In this setup, the actual house sits under a "Light Canopy," a framework of steel scaffolding trellises that supports the solar panels and some evacuated tubes -- as well as plants. The use of common scaffolding parts allows for quick and easy setup practically anywhere. The exterior also uses wood trim reclaimed from an old barn from upstate New York.

Inside the house, the kitchen sports a drawer freezer converted to a refrigerator; the students are testing it to see if it is more efficient. There is also an induction stove, which uses spinning magnetic fields to heat food in iron pots, while remaining cold to the touch.

In the small utility room, a Mac mini computer runs the entire operation.

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This house utilized something called the "Gro Building System," which consists of 10-1/2-foot by 10-1/2-foot sections, or modules. As the owner needs more space, he or she can add a new module. The Aggie house also featured a Texas touch: mesquite floors.

Small wind turbines on one side illustrated another potential energy source, although wind power was beyond the scope of the competition.

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The German entry in the contest featured louvered outer walls, with solar panels in the louvers on the east, south and west sides. A tracking system automatically tilts the louvers to follow the sun during the day. Wunderbar!

On the inside, the kitchen had a countertop that slides forward, revealing the stove beneath it. Removing some floorboards on one side of the house reveals a recessed sofa; on the other side of the house is a recessed bed. If you're not using the bed, you can cover it up with floorboards and use the room as an office or dining area. You can also store things under the floor.

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This was one of the most colorful houses in the contest. Its vertical colored bars reminded me of books on a shelf, or a bar code, or paint-color chips. The siding is also recycled -- it's reclaimed aluminum from a roofing manufacturer.

Another neat thing about this house was its back, southern-facing wall built from evacuated tube solar thermal collectors; the wall doubles as a privacy screen. Water flows through the tubes, which convert 70 percent of the solar energy striking them to heat up the water, which then flows into a storage tank.

The hot water is then used to either heat or cool the house. Something called an absorption chiller uses the energy from hot water for cooling. (Don't ask me to try to explain it!)

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The main feature on this house is the wall of solar panels on the south side, tilted at 64 degrees -- the optimal angle for winter in Kansas. Built by students from both Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, the house -- like many others at the contest -- uses Structurally Insulated Panels, or SIPs. These provide a practically airtight environment to maintain the inside temperature.

The students placed the washer and dryer inside the bathroom of this house. Like several other houses, the shower in the bathroom was not enclosed; space restrictions are tight in these model solar homes.

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This building was also built using the "module" concept, so that homeowners can add on new sections as their family grows. One cool thing about this house was that for heating and cooling it used old refrigerator coils installed around the edge of the ceiling. Natural convection would do the heating and cooling, one guide said.

Gallery: 2007 Solar Decathlon

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Texas at Austin
University of Missouri-Rolla
Santa Clara University
University of Maryland
Georgia Institute of Technology
Penn State
M.I.T.
Ecole de Technologie Superiore, Universite de Montreal, McGill University
Universidad de Puerto Rico
University of Colorado at Boulder
Lawrence Technological University
New York Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon

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I must have had solar-home fatigue when I walked through this one, because my notes are sparse. The student guides said it was built for a warmer climate and that it incorporated both photovoltaic solar panels and the solar-thermal evacuated tubes. The contest brochure notes that the tubes heat water for both in-floor radiant heating and domestic hot water. The structure includes yellow pine beams refurbished from a mill and window panes from the John Hancock Building in Boston.

Gallery: 2007 Solar Decathlon

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Texas at Austin
University of Missouri-Rolla
Santa Clara University
University of Maryland
Georgia Institute of Technology
Penn State
M.I.T.
Ecole de Technologie Superiore, Universite de Montreal, McGill University
Universidad de Puerto Rico
University of Colorado at Boulder
Lawrence Technological University
New York Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon

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This was the last house of the 10 that I visited on opening day. It was set up on the inside as one large room with a very innovative sofa in the middle, on which some people could recline and others could sit. The house had white panels near the ceiling that magnified the light from bulbs above them. As you can see from the photo, the wraps weren't entirely off the solar panels yet.

Gallery: 2007 Solar Decathlon

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Texas at Austin
University of Missouri-Rolla
Santa Clara University
University of Maryland
Georgia Institute of Technology
Penn State
M.I.T.
Ecole de Technologie Superiore, Universite de Montreal, McGill University
Universidad de Puerto Rico
University of Colorado at Boulder
Lawrence Technological University
New York Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon

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This house was not yet open when I went by on the first day of the competition. It had a wall of plants that looked really cool, as well as an aluminum front door that reminded me of a freezer or bank vault.

According to the event program, "Casa Solar" features electrochromatic windows help regulate the temperature inside by darkening or lightening to either block or let in the sun's rays. The house also contains chutes in the kitchen that allow homeowners to separate recyclables, which are then fed into bins outside.

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This house was closed when I was there on opening day. Called "Plug and Play House," it was designed to be easily upgraded or rearranged to suit the owner, according to the contest brochure. All rooms are arranged around the home's central core, which contains the mechanical systems. A greenscape of plants is included to provide insulation; these would grow up the walls and onto the roof.

Gallery: 2007 Solar Decathlon

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Texas at Austin
University of Missouri-Rolla
Santa Clara University
University of Maryland
Georgia Institute of Technology
Penn State
M.I.T.
Ecole de Technologie Superiore, Universite de Montreal, McGill University
Universidad de Puerto Rico
University of Colorado at Boulder
Lawrence Technological University
New York Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon

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Today the Nobel Committee announced that Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will share the Nobel Peace Prize.

I say bravo! Gore brought the issue of climate change into the public consciousness with his 2006 documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth', which was a superbly well-made film that spurred many people to take the issue seriously. Yes, Gore is a politician and will always be one, but by making the film he made a complex scientific issue understandable to the general public. He showed us the data scientists have gathered and the real-world impacts that are already happening. He was an effective messenger.

