An Underground House Enables Unique Sustainable Living
Unless you are a huge Tolkien fan, you might not have considered an underground house option, yet they are becoming quite popular and some designs are unique and beautiful. Also, having a home like this is not only a true “hobbit home”, but it has its benefits as well. You might wonder why people...
Organic Lawn Treatment for Healthy and Savvy Homeowners
A well manicured, sprawling lawn is the mark of a suburban home. It can also be an annoyance, a demanding maintenance project of- mowing, fertilizing, racking, more mowing. As knowledge of the detriments of synthetic chemical fertilizers expands, more people are turning to organic lawn fertilizers to keep their grass green. But, why stop there?...
The Cork Tree
The cork tree, or the correct classification name, Quercus suber, is an oak tree that is evergreen and is commonly found in numerous countries including Spain, Algeria, France, Tunisia, Morocco and Portugal. You probably are best familiar with it from the cork used to seal a bottle of wine. It is also a popular...
Your Top 10 Ways To Go Green
We are starting to become more aware of our environment and the impact our daily lives has on it. People say that they will change their ways, but when push comes to shove, no one really goes through with this promise. The time to act is now and making changes will not only...
Alternative Building Methods Used Today
With environmental education and awareness came the need for more eco-friendly and sustainable building methods. It called for people to think out of the box and come up with what we are able to implement today. Alternative building methods have become more popular due to their often lower cost, novelty, durability, and non-toxicity. A...
An Electric, Tankless Water Heater That Will Serve Your Home Well
With the cost of energy steadily rising every day, we tend to invest in electric appliances that are cost efficient. These are usually products that comply with Energy Star requirements. Using these types of products, we are assured that costs will be kept down. While using less energy, the impact we have on the...
Homemade Food Dehydrator for Healthy Snacks
Food dehydrators can be expensive and if you do not have that kind of money to spend, you can make one of your own at home. Dehydrating food is a great way to store edibles for future use while keeping the nutrition intact. Fruit and nut blends, along with seasoned veggies are a good, even...
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...
Green Building: A Philosophy of How to Build a Green Home
If you’re looking to build your own home, you should consider some environmental design elements to lessen the total impact of your home’s construction and the impact that living in it would produce. Also, because it’s your house, it should be comfortable, and home-y. If you have deep pockets for a project, you could choose...
What is Already Green About Historic Buildings
For decades, there has been an underlying tension between historic preservation and environmental design: the former seeking to protect our history and culture, typically by applying traditional methods of construction and conservation to familiar buildings from the past; the latter trying to protect human health and natural habitat and promote alternative sources of energy, often...
How to Build a Small Green Cabin: What to Consider
Building your own small cabin or micro-house is easy. Using space-saving techniques taking advantage of shelves, lofts, niches and other space-saving techniques will allow you to reduce total floor space and will provide your living with space with functional character. Also, with the addition of outbuildings, such as a cob bath-house, you can not only...
