Monthly Archives: August 2010
The McMansion: RIP
More articles are mourning the death of the so-called McMansion: a 3,200 sq. ft. or larger suburban home built in the 1990s and later. But while you can declare a concept dead, it’s not so easy with the zillions of … Continue reading
Negative Gas Bill? Impossible Dream Comes True Thanks to Solar Hot Water!
Cubs win World Series. Bill O’Reilly gets a story right. Some things you just can’t believe will ever happen. Ever. What about a natural gas bill of- nothing? In fact, negative nothing. That’s what I got today from Questar. We … Continue reading
Moose Key to Understanding Arthritis?
Since shooting two documentaries in Maine in 2004 about America’s über-ungulate, I remain in awe of their size, placidity, and ability to attract tourists and admirers from all over the world. The moose should be America’s national animal, not that … Continue reading
Digital Diddling vs. Natural Noodling; Studying How Nature and Technology Change Our Brains
“Music has charms to soothe the savage breast” is what playwright William Congreve wrote in 1697. But what do cell phones, computers, video games, and other techno-distractors do to us and can Nature reverse the ill effects of technomania or … Continue reading
Solar Power Growth in Utah Finally Paying Off? Major Developments Prove The Sun is Too Big to Fail
It’s been four years since we went solar. It started with Solarius Precarious (pic left), our 2 kWh, sun-tracking array in November 2006 (it went on-line in March 2007). We expanded our commitment in January 2010 with the installation of … Continue reading
EPA Crackdown on Cement, Mercury Pollution; Finally a Solution?
Inexplicably, people have been scratching their heads for decades over where all the mercury pollution in our lakes, rivers, and other waterways is coming from. It’s been steadily increasing in our fish supply during this time and prompted occasional then permanent … Continue reading
Obesity Epidemic Grows, Outdoor Activity Shrinks; Nature is Not “Cool”- It’s Everything
“What’s the purpose in going hiking? You just go up a mountain and then down.” Logan resident Evelin Cornejo, 17 Utah is one of the best places for outdoor and Nature recreation. It’s the major reason I moved here. As … Continue reading
Where’s the Wave of Support for Rewewables After BP’s Gulf Disaster?
As I rode my bike along Willow Creek near downtown Park City the other day, I noticed something new since I’d been there a year ago. There were about seven new homes, built not only to be affordable but also … Continue reading
