I (Susan) was one of 180+ applicants for the position of the first Chief Sustainability Officer in Austin. I missed the cut for the last six, and after attending presentations of the final candidates, I felt even more honored to have been considered. I look forward to supporting the new CSO, and Austin, in being [...]

Unwanted heat transfer is the enemy of energy efficiency in buildings. Insulation is just one of the weapons against heat transfer. Materials that insulate (meaning they don’t conduct) stop that transfer. Batt insulation – those big squares of cotton-candy-ish stuff – don’t cut it because they allow transfer through gaps. Air isn’t a good insulator! [...]

Our thoughts, words and actions are forms of personal energy we use to create mass, or physical results. Actions have more energy than words. We need to focus on positive results – on what we want rather than what we’re afraid might happen. If you haven’t created the results you want yet, focus more positive [...]

“Energy is neither created, nor destroyed; it just changes form.” Remember that from science class? So there is no shortage of energy. Our challenge is to get energy into the right form at the right time and place to create the right results.