Sustainable North

Another posting from Fairbanks homeowners Rocky Reifenstuhl and Gail Koepf.

To Build or Not to Build, that is the Question.  If you have to ask that question, you should probably stop reading here & hire a realtor.  The amount of time and energy involved in building your house can be tremendous, and that cost must not [...]

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Another posting from Fairbanks homeowners Rocky Reifenstuhl and Gail Koepf.

There seems to be something about the selection process regarding those who are drawn to Alaska and settle here, that gives them the drive to design and build their own home in a place where shelter is so critical for survival.  There have certainly been failures, [...]

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BY Adam Wasch, Energy Outreach Consultant at CCHRC
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily Newsminer November 20th, 2008, Section A3
Did you spend your $1,200 state energy assistance check on gas and groceries? Don’t despair! There is still money available to help make your home more energy efficient or take the leap to solar energy. And, from a tax [...]

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From the website “Solar House, Solar Home,” retrieved on 11/11/08:
Just after January 1, 2000, I left the 20th Century and I haven’t been back since. If your attention is rooted in the 21st Century, you only need your eyes and ears to understand that energy efficiency and sustainability will be the unfolding story of our [...]

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From the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, October 26, 2008:

With all eyes on the money crisis, homeowners and builders may find it hard to believe the words of Little Orphan Annie—the sun will come out tomorrow.
But one segment of the housing industry that continues to grow by banking on that idea is the residential solar-energy business.
Even [...]

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From the New York Times on Tuesday, September 30, 2008:
… But while renewable energy has become a hot political buzzword, Congress has thus far failed to extend tax credits that wind, solar and other clean-energy companies say they need to stay in business.
As it stands, the tax credits currently in place expire at the end of this [...]

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From the L.A. Times, September 24, 2008:

Seven Western states and four Canadian provinces proposed a sweeping regional crackdown on global warming emissions Tuesday in the face of continuing reluctance by the Bush administration and Congress to pass comprehensive climate legislation. 
The Western Climate Initiative, endorsed by the 11 governors and provincial premiers, aims to slash regional [...]

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From the Chicago Tribune, September 19, 2008:
Mayor Richard M. Daley has announced a plan to dramatically slash emissions of heat-trapping gases, part of an effort to fight global warming and become one of the greenest cities in the nation.
The plan calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to three-fourths of 1990 levels by 2020 through more energy-efficient buildings, [...]

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On September 18, 2008, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted the first Long Term Energy Efficiency Plan, which
… advances a solid framework that incorporates energy efficiency into the standard for operating in California—for utilities, businesses, and consumers.
It includes four “Big Bold strategies” strategies for significant energy-savings:

All new residential construction in California will be zero net [...]

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The first of a two-part series, “A Greener Future”, from the LA Times, September 14, 2008:
Innovations in designing green chemicals are emerging in nearly every U.S. industry, from plastics and pesticides to toys and nail polish. Some manufacturers of cosmetics, household cleaners and other consumer products are leading the charge, while others are lagging behind.
For [...]

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