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Small-Scale Residential Housing: Infill Housing, ADUs and Tiny Homes

Small-Scale Residential Housing: Infill Housing, ADUs and Tiny Homes Joe Archibald Often when people think about sustainable building, they think about material sourcing, location of the building on the property, renewable energy sources and the other more common metrics. Just as important a factor, however, is where the building...

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The Value of Carbon Offsets: Testimonial from a Former Skeptic

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The Value of Carbon Offsets: Testimonial from a Former Skeptic Chrissy Burton The term “carbon offset” is unfortunate. It is so literal but still somewhat figurative. What exactly is a carbon offset? It begins by calculating my personal carbon footprint. How much carbon is produced every year in support...

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Susanna Shetley: Tiny Home Havens: Tiny Home Communities Develop in WNC

Tiny Home Havens: Tiny Home Communities Develop in WNC By Susanna Shetley Tiny-home living has been growing in popularity over the past decade, and the advent of the coronavirus crisis may intensify that surge. With modern society craving more time outdoors and more money for travel and leisure, tiny...

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Radon in Our Mountain Homes: Detection and Correction Is Worth the Price

Radon in Our Mountain Homes: Detection and Correction Is Worth the Price Rick Bayless When you buy a new house, is radon on your radar? In Western North Carolina, the answer should be yes. Radon is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas which arises from uranium and thorium deposits in...

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Demystifying Crawl Spaces: Crawl Space Choices in Southern Appalachia

Demystifying Crawl Spaces: Crawl Space Choices in Southern Appalachia Sara Sabol and Marcus Renner If you are confused about the best method to control moisture and humidity in your crawl space, you are not alone. We recently visited Marcus’ 84- year-old independent father, Helmut. It quickly became apparent that...

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Taking the Plunge: Preparing A Home for Electric Cars

Taking the Plunge: Preparing A Home for Electric Cars Amy Musser and Matthew Vande We recently took the plunge to buy a plugin hybrid electric car, and wanted to share some things we’ve learned from our experience to help people in Western North Carolina plan for future plug-in cars....

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Staying on Course: Blue Horizons Project’s Impact on Community-Wide Energy Efficiency

Staying on Course: Blue Horizons Project’s Impact on Community-Wide Energy Efficiency Cari Barcas In a single year since its launch, the local Blue Horizons Project energy-efficiency campaign has improved the lives of hundreds of area residents by helping to make their homes more affordable, durable and healthy. These efforts...

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Whole Living: Completing the Green Experience

Whole Living: Completing the Green Experience Sean D. Sullivan It’s not hard to see why so many people have been bitten by the green bug. Coast to coast, consumers are realizing that green homes can sell faster — and for more money — than non-green homes. And consumers have...

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Planting for Future Generations: A Journey Toward Bioregional Food Resilience

Planting for Future Generations: A Journey Toward Bioregional Food Resilience Danu Macon For millennia, the land we know as Western North Carolina has nourished and provided a home for thousands of species of animals, plants and fungi. The web of life here in these mountains contains a grand diversity...

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Is Wastewater Really a Waste? Ecological Solutions for Treating Wastewater

Is Wastewater Really a Waste? Ecological Solutions for Treating Wastewater Laura Ruby Water is one of our most precious resources. It makes up more than half of the human body, 77 percent of our brains, and covers nearly 70 percent of our earth. Yet, less than 1 percent of...

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