Louisiana Environmental Action Network’s Fundraiser Tomorrow

I hope everyone who can go will go…

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Please join us at a special screening of the film:

SOLA Louisiana Water Stories
with
filmmaker Jon Bowermaster

and a


Louisiana Art Show
featuring:

Rhea Gary
CC Lockwood
Jeffrey Dubinsky
Jerry Moran
Kyle Jeffrey
Natalie Clay

Stefan Andermann

…and more!


First 50 people will receive a FREE DVD of a Jon Bowermaster film!

and
Live Louisiana Music
too!

at the
Manship Theater


September 24, 2010


Gallery opens at 6:00 p.m. – Film starts at 7:00 p.m.

SOLA, Louisiana Water Stories

The event will take place on September 24, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the Manship Theater in Baton Rouge. For more information go to:


SaveOurGulf.orgVisit SaveOurGulf.org to get more information about the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster from Waterkeeper organizations across the Gulf Coast and donate to Save Our Gulf!

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More Tomorrow

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Cleanest Places In The World – This one the US did not make

Not even close which as it should be. But when they picked the worst, they picked all third world countries. I mean really. Unless you have money no one wants to live in a  third world country. What is the point? Also much of the pollution there is created by US corporations one way or another. Anyway.

http://blisstree.com/live/cleanest-and-greenest-places-in-the-world-71/

Thursday, October 25, 2007 – 12:54 am ET

Cleanest and Greenest Places In The World

By: Noel

I delved deeper into the study done by Reader’s Digest as I have talked about in my previous post. After all, come the day I decide to go live in another country, I would certainly want to live in somewhere green.

As per the authors of the study, they said, “It’s an inescapable fact: People living in affluent countries tend to be better educated, enjoy a higher standard of living, live longer lives and have a brighter future. The downside: Their material wealth results in a larger carbon footprint.”

Anyhow, here are some of the top ten lists that you may want to know about as per the results of the study.

10 best countries

  1. Finland
  2. Iceland
  3. Norway
  4. Sweden
  5. Austria
  6. Switzerland
  7. Ireland
  8. Australia
  9. Uruguay
  10. Denmark

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Read more there. More here next week.

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Cleanest Cities In America According To Travel Girl- Grrl I mean

Travel Grrl, You know the superhero travel agent that flies faster then a speeding Concorde. Well she had a little help from CNN, but I am sure these places are clean. It is just a list however..from 2007 so some of them could have gotten dirty…

http://www.ranker.com/list/cleanest-cities-in-the-us/travelgrrl

Cleanest Cities in the US Cities / Towns

Cleanest Cities in the US

By TravelGrrl

Based on CNN and travelandleisure.com 2007 poll of over 60,000 Americans.

