November 18, 2008
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In a New York Times article on November 14, 2008 Louise Tutelian wrote about a new trend toward cabin life across America and how cabins have been “re-imagined” in eco-friendly, but stylish ways. Some are combining traditional industrial materials, while others are employing reclaimed or recycled material to reduce their building costs and yet stay eco-friendly. It seems that cabin owners want what they always have pursued, an escape into the natural world.
Michelle Kodis, whose book “Modern Cabin” was published in 2007 commented for the article: “Given our busy, techno-heavy lives, people are seeking places where they can rejuvenate and connect to nature…They want simple, beautiful, indoor-outdoor cabins that require little upkeep and are free of fuss and heavy, overdone details.”
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November 10, 2008
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SustainLane.com now measures 16 areas of urban sustainability, with “water supply” added as a new measurement in 2008. The top 13 cities are labeled “Front-Runners” with the bottom 13 tagged as “Trailing.” Omaha placed in the middle group, “Hitting Their Stride”. According to their most recent report, Omaha now ranks 25th among the country’s 50 largest cities, which is an improvement in its 2007 ranking at 37th.
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November 2, 2008
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Solar panels are becoming one of the major ways homeowners can go green. The panels are usually mounted on the roof, but they can also be mounted on ground racks, trellises and custom structures. Solar panels quietly produce electricity directly from sunlight for an expected life span of 30 years and offset over 5 tons of greenhouse gasses each of those years.
Solar panels are so popular with homeowners that they are becoming one of the hottest targets for burglars. An editorial in the Omaha World
Herald on October 18, 2008 warned potential internet buyers to beware of unreasonably cheap offers of solar panels for sale. The editorial (“When thieves ‘go green”) points out that they are often sold for as little as $100 over the internet, but their actual worth is estimated at $1,500 each.
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