Nature CAN Nurture

I recently had the chance to speak with Hudson Valley photographer Portia Munson for an article I wrote for Medium.com. As the uncertainty of a world in turmoil continues, we can take solace in nature’s cycle of renewal. And even when we can’t be in nature, whether we are dashing through the airport or spending a day on the computer, Portia Munson’s images transport us to that restorative moment where we feel the chaos of our lives stop and let the natural order begin.

Sandy Cottage: An Eye to the Future

After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, BPA's engagement in rebuilding and elevating homes in low lying, FEMA zones increased overnight.  Many of these modest homes had structural issues even before the storm, and it became clear that many would need to be rebuilt from scratch.  Exploring structural elements that are aesthetically progressive, affordable to build, and FEMA compliant, BPA has designed Sandy Cottage, which uses an efficient and consolidated structural system in order to reduce material and labor costs. With the option for solar panels and water capture, this energy efficient home helps rebuild neighborhoods with an eye towards meeting the needs of the future.

Angry Landscape: Reality

The Angry Landscape Series Spring 2012

Long Island 1938

As you know, many past entries on this blog have chronicled our relationship to the environment, either through energy efficient and sustainably sourced architectural design by James and Nick, native plantings by Jackson, saving the gulf by Olivia, and angry landscape paintings by Nadine. It's been a passion of ours to explore ways to save the planet's resources.

The blog had taken a respite, not from the work we were doing, but the chronicling of it.  But in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I feel compelled to hit the keyboard again to dash off an entry.  I am astonished to see the battle in the news as to whether or not climate change is real.  Despite scientific and anecdotal evidence otherwise, far too many reject the responsibility we humans have to the environment.  The argument is like trying to convince a brick wall it needs mortar.  It's only realized when the mortar fails and the wall crumbles.  As the Northeast watched our homes succumb to the powerful storm at our shores, climate change is finally on the lips of some powerful politicians.  Unfortunately it takes a tragedy to remind us the precarious relationship we have with nature.  And the more you learn about our changing earth, the more you know has to be done.  When I meet people who have dedicated their lives to saving the environment, whether it be birds, trees, or oceans, I ask them, how do you keep up the fight?  How do you persevere when everyone else turns a blind eye?  Their answers remind me of Anne Lamott's inspirational text Bird by Bird, where she recommends tackling big tasks step-by-step, or bird by bird.

So that's what I'm going to continue to do.  I am going to try not to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task at hand.  After all, saving the planet isn't the work of one person, or one community, or even one country.  It's a movement that's going to require each one of us to work bird by bird until we hold off the momentum we've already set in motion.

The H2O Factor: Protecting Our Waters

Imagine putting champagne in your toilet. Ridiculous, right? And yet, that's what we do by putting drinkable water into our toilets instead of using grey or rain water. We take for granted turning on the faucet and having fresh glass of water to drink; however dwindling reserves of fresh water have become a global concern. With far too many areas of the globe finding themselves with contaminated water sources, it seems nonsensical to waste this precious resource. By taking a chance on dirty energy sources like hydrofracking and tar sands pipelines, we further imperil our most basic needs, which would prove to be far more costly in the long run in many ways. It was with pleasure to see March's Whole Living Magazine dedicated to conserving water. Not only were there practical water saving tips, there was this nifty Collapsible Rain Barrel featured. Since I am starting a kitchen garden this summer (dream big), I'd love to have a handy rainwater source. I'm asking for two-- one for Mother's Day and the other for my birthday.
The waterways got other good news today. The Senate voted overwhelming to send the BP oil spill fines directly to restoring the Gulf instead of putting them in the general environmental fund. This issue is of personal interest as our family went to DC twice to talk to our representatives, including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, about our concerns about the region. A big thanks to the Audubon Society for their leadership on this important decision. If you haven't renewed your Audubon membership, or want to support an awesome environmental group, please consider sending them a donation today.

Bay Shore: From the Air

Aerial shots of this solar powered residence on the Great South Bay, Long Island.

Young Voices on Climate Change

Olivia and Jackson will be interviewed by author, illustrator, and flmmaker Lynne Cherry about their conservation efforts. On the heels of their exciting trip to Costa Rica where they were able to meet with schoolchildren in Guanacaste, the kids are looking forward to connecting with other children who feel equally passionate about the environment. Cherry, the author of many children's books including The Great Kapok Tree, has been an environmentalist since she was a child. It seems fitting then, for her to be the one to champion the environmental concerns and solutions from this generation of children around the world.