  • 1
    Hennepin County,Minnesota
  • Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome,Lake Harriet,Lake of the Isles,Meeker Island Lock and Dam,Saint Anthony Falls,Target Center,Armatage, Minneapolis,Audubon Park, Minneapolis,Bancroft, Minneapolis,Beltrami, Minneapolis,Bottineau, Minneapolis,Bryant, Minneapolis,Bryn Mawr, Minneapolis,CARAG, Minneapolis,Cedar-Isles-Dean, Minneapolis,Centr
    151.255305644
    Central Time zone
  • 2
    Multnomah County,Oregon,United States
    Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland,Mill Ends Park,Oregon Health & Science University,PGE Park,Pioneer Courthouse,Rose Garden Arena,Arbor Lodge,Argay, Portland, Oregon,Arnold Creek,Ashcreek,Beaumont-Wilshire,Benson Hotel,Brentwood-Darlington,Bridgeton, Portland, Oregon,Bridlemile, Portland, Oregon,Brooklyn,Burnside Triangle,C
    376.584271243
    Pacific Time Zone
    1851-02-08
  • 3
    California,San Diego County,United States
    Cox Arena,Mission Bay Senior High School,Point Loma Nazarene University,University of California, San Diego,Berkeley,Estudillo House,Allied Gardens,Balboa Park,Black Mountain Open Space Park,Black Mountain Ranch,Cabrillo National Monument,Carmel Mountain Ranch,City Heights,Clairemont, San Diego, California,College Area,Colombia,Core,Del
    963.734575856
    Pacific Time Zone
  • 4
    Texas,Travis County,United States
    Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium,Lake Austin,Lake Travis,Mike A. Myers Stadium,Town Lake,UFCU Disch-Falk Field,Arnold Bakery,Austin Community College,Austin History Center,Austin State Hospital,A. J. Jernigan House,Blanton Museum of Art,Brizendine House,Brown Building,Bryker Woods,Camp Mabry,Canyon Creek,Carrington-Covert House,Cathe
    767.283977687
    Central Time zone
    1839-12-27
  • 5
    King County,United States,Washington
    Ballard,Capitol Hill,Qwest Field,South Lake Union,Space Needle,University of Washington,Arthur Foss,Atlantic, Seattle, Washington,Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington,Belltown,Bitter Lake,Brighton,Broadmoor,Bryant,Cascade,Cedar Park,Central District, Seattle, Washington,Cherry Hill, Seattle, Washington,Crown Hill,Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen
    369.073305723
    Pacific Time Zone
    1851
  • 6
    Colorado,Denver,United States
    Cherry Creek Neighborhood,Denver Mint,INVESCO Field at Mile High,Pepsi Center,University of Denver,Washington Park, Denver,80204,Alamo Placita,Auraria, Denver, Colorado,Berkeley, Denver,Capitol Hill,City Park, Denver,Civic Center, Denver,Colorado Governor’s Mansion,Community College of Denver,Coors Field,CU Online,Denver,Downtown Aqua
    401.189158291
    Mountain Time Zone
    1858-11-22
  • 7
    Charleston County,South County
    Blackbaud Stadium,Charleston Southern University,Family Circle Magazine Stadium,Johnson Hagood Stadium,Market Hall and Sheds,Nathaniel Russell House,Charleston School of Law,Coming Street Cemetery,Dock Street Theatre,Gibbes Museum of Art,South Carolina Aquarium,College of Charleston School of Business and Economics
    461.276882451
    North American Eastern Time Zone
  • 8
    New Mexico,Santa Fe County,United States
    College of Santa Fe,Georgia O’Keeffe Museum,Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
    96.8655553266
    Mountain Time Zone
  • 9
    Hawaii,Honolulu County,United States
    Aloha Tower,Falls of Clyde,Hawaii Tokai International College,Les Murakami Stadium,Stan Sheriff Center,Waik?k?,Alewa Heights,Halawa,Hawaii Kai,Honolulu Zoo,Iroquois Point,Kahala,Kakaako,Kalihi,Kapolei,Makiki,Manoa,Moanalua,Moiliili,National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific,Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu,Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii,Salt L
    271.948751585
    Hawaii-Aleutian time zone
  • 10
    Cook County,Illinois,United States
    add comment
    Edison Park, Chicago,Lincoln Square,

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Do NOT, and I repeat do not ask me to explain this last choice… I was totally with it up until number 10. More tomorrow.

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The Cleanest Beaches Anywhere – I never expected there would be a website

OK so I did the dirtiest beaches so now I have to reciprocate. Actually the dirtiest beaches were not all that dirty and were faulted mainly for not sending warning notices…though I know there are some in California where you are actually swimming in sewage. Then there are the people who swim off Long Island and New Jersey. Yuck.

http://www.cleanbeaches.com/index.html

CBC Releases List of Clean and Healthy Beaches
Gulf of Mexico Environmental Disaster Has Devastating Effect on Qualifying Coasts in Mississippi and Alabama

(Washington, DC) – The Clean Beaches Coalition released its annual list of beaches which have been officially certified as clean, healthy and environmentally well managed.  However, the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster has had devastating effects on past qualifying shores in Mississippi and Alabama. Walter McLeod, founder of the Coalition noted, “My family has vacationed in the impacted region for years, and will continue to support a “special way of life” we have come to love.”

