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Harvesting rain water
It doesn't rain that much in Tucson, Ariz., but when it does, Brad Lancaster makes use of every drop. Lancaster has perfected the art of capturing and saving rainwater.
Actually two stories on this npr site, one written the 17th of Sept and the other in January. The January story is Harvesting Rainwater by Not Letting It Go to Waste, a way to recycle used water from the dishwasher, washing machine and other places other than the toilet, since it has too much bacteria.
A key to Peace is to help developing nations by giving them the tools to succeed, not just give them the food and money. People are out there doing just that and more of 'that' needs to be done by organizations and people.
Image from: http://www.tradenote.net/keyword/recycling/ It doesn't rain that much in Tucson, Ariz., but when it does, Brad Lancaster makes use of every drop. Lancaster has perfected the... more -
Lost middle-class tribe's 'secret' eco-village in Wales spotted in ...
For five happy years they enjoyed simple lives in their straw and mud huts.
Generating their own power and growing their own food, they strived for self-sufficiency and thrived in homes that looked more suited to the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings.
Then a survey plane chanced upon the 'lost tribe'... and they were plunged into a decade-long battle with officialdom.
Yesterday that fight, backed by more modern support for green issues, ended in victory.
The eco-community in the Preseli mountains of west Wales was set up in 1993 and lived contentedly away from the rat race round a 180-acre farm bought by Julian and Emma Orbach.
In 1998, it was spotted when sunlight was seen glinting off a solar panel on the main building, which was built from straw bales, timber and recycled glass.
When the pilot reported back, officials were unable to find any records, let alone planning permission, for the mystery hillside village surrounded by trees and bushes.
They insisted the grass-covered buildings should be demolished.
The eco-community endured a decade of inquiries, court cases and planning hearings.
The 22 villagers fought planners even when they were within hours of the bulldozers moving in to demolish their eight homes.
Now, however, they can celebrate, thanks to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's 'sustainability' policy.
With green issues now getting a more sympathetic hearing, the commune has been given planning approval for its roundhouses along with lavatories, agricultural buildings and workshops.
Community founder Emma Orbach, a 52-year-old mother of three, said yesterday: 'We are really excited and happy as it has been a very long battle.
'Even when planning inquiries and court hearings went against us we were determined to fight on.
'The villagers are pioneering a new lifestyle and are determined to prove it's possible for people to live more simply.'
Tony Wrench, 62, who lives in the original roundhouse with his partner Jane, said: 'We are very relieved and delighted.
'We have been able to prove to the planners that it is possible to have a sustainable and low-impact community in the countryside.
****CONTINUES For five happy years they enjoyed simple lives in their straw and mud huts. ... more -
Eco-tower rising in Lower Manhattan
Developers recently broke ground on an Earth-friendly, $600 million mixed-use skyscraper in Lower Manhattan...
Designed by noted architect Helmut Jahn and developed by New York-based Time Equities Inc., the building will incorporate environmentally sustainable technologies including a green roof, efficient water fixtures and plumbing, automatic blinds and energy control. Further, the 65-story building will be clad in energy-efficient glass that maximizes use of natural light and filters UV rays. All waste from demolition will be recycled and construction materials will be "sustainable" and "rapidly renewable," according to the developer. Developers recently broke ground on an Earth-friendly, $600 million mixed-use skyscraper in Lower Manhattan... ... more -
Iceland's energy eden
Imagine a place where long hot showers are guilt free; where turning up the heat every day has little consequence on your monthly bill, and the AC is completely unnecessary; where fresh water is so abundant you can pull off any lonely road to quench your thirst; where bread can be baked daily in a hole in the ground; and best of all, where a natural hot tub is never far away.
Imagine Iceland. This green utopia sits atop the world's most mammoth magma pool, at the turbulent boundary of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates--a place with its own sustainable energy source spewing incessantly from the ground. At the renowned Blue Lagoon spa, for example, situated next to a major energy plant, six million liters of geothermal seawater are renewed every 40 hours.
In fact, there is plenty of geothermal water just beneath the surface of this volcanic island nation. It heats and powers homes and businesses, schools and greenhouses, farms and factories. It seems to be bubbling up everywhere--in geysers, steamy pools called "hot pots" and milky rivulets winding through the lava landscape.
article continues... Imagine a place where long hot showers are guilt free; where turning up the heat every day has little consequence on your monthly bill... more -
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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2000 Watt Society
There is a great article in The New Yorker about the 2000 Watt Society.
