at home in the world

According to the U.S. Department of Energy buildings in the United States consume 73% of all electricity in the country, 55% of the natural gas and generate 39% of the carbon dioxide emissions.  By building a home that considers its own performance, we reduce the amount of pollution that we put in our food, water and air and we preserve the ecosystems upon which we depend.  When we utilize alternative energy we become independent of grid failures, we increase the amount of disposable income because we are giving less of our money to utility companies, we may make our country more secure because our electrical supply is spread out over the country and not in concentrated supply sources, we reduce our dependence on foreign oil and our reliance on countries that have little respect for the values we cherish.  A well built, high performance home coupled with responsible habits contributes in a positive way to our own well being.  It all starts with you: you are the only one that can do anything about it.