This year beaches in nineteen states and U.S. territories, including American Samoa, California, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, are on the list. (See complete list below).

For generations, American families have traveled to the shore for the simple pleasure of playing on sandy beaches, boating on the open seas, or swimming with our children.  Every year Americans make over 2 billion visits to ocean, gulf, and inland beaches.  Beach recreation and tourism are estimated to contribute over $640 billion annually to the U.S. economy. However, the environmental disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico will have devastating effects on our coastal heritage for generations to come.

“The devastation in the Gulf of Mexico has crystallized the importance of clean beaches to Americans” stated Walter McLeod, founder of the Clean Beaches Coalition.  He pointed to the Blue Wave Program as a symbol of the need to protect our beaches.  Blue Wave is the first environmental certification program for beaches in the U.S.  Now in its 11th year, the program is recognized as a reliable benchmark for well-maintained beaches.

Press Release/2010 Clean Beaches List

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Check it out. More tomorrow.

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How About Cleanest Cities – Forbes is at it again

http://www.forbes.com/2007/04/16/worlds-cleanest-cities-biz-logistics-cx_rm_0416cleanest.html

Urban
Which Are The World’s Cleanest Cities?
Robert Malone, 04.16.07, 12:10 PM ET

pic
In Pictures: The World’s Cleanest Cities

There is clean and then there is clean. In the world, as a rule of thumb, the North is clean and the South is dirty. Indeed only two of the top-25 cleanest cities in the world are below the Equator–Auckland, New Zealand, and Wellington, New Zealand.

The cleanest cities are largely located in countries noted for their democracy and their industrialization. The only Asian cities represented are in Japan. There are no top-25 clean cities in South or Central America, Africa and Australia. The U.S. has five of the top 25; Canada, a strong five, with the top spot its city of Calgary; Europe has 11 of the top 25; and Japan has three.

The 25 cleanest cities are located in 13 countries. It may not be accidental that these countries are among the highest in purchasing power parity according to the World Development Indicator database of the World Bank. Twelve are in the top 20, and only New Zealand lags in wealth, at No. 37 on the list of world’s wealthiest. So clean may also mean well-off.

In Pictures: The World’s Cleanest Cities

To be clean a city has to face and solve many problems that otherwise lead to unsanitary conditions and poor health as well as possible economic stagnation. Producing energy for industry, homes and transportation has to be planned and executed reasonably, and this means some form of regulation and control.

To be clean means organizing what is done with waste. Landfills are being closed or filled up. Recycling is the only long-range answer, but this takes civic discipline, a system and preferably a system that turns a profit. Green only works well when it results in greenbacks.

In addition a city has to look closely at its transportation infrastructure (roads, rail, air, subways) and their impact upon being clean or going dirty or staying dirty. The logistics infrastructure is also critical in terms of efficiency that can translate into money and fuel savings that in turn affect cleanliness (air quality, water quality and ground quality).

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More tomorrow.

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Cleanest Places On Earth – I promised I would follow up

I had my doubts on Friday whether I would find any lists of the cleanest anything. But if a polluter advocate like Forbes has them, everyone must.

Environment

The Cleanest Countries In The World

Christopher Helman, 04.21.10, 12:00 PM EDT

Europeans getting a shower of ash might disagree, but researchers rate Iceland tops in environmental performance.

Iceland is the cleanest country in the world. This may be hard to believe right now, what with the clouds of volcanic ash grounding flights across northern Europe, but according to researchers at Yale and Columbia universities, the Nordic island ranks first out of 163 countries on their Environmental Performance Index.

Researchers ranked countries based on 25 indicators, including water and air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and the impact of the environment on the health of the population. (For more detail on the methodology, click here.) A score of 100 is excellent. Sierra Leone ranks at the bottom of the list with a score of 32. The U.S. ranks in the middle of the pack with 63.5. Iceland took top honors with a score of 93.5 thanks to ample clean water, lots of protected nature areas, good national health care and a plenitude of usually clean geothermal power.

