Across the nation a teardown epidemic is wiping out historic neighborhoods one house at a time. As older homes are demolished and replaced with dramatically larger, out-of-scale new structures, the historic character of the existing neighborhood is changed forever. Neighborhood livability is diminished as trees are removed, backyards are eliminated, and sunlight is blocked by towering new structures built up to the property lines. Community economic and social diversity is reduced as new mansions replace affordable homes.

This press release just came through; sounds like it will be a pretty great resource. It's not up yet though — check it out in a few days.

Last week's column addressed cellulose insulation, which is the greenest and one of the most effective insulation materials available. But it isn't always practical or affordable to install cellulose. To insulate walls with cellulose, it's usually necessary to hire an insulation contractor, and if the job is very small--bumping out and reinsulating one wall of your home, for example--the cost may be prohibitive for that small improvement. This is where batt insulation makes sense.

Insulation is our number-one line of defense against high heating costs, and my favorite type of insulation is cellulose. Along with its effectiveness at slowing heat flow, cellulose insulation is a green product--made mostly out of an abundant waste product: old newspaper.