Tag Archives: green

My husband recently began renovating an old outbuilding for use as his art studio. I was soon fielding calls from my mother, asking about whether he would be installing energy-efficient windows, radiant heat, and other environmentally friendly features.

The calls shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Back in the 1970’s, my parents were early adopters who purchased solar panels and installed them on the roof of our house. Thirty years later, the same panels are still providing a consistent and dependable supply of hot water. I haven’t done the math, but I know that my parents came out way ahead on that one. In the years since, they’ve undertaken or contemplated many other upgrades in lighting and energy efficiency in their home.

And yet, I don’t consider my parents to be radical environmentalists. Rather, I believe that their interest in “green” home improvement stems from deep-seated values of frugality, quality, and… More >