Slideshow: The World’s 10 Cleanest Countries

Will Eyjafjallajokull wreck Iceland’s rating the next time the academics run the numbers in 2012? The answer is no. “We do not score natural disasters,” says Daniel Esty, a professor of environmental law at Yale who heads up the EPI and wrote the acclaimed book Green to Gold. The index is weighted to metrics that track how governments are performing relative to environmental policy goals, such as access to adequate sanitation and water, habitat protection and industrial emissions. The amount of sulfur dioxide released from fuel usage counts, not what’s put out by volcanoes.

There are two paths that can take a country to the top of the EPI rankings. First, a country could be gifted with a rich endowment of clean water, diverse biology and not have sullied it with rampant industrialism. That’s how Cuba, Colombia and Costa Rica placed so high.

Alternatively, a country could have industrialized and polluted its environment, but eventually gotten rich enough to start cleaning it up. That’s the case with the European countries that make up more than half of the top 30.

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More Tomorrow

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Most Polluted Beaches In The US – Ready to take a Labor Day dip

As they say in the article, make sure it is not a dip in an open sewer. I have had this experience. It was one of the reasons I left Tampa never to return. They built their sewage ponds right next to the ocean and when there was a bad storm…it would all wash into the water. Yuck.

Dirty Dozen: The 12 Most Polluted Beaches in The U.S
Kamelia Angelova | Jul. 29, 2009, 1:15 PM |

dirty-beach-2.jpg

Careful!  The beach you’re rushing off to this weekend might actually be a sewer.

Human and animal waste, among other sewage overflow, contaminate the beachwaters of virtually every sandy retreat in the country.

See the dirtiest beaches in the country >

There were over 20,000 closing and advisory days last year at ocean, bay and Great Lake beaches because of high levels of bacteria and pollutants in the waters, according to the annual beachwater quality report – Testing The Waters – released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The agency also provides 5-star rating guide for 200 of the nation’s most popular beaches, based on beachwater quality, monitoring frequency, and public notification of contamination. Beachgoers who swim in polluted waters are at risk of contracting from various types of skin rashes and infections to meningitis and hepatitis.

Coastal cities can implement various green strategies such as green rooftops and permeable sidewalks to reduce and eliminate stromwater runoff, which overflows the sewage systems and dump polluted water in the oceans and lake.

The 12 Worst Beaches In The U.S. >

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I will give you the first one but you have to to the article for the other 11. If you can stand it that is.

Dirty Dozen: The 12 Most Polluted Beaches in The U.S.

1/13

Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach State Park

Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach State Park

Location: Wantagh, New YorkMajor Offenses: Tested repeatedly for high levels of bacteria in the last three years. No public advisories issued.

This popular New York beach, where boaters also often anchor, has failed many of the twice-weekly tests for the last three years. Bacteria-infested water is not the only problem here: Advisories telling you about the high levels of pollutants in the water are almost never posted online or at the beach.

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More Tomorrow.

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The Face Of Global Warming – World food shortages and fires

It is jam band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD2zkvE_uQg

Well it has started. The SUN came back on and the nearly 3 year solar “quiet” has ended. The next 11 years could be some of the most fascinating and horrific witnessed since WWII, WWI, or the Civil War here in America. I am not jumping for joy or anything but we are going to get closer to the Sun at the same time and our tip towards the Sun…what we call summer is going to “tip” a little more, so it will probably get hot pretty fast. This isn’t bad for a warm up so to speak…But if you want to close your eyes and pretend it isn’t happening you can’t do better then Kelly Clarkson.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4sJMcgeDe0&feature=related

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http://www.theage.com.au/world/russia-bans-grain-exports-as-drought-consumes-crops-20100806-11ohl.html

Russia bans grain exports as drought consumes crops

ANDREW KRAMER, MOSCOW

August 7, 2010

Heatwave, drought and now the wildfires, like this one in the western region of Ryazan, are the worst in Russia's modern history. <i>Picture: AFP</i>Heatwave, drought and now the wildfires, like this one in the western region of Ryazan, are the worst in Russia’s modern history. Picture: AFP

RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has banned all exports of grain after millions of hectares of wheat have withered in a severe drought, driving up prices around the world.

