2010 has been such an incredible year!!
I hope that everyone has a great holiday season!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
A Healthy Sustainable Lifestyle
Time and time again we have heard this saying "We are what we eat". In fact, I do not have enough fingers and toes to count the articles that start with this saying like I have. However, the statement, "We are what we eat", is very scary even if a person has only a spec of knowledge about the food industry. Because of this and recent health scares, I have decided to devote an incredible amount of time into not only helping people build a sustainable home, but now, helping people build a sustainable lifestyle.
Let's rewind time back a few decades. When I was a youngster growing up, my family was all about eating healthy back then. We didn't eat out at restaurants very much because we didn't have the money to do so. My mom prepared all of our meals from scratch and we took a steady stream of vitamins. I grew up in Montague Michigan and while I was growing up, Hooker Chemical was in full production of over 100 deadly chemicals. My mom recognized back then that the ground water could be contaminated, so we never drank one drop of the city water or well water from Montague's wells. Instead, my family would get ground water from my Grandmothers house so we wouldn't have to be subjected to potential contaminated ground water. As it stands, Hooker Chemical destroyed the area they are located in and around, and even though the Montague Plant has been closed for years, the area still is affected from the storage of those chemicals. Each time it rains heavy, over 800lbs of contamination flows into White Lake which touches the old Hooker Chemical land. When we were kids, we would go play at this "hidden lake" which was actually green or orange depending on the time of year. We saw frogs with 3 eyes in there regularly. If my mom knew that we played on that lake, which is now part of a super fund clean up site, she would have been fit to be tied. What lasting health problems could be a result of the exposure to those chemicals....I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Many of our friends parents from Montague who lived around Hooker Chemical have developed cancers that are no doubt related to the toxins that have leached into the ground water. This is horrible, but, not what this blog entry is about.
This blog is about what is in our foods or what is being used on our foods. It is not my intention to sound radical in any one direction or on any one subject, it is to report what I have been researching. This need to know recently lead me to the Acres Organic Farmers Conference in Indianapolis Indiana to learn more about the food industry. Many of us have seen the DVD Food, Inc. and other related movies and it helped us to change the way we eat. Believe it or not, even with my strong beliefs about saving the environment, I never really watched a show or read a book and immediately jumped on any band wagons. I would gather all of the pros and cons of a topic and then I would investigate issues until I formed a solid opinion about a topic. When I watched Food, Inc. I wasn't disgusted because I already knew how bad the food industry was. Food, Inc. helped me to direct my research more towards foods that lower income families were eating solely because of economics. What concerns me is that a family can get $1 double cheeseburgers at SickDonalds and that they could not get good quality foods for the same price, even at a garbage depot like WalMart.
As I mentioned above, I was raised to eat a certain way and to live a certain lifestyle. I have been a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder, and have a fair deal of training in nutrition. I have studied many areas of nutrition, including, the relation between High Fructose Corn Syrup and obesity in this Country. I have also studied about the relation between the weed killer 'Round Up' and birth defects. It's all scary, but my intention is only to report on what I have been up to, so you will have to research things for yourselves, with your own motives. You would think someone that does research like this would be healthy for their entire life, but it goes back to my first statement above, "We are what we eat". Perhaps a better statement would be, "We are what we consume". I prefer to eat Venison that I collect and fruits and vegetables from a garden or a local farm that I know produces products free of pesticides and herbicides. This doesn't always happen for me thou, so I needed to know if I could truly trust the word 'Organic'. Much like 'Green Washing' in products and materials, could there be such a thing as 'Organic Washing'?
I went to the ACRES Organic Farming Conference to seek answers about organic farming, and also to learn about growing plants naturally with no chemical fertilizers and no genetically modified anything. My motives were simple. I wanted to know how plants grow, what criteria the organic farmers had to follow, and how effective is bio-dynamics on growing plants. I did not go to Acres to jump on any band wagons or to get involved with any groups looking to change how things are done. What I found at Acres was incredibly passionate farmers and gardeners who were there for the same reasons as me. The group of people that I went to ACRES with all attended classes, as did I, to learn about the current food industry, what organic farming really was, and ways that people could be more than organic with their crops. I was at ACRES to learn more about what we, as a society, were consuming in our daily lives.