Combined with alternative energy sources, the 2000-Watt Society could stop global warming without ruining the enjoyment of our lives. In the words of project director Roland Stulz: “it’s not starving, it’s not having less comfort or fun. It’s a creative approach to the future.” There is a great article in The New Yorker about the 2000 Watt Society. ... more -
Boycott corporate produce and seeds - plant a victory garden
Worried about corporate control of the food supply? Resist and stop buying their products. Boycott corporate produce and Monsanto's control of seeds. Plant a kitchen or victory garden.
It's the New Moon now, and a good time now to plant more corn (every 2 weeks until June 20th in N.New Mexico) and you can plant cold weather plants like brachiads into July and August for autumn harvest. In our area, where the summer monsoons have started early, it is also a great time to plant fruit trees and berry bushes to feed your family for generations.
Americans, well into the mid- 1950s, planted kitchen gardens for fresh produce with no transportation costs. The Victory Gardens during World War III helped Americans be more self-sufficient.
You can grow lots of food on a very small area of earth, or even start with an empty coffee can, a few seeds and a bit of soil. A raised bed and intensive farming techniques can yield even more produce.
Nothing is more local.
There are no transportation costs or greenhouse gases used when you grow fresh greens, vegetables, berries and fruit outside your kitchen door like our grandmothers and early Americans did.
Kitchen gardens also eliminate the need for petroleum based plastic and other packaging that adds to the environmental impact and cost of store-bought food.
Check out this link to www.kitchengardeners.org for ideas, news and tips from Kitchen Garderners International - Promoting the "localest" food of all Globally.
www.kitchengardeners.org
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
in Santa Fe, New Mexico where the lavender flowers are purple, fragrant and
ready for harvest.
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Photo "Sunflowers in Carl Gawboy's Kitchen Garden Overlooking Lake Superior" by Charleen Touchette 2006. Worried about corporate control of the food supply? Resist and stop buying their products. Boycott corporate produce and Monsanto�... more -
Winona LaDuke Talks about Conservation and How to Model a Sustainable Society.
Winona LaDuke, director of the Honor the Earth Fund, talks about conservation efforts on her reservation, and the lessons modern society can take from indigenous peoples such as the American Indians on how to model a sustainable society. (2007)
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com Winona LaDuke, director of the Honor the Earth Fund, talks about conservation efforts on her reservation, and the lessons modern socie... more -
Planet Green: sustainable living, energy conservation, Earth Day
Planet Green is the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network with a robust online presence and community. Launching in June 2008, on-air content will reach 50 million homes with more than 250 hours of original green lifestyle programming. Both online and on-air, Plant Green's content is entertaining, relevant, and accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. By representing a broad range of ideas and perspectives, Planet Green is taking an active role in generating conversation and motivating individuals to take action when it comes to improving the environmental status of our planet.
That mission extends online here at PlanetGreen.com and on our sister site, TreeHugger.com. PlanetGreen.com is filled with solutions-oriented tips and information that can help you make your life a little (or a lot) greener. Our eco-minded community includes fan sites, articles about how to go green, and forums where users can interact. With expert advice and info from our on-air personalities such as Sara Snow, Annabelle Gurwitch, Emeril Lagasse, and Steve Thomas, plus our team of eco-savvy writers, Planet Green is your user's guide to living mindfully on this big blue marble we all call home. Our experts will help you navigate the options for detoxifying your home, life, and planet - without the jargon or the guilt trips - so you can start being the change you wish to see in the world. Passionate, positive, and always practical, Planet Green is bursting with smart tips and inspiring advice.
For the latest in green news, opinions, interviews, and trends, visit TreeHugger.com, the leading eco-lifestyle outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream with more than 1.7 million unique visitors a month.
Welcome to Planet Green. You live here! Planet Green is the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network with a robust online presence and community. Launching in ... more -
How Green is the College? Time the Showers
Here is an example of college students walking the talk when it comes to green living. A good article. Take some time to watch the NYTimes video piece embedded in the article as well - well worth the viewing to see what the article is talking about. Here is an example of college students walking the talk when it comes to green living. A good article. Take some time to watch the N... more
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Stuffology
Do you believe in the value and power of "stuff"?
Don't we all? I confess to being a bibliophile. For me, no amount of web content replaces the satisfaction of curling up with a book, and I have hundreds of them. Not even telling myself "Whoa. That's another tree you've just cut down to feed your habit" stops me from buying them. I don't even feel guilty about it. To me, they represent the places I'll never see in person, the thoughts I could never have come up with on my own, the experiences that I'll never have, and all the knowledge of the world -- both that which I've attained and that which I still have yet to absorb. For me, books have power, value and mystery. But they are very definitely "stuff." And that makes me a stuffologist.
