1) Started over two weeks ago, a thread about the pros and cons of solar energy is still going strong, reinvigorated by Forums user Ian Gordon, who says, "Any discussion about the pros and cons of having your electrical needs "supplied" by solar power is really only scratching the surface if it does not also address "demand" simultaneously. Solar power is really only one component of a resource use system that lowers demand. Talking about the efficiency of one component in isolation is really an attempt to achieve small increases in efficiency, rather than the much larger increases in efficiency that can be achieved by looking at the big picture..." Lots of good stuff here.

2) User pdxuser says, "I don't use central heating anymore, but I've had this question ever since I did. Can somebody engage me in a hypothetical? Energy companies and every (not particulary authoritative) resource I've found online says that while you're at work or on vacation, you should turn your furnace down, not off. The reasoning is that if you turn the furnace off, it takes more energy to get back to the desired temperature than if you leave it on low. But this doesn't make sense to me." Does it make sense to anyone else?

3) Lastly, Forums user caliphile says, "can anybody help me to understand the differences between cradle to cradle and SMART certification (or one's superiority to the other)? i recently met with a rep from knoll furniture who informed me that the company is moving away from cradle to cradle and towards SMART. i was surprised by this as i was under the impression that cradle to cradle was the most comprehensive product certification system." We'll be talking more about this on TreeHugger soon; until then, what do you think?