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Impressive results from the Empire State Building retrofit
 The numbers are coming in and they're exceeding predictions. I watched in wonder as they rebuilt every window in that landmark building during just one summer. There's nothing we can't do once we make a decision and get to work. Consider that it took just 13 months to build the Empire State Building, and that was at the start of the Great Depression. |
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Lovely minutia
 I get such a kick out of the musings (and always-deep research) of Martin Holladay. This time, he takes on the question of which is greener, paper plates or china plates. So much to consider, and so much time on his hands. Lovely!
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Cooking oil and trash
 Here's an article courtesy of the forever-curious Robert O'Brien that tells of a new boiler that runs on used cooking oil. I wonder if it would make my house smell like McDonalds. And here's another article, also from Robert, about heating a prison with a garbage dump. I'm inspired!
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Like big projects?
 I mean really big projects? This one has nothing to do with heating but I'll bet you enjoy it as much as I did. It's amazing what goes on beneath our feet, isn't it? Thanks to subscriber, Ray Frechette, for sharing with us. Ray builds great boats. |
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Crossing that bridge
 One of the nice things about older buildings is that they generally had fewer thermal bridges through which heat can pass to the great outdoors. That bold conclusion is right up front in this interesting article. Ah, what we often sacrifice for the sake of pretty design. For lots more on this, check out Robert Bean's HealthyHeating.com site. Robert has studied this for years and he sure has a way with words. |
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The best time to plant a tree
 is 20 years ago. The second-best time to plant a tree is today. And what (and where) you plant can affect how much it costs to heat and cool your home. Interesting bit here from Cornell University Cooperative Extension. My three-year-old grandson, Sully, and I are growing a maple tree from a seed I found on our patio. It's 18 inches high right now and Sully has named it Lightning. I'm hoping it doesn't attract any. |
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Beyond Björk
 In spite of her wacky music, I still love Iceland. There's just something about pulling most of your heating water and domestic hot (and I mean HOT!) water right out of the ground that gets me all weak in the knees. Here's a story about what else these fascinating folks are up to these days. |
