Our visit with Green Dude Ed Begley and his green home under contruction…
Ed Begley is building a Platinum LEED home in Los Angeles and Green Diva Meg and I were honored to be invited to check it out. (Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for The Green Divas video interview with Ed Begley!)
Ed is known by many for his acting, but in our circles, he’s known for his environmental leadership. He’s received many awards from some of the most prestigious environmental groups in the U.S. like California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Baykeeper and the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
When not walking, riding his bike or using public transportation, Ed folds his towering self into an adorable super-efficient electric Nissan Leaf.
Watch this Green Divas video with Ed describing the challenges faced in building his green home… plus a special Earth Day message! Then read on for more about his home…
I had the pleasure (giddy inside, I have to admit) of riding shotgun in Ed’s EV as he drove us to the home he’s building in LA. 
We followed behind Ed in the wrong shoes for a construction site. As you can see, he and his wife Rachelle, made an effort not to chop down trees in the process of building this home.
Inside the modestly sized home, we could use our imagination to see that it was going to be charming. Just like Ed. You can see the exposed steel frame construction, which is made from recycled steel. The walls are 12 inches thick, which slow the transfer of heat, reducing the need for AC (which, in Ed’s home, will be solar powered) and protect from cold (not so much a problem in LA). All windows are double-paned, which can also help minimize heating, cooling, and even lighting costs.
The floors will be made from reclaimed oak from places like old barns. Cool!
Here’s a close up of the wall, which is filled with Icynene super efficient foam insulation and can help reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 50 percent.
