From Guest Blogger Lizzie Weakly: How to Optimize your HVAC System for Summer
A small amount of preparing will go a long ways in not only improving the life of your AC unit but also in helping you save money on your utility bill. When you ensure that your HVAC unit is working at maximum efficiency throughout the scorching summer month, you’ll be more comfortable and spend less money.
An HVAC professional should be called in to verify your system is in top shape. When the technician arrives, they will assess the following: (more…)
French architect Jean-Paul Viguier has been chosen to design the country’s first timber-framed tower, right in the heart of the French city of Bordeaux. To be started in 2017 and completed in 2020, the structure will count among some of the world’s tallest buildings made of wood. 
A reader asks re: my post on the 
It’s the birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who reminded us that “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” And who wouldn’t be enthusiastic about the prospects for a sustainable civilization, given progress like that covered in these three news items?
When you hear about the Internet Of Things, or IoT as it’s commonly abbreviated, it’s usually with regard to convenience and knowledge. We’re using advanced exercise trackers to gain better understandings of our own fitness, integrating with cloud technologies to share data and communications, and exploiting all kinds of other ways in which interconnected devices can improve our lives. But one of the most remarkable things about the growing IoT goes beyond basic everyday benefits: the more connected our “things” become, the more we seem to find new ways to conserve energy and protect the environment. 
On the occasion of Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday, I offer this line from his iconic “Like a Rolling Stone”: When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.
My old school chum Craig McManus, now a noted professional in the solar PV space, sent me this article, explaining how 
Reflecting on the pleasant hours I spent last night listening to music with friends, the most gratifying part of the whole moment was exploring some of today’s popular music in an attempt to understand what makes it, in fact, popular. The main takeaway: despite appearances, very little has changed over the years. Today’s top music superstars still have an uncanny way of tapping into the hearts of their audience and the spirit of the day, and interpreting the thrills and dreams of modern-day living, as well as its pressures and heartbreaks. 
Here’s an article that will upset its reader: Humans Are Damaging the Environment Faster Than It Can Recover. The author takes into account a wide variety of human activities, e.g., increasing consumption, urbanization, and over-population, and then discusses the environmental consequences, e.g., climate change, ocean acidification, loss of biodiversity, water shortages, and desertification of farm land. The conclusion: radical action is required to avert catastrophe. 
