Warren Buffet's company, Berkshire Hathaway, has bought a green building company that produces well-designed, energy efficient manufactured homes for the developed world - what the company that makes them, Clayton Homes, calls an "i-house".  The house was featured at his annual shareholders meeting in Omaha on May 2-3.  Clayton Homes is the nation's largest manufactured home company; last year they built about a third of all manufactured homes sold in the U.S.    

One of my favorite writers on energy-related issues, A. Siegel, wrote a piece at DailyKos describing a set of low tech energy-saving solutions that will alter the lives of poor people around the world.  These are things like solar powered lighting that replaces kerosene, wood cooking stoves that use biomass instead of wood, and radios that use renewable energy.  Add in business models that utilize micro-loans that enable people to buy, for example, solar energy, battery, light combinations for $25 and make more money immediately because they can work into the evenings later.  People buy them because they meet a need at an affordable price and pay for themselves in a few months. 

There are thousands of public stormdrains that dump toxic-laden water into Puget Sound.  Stormwater runoff has been identified as the major source of damage to the Sound and the animals that live in the Sound.  The runoff comes from paved roadways and driveways and parking lots, places that collect oil, grease, dirt and chemical pollutants and deposit them into our streams, rivers and wetlands and from there into the Sound.  The recent Frontline documentary, "Poisoned Waters", described the impact on the Sound and the orca and other animals quite well.

The First Lady begins digging up a 1,100 sq. ft. patch of the South Lawn.  She will be joined by 23 fifth graders from a nearby local elementary school plus her own daughters.  According to an article in yesterday's NYT, the more important role of the garden, in addition to providing food for the family and formal meals, will be educating children "about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern". . . “My hope is that through children, they will begin to educate their families and that will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.”

ABC News has broken the story that the White House will be planting a veggie garden on the South Lawn under the direction of Michelle Obama.  The White House Residence Staff will be handling the details of the garden, another step in the First Lady's emphasis on good nutrition.  Although the White House has not made the announcement officially, Michelle Obama told Oprah that there would be a garden as part of an interview for O Magazine.  ABC's Brian Hartman sent reporters to talk with a Park Service employee who provided more of the details.

The Puget Sound Partnership and KCTS 9 are presenting a preview of Frontline's new documentary by Hedrick Smith entitled, "FRONTLINE: Poisoned Waters".  It is being held Tuesday, April 14th at 7:00PM at Town Hall.  Enrique Cerna, will moderate a live interview with Smith.  Gov. Chris Gregoire and Bill Ruckelshaus will also be in attendance.  The event is free but will-call tickets are required.  They can be obtained through Brown Paper Tickets or by calling 800.838.3006.

FRONTLINE: Poisoned Water” airs in its entirety nationwide on KCTS 9 at 9 p.m. April 21.