Ideal Bite

Keeping your old wood windows is a very "green" thing to do. Tearing them out and replacing them with vinyl that will need replacing in 20 years is a horrible architectural tragedy (plus your old windows go where...?). I suggest storm windows over the originals. Cheaper and better looking. I've bought some in the past for my Victorian home at coppawoodworking.com but there are lots of sources out there. Buying and restoring an old house right is the greenest thing you can do. But remember, less is more. Tearing out floors to put in bamboo is NOT green..... The bamboo is imported and has a HUGE carbon footprint. Paint and good choices go a long way! -chris (www.vintagewhatever.com)

As a student of Architecture, I have engaged in much research into LEED. While it's intentions are noble, this yardstick for energy conservation is extremely underdeveloped and narrow in it's scope. Many of the qualifications are theoretical, whereas as one of the best ways to gauge the performance of a building is to look at it's energy bills! As an example of how LEED often misses the target, consider the new LEED hotel complex being built in Las Vegas. The construction is so massive it requires it's own batch plant ON SITE! How can such a monstrosity be labelled as 'green' when it is a clear abuse of our resources? http://www.concreteconstruction.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articl...