[StBernard] New Re-Building Ideas

[Westley Annis]

I have recently been thinking that since all of our houses are stripped down
to the bare bones, why haven't we been looking into incorporating
eco-friendly products and alternative sources of energy into the houses. Now
is a perfect time for it. For instance, there are solar panels that are made
to look like roof shingles that we can install to supplement our traditional
energy sources. At the very least, it would save homeowners a lot of money
over the years. I haven't heard anything even remotely similar from any
parish, state or federal government. I wonder why no-one has jumped on this.
We could serve as an example to other communities across the country. I
haven't had much time to research it fully, but so far, I have learned about
the solar panels that are disguised as roof shingles, that solar power can
store energy from cloudy and overcast days, and that there are solar power
can be used to heat water, and do all sorts of normal everyday household
things like laundry. I have also learned that bamboo makes an excellant
choice for wood flooring. A whole forest can grow to maturity in about 6
years, making it extremely eco-friendly, and that it is very durable, almost
waterproof and can be stained and treated like all other wood flooring
choices.  I would appreciate if someone knows of any other things that can
be done. I'm wondering if there is even some kind of government grant
program to help with the intial costs, similar to ICC funds. Since we all
have to basically build the houses back from scratch, we can at the very
least look into some alternatives. There's nothing to lose and possibly
everything to gain.

Melissa