Next Time, #1

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

This really got me fired up. According to a US City Sustainability Ranking from Sustainlane, DC ranks #12 on its list of the top 50 U.S. cities on a variety of factors from air quality to transportation. We rate beautifully on public transit, green buildings, local food and agriculture, and city commuting. Unfortunately, not so much when it comes to tap water quality, metro congestion, and affordable housing. The cities that kicked our ass? Read ’em and weep:

  1. Portland, OR
  2. San Francisco, CA
  3. Seattle, WA
  4. Chicago, IL
  5. Oakland, CA
  6. New York City, NY
  7. Boston, MA
  8. Philadelphia, PA
  9. Denver, CO
  10. Minneapolis, MN

Supersized “Green” Homes

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Can a 10,000-square-foot house inhabited by a family of four really be called “green”? After all, a big part of being green is conserving space and resources. An article in The Washington Post tackles this topic, citing a 6,500 square-foot house in Northwest DC that has less energy costs than the builder’s 1,200 square-foot rambler in Silver Spring.

How is this possible? The builder, Jerry Zayets (owner of Nexxt Builders) used low-density foam insulation that takes the shape of whatever space it’s filling to seal air leaks. This so-called “envelope of the house” qualified the home as energy efficient under theEnergy Star program.

Some other ways to make a home greener (from the article) include:

  • Use compact fluorescent lighting.
  • Install a programmable thermostat.
  • Use energy-efficient appliances.
  • Landscape using trees and hedges to naturally shade the house during the summer.
  • Use materials that are renewable, contain recycled products, or that can be easily resused. Bamboo flooring, for example, is a popular option.