Earth Day - how did you celebrate?

Last Sunday was Earth Day - how did you celebrate it? Did you even think about it?

Personally, I was just enjoying our beautiful spring weather here in Scottsdale- one of the last good days before summer starts. I was also thinking about how changes in the climate could really impact us here in the desert - making us even drier and hotter. Water is already a precious commodity and it will become even more so if these changes happen as the experts predict.

My resolution, therefore, to do my part to protect our planet is to conserve water - turn off the tap when brushing my teeth, installing low flow shower heads, low flow toilets - both in my home and in my clients homes- catching and storing the little rain we get to water my plants, taking shorter showers, and using front-load washers which use a fraction of the water top-load machines do. If everyone does a tiny bit, it will add up to a huge difference in our future.

I also found my next new car - it's an electric powered sports car, from an entirely new manufacturer, Tesla Motors.

Check it out at www.teslamotors.com

What's your Earth Day resolution?

Have an innovative day!

Array Development to have Solar Power

Modus Development is including solar panels on each of the town homes in their new Array townhouse development in south Scottsdale. The townhouses will meet LEED standards, and be some of the first to meet Scottsdale's new Green Building Standards. It's great to see builders, developers, and architects working to create modern dwellings that are environmentally conscious, offer great amenities and give people the opportunity to lower their carbon footprint in an easy way.
Solar energy needs to be utilized better, especially here in Arizona, where we have 300+ days of sunshine every year. It's really a no-brainer, and I don't know why people haven't jumped on this bandwagon sooner. With the introduction of pre-installed, standard solar panels on homes for the average person, maybe we'll see more and more people taking advantage of clean, cheap energy. I'm personally excited about the possibilities, and hope more builders follow suit in their housing communities.

"The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem it will avail us little to solve all others."
--Theodore Roosevelt

Green is the big Buzz

Green - it's everywhere. Take for instance the latest issue of Vanity Fair - it is their "2nd Annual Green Issue" - and it's packed full of commentary on every aspect of the environment and concerns over how to save it. It highlights dozens of global citizens, crusaders whose weapons are food, fashion, music, fame and movies, as well as science and politics.
Our homes - how we heat and cool them, how we light them, how we build them, and how we beautify them to our unique taste - is one of the biggest areas we can impact, next to the cars we drive. With choices ranging from recycled glass tiles to reclaimed hardwood floors and cabinets, natural clay plasters to low-VOC paint, sustainable growth woods, and energy effiecient appliances and lighting - the possiblities are endless, and easy to implement with a little knowledge.
Building a design team who is knowledgeable and as dedicated to environmentally responsible practices as you are is vital to creating a successful, funtional, earth-friendly home. For a list of questions you should ask your designer, architect and builder before you hire them, and a free report on "10 Easy ways to Go Green", please email info@sesshudesign.com or visit our web-site at www.sesshudesign.com.

Have an inspired day!


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Vanity Fair, May 2007