Off-the-grid homes operate independently of all public utility services. Gas, electricity, water, sewage disposal – it’s all generated supplied or disposed of by independent means. Off the grid home made with adobe and strawbales Estimates for off-grid homes are approximately 300,000 off-grid homes in the United States and another 40,000 … Read more
Composting is a great way to teach your kids about reducing waste, recycling materials and reusing resources when we can. Although they may not completely understand why it’s so important at first, it will help them better understand the challenges we face as an Earth community to build a sustainable … Read more
Plastic is a victim of its own success. It’s so practical, cheap and versatile we manufacture millions of tons of it each year. It’s used right across the board, from cheap containers for food to high performance plastics used in motor vehicles. But getting rid of it is a nightmare. … Read more
Throughout the undeveloped world, more than two billion people cook and heat their homes with inefficient stoves or open fires, burning wood, straw, dung, or coal. These technologies, though essential emit air pollution that can harm respiratory and cardiac health of the individuals (typically women who are doing the household … Read more
Keyline design is a relatively new concept to those located outside of Australia although its origins have ties to the American dust bowl of the 1930s. Originally developed in the 1940s and 1950s by P.A. Yeoman on his farmland in Australia, this system of rainwater storage and gravity-fed irrigation is … Read more
The goal of Appropriate Technology (AT) is to increase the standard of living for the developing world without requiring excessive resources and to use sustainable materials appropriate to the cultural aspects of the local community. Appropriate Technology is one step beyond the basic concept of sustainable development because it is … Read more
Conventional farming today has lost most of it’s natural processing. Scientific advancement has led to using chemically enhanced fertilizers mixed with fossil fuels, genetically engineered seeds and organisms, pesticides and herbicides, and a process called irradiation. That is all before it is sold to buyers who then process it more … Read more
Possibly the world’s first mobile dragon oven fires up to inspire the local food movement among Angelenos. The Dragon Oven “Sparky” is the creation of artist Ray Cirino and business partner Camille Cimino who both wanted to create a piece of art that was fully functional and supported the city’s … Read more
Sustainable practices in agriculture are required for a long and prosperous agricultural system. Since agriculture techniques became integrated with human culture, about 10,000 years ago, agriculture was practiced in a sustainable way; the intent may not have always been to be sustainable as human beings are likely to employ work-reduction … Read more
Good fences don’t just make good neighbours (if you believe that, anyway). In gardening, fences can find many uses. As a barrier, sure, but also as a means to increase growing area or trellis plants. They can also effectively mark a growing boundary, clearly demarcating the area where you want … Read more
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) helps organizations to ‘embrace responsibility’ and guides them in adhering to international norms for ethical standards. CSR is becoming an integral part of the business model, due to outside pressures from the growing conscientious public. Many CSR efforts are received with skepticism by a number of … Read more
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, … Read more
Saving rainwater is great for a variety of reasons. For those who live in an urban area and are a part of a city’s water system, saving rainwater can be a way to irrigate ones’ garden, not only conserving resources, but saving money. For homesteaders or those that live in … Read more
Chicken Farming Benefits, Latest Method of Poultry Farming Business Free range chicken farming versus commercial factory farming- which is better? These are the two most prominent ways that eggs end up at the local grocery store or farmers market. The first obviously the friendlier of the pair and the latter, … Read more
Soil Conservation – Using Effective Soil Conservation Methods There are many causes of soil erosion and fortunately, there are many soil conservation methods available to help deal with the issue. Quite naturally over time some soil erosion is expected. Particularly due to the natural changes that occur within nature. Each … Read more