Have you ever heard of genetically modified foods? Most of us have. These are foods that are designed in laboratories where scientists manipulate the DNA of a given plant or food to resist pesticides and/or to get higher yields on their crops. The biggest problems with these "GMO's" is that the human body reacts differently to the breakdown of these foods and it causes problems for humans. Of course, there is so much more to it, but it will be something that you can research if you are curious about these foods. Can organic labeled foods be GMO's? Yes. This is why I am concerned. I have ate organic foods and drank organic milk since they first showed up on the market and most are great for us! My goal was to find out if they were safe for me, and the jury is still out on that subject.
When Team Hybrid set out to change building as everyone had known it, we were looking to change specific areas of a home to help its inhabitants live a long healthy life. We addressed areas of the home like indoor air quality, lifetime design, passive solar, and many other areas. To my delite, many of our homeowners took this even farther and have gardens, recycle their waste, and try to live every part of a sustainable life. That is awesome, I applaud that! This got me thinking about a sustainable life being more than just the home. As simple as it seems, many people continue to focus on just one or a couple of things that make for a sustainable life. If someone can't really be sure as to what they are putting into their bodies for food, than how can we really guarantee that we will all live a long healthy life? Lets look at the dictionary definition of Sustenance (food):
Definition of SUSTENANCE
1: means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living b : food, provisions; also : nourishment
2: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained b : a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life
3
something that gives support, endurance, or strength
I yell, WHAT?!!
Have you ever given any thought to the word 'sustenance' and then thought about the food you eat, or how often you eat? I kept the word 'sustenance' on top of my mind while at the ACRES conference because I wanted to see what went into food that I was consuming to supply myself with the necessaries of life. Should we be concerned about putting bad food into our bodies? Absolutely! Should we immediately change what we eat? It would be a great idea to, but not many people are able to. Growing a garden or buying produce from a farm market or natural food market is a better idea than buying produce from WalMart because the nutritional value of the homegrown stuff if so much better. No one can expect to change their lives or habits at any given moment. Those types of life transformations come over time and I encourage everyone to start thinking more about what they are eating.
When we set out to build homes sustainably, we never asked people to immediately change their lives, only to give thoughts to the many alternatives there were to conventional ways of building. I am saying the same thing here. Be aware that not all the food that you are eating is good for you and that there are healthy alternatives available that can help you live a longer, healthier life. Find items with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. One example is Sierra Mist that is made with sugar, this is a good alternative to other sodas out there because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or any unnatural colors or additives. Again, you don't have to be scared or throw everything away immediately, just make sure you become aware of the healthier options that are available out there. The Organic Stamp on foods are a good step in the right direction in telling if a food is better for you to consume. In our busy lives and poor economy, it is not always an option for people to buy the more expensive organic foods, especially when you can get a McGut Bomb at SickDonalds for a dollar.
I ask you to consider what is happening to your health, especially if you are in the sustainability business. Do you, on your way to giving a talk about sustainability, stop and get a Heart Attack in a Sack? Most do, even I used to from time to time because it is so tough to do anything different than that. After I learned that I had some health concerns due to the lifestyle I chose to live, I completely changed the way I live and eat. I have my cheat days, but for the most part, I watch very closely what I eat to try to get myself healthier. Lifestyle is the leading cause of health problems in this country. I used to think that I could help with that by building sustainable houses, and sustainable housing does help. But there is more work to be done in this area. We can't control gas prices, contaminated foods, idiot CEO's, or lots of other bad things, but we definitely can control WHAT and HOW MUCH we use. This alone can help ensure that the statement "we are what we consume" is a part of a healthy sustainable lifestyle....
