E-cars vs Gas: Actual Costs

We all grew up using gas-powered cars.  We might have questioned mileage numbers and maintenance costs, but the industry and the supporting infrastructure was based on using gas.  As e-cars finally gained sufficient acceptance, perhaps largely due to Tesla, the oil industry – and any established industry fighting for its survival – shifted the focus on range per charge, time to recharge, and even costs.

Sometimes, the established industry is still the best choice; it didn’t gain acceptance for nothing.  And sometimes it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction when “the usual” is challenged. … Keep reading

The Building Code Problem

One of the biggest threats to changing what we’re doing to fight climate change – which is no longer “sometime in the future, maybe” … comes from corporate interests to keep things as they’ve been, to maintain profitability.  Change, of most any kind, is a threat.  You might think of building codes as affecting only new construction; it affects everything. Comments afterwards.

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With Time Running Out To Cut Carbon From Buildings, Industry Just Tightened Its Grip

 

Mundane as it may seem, the future of U.S.

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Sustainability & Fun

I see “Sustainable Living” as living 100% with what Earth provides, in physically sustainable ways – which I’m finding isn’t really all that difficult to do – and also maximizing our quality-of-life experience.  I stumbled on this article from The Guardian about how David Beckham is working with a company that takes great cars of yesteryear – cars with wonderful styling and upholstery – and changes them from gas to electric.

Years ago, I almost bought a cherry red ’55 T-Bird that had been converted to electric. … Keep reading

Biodegradable Plastics

Plastics have provided considerable packaging convenience for many things. And they’re inexpensive, which makes them disposable.  However, our enormous oceans now have seas of plastic in them that, among other problems, is killing sea life.

Some plastics are recyclable, and companies such as Trex are collecting the kind of plastics used by grocery stores or newspapers and producing boards that are used for outdoor flooring or park benches. However, if we can maintain the usefulness of plastics without their polluting nature, we would then have a great contribution toward living with Earth in a sustainable way. … Keep reading

Easy In-Home Changes

When I first decided to create homes that operated 100% with what nature provided, I found that the cost to convert existing homes – which pay no attention to north-south orientation – would cost far more to achieve the same end-result. So I initiated Garden Atriums as a net zero sustainable community.  And that effort has been wonderfully successful.  Yet, there are millions of existing homes – and even new homes built by traditional builders – that might also make modifications that improve their sustainability.… Keep reading