Rebuilding Projects Drawing Visitors

By Eileen Fleming

New Orleans, La. –

Most people already know about this New Orleans. But what about this? That's a giant roll of radiant barrier foil being unwrapped by Forest Bradley-Wright of the Alliance for Affordable Energy. The product designed for attic insulation recently attracted visitors from Japan, eager for ways to reduce energy consumption in Okinawa - which has a sub-tropical climate like New Orleans.The Alliance has also hosted visitors from Ukraine, looking to reduce dependence on politically volatile energy suppliers.

Easily the number one draw in New Orleans for people interested in energy efficient building is Brad Pitt's Make it Right project in the Lower Ninth Ward. Jon Sader is the construction director, who can only estimate the number of visitors. Alliance spokeswoman Eileen Hays says she's also taken visitors to the Make it Right project. She says showing people what's being done here also provides an opportunity to learn what's being done in other countries. Meantime, they're also showing exactly how to staple that radiant barrier foil into an attic.