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Cob Mix
You can build sustainable structures using cob! I had the opportunity to visit a house in progress, and had my new friend Tina take me through the process. They work with the very materials from the site that they are building on. It's amazing and fun too. Here is a quick friendly guided tour of working with cob mixture to build a wall. She gives an introduction to working with cob like a how to video, and shows us just how easy it is to create an environmentally friendly structure. Check out images of cob houses online to see how beautiful and artful this material truly is and consider making your own dream house or structure. It's not as hard as you think! There are many resource guides and information available online to help you with this very simple way to work with the Earth. You can build sustainable structures using cob! I had the opportunity to visit a house in progress, and had my new friend Tina take me... more
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Whole-house thinking
The ‘whole-system thinking’ approach means working to find natural solutions to reduce our dependence on energy-intensive systems. Nature offers so many opportunities to heat, cool and illuminate our buildings
The ‘whole-system thinking’ approach means working to find natural solutions to reduce our dependence on energy-intensive systems. Nature offers so many opportunities to heat, cool and illuminate our buildings. The ‘whole-system thinking’ approach means working to find natural solutions to reduce our dependence on energy-intensive systems. Nat... more -
Siân is also standing for the London Assembly, where we already have two Greens el...
As spokesperson for the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, and a well-known Green Party figure, Siân has received wide coverage in national and international newspapers and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, from Radio 4's Today programme to Richard and Judy. Her calm, cheerful and persuasive advocacy has stimulated a lively public debate about 4x4s, and has helped to raise the environment further up the public agenda. As spokesperson for the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, and a well-known Green Party figure, Siân has received wide coverage in national ... more
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The Seegers Family Edifice Venture. (The History and Beginning)
The Seegers Family Edifice Venture is a documentary of a family that is turning an old church camp activities center into their future home. One of their goals is to show practical construction methods that will turn this building into an efficient green dwelling.
The History & Beginning is the first webisode of The Seegers Family Edifice Venture. In this episode you will meet the Seegers family, see us close on the building, learn its history and see the new roof go on. You’ll also get a tour of the building with an explanation of how they plan to renovate it. The Seegers Family Edifice Venture is a documentary of a family that is turning an old church camp activities center into their future... more -
Garbage Warrior - homes made of your garbage!!
Michael Reynolds, an architect from New Mexico, has an upcoming doc on the Sundance Channel about some pretty cool sustainable living. Here he is on Colbert talking about his projects and showing off some pretty rad homes.
I don't own a home yet, but a little more research into this, I'll probably settle down in a good 'ol plastic bottle home in my native San Antone! Michael Reynolds, an architect from New Mexico, has an upcoming doc on the Sundance Channel about some pretty cool sustainable living.... more -
The Far-Reaching Benefits of Vegetarianism
If you had to judge the merits of a vegetarian diet from the selection of meatless dishes available in most restaurants, you would likely come to the conclusion that vegetarians are primarily concerned with losing weight, don't care if they eat badly planned meals and have an inordinate love of cheese. But the truth is that most vegetarians are not in it for weight loss, they pay close attention to the balance of foods in their diet and some don't even eat cheese at all. The benefits of eating a vegetarian diet are in fact varied and far-reaching.
Eating a healthy vegetarian diet rich in vegetables, beans, fruit, whole grains and nuts has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Most vegetarians consume far less saturated fat than their meat-eating counterparts. While it is possible to eat an unhealthy vegetarian diet by consuming too much refined sugar, junk food and high-fat dairy products such as cheese and ice cream, a well planned diet that focuses on vegetables, whole grains and legumes is ideal.
One of the more common reasons people begin eating a vegetarian diet is to reduce animal suffering. One trip to a feedlot or slaughterhouse is enough to dispel any confusion about exactly where the meat on your plate comes from, and this knowledge turns many people away from eating meat. Often this change happens overnight, especially in children or teenagers who suddenly understand the connection between the cow at the farm and the roast on the table. However, it can be hard to jump straight into eating a balanced vegetarian diet by simply removing the meat from your plate without replacing it with some beans, lentils or tofu. If you decide to stop eating meat or animal products cold turkey, so to speak, it is wise to check out some vegetarian resources and learn how to plan a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Dried beans and lentils are cheap, so going vegetarian means you will probably notice a reduction in your grocery bill, but meat is as costly to our environment as it is to your bank balance. One pound of beef takes around 2500 gallons of water to produce, but one pound of wheat requires only 14 gallons of water. Raising meat in a factory-farming environment is heavily dependent on other resources, such as food crops and fossil fuels, not to mention the environmental impact of having fields and fields of one species of animal, reducing the habitat necessary for other wildlife to survive. Farming animals also creates a huge amount of waste, which can contaminate fields and water sources.
Increasing the number of vegetarian meals in your diet is an easy way to increase your health, reduce animal suffering and move one step closer to a greener lifestyle. You don't have to be religious about it if you don't want to, but every time you choose beans over beef you're helping to conserve water, fossil fuels and reducing your own risk of a heart attack. As Albert Einstein said, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra If you had to judge the merits of a vegetarian diet from the selection of meatless dishes available in most restaurants, you would lik... more -
Plastic Ain't My Bag
Paper or plastic? The answer is neither according to the Sierra Club website, which states that the difference between the two is negligible from an environmental perspective, compared with the third option: reusing bags.
