Design Info

“The concept of the passive house, pioneered in this city of 140,000 outside Frankfurt, approaches the challenge from a different angle. Using ultrathick insulation and complex doors and windows, the architect engineers a home encased in an airtight shell, so that barely any heat escapes and barely any cold seeps in. That means a passive house can be warmed not only by the sun, but also by the heat from appliances and even from occupants’ bodies.”

I wish I had known about this 5 years ago. Particularly useful for tracking small organization web site event or deadline updates - which tend to happen fast and with no notice.

“Americans have taken nearly 550 billion non-digital photos in their lifetimes, yet only about half (55.4%) have tried to preserve even some of them, instead leaving them to fade away in basements, attics and living rooms, according to a new survey.  That means at least half of all the consumer photographs taken in the analog era are in danger of being lost, forever.”

“Bush’s midnight regulations will: • Make it easier for coal companies to dump waste from strip-mining into valleys and streams. • Ease the building of coal-fired power stations nearer to national parks. • Allow people to carry loaded and concealed weapons in national parks. • Open up millions of acres to mining for oil shale. • Allow healthcare workers to opt out of giving treatment for religious or moral reasons, thus weakening abortion rights. • Hurt road safety by allowing truck drivers to stay at the wheel for 11 consecutive hours.”

Very nice interview with the designer.

“… the energy industry spends a smaller proportion of its revenue on research than the dog-food industry…”

Wow, finally, decent looking pet carriers.