Sustainability
Improve Your Soil – Bury Yard Waste
Posted on April 1, 2015 byWhat can you do to repair or improve your soil? Hugelkultur is a technique that works by burying logs, sticks, and yard waste, which then decomposes into fertile, aerated, moist soil. You can then plant directly on the Hugelkultur pile, waiting 6-12 months first if preferred to encourage more breakdown of the yard waste first,… Read More
Couple Builds Cabin of Windows for $500
Posted on March 23, 2015 byA Cabin of Windows Wouldn’t it be cool if a house had a wall of windows, so it couldn’t confine the sunset to just one little space? Lilah Horwitz and Nick Olson mused at this while watching a sunset on their first date. Just under 1 year later the two returned to those same… Read More
How to Thrive on 10%
Posted on March 13, 2015 byHow to Thrive on 10% It is often taken for granted that the United States consumes and wastes 5 times more than the rest of the planet. At the same time it is well known and highly advised that dramatic reductions in carbon pollution is needed to address climate change. We also know that having… Read More
Free Land on a Tropical Island!?
Posted on March 6, 2015 by6 Comments
Free land on a tropical island!? Pitcairn, a small remote paradise-like island in the South Pacific is running out of people. They are giving land for free to people who want to settle there. Could it make a good Ecovillage location? “With an aging population of around 50 people, this British Overseas Territory is seeking… Read More
UN Report says Organic Farming is Key
Posted on March 3, 2015 byUN Report says Organic Farming is Key In a new report, with the dramatic title, ‘Wake up Before it’s too Late’, “the United Nations is once against sounding the alarm about the urgent need to return to (and develop) a more sustainable, natural and organic system.” Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org Recommendations of the report include… Read More
New Beehive Design does not disturb Bees to Harvest Honey!
Posted on February 22, 2015 byFor those who harvest honey, “the worst part of being a beekeeper is pulling out the honey-laden frames from the box and tearing them up to get the honey. The bees hate it and so do I. That’s why this new hive design, called Flow, is so cool.” Check out this New Beehive Design does… Read More
Smart Water Pipes that Harvest Power
Posted on February 11, 2015 byNew smart infrastructure! The innovative city of Portland has unveiled plans for new smart water pipes that harvest power. They will generate electricity for streetlights, and in addition are equipped with sensors to monitor pressure, flow, and safety. Alerts will be triggered in real time if for example unsafe chemicals or bacteria are detected in… Read More
Beautiful Tiny Home costs couple $22,000
Posted on February 1, 2015 byHow much space do you really need? This brave couple decided to radically change their approach to housing, to create something beautiful, elegant, functional, and affordable. “Andrew and Gabriella Morrison spent decades in the rat race, with their lives revolving around their finances and paying off a huge mortgage. They were sick of this lifestyle,… Read More
Life with the Solar Kitchen
Posted on January 30, 2015 byThe Tamera Solar Village combines solar thermal and biogas technologies to create a kitchen that not only promotes responsible relationships to the earth and sky, but also builds human community.
Reasons why Comfrey is perfect for permaculture
Posted on January 13, 2015 byComfrey is a fairly humble looking plant. It has large hairy green leaves and small bell-shaped flowers, typically colored either purple or white. However, what it may lack in striking appearances, it certainly makes up for in the myriad benefits it can give to a permaculture plot. Read the full article here.
Kindista: Technology for Living More Freely
Posted on January 9, 2015 byBorn of collaboration, an innovative technology helps build community by encouraging trust, appreciation, and giving from the heart.
Technology on the Path to Reality: Snapshots from the Pre-Post-Digital Age
Posted on December 29, 2014 by1 Comment
Misadventures with a cell phone help the author dial into more enduring, meaningful adventures and relationships not dependent on an electronic-communications hamster wheel.
Back to Life: Returning from the Virtual to the Real
Posted on December 19, 2014 byTo shake our addiction to modern technology, we must understand its true costs. Stillwaters Sanctuary works to create a culture of greater connection, where it is easier to live without industrial society.
“Appropriate” Technology and Community on the Path to Resiliency
Posted on November 28, 2014 by1 Comment
At Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, efforts to foster a renaissance in land-based living go hand in hand with judicious use of modern design and communication technologies.
Technology, Nature, and Community
Posted on November 21, 2014 byHow does modern technology affect our ecological and social literacy? Are computers and their kin suppressing or enhancing the awareness, skills, and qualities essential to our nature as humans?
Seeing the Good in the World, Part II: Transformative Learning Experiences at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Posted on October 26, 2014 by1 Comment
While helping communitarians measure their progress toward sustainability goals, a college student finds herself unexpectedly changed.
The Dirty Business of Growing a Cohousing Community Farm
Posted on August 8, 2014 byA farm is not a clod of dirt; it is more like mud that slips through your hands, gets on your boots, and is tracked all through the community.
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Wrestles with Growth
Posted on July 8, 2014 byFor an income-sharing group in Virginia, economic success presents challenges and opportunities.
Business. Busy-ness. Coincidence?
Posted on June 5, 2014 byImproving our relationships to work, money, and entrepreneurship can dramatically enhance our sense of community and quality of life.
Opportunity Village Eugene: Pioneering New Solutions for the (Formerly) Homeless
Posted on May 15, 2014 by1 Comment
An innovative self-governing village lifts spirits while modeling new ways to address homelessness.
Who Builds the Houses?: Gender in Eco-Communities
Posted on March 17, 2014 by1 Comment
A researcher finds that men still dominate building in eco-communities, and offers strategies to empower women.
Energy Efficiency in Cohousing
Posted on January 14, 2014 by1 Comment
Sustainability is embedded in community—even without a minus-$88-per-year electric bill.
Going For the Grid
Posted on January 14, 2014 byAfter three decades off-grid in Washington state, Walker Creek members decide on-grid living is more sustainable.
Community Makes Renewable Energy Work
Posted on January 14, 2014 byLiving Energy Farm embodies the promise of renewable energy used cooperatively.
Putting Our Lives on the Line
Posted on January 14, 2014 byJubilee Partners’ clothesline does more than dry clothes with solar power; it helps build community.
Climate Changes
Posted on January 14, 2014 byIntentional communities are in a unique position to respond to climate change.
Sustainability Is a Life Style Not a Solar Panel
Posted on January 14, 2014 byA 13-year-old indigenous environmental activist asks us to walk lightly and respect the Earth.
Burlington Cohousing’s Excellent Solar Adventures
Posted on January 14, 2014 byWhen community members want to place “private” panels on “public” roofs, don’t expect clear sailing.
Confessions of a Fallen Eco-Warrior
Posted on January 14, 2014 byA communitarian stops counting nanowatts, and starts counting blessings.
Strangely Warmed
Posted on January 14, 2014 byHome-scale geothermal in appropriate conditions promotes both community and energy savings.
