Sustainable Homes Are Not McMansions
I live in a post-World War II home constructed in 1948. It is relatively simple and small compared to modern American standards. It is 1,700 square feet and perfect for our family of four. My mother lives in a 7,000 square ginormous home with six bedrooms, a four car garage, and a waterfall-feature garden; but...
Traditional Yurts as Sustainable Homes
It seems that yurts are popping up everywhere – campgrounds, spas, vacation homes, guest quarters, even a home office. And why not, yurts are low impact and comfortable. Traditional yurts, called a Mongolian Felt Tent or Ger, are designed to be portable, carried by a single pack animal, and set up again in under an...
The Screw Pump: An Archimedes’ Invention Still in Use Today
Archimedes of Syracuse was an ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, invetor, and astronomer. He is typically regarded as one of the leading scientists in classical antiquity. He is most known for his explanation of the principle of the lever and for the first theoretical calculation of the value of pi (π). One of the...
Backyard Landscaping Ideas
If you have a backyard covered in grass, it may look a little boring. While large, grassy yards were once a sign of opulence and wealth, they’ve become something of a suburban paradigm. While large, grassy areas are fun to run around in, or entertain on, adding some biodiversity and attractive features are a better...
Sustainable Building Design: A Brief Overview
Sustainable building is a growing movement. Its goals are to design and construct buildings that are resource-efficient throughout the lifespan of the building, from planning to construction and, eventually, to demolition. Green buildings must also account for utility, comfort and other normal aspects of building design. Sustainable building may also refer to “natural building,” which...
Japanese Rain Chains are a Beautiful Addition to Your Home
An ingenious innovation by the Japanese, rain chains are a wonderful alternative to a rain gutter downspout. The Japanese have used rain chains for hundreds of years. Traditionally known as “Kusari Doi”, they were used to guide rainwater into large pots (ancient rain barrels) for household and garden purposes. Today, rain chains are primarily used...
How to Make a Compost Tumbler
Compost tumblers are awesome. They create a compact, easy-to-turn space for your discarded food scraps and yard waste that will produce rich compost. Commercial systems can range anywhere under $1,000, which is outrageous. Smaller home versions can be found used at a discount or even free (check out Craigslist). This is an easy project to...
How to Build a Composting Toilet
A composting toilet isn’t the first item of discussion, even among an eco-friendly crowd. When environmentalists talk about waste, it’s usually car exhaust or industrial pollutants, or consumer waste that contributes to mountainous landfills. It is usually never the waste that comes from our bodies. Why is this? Because it’s gross. People are often squeamish...
Strawbale Building: Intro and Unique Applications
Straw-bale construction is a green building technique that uses bales of straw (wheat, oats, rice), to provide structural support to the building, insulation, or both. Straw-bale construction was popular as a building method where bricks, mortar or other building materials were scarce and it is experiencing a resurgence today, as it is a relatively cheap...
What is Biodiversity and Why is it Important?
Most of the highly developed spaces that human beings create and inhabit are not exhibit biodiversity: large industrial farms, sprawling lawns, concrete-covered city blocks. When we go outside, in nature, we see examples of biodiversity and that is one reason that natural spaces are so valuable; they demonstrate to us a functioning, healthy ecosystem where...
Grow Food Indoors with Aeroponics
The idea of a community urban garden just got a facelift. A new innovative company, AeroFarm has been making waves with their unique growing units that use recycled cloth materials instead of soil. There is no need for sunlight or pesticides either. The LED based lighting system is very low energy and much more efficient...
How to Build a Clay Oven
Clay, or “earthen” ovens are simple in design. Using wood to fire them and the insulating properties of bricks and clay to absorb and then radiate heat, you can cook anything in an earthen oven that you could cook in a conventional oven. One easy and common thing to cook in an earthen oven is...
