Aug 9, 2021 | Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Landscaping, Toxins & Chemicals, Water
We depend upon bees for so many things that bring joy and comfort to our lives: cotton, coffee, flowers, berries—about 1/3 of our food supply needs bees for pollination! We can all do something to help save the bees. But transforming your lawn into wildflowers does so...
Jun 4, 2021 | Food, Green Home Living, Green Intention, Healthy Home, Landscaping, Toxins & Chemicals
When does non-GMO food matter for us and our pets? How do you achieve Non-GMO Project Verification? Read about Project Hive Pet Company’s journey and why it’s important.
Feb 24, 2021 | Green Home Living, Landscaping
Project Hive Pet Company has launched! Project Hive Pet Company is a mission-driven pet company that sells premium dog toys and treats with a mission to save the bees. Why are bees the most important species on the planet? It’s not just about honey. It’s...
Aug 4, 2020 | Expert Contributor, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Healthy Home, Landscaping
April, 2020 Thanks to Marnie Dachis Marmet and Stephanie May Potter for the fun conversation (which we were able to do in person, pre-quarantine), and for airing their wonderful podcast! Listen online »
Jul 1, 2019 | Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Landscaping, LEED Certification, Water
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.
Dec 4, 2018 | Energy, Energy & Water, Green Home Building/Remodeling, Green Home Living, Green Intention, Healthy Home, Landscaping, LEED Certification, Location, Materials
I had the honor of visiting with Mark and Kate Hanson and touring their home and gardens earlier this year. Here’s the story I wrote about their inspirational home and site–and how it serves their community in Roseville, Minnesota.
Aug 19, 2010 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Landscaping
This credit, at first glance, seemed to belong in Location & Linkages, since it is about the location we chose to build our house. But upon further reading, it is more about how we use our specific site. The USGBC encourages efficient land use — basically,...
Aug 18, 2010 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Landscaping
This is a good requirement, because it addresses something you can do upfront to prevent health hazards later. It should be titled “Pest Prevention,” though — “nontoxic pest control” is what we would want to use once we see that there...
Aug 17, 2010 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Landscaping
Oh, this is a timely posting. What is interesting here is that all the LEED requirements are design and build requirements; now that we have lived in our house for a little over a year, we can see if what we planned to happen is indeed the case. Water runoff from the...
Aug 16, 2010 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Landscaping
Erosion controls go hand in hand with permeable lots — both are intended to prevent overloading of storm sewers and reduce storm water runoff, which can damage the soil and water quality of surrounding water bodies. For one point, we can either a. use terracing...
Aug 12, 2010 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Landscaping
This section of Sustainable Sites encourages the design of site features to minimize erosion and runoff from the home site. This is actually a pretty big problem in Minneapolis. We get a fair number of huge downpours in the summer, and the runoff from all the roofs,...
Aug 11, 2010 | Green Home Building/Remodeling, Landscaping
The intent of this credit is to design landscape features to reduce local heat island effects. What is a local heat island effect? According to the LEED for Homes manual, it refers to the absorption of heat by hardscapes, such as pavement and buildings, and its...
