From Woodstock, VT to Concord, MA: the birth of (one idea of) a nation by Nicolás Boullosa on June 18, 2024 As a heatwave pummels the eastern US, here’s a fresh view of our impressions of visiting some charming cities and …
Elf $7K solar car-bike for driver + 2 kids, equals 1800mpg by Kirsten Dirksen on February 26, 2017 It looks like a micro-car. It rides like an electric-assist bike. The ELF (“electric, light, fun”) is a solar car-bike …
Intentionally small home: urban living in North Carolina by Kirsten Dirksen on June 10, 2013 Nicole Alvarez grew up in a typical American suburbia: spacious homes, large yards, not walkable to town. Then she began …
Passive solar glass home: beauty of watching the sun move by Kirsten Dirksen on January 21, 2010 Back in the late seventies when Cliff Butler was ready to build his dream home, he was looking for one …
Greens gone wild: America’s first eco-fraternity by Kirsten Dirksen on November 25, 2009 It’s a fraternity where the environment is the focus: it’s not just service-oriented (though they do stream cleanups and native …
Energy-efficient, affordable tiny cob home for modern hobbits by Kirsten Dirksen on November 10, 2009 It’s estimated that half of the world’s population lives in earth buildings, but for many countries this type of architecture …
The new American Dream according to a 21st Century farmer by Kirsten Dirksen on October 23, 2009 It’s difficult to pin a label on North Carolina’s Tim Toben. His understated appearance- the several times we met with him …
Living like it’s 2050: Transition Farm in North Carolina by Kirsten Dirksen on October 16, 2009 The town of Chapel Hill/Carrboro, North Carolina became a Transition Town in 2009. While the community has always been highly …
A small town green high-rise by Kirsten Dirksen on October 6, 2009 Eco-skyscrapers are increasingly sprouting up in cities worldwide, like Rotterdam’s Urban Cactus, Chicago’s 340 on the Park, Manhattan’s Hearst Tower …
Organic cotton rocks & what constitutes green building? by rebecca on May 5, 2007 As a realtor, I see a lot of building here in North Carolina that they are calling green and it …