Let's rewind time back a few decades. When I was a youngster growing up, my family was all about eating healthy back then. We didn't eat out at restaurants very much because we didn't have the money to do so. My mom prepared all of our meals from scratch and we took a steady stream of vitamins. I grew up in Montague Michigan and while I was growing up, Hooker Chemical was in full production of over 100 deadly chemicals. My mom recognized back then that the ground water could be contaminated, so we never drank one drop of the city water or well water from Montague's wells. Instead, my family would get ground water from my Grandmothers house so we wouldn't have to be subjected to potential contaminated ground water. As it stands, Hooker Chemical destroyed the area they are located in and around, and even though the Montague Plant has been closed for years, the area still is affected from the storage of those chemicals. Each time it rains heavy, over 800lbs of contamination flows into White Lake which touches the old Hooker Chemical land. When we were kids, we would go play at this "hidden lake" which was actually green or orange depending on the time of year. We saw frogs with 3 eyes in there regularly. If my mom knew that we played on that lake, which is now part of a super fund clean up site, she would have been fit to be tied. What lasting health problems could be a result of the exposure to those chemicals....I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Many of our friends parents from Montague who lived around Hooker Chemical have developed cancers that are no doubt related to the toxins that have leached into the ground water. This is horrible, but, not what this blog entry is about.
This blog is about what is in our foods or what is being used on our foods. It is not my intention to sound radical in any one direction or on any one subject, it is to report what I have been researching. This need to know recently lead me to the Acres Organic Farmers Conference in Indianapolis Indiana to learn more about the food industry. Many of us have seen the DVD Food, Inc. and other related movies and it helped us to change the way we eat. Believe it or not, even with my strong beliefs about saving the environment, I never really watched a show or read a book and immediately jumped on any band wagons. I would gather all of the pros and cons of a topic and then I would investigate issues until I formed a solid opinion about a topic. When I watched Food, Inc. I wasn't disgusted because I already knew how bad the food industry was. Food, Inc. helped me to direct my research more towards foods that lower income families were eating solely because of economics. What concerns me is that a family can get $1 double cheeseburgers at SickDonalds and that they could not get good quality foods for the same price, even at a garbage depot like WalMart.
As I mentioned above, I was raised to eat a certain way and to live a certain lifestyle. I have been a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder, and have a fair deal of training in nutrition. I have studied many areas of nutrition, including, the relation between High Fructose Corn Syrup and obesity in this Country. I have also studied about the relation between the weed killer 'Round Up' and birth defects. It's all scary, but my intention is only to report on what I have been up to, so you will have to research things for yourselves, with your own motives. You would think someone that does research like this would be healthy for their entire life, but it goes back to my first statement above, "We are what we eat". Perhaps a better statement would be, "We are what we consume". I prefer to eat Venison that I collect and fruits and vegetables from a garden or a local farm that I know produces products free of pesticides and herbicides. This doesn't always happen for me thou, so I needed to know if I could truly trust the word 'Organic'. Much like 'Green Washing' in products and materials, could there be such a thing as 'Organic Washing'?
I went to the ACRES Organic Farming Conference to seek answers about organic farming, and also to learn about growing plants naturally with no chemical fertilizers and no genetically modified anything. My motives were simple. I wanted to know how plants grow, what criteria the organic farmers had to follow, and how effective is bio-dynamics on growing plants. I did not go to Acres to jump on any band wagons or to get involved with any groups looking to change how things are done. What I found at Acres was incredibly passionate farmers and gardeners who were there for the same reasons as me. The group of people that I went to ACRES with all attended classes, as did I, to learn about the current food industry, what organic farming really was, and ways that people could be more than organic with their crops. I was at ACRES to learn more about what we, as a society, were consuming in our daily lives.
Have you ever heard of genetically modified foods? Most of us have. These are foods that are designed in laboratories where scientists manipulate the DNA of a given plant or food to resist pesticides and/or to get higher yields on their crops. The biggest problems with these "GMO's" is that the human body reacts differently to the breakdown of these foods and it causes problems for humans. Of course, there is so much more to it, but it will be something that you can research if you are curious about these foods. Can organic labeled foods be GMO's? Yes. This is why I am concerned. I have ate organic foods and drank organic milk since they first showed up on the market and most are great for us! My goal was to find out if they were safe for me, and the jury is still out on that subject.
