Green Building and Real Estate Blog

A month ago I announced I was giving up plastic for the whole of August.

Little did I know that what seemed like a simple, if somewhat extreme, idea would lead me into such intricate areas as whether apples sold loose are more wasteful than those in bags, the environmental pros and cons of a wooden toothbrush and whether bicarbonate of soda is an effective deodorant (it is - at least on the one day I tried it).

Read the results of this 1-month long effort. Click here.

Grande Americano, Extra GreenWhat's the best way to drink your morning joe?

My office recently switched from Styrofoam coffee cups to a "bring your own mug" policy. Sounds like the right idea, but with all the water and paper towels we now waste on washing mugs, I'm not sure this is a huge net gain for the environment. What is the "greenest" way to drink coffee around the office?

Read the article.

By Stacey L. Bradford,
Associate Editor, SmartMoney.com

LOOKING FOR A new home? Well, you're in luck -- sort of. First, the good news: Home prices are falling, giving buyers more negotiating power. Now, the not-so-good news: Lining up financing has become much more difficult as droves of homeowners default on their existing mortgages. This isn't to say you won't be able to secure the home of your dreams, but you will need to be a bit more cautious and conservative with your purchase.

Read the article.

Of course, the big news of the day!

MSNBC: Teetering mortgage giants hold interest in almost half of U.S. mortgages

updated 3:13 p.m. CT, Sun., Sept. 7, 2008

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration’s seizure of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is potentially a $200 billion bet that it will help reverse a prolonged housing and credit crisis.

Read the article.

Some of the interesting ideas for future development for green cars, smart roads and solar panels.

Click here to see what's coming.