Speaking of that data, the IPCC has been studying climate change since 1990. This year they released their fourth assessment of climate science from around the world and stated that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level." Global warming is happening - the climate has warmed up 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1850.

The IPCC also reported that they have "very high confidence" that human activities - in the form of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation - have had a net warming effect on the globe. By "very high confidence," the IPCC means they are at least 90 percent certain.

We can't know exactly what all of the impacts from climate change will be, but scientists can give us a pretty good idea. Warmer temperatures, more frequent heat waves and rising sea levels will put many people at risk, especially those who live in coastal areas. I agree with Gore - we can't afford not to take action on climate change, because it is a moral issue, since people are in harm's way. It's better to take some action to mitigate climate change, than to stand by and say, "Trust me, nothing bad will happen."

Thank you IPCC and Al Gore for gathering the data and communicating it to us.

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Continue reading This or That: Local food vs. organic food

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Score a big one for the environment, the government and public health.

American Electric Power (AEP) agreed to a settlement Oct. 9 with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice to cut 813,000 tons of air pollution annually, at a cost of $4.6 billion. It's the largest environmental settlement in U.S. history.

Environmental groups and the government had sued the company in 1999 for violating the Clean Air Act by upgrading some of its coal-fired power plants without installing the legally required pollution controls.

In a press release, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the plaintiffs, said, "As a result of its Clean Air Act violations, AEP emitted illegal amounts of harmful nitrogen oxides and deadly sulfur dioxide pollution at plants in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia for over two decades." These gases help cause smog and acid rain, respectively.

Continue reading Record-breaking $4.6 billion Clean Air Act settlement

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Continue reading Tip of the Day: Eat sustainable, safe seafood

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Continue reading Tip of the Day: Organic food

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Continue reading Tip of the Day: Green grilling

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You've got to love a beauty pageant that uses the taglines "beauties for a cause" and "caring for the environment." Judges rate contestants on knowledge of environmental issues and how well they can give an environmental speech - in addition to the compulsory swimsuit and evening gown modeling. Contestants also have to show that they have planted trees, persuaded others to plant more trees and have a good idea of how to save energy and water at home.

The contest wrapped up recently and the winner of Miss Earth Australia was Victoria Stewart, 21, from Kambah, Canberra. In the contest's online bios, she said that the biggest environmental problems we face today include pollution and global warming. "An issue particularly close to my heart is pollution of the ocean and waterways, this is an issue that is easier to deal with than the broad issue of global warming, it just needs effort and commitment from the world community. Even though we may not be able to fix all the damage we have done to this world we can certainly aspire to conserve what we still have!" Right on, sister!

Check out the below pageant gallery. Then mark the worldwide Miss Earth finals on your calendar - Nov. 11.

Gallery: Miss Earth Australia

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Today the National Healthy Mothers, Health Babies Coalition issued an advisory saying that women who are pregnant, want to become pregnant or are breast feeding should eat 12 or more ounces of fish per week - fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel. The reason: to increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids to levels that can have health benefits for women and their children.

The Washington Post reports that this somewhat contradicts government guidelines from the FDA and EPA, issued in 2001 and 2004, which noted that some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury, which can harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The FDA and EPA say such women should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury. The feds also say women can eat up to 12 ounces per week of seafood that is low in mercury, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollack and catfish.

(Editor's Update, Oct. 5: One of our readers pointed out that NPR discovered that the coalition issuing this advisory received money from the National Fisheries Institute and listed on its Web site "member organizations" that disagreed with its fish "advisory.")

This coalition says eat more; the government says eat less. I guess women can hedge their bets and eat just 12 ounces per week. Here's the green angle: Make it sustainable, low-mercury seafood. Some fish species are hugely overfished and could disappear in 40 years. Here's a rundown on the low-mercury fish mentioned above and which fisheries are sustainable:

Continue reading How much fish should moms eat?

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Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kicks off its eighth annual Energy Star "Change a Light Campaign" with a coast-to-coast bus tour promoting compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and their energy-reducing, money-saving, global-warming-fighting abilities. The goal is to get 2 million people to change one light to a CFL by October 2008.

"We definitely see them catching on," said Wendy Reed, Energy Star campaign manager for the EPA, in a telephone interview. CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and can save consumers about $30 in electricity costs over the life of each bulb. Reed estimates that over the last two years, CFLs have jumped from a 4-5 percent market share to a 12 percent share.

The campaign also features an online "Change a Light Pledge," which you can take by visiting the Energy Star Web site. Reed made it clear that using energy-efficient light bulbs is one step in the fight against global warming. "We want people to start today to reduce their energy use. Lighting is significant ... but it's going to take all of us doing additional steps as well. Everyone needs to understand the connection between energy use and global warming. Our role is to get people to understand that connection," she said.

Continue reading Pledge to change a light today

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It's official: The annual summer melting of sea ice at the top of the world hit a record low this year, with ice only covering an area some 39 percent smaller than the long-term median from 1979-2000. To put it in perspective, that means we lost the equivalent of six Californias in sea ice this year beyond that median ice extent.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) issued a press release about it Oct. 1, noting that if ship and aircraft observation data from before the satellite era are taken into account, the sea ice might have dwindled by 50 percent since the 1950s. As a result of all of this melting, the fabled Northwest Passage opened for the first time in human memory.

The New York Times had an excellent article today describing the melt and what scientists attribute it to. It turns out there are many causes, including clouds and water vapor, warm winds, unusually sunny days in June and July, the movement of older, thicker sea ice to the North Atlantic, and climate change.

Continue reading Arctic ice melted to record low this summer

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