Champions of Change: White House Panel

As the Obama administration looks to its domestic policy goals, the reality of financial woes and a political stalemate leads it to take a different tact. The White House has organized a series of panel discussions with those they have cited as 'Champions of Change', people who have performed Herculean tasks starting at the grassroots level. On Tuesday, June 7th, Olivia was asked to participate in the New Orleans Panel, joined by 11 others creating social change in unique ways. The round table, held at a convention for volunteer efforts, was led by Melody Barnes and Marta Unquilla, who are involved with the service initiatives of the Obama Administration. According to James, it was incredible to listen to individuals talk about what they are accomplishing, mostly on a shoestring budget. Here's a list of a few of the participants, many of whom were women:

- Liz McCartney, who is rebuilding the 9th ward in NOLA.
- Lan Diep, who is connecting with Vietnamese fisherman for the BP oil spill claims.
- Brenda Krause Eheart, Ph.D. who is building an interesting community housing model in Chicago (retired individuals who pay less rent in exchange for working in the community day care).
- Ivye Allen, Ph.D., who is president of Foundation of the Mid-South, whose mission is economic development in the mid-south.
- Dianna Daley, Director of Centro Compesino, education programs for south Florida.

Other programs included schools in the 9th ward, Muslim community collaborative, Alabama disaster relief, Hispanic community collaboratives. Each panelist was able to connect his or her initiative with the greater good of our nation.
Olivia was the sole participant whose initiative was about the environment and, as the only child, was singled out by Melody Barnes as part of the nation's future. Olivia had the opportunity to address the round table where she discussed her fundraiser, the partnership with Audubon, and putting the 'eco' back in the economy.
Not only did the participants connect with each other, their stories will be shared on the White House web site. Also in attendace at the conference were corporations looking to expand their outreach programs by collaborating with not-for-profits-- a corporate trend that I can truly support.

(Re)Recycling

Jericho High School had established a water bottle recycling program several years ago; however the program was discontinued in September. Unfortunately our recycling bins weren't distinct enough from our garbage cans, causing too many food scraps to make their way into the bins. Although more and more students are using reusable stainless bottles, many are still reliant on plastic water bottles. Here is a pic of discarded water bottles on stage after middle school graduation.

With 52,000 water bottles sold annually through our school cafeteria, not to mention the scores of bottles brought in via backpacks, the Senior Experience class made restarting the recycling program our number one priority. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of several clubs, the input of East Coast Recycling and the Eco Action Network, and the support of our district's administration, it looks as if we'll make our March 4th deadline, just in time for a pep rally kick-off event. The students are planning a multimedia campaign to educate our student population on both the need for and the method of proper recycling. While some students were shooting a video, others reused the backs of Bouler Architecture blueprints to make 'coming soon' signs. Their enthusiasm for getting this eco-friendly project off the ground was contagious. As I walked out of the room with Tim, a student who plans to become a chef, he looked out at the snow-filled courtyard and asked if he could turn part of it into an organic garden with a compost. Absolutely!

Home Expo: Orlando

James just returned from a Home Expo in Orlando, Florida. According to him, the word of the day is 'green' as building materials try to offer products that emphasize efficiency. Condensing boilers, thermal barriers, windows with thermal breaks, icynene insulation filled the convention center. This 6' mini-wind turbine at 25mph generates 1,000 watts of power, but can product electricity in as little as 1 mph winds. I've been concerned about wind power and birds, but recently read a blog post on Treehugger refuting the dangers wind turbines pose to the avian population.
James said the convention gave him an opportunity to explore the new options out there for upcoming projects and I even got a treat for the yard: an earth-friendly homasote birdhouse made out of post-consumer recycled newsprint.

Efficient Ideas

I am not a fan of buying new in the name of the environment especially if I can repair it or buy it pre-owned, aka used. But lately James and I have been upgrading our eco-profile with a few key purchases. What makes them key is their frequency of use. First came the car. As those who know us know-- James and I have been through an incredible array of vehicles, looking for the perfect configuration for our use. With my daily round-trip commute of seventy miles and two kids, my choice in cars had to meet approximately 75 different needs, now with a 30 mpg minimum. And there she is, my new GTI. Swift, comfortable, with every bell and whistle, and 33 mpg on the highway. T'was worth ditching the Mercedes.
As for the Breville Smart Oven, James is a big proponent of conseriving energy by using convection or toaster ovens instead of heating up our large wall oven. This one replaces ten years of subpar toaster ovens now residing in landfills; one had a temp control handle snap in two, another sparked and caught on fire. The Breville is a beauty-- and though it cost more than the others, it still costs less than the four of them combined. Ask me how it roasts, c'mon, ask me! Pure, energy efficient joy.
The last upgrade was LED bulbs. Pulling less energy than even a CFL, and far less than incandescent bulbs, they even direct light downward, causing less light pollution when used outside. For more on lightbulbs, check out modernemama's take on them.
So despite my quest to reduce my consumption, these ideas were simply too efficient to bypass.

