Shower the people …
There is no question that winter is here, which makes hot showers even more glorious. I must really watch my timer to ensure that my shower time is reasonable and not indulgent. Maybe my...
Remembering Earth Day
I know, when people think of U.S. presidents who made significant impacts on the environment, we think of Teddy Roosevelt and the founding of National Parks. We think of Jimmy Carter expanding the national...
One year after winter storm Elliot, our grid problem remains dire
Last year, on the morning before Christmas, just as much of the country was preparing food for a holiday dinner that night or preparing for the next day as they welcomed family and guests...
GRESB, like the tide, waits for no man
A friend of mine often uses the phrase “The tide raises all boats” when talking about sustainability. His beautiful focus is that we must work together to make any kind of achievement. That has...
Where the water goes
People have said to me, “we cannot control our property’s water consumption because we cannot affect what the residents do in their units.” Oh, really? According to EPA’s WaterSense program, 26.7% of all indoor water...
We’re talking about our irrigation, sounds like a gusher.
This morning, as I was walking my property, enjoying the coolness of the early day, my neighbor’s sprinkler system turned on. Sadly, due to a break in their irrigation system, none of the sprinklers...
Setting expectations: a Christmas wish
When I was in second grade, a schoolmate friend of mine had a nativity set. While at her house one day, as I admired the little hand painted figurines of camels, shepherds, wise men,...
Energy Is Sexy
When I was at Prometheus Real Estate Group, I used to have a bumper sticker outside my office door that said, “Energy is Sexy.” It was a slightly “blue” statement for a corporate office,...
Keep them with stitches
I grew up in unincorporated Fresno, California (that is the part of Fresno, that Fresno does not want.) There were not a lot of extracurricular activities that were of interest to me, so I...
In trash we trust
Continuing last week’s discussion about my trust issues, and battle cry of “Don’t Trust THE GUY.” I would like to examine why we trust our waste haulers implicitly. We really do. For those of...
Rules that make dishwashers, wash machines perform worse also illegal
Plaintiffs argue that the Department of Energy has no legal authority to impose its own water use limits on energy-consuming home appliances.
The federal regulations that make dishwashers and washing machines worse are also illegal....
Sustainability issues to watch in 2024
On Wednesday, January 10, ULI hosted their webcast “ULI Global Sustainability Outlook 2024” where they discussed, not emerging trends, but what key things would be focused on in 2024. The panel discussion reviewed five...
Making things better with heat pumps
A dear friend of mine, Art Bailey Jr., whom we lost too young to a heart attack, was one of those individuals who could fix anything mechanical. When he was a boy and his...
Prepare to beat the summer heat
I have the song “Feeling Hot Hot Hot” by the calypso band The Merrymen going through my brain. Summer is in full swing and temperatures are in the stupid hot range. It really makes...
Finding the low-hanging fruit of efficiency retrofits
I get asked a lot what are the top opportunities for efficiency retrofits. I never answer that question because there are always SO MANY opportunities for retrofit. Let’s face it, we are only limited...
