Author Archives: kthomas

Conserve Energy at Work Using These Tips

BY CCHRC Staff
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner July 30th, 2009, Section A3

Not all of us are stuck in an office five days a week (or more) for work, but those of us who are can help save energy and conserve resources by making a few changes in our habits, persuading others to do the same, and lobbying for policy changes at the management level. Continue reading

Things to Look for in an Energy-Efficient House

BY CCHRC Staff
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner July 23rd, 2009, Section A3

Shopping for a home in Fairbanks can be difficult, especially if energy efficiency is a priority. With heating oil prices volatile and resale value at stake, finding the most fuel-efficient home makes sense. An efficient home also has the advantage of helping to alleviate Fairbanks’s air quality problems, which are particularly bad in winter.

Following is a list of just some of the things you should look for in an efficient home. Continue reading

Preventing, Coping With Carpenter Ants in Your Home

BY CCHRC Staff
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner July 16th, 2009, Section A3

Termites have yet to appear in Alaska, but carpenter ants can be rampant. Carpenter ants can destroy wood, which is found throughout a home, but are most pernicious in frame members, subfloors, and foundation areas where the ants’ boring activity is hidden from view and nests are located. Continue reading

Tax Credits Could Fuel Your New, More Efficient, Car Purchase

BY Adam Wasch, Energy Outreach Consultant for CCHRC and UAF CES
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner July 7th, 2009, Section A3

More than you know, I am fortunate to have a girlfriend. I mean that. In no way do I wish to suggest that I am superior to her, for I would be lost without her. But even compared to my fur-covered and grubby car, my girlfriend’s car is sordid. There’s the usual refuse, recycling, and ground-in trail mix. And then there’s the plant life. A leaky water jug and a punctured bag of flax seeds have transformed her car’s backseat into a motile Chia Pet. Continue reading

The Importance of Home Orientation

BY CCHRC Staff
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner July 2nd, 2009, Section A3

Home orientation is one of the first things to think about when you are going to build a home. Most houses are designed for ‘street appeal,’ meaning they are designed to give a certain appearance from the street. Others are designed with windows carefully placed to capture a fantastic view. However, in our climate it’s important to take into account topography of the property, solar orientation, wind direction, vegetation, shade, and proper drainage. Continue reading

Vapor Barriers, House Wraps: Where and Why

BY CCHRC Staff
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner June 25th, 2009, Section A3

Vapor barriers and house wraps are a critical part of controlling moisture and air flow in and around your home. Working in conjunction with your walls, floor, and roof, the right type and application of these products will help you to conserve energy, prevent mold growth, and maintain the structural integrity of your home. Not using these products or using one incorrectly can wreak havoc. Continue reading

Building on Permafrost Requires Extra Care

BY CCHRC Staff
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner June 18th, 2009, Section A3

It’s building season. For some, that means finding just the right spot for constructing a home. In Fairbanks, that isn’t so easy. Unlike other places where location, view, and neighbors comprise the major considerations for choosing a building site, Interior Alaska presents a more fundamental question: Will the land itself even support a house? The presence of permafrost can ruin the best laid plans. Continue reading

Painting With Fewer Fumes

BY Adam Wasch, Energy Outreach Consultant for CCHRC and UAF CES
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner June 11th, 2009, Section A3

Here’s a primer on how to choose more environmentally-friendly paint. Paint ingredients reflect the demands we place upon paint. Outdoor paint must withstand sunlight, heat, cold, and rain. Indoor paint is scuffed, exposed to humidity, and subject to the whims of fashion. All paint produces fumes; some are more noxious than others. Close label reading and careful selection can help you identify the best product for the job, with the fewest undesirable side effects. Continue reading

(Some) Fishermen Benefit from Efficient Freezers

BY Adam Wasch, Energy Outreach Consultant for CCHRC and UAF CES
Energy Focus: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner June 4th, 2009, Section A3

I don’t fish. I don’t fish because fish depress me, particularly unhappy fish. In part, this has something to do with having once witnessed my father club a fish repeatedly, chasing it madly around and around a small unstable rented boat. By the time the fish succumbed, the boat’s gunnels had dipped twice beneath the waterline. Our feet were soaked; the boat was sinking in Lake Erie. Continue reading