When Team Hybrid set out to change building as everyone had known it, we were looking to change specific areas of a home to help its inhabitants live a long healthy life. We addressed areas of the home like indoor air quality, lifetime design, passive solar, and many other areas. To my delite, many of our homeowners took this even farther and have gardens, recycle their waste, and try to live every part of a sustainable life. That is awesome, I applaud that! This got me thinking about a sustainable life being more than just the home. As simple as it seems, many people continue to focus on just one or a couple of things that make for a sustainable life. If someone can't really be sure as to what they are putting into their bodies for food, than how can we really guarantee that we will all live a long healthy life? Lets look at the dictionary definition of Sustenance (food):
Definition of SUSTENANCE
1: means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living b : food, provisions; also : nourishment
2: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained b : a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life
3
something that gives support, endurance, or strength
I yell, WHAT?!!
Have you ever given any thought to the word 'sustenance' and then thought about the food you eat, or how often you eat? I kept the word 'sustenance' on top of my mind while at the ACRES conference because I wanted to see what went into food that I was consuming to supply myself with the necessaries of life. Should we be concerned about putting bad food into our bodies? Absolutely! Should we immediately change what we eat? It would be a great idea to, but not many people are able to. Growing a garden or buying produce from a farm market or natural food market is a better idea than buying produce from WalMart because the nutritional value of the homegrown stuff if so much better. No one can expect to change their lives or habits at any given moment. Those types of life transformations come over time and I encourage everyone to start thinking more about what they are eating.
When we set out to build homes sustainably, we never asked people to immediately change their lives, only to give thoughts to the many alternatives there were to conventional ways of building. I am saying the same thing here. Be aware that not all the food that you are eating is good for you and that there are healthy alternatives available that can help you live a longer, healthier life. Find items with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. One example is Sierra Mist that is made with sugar, this is a good alternative to other sodas out there because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or any unnatural colors or additives. Again, you don't have to be scared or throw everything away immediately, just make sure you become aware of the healthier options that are available out there. The Organic Stamp on foods are a good step in the right direction in telling if a food is better for you to consume. In our busy lives and poor economy, it is not always an option for people to buy the more expensive organic foods, especially when you can get a McGut Bomb at SickDonalds for a dollar.
I ask you to consider what is happening to your health, especially if you are in the sustainability business. Do you, on your way to giving a talk about sustainability, stop and get a Heart Attack in a Sack? Most do, even I used to from time to time because it is so tough to do anything different than that. After I learned that I had some health concerns due to the lifestyle I chose to live, I completely changed the way I live and eat. I have my cheat days, but for the most part, I watch very closely what I eat to try to get myself healthier. Lifestyle is the leading cause of health problems in this country. I used to think that I could help with that by building sustainable houses, and sustainable housing does help. But there is more work to be done in this area. We can't control gas prices, contaminated foods, idiot CEO's, or lots of other bad things, but we definitely can control WHAT and HOW MUCH we use. This alone can help ensure that the statement "we are what we consume" is a part of a healthy sustainable lifestyle....
Friday, November 12, 2010
Andersen Windows Sustainability Video
The following is a sneak peak at a segment on sustainability that will be part of the Earth Shelter documentary (which will air on television in 2011). This video was shot recently at Andersen Windows' Bayport Plant in Minnesota. This video is intended to show the viewer how a company can be sustainable and why this Team picks the products that it picks.
I want to give a huge thank you out to Ric Mixter of Airworthy Productions for putting this video together and producing this video. He acted as producer and videographer while on location and coached me through my lines as I worked off of a script. The video shoot was 3 days long and it is amazing how much work it is to set up shots and read lines from a script without making it look on video like you are reading off of a script!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Remember when?