According to Earthworks and the California Department of Conservation, if just 25 percent of American homes used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we'd save more than 2.5 billion bags a year. It takes 11 drums of oil to make one ton of plastic bags, which will then take a staggering 500 years to decompose. Meanwhile a study states reusable bags need only be used 11 times to have a lower environmental impact than using 11 disposable plastic bags.
In the UK non-profit group called We Are What We Do launched a massive Plastic Aint My Bag campaign, distributing thousands of slogan window decals to stores for display to encourage shoppers to refuse the environmentally unsound carriers. This prompted high-end handbag maven Anya Hindmarch to design her stylish Im not a plastic bag tote, which subsequently sold out on both sides of the Atlantic, and in stores around the world. If youre not the kind to wait in line, Daily Mantras MySpace buddies Be Smart Be Green have come up with their own selection of stylish cotton shopping bags. As an added bonus, the company will make a donation to Environment California for each reusable eco bag sold.
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra Paper or plastic? The answer is neither according to the Sierra Club website, which states that the difference between the two is negl... more -
Ocean of Trash
Though suspected to be an urban legend, it turns out that there are indeed places in the middle of the Pacific Ocean known as the Western and Eastern Garbage Patches. Populated by plastic disposables that dont break down in sea water, it has been described as a slowly-rotating mass of trash nearly double the size of Texas. And Texas is a really big state.
A 2002 article from US News and World Report, said that each year trash from the Los Angeles River alone could fill the Rose Bowl two stories high, if it were to empty into it. But unfortunately, despite efforts to capture the trash near the mouth of the river, most of the garbage slips right into the ocean.
According to the L.A. Times article Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) took a field trip to where they suspected they might find floating trash: the Subtropical Convergence Zone, where the cold, green, heavier waters from the north slide under the warm, blue waters of the south. The meandering line of buoys, nets, life rings, buckets and other castoffs stretched for hundreds and hundreds of miles. The NOAA researchers never reached the far end of the trash line, their airplane had to turn back before the trash ended.
That same L.A. Times article talks about a piece of plastic found in an albatross stomach bearing a serial number that was traced to a World War II seaplane shot down in 1944. Apparently computer models recreated its journey. It showed the piece of plastic spent a decade in a gyre known as the Western Garbage Patch, just south of Japan, before it drifted 6,000 miles to the Eastern Garbage Patch off the West Coast of the U.S., where it spun in circles for the next 50 years.
So what is the solution to this massive problem that is killing wildlife and working its way through the food chain to kill us off eventually too? One step in the right direction is the creation of biodegradable packaging. EarthShell, may finally be making some headway in that direction. Government agencies like the National Park Service are already using EarthShells biodegradable plates and packaging, and hundreds of McDonalds restaurants have experimented with its clamshell boxes.
In the meantime we can each make an effort to reduce the amount of plastics we use by reusing our own food-grade plastic bottles that wont pollute our bodies or our ecosystem. We can also dispose of our own trash responsibly, and assist in clean up efforts with local organizations that can recycle plastics. The Ocean Conservancy can help you find one in your area. By doing all we can as individuals, we make our own sizable contribution to being part of the solution.
Words: Malayna
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra Though suspected to be an urban legend, it turns out that there are indeed places in the middle of the Pacific Ocean known as the West... more -
The Power Of The Green Dollar
Environmentally and socially conscious consumers are a rapidly growing army, flexing their eco muscle with each dollar they spend. American corporations are rapidly catching on to this, providing eco-friendly options to court this new mass of earth-savvy customers.
EcoGeekLiving.com are vying for your green bucks, having recently relaunched their website which sells everything from natural rubber yoga mats and hemp yoga straps to energy efficient light bulbs and solar light switches. But there seems to be no limit to what the green tag can sell. It seems that eco-aware homes are even able to withstand the mighty forces of the current housing depression, with sales of solar-powered homes outstripping those of traditional new homes in some markets, according to a recent article in the LA Times.
Across the country, the New York Times reports that Fair Trade products are rapidly picking up momentum, with fair trade certifiers Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International reporting that consumers spent $2.2 billion on certified products in 2006, a 42 percent increase over the previous year. The java barometer confirms this, with Starbuck buying 50% more Fair Trade coffee in 2006 than in 2005. The paper also reports that McDonalds in New England now sell exclusively Fair Trade coffee, and that the mighty Sams Club are expanding their Fair Trade range. Though not all Fair Trade products are organic, this trend improves the lives of millions of people in the developing world.
With Toyotas hybrid Prius topping one million sales worldwide this summer, marking a new level of potency for the planet-positive consumer, the green dollar is finding some strange bedfellows. Gambling website Casino Del Rio for example, is claiming theyve entered the green era by becoming the first online gaming venue to promote environmental awareness. The company promises to plant a tree for each new customer, and has redesigned many areas of its operations with a goal of becoming 100% carbon neutral in mind though this is one green trend we arent encouraging.
http://www.dailymantra.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedailymantra Environmentally and socially conscious consumers are a rapidly growing army, flexing their eco muscle with each dollar they spend. Ame... more -
Low-Impact Living
This green home in southwest Wales not only looks cool (like something from the pages of the Hobbit) it's design and construction materials like solar panels, reclaimed wood, and a self-cooling refrigerator system gives a whole new meaning to "Green Home". This green home in southwest Wales not only looks cool (like something from the pages of the Hobbit) it's design and construction... more
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Green Home
