Merle Kindred to speak on energy-efficient house in India July 12

HOUGHTON -- Merle Kindred will give a presentation on her energy-efficient house in Kerala, India, from10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, at the monthly Forum of the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowhip (KUUF) in Houghton.*

Kindred has commissioned and documented the building of this house for the past year and a half.

The cornerstone of the house in Kerala, India, is laid on Dec. 26, 2007. (Photo © 2007 and courtesy Merle Kindred)

"I'm planning to continue spending part of my time in North America and part back in India continuing my consultancy and communications outreach relating to energy use in the residential built environment," Kindred says. "Addressing energy use issues is the core of both our progress in this age of technology and many of the environmental problems we face in this fragile biosphere."

See our July 28, 2008, article, with Kindred's photos of the early stage of construction of this house.

Merle Kindred, Ph.D., Keweenaw Now guest columnist, has family roots in the Copper Country that date back to great grandparents who settled in Atlantic Mine in 1900, but left for Saskatchewan in 1912. Merle was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Warren, Michigan. She has served as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Volunteer in the U.S. Virgin Islands and as a CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas) Volunteer in Jamaica. Merle also trained teachers for six years in the Bahamas. She has been active locally in Habitat for Humanity and earned a Ph.D. in the Department of Humanities at Michigan Tech University.

* Use the side entrance of the BHK building.