When we consider the many actions we may take to fight global warming and become more responsible citizens of earth, do we often think of our roofs? At most, green roofs are the topic of impassioned discussion, but other alterations aren’t mentioned or considered.…
A new type of architecture has been infiltrating the traditional world for years; homes, condominiums, offices, and all other manner of buildings are being built from industrial storage containers that we would normally see on the back of an 18-wheeler or a shipping barge.…
The newest beneficiaries from the “green” energy policies of Massachusetts will be comprised of cities which have already taken steps in limiting their carbon emissions through alternative energy solutions. Yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick visited the city of Hopkinton, which has taken major advancements towards solar energy development with a cutting-edge 325 kilowatt solar panel system, unveiled last year.…
No more leaky toilets: The Boston Housing Authority plans to spend $63 million on energy-efficient retrofits of public housing, part of $238 million worth of improvements for the city of Boston. The retrofits will take place in 13 public housing developments that range from Brighton to Charlestown.…
You might be familiar with cool roofs, the idea of using a bright-colored or reflective roofing material to reduce heat absorption. This has the dual effects of both cutting down on the urban heat-island effect as well as reducing a building’s solar gain and the attendant cooling load.…
After a series of public hearings, the Cambridge City Council adopted the stretch energy code on December 21st. The stretch code is about 30% more efficient than the baseline building code and has different requirements for both the residential and commercial sectors. Visit the city’s website to learn more about the stretch code, which includes a summary table that outlines the new requirements.…
On Monday, as another step in leading by example, the Obama administration initiated a government-wide suggestion box for ideas to green the executive branch. For two weeks federal employees will have the opportunity to submit and vote on ideas which will then be referred to committee.…
If any of our readers have the opportunity to build on a vacant lot, we recommend they visit this page at the Jetson Green website.
This week, they are featuring a story on David Schmit, a Minneapolis photographer who decided he wanted a home in the suburbs with the design features of his downtown rental loft.…
Want to know a quick, relatively easy way to reduce global climate change? Paint your rooftops white. Yes, it’s true.The way rooftops—as well as roadways are currently constructed (using dark asphalt and color scheme) creates a feedback loop of heat absorption in the atmosphere. Dark colors absorb heat, meaning less is reflected back into space. It’s a dangerous cycle. According to Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, white roofs could be a relatively inexpensive way to cut carbon, but are also doable with immediate results. In fact, Dr.…
Wood Ant Hill
The current green revolution looks to renewable energy and green products to replace the polluting industries of the modern era. What is often left out of the discussion is our relationship with the living biosphere and how our technology much revolutionize itself to not just being low-carbon, but operate under the principles of how nature organizes itself. Janine Benyus, a scientist and founder of the company Biomimicry Guild, has been looking to nature to develop technologies that maximize efficiency prinicples inherent in the natural world. This new movement, labeled biomimicry, asks homo sapiens sapiens to tap into the intellengence of nature in our design principles. The natural world is not seen as a dumb organic machine, but rather a dynamic force that intelligently adapts to environmental changes to produce rhobust living ecosystems.…