Russia is suffering the worst heatwave since record-keeping began here, more than 130 years ago.

”We need to prevent a rise in domestic food prices, we need to preserve the number of cattle and build up reserves for next year,” Mr Putin said in a meeting broadcast on television. ”As the saying goes: reserves don’t make your pocket heavy.”

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Must take a music break.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ7FWZcwotM:}

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The abrupt ban – earlier this week, a deputy agricultural minister had said no such measure would be taken – shows Mr Putin retains the right to marshal state power in defence of Russian interests.

Russia’s emergencies minister has warned that the wildfires raging in the west of the country could release radioactive particles from land contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Sergei Shoygu said laboratories were monitoring a potential release of contaminants in Bryansk region, on the border with Ukraine. The region was sprayed with caesium-137 and strontium-90 after the Chernobyl explosion in 1986.

”In the event of a fire there, radionuclides could rise together with combustion particles, and a new zone of pollution will appear,” he said.

The wheat export ban is widely seen as a move to address rising resentment over the heatwave and the fires.

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Go to the article to read the rest. I can’t go on. More next week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svxP2LjBg_4:}

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Carbon Neutral Is Different Than Energy Neutral – The difference is subtle but real

Energy Neutral is different from Carbon Neutral. Energy Neutral means it produces as much energy as it consumes. Carbon Neutral takes into account all carbon used to make the place and its usage.

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2008/02/lighthouse-uks.html

Lighthouse, UK’s First Zero-Emission, Carbon Neutral Home

Lighthouseuk

In England, a handful of efficient demonstration homes have been built on the grounds of the Building Research Establishment Ltd, including “The Lighthouse,” which is the first net zero carbon house in the UK.  The house is also the first to attain level six in the Code for Sustainable Homes, which indicates that it is carbon neutral. The two-bedroom house is only 93.3 square meters (barely over 1000 sq. ft.) in a 2-1/2 story building.  The building has solar panels and evacuated solar tubes on its roof, as well as making use of passive measures with ventilation chimneys.  It also incorporates rainwater catchment as part of the building design.

The materials used include highly insulated, airtight building fabric which has been designed to provide generous daylight levels and includes effective solar control, together with integrated building services based around a platform of renewable and sustainable technologies. These include water efficiency techniques, renewable energy technologies, passive cooling and ventilation, as well as mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR).

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http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/11/25/how-to-build-a-carbon-neutral-home/

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How To Build A Carbon Neutral Home

Written by Reenita Malhotra
Published on November 25th, 2008

Is it possible to build a carbon neutral home? Apparently so says the Australian Home Lifestyle TV show. Watch this segment about green building construction.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/08/japans-carbon-neutral-hom_n_111519.html

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Japan’s Carbon-Neutral Home: Leave Your Carbon Footprint At The Door

Wall Street Journal:

As leaders of the world’s most powerful nations discuss climate change at the Group of Eight summit in northern Japan, Japan’s big tech companies are displaying some of their most cutting-edge solutions in a nearby “zero emissions house.”

The single-story, 2,152-square-foot house generates all the energy required for a family of four, therefore eliminating carbon-dioxide emissions, according to the Japanese government. Products inside, many already on sale in Japan, include a washer that requires no water and an air conditioner that senses where people are in a room and automatically sends cool air in their direction rather than cooling empty space. Yet the eco-friendly products also carry a steeper price tag than traditional appliances.

