Hybids account for less than 5% of all car sales in the U.S. The Toyota Prius continues to be the best-selling hybrid.
If you don't already know about technical briefs from California's Public Interest Energy Research Program (PIER), you should (PIER's web presence has been absorbed into a larger site on research and development). The folks at PIER research various topics related to energy efficiency, and come out with some great briefs that are published through ESource.
Aside from cost of gasoline, driving can result in traffic congestion, time loss, stress, wear and tear on vehicles, and added pollution.
Rarely a day goes by that I don't hear people complaining about how much money they're spending on gasoline. Indeed, filling up costs three times what it did just a couple years ago; it's understandable that people are upset.
Aside from cost of gasoline, driving can result in traffic congestion, time loss, stress, wear and tear on vehicles, and added pollution.
Rarely a day goes by that I don't hear people complaining about how much money they're spending on gasoline. Indeed, filling up costs three times what it did just a couple years ago; it's understandable that people are upset.
America's buildings are no small contributor to our environmental difficulties and energy use... but they're far from the biggest part of the problem. The enemy is us — the choices we make individually and as a society. America's building envelopes are getting better and tighter, our heating and cooling systems are getting more efficient, but every year we keep using more energy. And our carbon emissions keep going up, not down.
In a few days I'll be leaving for the fifth annual Natural Building Colloquium East in Bath, NY. I go every year.
"In spite of persistent claims to the contrary from green advocates, 86% of respondents believe that it costs more to build a green building — and not just by a little." — High Perceived Cost of Green Persists, Says Survey (January 1, 2008)
I have a little treat for Firefox and Internet Explorer 7 users: the BuildingGreen.com Search Plugin. With the plugin installed, you can search BuildingGreen.com directly from the search bar in the top right corner of your browser.
Sunil Somalwar, a physics professor at Rutgers University, presents the following argument at the Better World Club site:
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Common-sense steps can cool your home and reduce the need for air conditioning.
I'll admit it. I dread this hot, sticky weather. Give me a cool autumn-like breeze any day, even if it means wearing a sweater in July. But I also hate using a lot of energy, including electricity for air conditioning. So, what are our options for staying comfortable in the summer with little or no use of air conditioning?
Here are a few suggestions:
