In my last home I heated the entire house with a pellet stove so I have been aware of the technology.  I have learned that there are many more feedstocks besides sawdust that can be used to make pellets.  I also learned that there is small scale pellet making equipment geared for the single home owner.  I will be looking into making my own pellets with some type of grass which I can grow on my own land.

Carbon neutrality is a good start for a sustainable community.  People will need to be willing to change and take some time to separate their trash for example.  They will also be willing to deal with odors from decomposing bio-mass if they don't get it to the digester in time.

Reducing fuel oil consumption, energy bill and my carbon foot print are the main benefits to a more energy efficient home.  Elimination of drafts on cold windy winter nights is another great thing.  Some unthought of benefits are the reduced amounts of dust, pollen and insects coming in through air gaps.

My Aunt and Uncle heat their basement using a corn burning stove. I did not think about the fact that using this fuel is practically Carbon neutral until after i read the attached articles. Using "perennial" biomass for heating seems like a great method to reduce carbon emissions without drastically altering existing technologies 

I was surprised by the large contribution of "Goods" to my overall carbon footprint. I didn't think about the how the production and transportation of goods could result in a couch or chair with a high carbon footprint.

Pennsylvanians are advised to limit consumption of locally caught fish to less that 1 meal per week due to contaminants found in our waterways. There are certain streams that are actually considered to toxic to eat any fish that were sources there.