Recycling's Future

Much has been written about the plague of discarded water bottles, and how a great percentage of them make their way into landfills around the country and into our waterways. The need for recycling programs only grows, but with municipalities strapped for cash, their recycling programs may bear the brunt of budget constraints.
I've become a tad obsessed with the water bottle issue lately. In a quest to reinstate Jericho High School's water bottle recycling program, I visited a student intern at East Coast Recycling today and met with Eco Action Network founder Jessica Rigal. East Coast Recycling has taken on the Herculean task of collecting unwanted plastics and turning them into viable materials such as plastic pellets or even back into bottles. Their forward-thinking ideas serve two purposes-- keeping green jobs here on Long Island and keeping Long Island green.

577 Main Street

Retrofitting a building is an eco-friendly option instead of tearing things down. With retrofitting, however, comes a slew of design challenges, not the least of which is how to fit a new function into an old structure. 577 Main Street, a Bouler Architecture project, turns Islip's former town hall into a modern office building. The brick building, which also once housed a couple of jail cells, offered unique design elements. For example, by incorporating the exposed brick in the interior, the modern pendant light fixtures and sleek furnishings read more like a city loft rather than a sterile corporate environment. With Verace just two doors down, Bouler Architecture was able to update two historic and important structures in downtown Islip while maintaining the street's character.

Conservation and Disney's Project Green

Olivia with the cast of Camp Rock; far left is Beth Stevens, Disney's Environmental Director; center is Vikki Spruill from the Ocean Conservancy.

Olivia and Jackson were on hand for the filming of a public service announcement for Friends for Change Coastal Clean-Up event and discovered all sorts of hidden trash on the beaches of Tampa. From soggy blankets to torn-up tarps, about 30 burlap garbage bags were filled with garbage.
Disney World has adopted several visible ecofriendly practices: paper straws, lidless drinks, brown paper towels, and an increased recycling program. But what was behind the scenes was even more impressive. The conservation efforts behind Animal Kingdom, from breeding a near-extinct species of kingfishers from Guam to rescuing oil-soaked sea turtles from the Gulf of Mexico, were evidence of a serious committment to the environment on a global scale. One collaborative project included Kenyan farmers, whose crops were being trampled by elephants. The farmers, unable to restrain the elephants, needed to find a way to keep the animals off their property without harming them. Disney scientists were able to discover how an elephant's fear of bees could keep them at bay. By working together, the Kenyan farmers and the scientists were able to create a border of bee hives that not only kept elephants off the farms, but generated a money-making crop of honey. This was just one of the many projects shared with us while we toured their facilities.

Disney's Project Green

About a year ago, our family visited Disney World. We had a great time, but also thought about ways Disney could be innovative and 'green' the park. I even wrote a blog entry about it. Little did I know that a year later, we would be invited back, as Olivia and Jackson participate in one of their new programs, Friends for Change/Project Green, a terrific initiative to get young people involved in improving the environment. Already a long-standing supporter of environmental groups like the Audubon Society, Disney's conservation program and its senior vice president of environmental affairs, Dr. Beth Stevens, have set ambitious goals in lowering the park's carbon footprint through cutting water use, energy consumption, waste, and emissions. Stevens, who recently won Audubon's Rachel Carson Award for her conservation efforts, has a philosophy about nature that we share--if people are inspired to love nature, they are more inclined to protect it. Like Rachel Carson, Dr. Stevens is helping to shape how our country views its relationship with the environment, a tradition of environmentalism that has had a profound impact on our family, especially Olivia and her fundraising efforts for the Gulf.
Check out Project Green's site for eco-friendly ideas on how to clean up your local environment. I plan on sharing it with my high school students, challenging them to set some eco-friendly goals for the new school year.