The house uses a wind-turbine generator and a photovoltaic generation system, which directly converts light into electricity, to produce about 15 kilowatts of energy a day, nearly five times the amount used by a regular household. The government has presented the house as one of its contributions toward helping the world cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2050.

Read the whole story: Wall Street Journal

As leaders of the world’s most powerful nations discuss climate change at the Group of Eight summit in northern Japan, Japan’s big tech companies are displaying some of their most cutting-edge solutio…
As leaders of the world’s most powerful nations discuss climate change at the Group of Eight summit in northern Japan, Japan’s big tech companies are displaying some of their most cutting-edge solutio…

Filed by Dave BurdickReport Corrections

More in Green…

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More tomorrow.

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Living In A Cave Or The Next Best Thing – They have nearly zero energy use

People all over the world live in caves. I am not talking about subsistence living either. Downtown Minneapolis is pretty much underground or connected by underground walkways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_City,_Montreal

Montreal’s Underground City (officially RÉSO or La Ville Souterraine in French) is the set of interconnected complexes (both above and below ground) in and around Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the indoor city (ville intérieure), and is the largest underground complex in the world.[1]

The lower floors of the Eaton Centre between the McGill and Peel metro stations.

Not all portions of the indoor city (ville intérieure) are underground. The connections are considered tunnels architecturally and technically, but have conditioned air and good lighting as any building’s liveable space does. Many tunnels are large enough to have shops on both sides of the passage. With over 32 km (20 mi) of tunnels spread over more than 12 km2 (4.6 sq mi), connected areas include shopping malls, apartment buildings, hotels, condominiums, banks, offices, museums, universities, seven metro stations, two commuter train stations, a regional bus terminal and the Bell Centre amphitheatre and arena.[citation needed] There are more than 120 exterior access points to the underground city. Each access point is an entry point to one of 60 residential or commercial complexes comprising 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi) of floor space, including 80% of all office space and 35% of all commercial space in downtown Montreal.[citation needed] In winter, some 500,000 people use the underground city every day. Because of its Underground City, Montreal is often referred to [by whom?] as the “Double-Decker City” or “Two Cities in One”.

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OK so it is really really cold in Montreal. The point is caves do not really need heating and cooling. Hot water can be supplied by solar or geothermal and that just leaves your electrical needs. They also do it where it is really really hot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coober_Pedy

Coober Pedy is a very small town, roughly halfway between Adelaide and Alice Springs, that has become a popular stopover point and tourist destination, especially since the completion of the sealing of the Stuart Highway in 1987.

Interesting attractions in Coober Pedy include the mines, the graveyard, and the underground churches. The first tree ever seen in the town was welded together from scrap iron. It still sits on a hilltop overlooking the town. The local golf course – mostly played at night with glowing balls, to avoid daytime temperatures – is completely free of grass, and golfers take a small piece of “turf” around to use for teeing off. As a result of correspondence between the two clubs, the Coober Pedy golf club is the only club in the world to enjoy reciprocal rights at The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.[4]

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http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/coober-pedy-underground-homes.html

Coober Pedy Underground Homes
Think A Dugout Is A Hole In The Ground? Think Again!

Coober Pedy underground homes are not what you expect.

The idea of living underground usually triggers thoughts of dark, damp and cramped spaces.

It doesn’t help that those underground homes are called “dugouts” in Coober Pedy… Or that people are told that they are abandoned mine shafts…

But as I said, Coober Pedy dugouts are not what you think.

You really have to go and have a look at some of those homes yourself, or stay in underground accommodation in Coober Pedy. You’ll probably end up dreaming of an underground home yourself. I certainly did.

Historic Coober Pedy Dugouts | Modern Coober Pedy Underground Homes

Historic Coober Pedy Dugouts

Coober Pedy Dugout

The early Coober Pedy dugouts were indeed the holes that had been dug in search for opal.

Back then opal mining was back breaking manual labour, so the earliest Coober Pedy homes were no bigger than they absolutely needed to be.

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Tomorrow more on Energy Neutral Houses.

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