I remember the Fall of 2007, do you? I found myself smack dab in the middle of a huge debate over a wind generator with very little help. I remember locals stopping by the job site to get in my face, I remember going into Frans Market and having people turn their backs on me, and I remember how everyone back home said good luck and went about their lives.
I mention this, because time flies and the moments in time that define a person are often times forgotten or overlooked. I remember laying awake at night in our rented, run down cottage and thinking about the possibility of losing my company over a matter that I had very little control over. I remember building, piece by piece, a home that helped reshape the building industry in this state. I remember the grinder accident I had before a big public hearing on the wind generator, and how I didn't go to the Emergency Room (even though Mary Bigelow did all she could to get me to go), so that I could give my rebuttal at the hearing. The carpet in Onekama Township Hall has the stains from my bleeding finger and a day doesn't pass that I don't think about how incredible that experience was. I carry scars on my hands from the work we did on that home and those scars help to remind me of the amazing experience that I had building it.
I remember when the final meeting for the wind generator issue was and I remember the emotions that were running wild in that room. I salute those people in the world who stepped up when times got tough and helped generations move forward. I salute those who didn't just say good luck, but rather, rolled up there sleeves and fought shoulder to shoulder with me on a very tough issue. Onekama will always hold a place in my heart, because it help shaped the person that I have longed for so long to become. I learned many valuable lessons on that project, but the most valuable lesson of all, was that I learned to never give up on my dreams. I learned that no matter what happend, I would always see a problem through and have the guts to take care of a problem no matter what it costs. I learned that not many people shared that same value, and that it was a defining value that has helped me become who I am today.
I am excited to have built the homes that I have built. Back in 2007, I did all I could to get other builders to build sustainably. Now, much to my delight, builders have stepped up to take on jobs with ICFs, SIPs, and advanced framing. I have continued to pick jobs to build solely on their impact on the industry. I am consulting more than ever on everything from schools to Earth Shelter projects and everything in between. Next up for me, once we complete the Earth Shelter Project and I finish the nation wide tour to promote the documentary, I will start another project. That project will be one of many that I am considering. I am most interested in another Earth Shelter project or a straw bale home. I will keep you all posted. For now, life is good and I am so excited to be living the life I am living..
I mention this, because time flies and the moments in time that define a person are often times forgotten or overlooked. I remember laying awake at night in our rented, run down cottage and thinking about the possibility of losing my company over a matter that I had very little control over. I remember building, piece by piece, a home that helped reshape the building industry in this state. I remember the grinder accident I had before a big public hearing on the wind generator, and how I didn't go to the Emergency Room (even though Mary Bigelow did all she could to get me to go), so that I could give my rebuttal at the hearing. The carpet in Onekama Township Hall has the stains from my bleeding finger and a day doesn't pass that I don't think about how incredible that experience was. I carry scars on my hands from the work we did on that home and those scars help to remind me of the amazing experience that I had building it.
I remember when the final meeting for the wind generator issue was and I remember the emotions that were running wild in that room. I salute those people in the world who stepped up when times got tough and helped generations move forward. I salute those who didn't just say good luck, but rather, rolled up there sleeves and fought shoulder to shoulder with me on a very tough issue. Onekama will always hold a place in my heart, because it help shaped the person that I have longed for so long to become. I learned many valuable lessons on that project, but the most valuable lesson of all, was that I learned to never give up on my dreams. I learned that no matter what happend, I would always see a problem through and have the guts to take care of a problem no matter what it costs. I learned that not many people shared that same value, and that it was a defining value that has helped me become who I am today.
I am excited to have built the homes that I have built. Back in 2007, I did all I could to get other builders to build sustainably. Now, much to my delight, builders have stepped up to take on jobs with ICFs, SIPs, and advanced framing. I have continued to pick jobs to build solely on their impact on the industry. I am consulting more than ever on everything from schools to Earth Shelter projects and everything in between. Next up for me, once we complete the Earth Shelter Project and I finish the nation wide tour to promote the documentary, I will start another project. That project will be one of many that I am considering. I am most interested in another Earth Shelter project or a straw bale home. I will keep you all posted. For now, life is good and I am so excited to be living the life I am living..
