I love these guys. I've been in the green game here in Edmonton for around 10 years. For the first five or so years, we were a rag-tag bunch. I would see the same 15-30 tree huggers at all the events. It wasn't exactly a thrill, and to tell the truth, I felt like the environmental community in this city was pretty tiny.
No more. The times are a'changin, and the Edmonton Socially-Conscious Alternative Entrepreneurs Network (E-Sage) is an exciting part of that change. read more... »
Insolate
in·so·late [in-soh-leyt] verb: to expose to the sun's rays
When planning a cold-climate eco-home, you first insulate and seal, then you insolate. That is, you design the house to capture as much energy from the sun's rays as possible.
The Mill Creek NetZero Home (MCNZH) will be situated on a lot that is 33' wide from East to West. Local bylaws dictate that the sideyards of a house must be a least 4' wide. That leaves 25' of width for our all-important south wall. As you can see from the above picture, we have maximized the opportunity. read more... »
At a time when the organic food market is booming in record proportions and interest in the local food movement higher than ever, it is puzzling to hear that the Edmonton S & R (Sharing and Responsibility) food basket program is in serious threat. read more... »
This is ## Avenue. The street on the left is 99th street. The green arrow is pointing at the future location (tearing down in May) of the Mill Creek NetZero Home.
I have been learning about ecohouses for years now. One thing you discover early is that a great deal of them are built in the country. The people who value energy efficiency and green building often have an affinity for a more natural setting than a city like Edmonton provides.
The thing is, most often these people work elsewhere. In fact, I've never heard of a green home in the country that was within walking distance to any jobs (I guess it could exist on a farm).
So you build green, but you commute two hours a day in your dinosaur burner? read more... »
