A friend whose home and family survived the fire shared this news with me: My house survived was not just dumb luck. The following things saved me 1) Stone coated metal roof. 2) Fiber cement board for siding with rainscreen air gap (to reduce inside outside pressure difference) 3) Stones…

WHAT IF you were offered a choice when you turned 18-years old: Choose from one of the following options for your next two-years. Join the Military. Join the Peace Corp. Join A Civilian Conservation Corp. Train to Be A Fire Fighter. Which Would You Choose? If you chose to become…

A conversation last night with a young friend who is researching data that the dead leave behind on social media, woke me up in the middle of the night with this thought: Is our DATA immortal? Will our data outlive us? Does our flesh and bones, blood, grit and gut…

Photograph by filmmaker and director Rita Leistner — Forest For The Trees Almost fifty years ago, when I was writing and speaking on environmental topics to for a global audience, I would occasionally close with a shocking statement my 10-year-old son, made to me one day when I was driving…

Beer and wine contain between 6–12% alcohol. Brandy, Tequila, Sherry and other hard liquors can contain up to 75% alcohol, and therein lies a little known health problem. Your body welcomes beer and wine in small amounts. A small amount can stimulate your appetite. It relaxes you. Consuming too much…

How Making Money Cooking from Home Can Help You Stay Safe and Pay Your Bills — This social venture brings together home-based food preparation as a source of income, with social benefit through local food distribution to the needy. In one day, as summer temperatures in California hit a record peak of 125-degrees, ZIPHOMECHEF rose from one employee to 17 new hires. Without fanfare, the high-tech…

A Plan To Save America’s Fire Ravaged Western States WHAT IF you were offered a choice when you turned 18-years old: Choose from one of the following options for your next two-years. Join the Military. Join the Peace Corp. Join A Civilian Conservation Corp. Train to Be A Fire Fighter. Which Would You Choose? If you chose to become a fire fighter, you…