Examples of Biomimicry
Nowadays we face many problems in trying to develop sustainable technologies. This has led to the field of biomimicry, where we learn from systems that have evolved to suit perfectly their environments. Biomimicry is basically biologically inspired engineering. Below you will see just a few examples of Biomimicry including Velcro, gecko tape and the lotus...
What Is Biomimicry?
Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution in 1859, though most of us believe the process of evolution to be millions of years older than antiquity. Natural selection has been carefully refining living organisms to ensure that the ones which still live today have intricately adapted to suit their surrounding environments. Now you may be...
Complementary Currency and Its Importance Within Communities
Complementary currency is, simply put an agreement within a community to use currency that is non-national as a way in which to pay each other for services delivered for example. It is also sometimes referred to as Complementary Community Currency. This kind of currency can be implemented in two different ways: Mutual Credit or...
I Want to Ride My Electric Bicycle
In the modern world of gizmos, rapidly advancing technologies make life easier or at least faster. Lots of technologies mean we spend a lot let time being active. Computers enable us to pick and order our food, clothes, books and other purchases from our sofa to be delivered to our door; cars take us from...
Ithaca Hours and How They Work
The Ithaca HOUR is a local currency used in Ithaca, New York and is the oldest and largest local currency system in the United States that is still in operation. The basic premise of the Ithaca HOURS is that one Ithaca HOUR is valued at $10 US dollars, which is the average wage of the...
The Echo Park Time Bank, Leading Change With Time, Not Money
The Echo Park Time Bank (EPTB) located in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California was started in March of 2008 and is a volunteer run project. The idea spawned from a Permaculture course, taught locally by designer and educator Larry Santoyo. Co-founder, Autumn Rooney, once skeptical about the practicality of a local time...
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...
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...
Why Build a Moveable Chicken Coop?
Deciding to raise chickens is a big responsibility and can be a bit tricky if your home is located within a residential area of a town or city. Constructing or purchasing a moveable chicken coop is the best option if you want the chance to farm in your own backyard. Becoming an urban chicken farmer...
How to Make Kombucha
Kombucha tea is often referred to as kombucha mushroom tea; however, kombucha is not a mushroom it is a colony of bacteria and yeast and it is rather easy to make at home. The most difficult part of making Kombucha tea is finding a mother culture. First thing to do is ask around your neighborhood...
What is Hydroponics?
You may ask yourself what is hydroponics? It is the technique of growing plants without the use of soil. Although, there are other methods of growing plants with nothing more than water; this process is known as nutrient film technique or N.F.T. This process is quite popular and is used around the world as it...
Simple Rain Water Harvesting Methods
Lately it has been more and more difficult to predict what the weather will be like. Some days, it is raining so hard that floods become the end result, while in another part of the globe drought has set in. With this unpredictable state of nature, it is important to have basic water necessities stable...
