RJ Taylor: Protecting Our Places: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Conservation Subdivisions

Protecting Our Places: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Conservation Subdivisions By RJ Taylor Western North Carolina is feeling a growth spurt. Many people around the country have become aware of our secret, that Asheville and the surrounding communities are a wonderful place to live and play. The downside result...

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Amy Musser and Matthew Vande: Hot Water Recirculating Loops: A Tricky Green Feature To Get Right

Hot Water Recirculating Loops: A Tricky Green Feature To Get Right By Amy Musser and Matthew Vande Hot water recirculating loops are having a moment. They’re popular with plumbers because they reduce callbacks from homeowners who don’t want to run their taps and wait for hot water. Recirculating loops...

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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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Midwifing Sustainability: Building and Selling Permaculture Incubators

Midwifing Sustainability: Building and Selling Permaculture Incubators Dan Clere How can a home be regenerative? What is it regenerating? And for whom? These questions are great fodder for coffee conversation, and as green builders, we often take the basics for granted. We want our homes to be durable and...

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Learning New Tricks: Lessons from WNC’s First DOE Zero Energy Ready Home

Learning New Tricks: Lessons from WNC’s First DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Leigha Dickens The Department of Energy wants builders to up their game. Though it’s worth celebrating the energy savings achieved by the DOE’s ENERGY STAR® Homes program (said to be 20 percent), it’s possible to build homes...

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Amplifying Agrihoods: The Benefits of Neighborhoods Built Around Working Farms

Amplifying Agrihoods: The Benefits of Neighborhoods Built Around Working Farms Allison Smith Sometimes new problems call for old solutions. That’s the best lesson to be taken from the recent rise of housing developments built around working farms, also known as agrihoods. Created to foster a sense of community and...

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Darren Henegar: Enough Water for Everyone

Enough Water for Everyone: A Water Supply Case Study in Swannanoa Darren Henegar Here in the U.S., we have long been fortunate to have access to some of the safest drinking water in the world available just by turning on the tap. However, continued population growth and economic development...

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Lee Warren and Richard Freudenberger: Sustainability Simplified

Sustainability Simplified: Ten Solutions In and Around Your Home Lee Warren and Richard Freudenberger Life is full. We understand. That’s why we made a list of sustainability solutions that are easy, fun, and hopefully doable. If you pick three to implement each year for three years, then you’ll nearly...

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Brian Knight: Smart Practices in Water Conservation

Smart Practices in Water Conservation Brian Knight Water and energy use are connected. Saving energy reduces water pollution. Conserving water, reduces energy use. Coal-fired power plants consume extreme amounts of water to produce electricity. Mining and burning coal pollutes our soil, streams, lakes and oceans. Natural Gas NG extraction...

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Sam Ruark-Eastes: Permaculture

Permaculture: Green Building Meets its Revolutionary Cousin By Sam Ruark-Eastes By now you might have heard of Permaculture. The ecological design system has reached the mainstream consciousness with articles in the NY times and many other publications. It is estimated that over 50,000 people in the US have taken a...

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