Saturday, October 2, 2010
My experience teaching
I just finished teaching the first 2 and a half day class that I have ever taught. For anyone who has ever taught, then you know how difficult teaching for that long can be. I hear it gets easier as you teach more, but going into that first day, I had no idea how much material I would need to teach for 6 or 7 hours. The first day was a new subject, that I just wrote, The History of Building from Earliest Recorded History to Present and Consumer Motivation in this Green Economy. Wow! Well, I made it through the first day, but I struggled towards the end and was forced to "leak" some of the pictures and info for day 2. After the first day of class, I went to the Instructor only dinner to rub elbows with everyone. I was nervous, because, once again, I was the "Green Horn" in something and dinners like this can go several ways. I am happy to say, that everyone was very nice and welcomed me into their rhelm. I asked for advice for day 2 and they all gave me some great suggestions. After thanking everyone for their input, I raced backed to my computer to adjust my approach and content for day 2.
Day 2 was "Green Building". I was prepared for this day! It appeared that the class members had never seen what was on my pictures and videos and everyone sat forward in their seats and said "wow" off and on throughout the day. Day 2 was a great day and put a smile on my face as I finally got to see people's reactions in person to the work I have completed. I had a meeting in Grand Rapids after the class that lasted into the evening. I got back to my computer to revamp day 3 and had an even greater respect for those who teach as their profession!
Day 3 was a breeze. For those that have taught, you know that by day 3 things are much more relaxed. We had great conversations and lots of questions. Handing out their certificates was a great experience and at the end of the class, everyone seemed satisfied with the class.
On the class evaluation sheets, there are a few comments that I will use to improve my approach. Yes, I need work and practice at teaching, but this is something I really enjoy doing and have wanted to do for many years. I will improve in areas that need improving and polish areas that need polishing. I was asked to teach again for them and I am happy to say that my teaching schedule is filling up in 2011.
2010 has been a great year of learning and realizing my dreams. I can only imagine what the future holds. No one brought me an apple in class thou....
Day 2 was "Green Building". I was prepared for this day! It appeared that the class members had never seen what was on my pictures and videos and everyone sat forward in their seats and said "wow" off and on throughout the day. Day 2 was a great day and put a smile on my face as I finally got to see people's reactions in person to the work I have completed. I had a meeting in Grand Rapids after the class that lasted into the evening. I got back to my computer to revamp day 3 and had an even greater respect for those who teach as their profession!
Day 3 was a breeze. For those that have taught, you know that by day 3 things are much more relaxed. We had great conversations and lots of questions. Handing out their certificates was a great experience and at the end of the class, everyone seemed satisfied with the class.
On the class evaluation sheets, there are a few comments that I will use to improve my approach. Yes, I need work and practice at teaching, but this is something I really enjoy doing and have wanted to do for many years. I will improve in areas that need improving and polish areas that need polishing. I was asked to teach again for them and I am happy to say that my teaching schedule is filling up in 2011.
2010 has been a great year of learning and realizing my dreams. I can only imagine what the future holds. No one brought me an apple in class thou....
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Earth Shelter's first award entry
Thank you to Team Elmers, the Earth Shelter Project is in the running for an International Sustainable Building Award. Check this link out: http://ascribehq.com/greensite/awards/residential/oct2010/P5258
I see on the commercial side 1 World Trade Center-Freedom Tower is an entrant. I did not know about these awards, Team Elmers entered this project and it looks like we are in a group of incredible mainstream projects. What an honor.
I see on the commercial side 1 World Trade Center-Freedom Tower is an entrant. I did not know about these awards, Team Elmers entered this project and it looks like we are in a group of incredible mainstream projects. What an honor.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Earth Shelter makes the nightly news up north
As I have decided to readjust my goals in 2010, the path is clear to where it is that I feel I need to go. Although the last 5 years of my life have been incredible, I never envisioned myself as a production builder who needed several projects going at once to feel successful. As I have written about in the past, my goal was always to build, to learn, and then to educate others on what I learned. That is why I chose to handle projects the way I did. Also, the Earth Shelter Project is large enough to equal building 5 homes at once, so I guess, my work load is similar to what it was before, but it feels good for a change to not have to drive all over Michigan to manage projects.
