The cure for the green-house blues: an ecological journey to some of North America's most sustainable homes

This year I embarked on a journey to figure out what a sustainable house looks like, and how we can get there. I found some homes that are super-insulated, some use only local materials, some collect all their heat from the sun even when snow blankets the ground. I met people who build simple houses out of mud and straw, and others insulate with extruded Polystyrene panels - all are trying to build the house of the future, today.

Sustainability is a journey, and The Cure for the Greenhouse Blues is a book about that journey. I've visited dozens of houses across North America, and each of these houses comes with a slightly different vision of sustainability. These visions are born out of a marriage between the builder, site and climate. Many of these designers and builders have been experimenting and building for three decades, since the energy crises of the 1970's, but may still have moments when they wake up in the middle of the night with a new understanding of what sustainability is. Sustainability implies leaving a legacy for people you will never meet, planning for the day when you will be historical, and one day forgotten. It's not easy to do.

This book includes stories, photos, recipes, technical details, and selected resources to learn more about many aspects of green building. It is replete with information, but it's not a dry book. Join me on a journey to meet some of North America's foremost green building professionals, see their homes, and cross glaciers, mountains and forests along the way.

Learn more by reading some notes from the road.