The Story of Two Houses
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> LOOK OVER THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> TWO HOUSES AND SEE IF YOU CAN TELL WHICH
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> BELONGS TO AN ENVIRONMENTALIST.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> HOUSE # 1:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural
>>> >>>> gas.
>>> >>>> Add on
>>> >>>> a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by
>> gas.
>>> >>>> In
>>> >>>> ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average
>>> >>>> American
>>> >>>> household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and
>>> >>>> natural
>>> >>>> gas runs over $2,400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (which last
>>> >>>> time we
>>> >>>> checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20
>>> >>>> times
>>> >>>> the national
>>> >>>> average for an American home. This house is not in a northern or
>>> >>>> Midwestern
>>> >>>> "snow belt," either. It's in the South.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> HOUSE # 2:
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national
>> university,
>>> >>>> this
>>> >>>> house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction
>> can
>>> >>>> provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms)
>>> >>>> and
>> is
>>> >>>> nestled on
>>> >>>> arid high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in
>>> >>>> the
>>> >>>> house
>>> >>>> holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk
>> 300
>>> >>>> feet
>>> >>>> into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house
>>> >>>> in
>>> >>>> winter
>>> >>>> and cools it in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil
>> or
>>> >>>> natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a
>>> >>>> conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is
>>> >>>> collected
>>> >>>> and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater
>> from
>>> >>>> showers,
>>> >>>> sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then
>>> >>>> into
>>> >>>> the cistern.
>>> >>>> The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house.
>>> >>>> Flowers and shrubs native to the area blend the property into the
>>> >>>> surrounding rural landscape.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> HOUSE # 1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of
>>> >>>> Nashville,
>>> >>>> Tennessee. It is the abode of that renowned environmentalist (and
>>> >>>> filmmaker) Al Gore.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> HOUSE # 2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford,
>>> >>>> Texas.
>>> >>>> Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence
>> of
>>> >>>> the
>>> >>>> President of the United States, George W. Bush.
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> So whose house is gentler on the environment? Yet another story you
>>> >>>> WON'T
>>> >>>> hear on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC or read about in the New York
>>> >>>> Times
>>> >>>> or the
>>> >>>> Washington Post. Indeed, for Mr. Gore, it's truly "an inconvenient
>>> >>>> truth."
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>>
>>> >>>> NO KIDDING
2007-03-25
10:31:39
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4 answers
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asked by
love_alw_693
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