The voluntary simplicity movement encroaches, though. Sometimes through necessity, when you are forced to downsize your life. Sometimes through influence, when you meet people you respect and find yourself reexamining your lifestyle through their lens. My significant other already partakes in voluntary simplicity, although he would not call himself a member of the movement.
In striving to create a simpler, more sustainable life, what would you have to give up? What would you choose not to part with? Do you believe in the value and power of "stuff"? ... more -
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 -
2008 Indigenous Earth Day Summit at Northern Michigan University: Proposal deadlin...
Call for Proposals: NMU 2008 Indigenous Earth Day Summit
EXTENDED DEADLINE!
Northern Michigan University is seeking presentation proposals for the 2008 Indigenous Earth Day Summit to be held at NMU April 22-23.
This summit is made possible by the Center for Native American Studies, the Environmental Science Program and the Office of International Programs.
This summit will function as a call to action on Indigenous environmental issues in the Great Lakes area, on Turtle Island and around the world.
An Aboriginal Australian delegation from the Traditional Knowledge Revival Pathways project will be featured as keynote presenters and will provide musical entertainment.
http://www.tkrp.com.au
Presentations should ultimately include ideas on how to address Indigenous environmental concerns. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following.
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge (T.E.K.)
- Education and Indigenous environmental concerns
- History of industrialism, industrial threats, Indigenous peoples and the Earth
- Economic globalization and Indigenous peoples
- Indigenous languages and the Earth
- Solutions in Indigenous cultures to environmental problems
- Indigenous subsistence rights and protection of sacred land
- Global poisoning and the impact on Indigenous peoples
- Climate change and its impact on Indigenous peoples
A variety of presentations are encouraged (music, art, films as well as papers and panels).
Activists, Native elders and Native community members are strongly encouraged to submit proposals.
Proposals should be 150-300 words in length. Deadline for submissions has been extended to Monday, March 17, 2008.
Send to:
cnas@nmu.edu
(attachments should only be in Microsoft Word or as a PDF)
Subject line: Indigenous Earth Day Summit Proposal
-or-
Center for Native American Studies
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Ave
Marquette, MI 49855
For more information call 906-227-1397
http://www.nmu.edu/nativeamericans Call for Proposals: NMU 2008 Indigenous Earth Day Summit EXTENDED DEADLINE! ... more -
Laptop Bag Charges Laptop By Solar Power!
This is what I'm talking about! Go green and stay charged! It's the first time Voltaic have managed to generate enough energy to charge a laptop, their other outputs could only handle smaller gadgets like a mobile phone or camera.
The bag acts as a super-powered solar charger, it's one solar panel should be able to produce up to 14.7 watts of power, which supposedly is enough to fully charge not only your laptop, but your mobile and your mp3 player.
Going green has never been so easy... This is what I'm talking about! Go green and stay charged! It's the first time Voltaic have managed to generate enough energ... more -
Disposable Fuel Cells for Laptops/Cellphones?
Disposable Fuel Cells for Laptops/Cellphones? Amazing idea. Great. But, will the environment object?
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50 (Fifty!) Kool Ways to Save $$$ on FOOD!!
This is sooo easy. Don't buy highly processed food. Do buy local. Buy "whole" foods rather than parts of foods. That's it. Unless you want to read the other suggestions.... This is sooo easy. Don't buy highly processed food. Do buy local. Buy "whole" foods rather than parts of foods. That�... more
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Beauty the Organic Way
Tainted toothpaste? Toxic tomatoes? Killer toys? Controversial health scares over tainted products have led many of us running for the preservative-free hills.
It's changing the way we buy produce, pet food and paint, so it should come as no surprise that the beauty industry is responding. Sales of organic personal care items reached $350 million last year, an increase of $68 million over 2005, according to manufacturers data compiled by the Organic Trade Association, an industry group. Tainted toothpaste? Toxic tomatoes? Killer toys? Controversial health scares over tainted products have led many of us running for the... more -
Just in time for Halloween: 'Vampire' Electronics!
Last night, when I was headed to bed, I stopped and stared back into the living room. And I just KNEW there was something creepy about all my "shut-off" electronics, with their glowing red "sleep mode" lights, glaring at me through the darkness.
From the Associated Press, via CNN: "A force as insidious as Dracula is quietly sucking a nickel of every dollar's worth of the electricity that seeps from your home's outlets."
This is actually a very important article about responsible living and trying to leave a small footprint, but it opens with the most hilariously scary, loaded language I've seen since the special reports on bedbugs.
In short, though: Hey. You left your cell phone plugged into the wall, even though it was totally charged. That's 'vampire' electronics; you're using up electricity when you don't need to. Last night, when I was headed to bed, I stopped and stared back into the living room. And I just KNEW there was something creepy about... more
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