Philanthropist’s latest beneficiary: the environment

BRIDGEWATER — An adage compares philanthropy to building a house for future generations to live in. With a stable of environmental and architectural experts in tow, local businesswoman and philanthropist Marguerite Chandler is trying to do just that.

…Today, as environmental problems take center stage and energy prices continue to rise, small, energy-efficient homes are becoming the way of the future, she said.

“There will always be people who will hold onto the old ways of doing things, but with global warming and with peak oil, the fastest-growing trends in construction are energy-efficient homes, for obvious reasons,” Chandler said. “We can’t keep creating big boxes to heat and air-condition. Small houses are going to become more attractive to buyers, and big houses are going to have to become more energy-efficient.”

Courier-News