The image above is a webcam of Watershed, the University of Maryland's entry in the 2011 Solar Decathlon. The Baltimore Sun reports:
 

... the house — powered entirely by solar energy, but with a focus on water conservation and reuse — is nearing completion. It consists of two modules, one a work space, the other residential, which are joined by a "constructed wetland" that will filter water used by the tenants and save it to be reused.

Though all houses created for the competition must be entirely solar-powered, students at the University of Maryland decided that an emphasis on water conservation would be especially appropriate because they are close to the Chesapeake Bay.

The black basin that runs underneath the house holds a wetland for filtering water used inside each module. The middle portion of WaterShed features floor-to-ceiling glass windows, allowing residents to see exactly how much water they use as it runs into the wetland below.

"You literally see where your water ends up," said Veronika Zhiteneva, a 19-year-old environmental science major. "You're conscious of your water."

Water that will be recycled comes from bathroom sinks, showers and the washing machine. This water will pass through the wetlands, stocked with a variety of plants native to the bay's watershed.

"They serve as a coffee filter and a sponge," Zhiteneva said.

The house features a gutter system that directs storm runoff into the wetlands. This prevents flash flooding and provides extra filtration, Zhiteneva said.

Maryland won in 2007, and this looks like a stronger entry. And the theme of water couldn't be more prescient as there were reports out last week that nitrogen from sewage, fertilizer runoff and power plant pollution was creating the largest oxygen-free dead zone in the Chesapeake since 2003.

The Sun also happened to report on car-free living in Charm City:
 

Kathy Harget can afford a car. In fact, she used to own one.

But the 39-year-old Hampden woman decided those wheels were a luxury she could do without. She sold her vehicle and has been car-less ever since — relying on a combination of bicycling, walking, public transit, friends' cars and short-term car-sharing through Zipcars.

"I didn't know how long I would last, but it's been six years, and I have every intention of continuing to live a car-free life," she said.

Coincidentally, a few days ago I got an email from my bank:
 

Congratulations! You are pre-approved for an auto loan [up to $35,000]. You’ve taken an important first step toward purchasing a new vehicle. When you finance through our bank, you’ll get:

    • Up to 100% financing with no down payment

    • Low, member-only rates [6.49%] when you apply online and sign up for automatic payments

Our car is a little tight for me on long drives, and only has two doors, so the fantasy of a more comfortable four door was hard to resist. I built a few cars online - Prius III, Fus-brid, Elantra, Versa Hatchback - but the idea of taking on car payments right now makes me too nervous. I told my wife that I'd rather use Greyhound, Enterprise or Zipcar when necessary than get a newer car. We'd rather get new windows and a few rainbarrels for the house.

I guess I'm not the only one not ready to pay for that new car smell. Over at TTAC, Bertel Schmitt wrote, We Are Sorry To Inform You That The Big Turnaround Has Been Postponed For Another Year.
 

14 millions Americans are out of work. The government is facing default. U.S. home prices are at their lowest level since 2003, and Robert Shiller, the economist who co- founded the S&P/Case-Shiller index of U.S. home prices, said a decline in property values up to 25 percent in the next five years “wouldn’t surprise me at all.” From Bernanke on down, everybody is scaling back the rhetoric that economic growth is just around the corner.  Suddenly, automakers aren’t so sure anymore about all that pent-up demand that will bring back U.S. car sales back to their old glory. Reuters asked around and didn’t come back with good news.

Hyundai Motor America Chief John Krafcik is the most outspoken: “When people don’t have home equity, it’s often very difficult for them to pull that trigger and buy a new car. Jobs are still an issue, housing is still a big issue and I don’t think that’s talked about enough in the context of our industry.”