Emerging Cleantech Products
I attended the Clean Tech Open Global Forum, November 8-9. The Cleantech Open runs the world’s largest cleantech accelerator. The mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges. 144 startup companies completed the Cleantech Open United States competition in 2012, and many […]
Want A Warm Floor?
A friend of mine recently had some renovation done for her one-story house, including replacing the flooring. The energy-conscious contractor sealed the perimeter of the concrete slab to cut off any air from infiltrating. Next he placed a layer of water barrier over the concrete to stop moisture from rising. He then placed a layer […]
Healthy Building Ingredients – (Not) A Piece of Cake
If people cared as much about their buildings as they did their dinner – organic, gluten-free, and vegan shoppers would be demanding better buildings! There are many similarities between building a house and baking a cake. There’s a basic recipe, ingredients are purchased and sifted through, there’s a rising process, add some pretty finishes – […]
Truths and Myths of Wool Carpet
I have previously written why I like wool carpets. Here are some more thoughts on common misconceptions. MYTH: Wool carpet stains easily. TRUTH: Because of its unique molecular structure as you can see by the picture, it has burrs that keep moisture spills and stains from soaking into the fiber. This is what the synthetic […]
Are Your Clothes Really Clean After Laundry
You would expect that laundered clothes would be squeaky clean. Wait… Energy-wise people and many manufacturers often advocate using cold water to launder clothes. But this is an area where health and hygiene should dictate a more balanced look at energy savings. Clothing is carrying more germs than before for two main reasons. First, certain […]
How I Came To Love Wool Carpet
Here is a microscopic picture of a wool fiber. The burrs keep it from staining and keep it looking beautiful for 25 years. As a designer I love it for how it feels in a home. It actually creates negative ions, just like if you put a waterfall in a room. Also the colors in […]
From Sustainability To Creativity
On one beautiful day this summer, I was taking a leisurely walk with friends on Market Street in San Francisco. Music was coming from a group of people at the middle of the sidewalk and drawing quite a bit of attention. There were two guys playing some sort of instruments. One of them was having […]
Sun Drying Clothes – Beyond Saving Energy
I have often read or heard environmentalist or energy conscious individuals saying to dry their clothes naturally with the sun because it saves energy. This is indeed true. In fact, the sun’s benefit goes much beyond saving energy. The ultraviolet radiation from the sun kills germs very effectively and removes odor. No wonder people talk […]