Solar tours start now! The first weekend in October might just be called Solar Tour weekend. For nearly two decades, solar home owners in communities across the country have opened their homes for tours in the fall.

Green Builder Media President Ron Jones has an ominous prediction: “If you think the oil wars are bad, wait until the water wars begin.” With severe drought conditions expanding across the globe, I fear that his warning may become a reality sooner, and more acutely, than we think.           

In this country, California, Texas, Arizona, and Georgia are on the frontline of the water crisis. Arizona just experienced its fourth warmest winter to date, causing water shortages across the state, and Texas is suffering through the lowest reservoir levels in 25 years.

After years of record water shortages (and several instances of narrowly dodging substantial inter-state litigation with its neighbors), Georgia is making major investments in upgrading its water infrastructure and has made a state-wide commitment to efficient and sustainable water use for agricultural applications, electricity generation, golf course irrigation, landscaping, as well as industrial, commercial, and domestic use.

IT WAS HARD TO MISS last week’s story about the London skyscraper, 20 Fenchurch Street, whose parabolic glass façade concentrates light in a manner that melted a car and fried eggs (sunny-side up, no less) across the street from the building.

Apparently, this is not Rafael Viñoly, the Uruguayan-born, New-York-city-based architect’s first fry-scraper. One he designed in Las Vegas allegedly singed hair at Vdara Hotel and Spa at MGM's Aria. The architect was not totally unaware of the potential but allegedly thought a window film would mitigate the effects. We have reached out but have yet to hear back from Viñoly .