On the Waterfront

Being an Island, Long Island can be defined by its waterfront architecture. As boaters take to the summer waters, houses become landmarks in a way that is different than landlocked structures. So it was particularly exciting to see the Captree compound with three Bouler Architecture projects lined up, side by side.
Waterfront architecture also carries the added responsibility to the environment. Eco-friendly landscaping, sound building practices, and places for nesting birds carry all the more importance because of the preciousness of the location. These homes, done in a traditional, shingle-style architecture, work to define the coastline, while still treading as lightly as possible.

Why Aren't They All Like This?

An amazing thought, kind of like 'health food'.

It's Official!

Drum roll please. . . our backyard is now a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Establishing eco-friendly landscaping and setting up feeders for birds are two of the easy ways to help stave off the detrimental effects of poor town planning and suburban sprawl. A nationwide campaign to 'green' American backyards makes a lot of sense as birds across the country are losing habitat and not just those living in the Gulf. Acting locally doesn't get much closer than this.

Why Can't a Building Be More Like a Machine?

Back in the day, buildings had to engage their climate in order to be efficient. Porches, overhangs, and the site, all had to work together to address the needs of the inhabitants. Then along came modern heating and ventilation systems, and quickly buildings no longer took environmental needs into account. Inefficient buildings account for 48% of all energy consumption in the United States, so it makes great sense to set goals and incentives to decrease the carbon footprint of our buildings.
This is not some fantasy initiative. Bouler Architecture's Oak Beach project generated more power in its first year than it consumed, making it better than a zero energy structure, but as it stands, it takes a special, forward-thinking client to take on such a goal. Local building codes, however, should take note. With a combination of alternative energy systems, comfort doesn't have to be lost to be efficient. Creative engineering which addresses the microclimate of the site can alleviate the need for turning on the AC or the heat. Towns should consider giving tax breaks to encourage alternative energy sources and eco-friendly landscaping elements, as well as setting incremental guidelines to encourage homeowners to invest in greening their homes. With the cost of off-shore drilling at $700 million dollars a rig, spills notwithstanding, it's hard to believe that making a building more like a machine isn't a cost-effective way to move into the future.

Zero Energy House

I'm guest blogging today on Bouler Design while Nadine is in the Gulf viewing the devastating effects of the oil-spill first hand. Her daughter Olivia has been walking the walk since April when a broken oil pipe allowed thousands of gallons of oil a day to gush into the sea, threatening the fragile eco-system. But Bouler Architecture has put sustainable building at the core of its philosophy since they started business. The zero-energy house at Oak Beach on Long Island is a great example how we can build smarter, not just to reduce our use of fossil fuels but to actually produce more energy than we consume.

For the architect, James Bouler and his client Jill Korman, efficient design was key. They sought to maximize the potential of the site for solar power by demolishing 50% of an existing structure and rebuilding using a geothermal pump, photovoltaic solar panels, an EDPM white roof, energy performance rated windows and Icynene insulation. The house has been finished for a year and has exceeded all expectations, producing more energy than it used and earning it the highest energy-rating on Long Island.
Jill's brief to the architect was simple: build me a comfortable house that is considerate of the planet using as few resources as possible - and Bouler Architecture delivered this functional and aesthetically pleasing design.


10 kw solar panels capture the strong South Shore sun; even in winter the house is energy efficient.


Careful placement of the roof lines and windows allows for passive solar heating and cooling, blocking the summer sun but allowing the sun's rays to heat the poured concrete floors.


Before the geothermal pump was hooked up and the radiant heating started this still kept the house a comfortable 60F in winter.


The angle of the windows in the barrel roof shades the sun, while the clerestory windows on the north side allow for ambient light


Salvaged and reclaimed wood from the original beach cottage was reused throughout the house - either decoratively as in this stair post, for framing the new house or as scrap lumber.

The Oak Beach house is a model for the implementation of green technology and great sustainable design, an irrefutable argument for environmentally-responsible building - modernemama

Banning the Bottle, Or How I Learned to Love Stainless Steel Waterbottles

I admit-- a case of water is a convenience. Grab a bottle and go-- but is it really that much more convenient than a reusable stainless container? Hear me out.

• Plastic leeches into the water, which we then ingest.
• In the majority of cases, bottled water isn't more pure than your tap.
• There are great and inexpensive purifiers if needed.
• Plastic is made with petroleum, requiring billions of barrels of oil a year to produce.
• Only 30% of all bottles are recycled.
• The energy used to package, transport, dispose of, and recycle bottles is unconscionable.
• And nowadays you can find well-designed ones like my new Keith Haring bottle.

These are the reason why I am banning water bottles from my house and my classroom. Wish me luck.