Is bigger really better?
Out with the huge and in with the tiny and efficient! According to a recent survey, luxury McMansions in the suburbs are no longer in style. While an 89-square-foot home may delight this guy, survey respondents opted for something slightly larger, saying their ideal home size is between 1,400 and 2,600 square feet.
Rays the roof!
The New York Times reports that plans are moving ahead for the building of the largest solar power plant ever. According to the post, the 1,000-megawatt solar thermal plant will annually remove about 2 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. It’s planned for 7,000 acres in southeastern California.
Efficiency 101
Classes are starting up again at colleges and universities around the United States and, if you’re moving into the dorms as a freshman this fall, there are some eco-essentials to pick up before you do. Among them are a smart strip, an Energy Star-rated printer, and an energy efficient mini-fridge. (Don’t forget a collapsible drying rack, either.)
One person’s trash…
Luxury electric automaker Tesla Motors is reaping the benefits of a shuttered Toyota assembly plant in Fremont, California. Tesla has already made a fully electric highway-capable roadster available to the public and is currently in the process of building the Model S, an electric four-door sedan that will be available in 2012.
Wash and learn
BuildingGreen.com covers the introduction of a waterless urinal for use in the home. But the question remains: Is America ready? A better question: If men were forced to urinate and wash in the same space- and water-saving fixture, would that encourage more frequent hand-washing?
--Keith Caswell