Community Blog

Recent political events in the US have been disheartening, however another world event has inspired me to ‘up my game’ with regards to combatting climate change.  I am writing with the hopes of inspiring you to do the same.

Last year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (the UNFCCC) took place in Paris. The result: Paris 2030. The historic Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted in 2015 that will ‘enter into force’ on November 4^th, 2016.   The whole world voted unanimously to help the environment. Unprecedented.

Finding housing in NYC as a senior can be a nightmare. Back in 2013, the city published a paper describing affordable senior housing as “The Coming Crisis.” And it is. Senior Incomes have remained relatively constant, while the cost of living has gone up and especially the cost of housing which has skyrocketed.  The point is, many seniors must choose between housing, food, medical care and prescriptions in a way that no one should.

Taking a car day trip is obviously the way to see the most and get the most out of your day, right? Well … no. On a spontaneous weekend recently, I got to compare different ways of traveling.

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”
--Upton Sinclair

When do social and political events become disruptive to where we as building professionals are driven to protest? One would argue that climate change would be such an event, a fundamental motivation behind the advocacy and educational efforts NESEA members have focused on as a community since our founding.

How do we build for the future? What will buildings look like 10, 20, 30 yrs from now? You’re probably envisioning chrome-plated houses in the sky, or an underground ship a la Matrix Trilogy. The reality, though, is that futuristic buildings are being built today, and, while they may seem relatively unsuspecting from the outside, the technology that they house on the inside is astounding.

We are looking for a dynamic super hero to join the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association staff as our Conference Coordinator in Greenfield, MA. The ideal candidate will be as passionate about coordinating conference speakers, registration, continuing education credits, and event planning logistics as they are about our mission, which is to advance the adoption of sustainable energy practices in the built environment. This position requires excellent organizational, interpersonal and computer skills. We have a great culture here - we play almost as hard as we work.

NESEA members in the Hudson Valley are organizing a 2-day home audit workshop. The main purpose of this event is to produce a deep, detailed Home Performance Energy Audit in order to establish a work scope for energy measures that includes health and safety as well. We will evaluate all possible energy saving targets, and prepare the beautiful Holy Cross Monastery for appropriate sustainable energy solutions. 

Here is a link to an article that the Journal of Light Construction posted about BuildingEnergy Boston.