I led a team that built the most energy efficient home ever built in Michigan. Although it was a nice design on paper, the performance of that house was the result of team members at the sight who paid incredible attention to detail with regards to mechanical performance and air infiltration. Since the design was very similar to the Onekama house, I knew from the journals I kept that we needed to pay attention to specific areas of the home to try to get it 'tighter'. This seems like a waste of time, as the Onekama home was one of the tightest homes ever built at the time, but my goal was always to improve on everything that we did. The design of the home is very important, but I make sure when I teach and speak, that I mention that the performance of the home has a lot to do with variables and features that the architect doesn't have anything to do with. Examples of this are: site stewardship, recycling, air infiltration, mechanical systems, and the list is endless. Believe it or not, but the gas fireplace in Onekama was one of the differences between the two homes, any fireplace is a good way to leak air in or out of the home.
My point in all of these ramblings, is that the Earth Shelter Project is seen as a culmination of all of my research, work, and passions. Recently, a northern Michigan tv station requested time on site to do a story on the project. Before access was granted to them, I drilled the reporter about what the angle of the story was going to be. She was hinting at putting a doomsday twist on the story, at which point I denied her access to the site. Being on tv is cool and all, but contractors have an ethical responsibility to protect their homeowners on high profile projects. Proper presentation of key sustainable projects and safety is why proper news coverage is essential. We spent a week developing a different angle, which, I felt, it should have been since the beginning. Although the segment is short, it states things pretty well. As I say during the interview, I never had to think about housing for animals before (besides dogs and cats of course..i.e. dog showers, cat playgrounds). I had to research Scottish Highlander cows and their horn width so the stalls in the barn were big enough to handle these "critters".
See what you think, here is the link to the story from 9 and 10 news story: http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=254130&cID=1
Thank you to all who continue to pay attention and support what I do. I am very happy with life and soon you may see me on your tv, shhh....
I led a team that built the most energy efficient home ever built in Michigan. Although it was a nice design on paper, the performance of that house was the result of team members at the sight who paid incredible attention to detail with regards to mechanical performance and air infiltration. Since the design was very similar to the Onekama house, I knew from the journals I kept that we needed to pay attention to specific areas of the home to try to get it 'tighter'. This seems like a waste of time, as the Onekama home was one of the tightest homes ever built at the time, but my goal was always to improve on everything that we did. The design of the home is very important, but I make sure when I teach and speak, that I mention that the performance of the home has a lot to do with variables and features that the architect doesn't have anything to do with. Examples of this are: site stewardship, recycling, air infiltration, mechanical systems, and the list is endless. Believe it or not, but the gas fireplace in Onekama was one of the differences between the two homes, any fireplace is a good way to leak air in or out of the home.
My point in all of these ramblings, is that the Earth Shelter Project is seen as a culmination of all of my research, work, and passions. Recently, a northern Michigan tv station requested time on site to do a story on the project. Before access was granted to them, I drilled the reporter about what the angle of the story was going to be. She was hinting at putting a doomsday twist on the story, at which point I denied her access to the site. Being on tv is cool and all, but contractors have an ethical responsibility to protect their homeowners on high profile projects. Proper presentation of key sustainable projects and safety is why proper news coverage is essential. We spent a week developing a different angle, which, I felt, it should have been since the beginning. Although the segment is short, it states things pretty well. As I say during the interview, I never had to think about housing for animals before (besides dogs and cats of course..i.e. dog showers, cat playgrounds). I had to research Scottish Highlander cows and their horn width so the stalls in the barn were big enough to handle these "critters".
See what you think, here is the link to the story from 9 and 10 news story: http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=254130&cID=1
Thank you to all who continue to pay attention and support what I do. I am very happy with life and soon you may see me on your tv, shhh....
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