, bamboo flooring is the new canvas bag. It’s the in-home badge of eco-honor. But the environmental benefits of bamboo flooring aren’t as cut-and-dried as the bamboo planks. Chemical inputs, embodied energy and other factors affect the eco-footprint under your feet. For more, read my Bright Hub story. Also visit ReNew magazine for more sustainable remodeling stories.
