CSI Your Home

"CSI Your Home" is an accurate introduction to what a professional energy auditor does to save money for clients, and to reduce CO2 emissions for the planet. It covers all the essential behavioral and technical strategies in a "Do It Yourself" (DIY) manual. No special expertise is required - just a curious mind, and a willingness to follow-through. A few simple tools are suggested, but most of the steps require nothing more than careful observation, a visit to the hardware store, and simple calculations to determine how and when to save money. Everyone who can change a light bulb can follow the recommendations in "CSI Your Home." Never has it been so fun, fascinating and rewarding to be a "Crime Scene Investigator!"

This workbook was written by authors who understand students, the environment, and the science behind the ways things work. "CSI Your Home" is intended to be read by young people who want to be more effective in reducing waste and preserving the environment. For every reader, a systematic review of habitat and lifestyles can lead to significant savings and an action plan for sustainable living. The research gathered by using this workbook is designed to be shared at school, or in "Energy Action Teams" which readers may form in order to build environmental awareness in their local communities. Each investigation into energy efficiency is begun at the reader’s own initiative. Altogether, 20 investigations will require about 40 hours to complete. Everyone’s home, schedule or lifestyle is unique, but students will typically need up to three weeks to perform a complete energy investigation. Anyone who uses this book is expected to be motivated by: (1) saving money; and (2) conserving the environment. Experiences will vary, but the practices recommended in "CSI Your Home" are based on common sense and moderate living. It’s easy to become energy efficient - if you have a plan!

Amy K. Rude is a Humanities and English teacher at City High School, an innovative charter school in Tucson, Arizona. In her non-teaching roles, Amy has been a xeriscape gardening contractor in Colorado, a singer-songwriter touring numerous European and American cities, and a tree-planting volunteer in the parched East African nation of Eritrea. One of the inspirations for writing this book has been her visits with students to Biosphere 2, an environmental laboratory near Tucson partially supported by University of Arizona. Amy received her M.A. at Prescott College, Arizona and B.A. at Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado.