Blog
“What Exactly is a Green Home?”–and how we can help fight climate change
Thanks to Matthew Miller and Shondaland (media mogul Shonda Rimes' website, a Hearst publication) for publishing a well-written article about how our own homes can help combat climate change. In his story "What Exactly Is a Green Home?" Matthew Miller writes: Climate...
USGBC Leadership Award Nomination!
I am honored to be nominated for the USGBC West North Central Region 2020 Leadership Awards! The description reads: Raising the Standard: For individuals who have made outstanding commitments through their personal time and energy to expand the conversation around...
Why Buildings Matter + Temple Israel’s Sustainability Goals
Earlier this month, I was honored to speak during Shabbat Services at Temple Israel's "Views from the Pews." Here's a 12-minute overview of why buildings matter to our health, wealth, and soul. Watch online »
LEED for Homes 101: Water Efficiency
The fourth in my monthly series that I write for Rise, translating the LEED rating system into what it really means for homeowners, this is all about water efficiency--both inside your home and outside in your yard. Read on BuildWithRise.com.
LEED for Homes 101: Sustainable Sites
The third in my monthly series that I write for Rise, translating the LEED rating system into what it really means for homeowners, this is all about sustainable sites. Read about it at BuildWithRise.com.
Building for Sustainability isn’t enough…we need Resiliency
For a long time, I've been talking, writing, and consulting about the importance of sustainable building design, construction, operations and maintenance. But given the flooding, fires, tornadoes, and other natural disasters that are more and more frequent, is...
LEED for Homes: The 5 Components of Location + Transportation
The second in my monthly series on the pros and cons of LEED certification for homes, dissecting why Location and Transportation matter for the sustainability of your home. Bottom line: higher density living is more sustainable. Read on the BuildWithRise.com website.
LEED for Homes 101
The first of my monthly series on the pros and cons of LEED certification for homes. Read my column on the BuildWithRise.com website.
How I’m Using OKRs to Electrify My House
After reading John Doerr's Book, Measure What Matters, I decided to use OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to decrease my own carbon footprint. Electrification is the new efficiency. We all need to get on board. See Rise's From the Editor column.
Watch this video on installing low-flow faucet aerators: It’s Easy and Saves $
Since installing our faucet aerators about 8 years ago, we've saved about $50 per year on our water bill--that's $300 so far--plus more on our energy bills, since we've used less hot water too. We went from 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm) to 1.5 gpm. And the key is, you...
How to Measure What Matters in Your Home
Sustainability metrics? What's that? Where do you begin? See the From the Editor article I wrote for Rise for some big, aspirational metrics to get started.
Who Wishes They Had a Passive House?
As the temperatures in Minneapolis plummet, well insulated homes are certainly more comfortable! Learn what a "passive house" is all about, and how Kathryn and Chris Johnson built their dream home in Minnetonka.
Photo credit: Paul Crosby