Posts from — October 2006

Modest dressing

Getting off the grid is part of a trend of women trying to be closer to God through withdrawing from secular technological society. A recent report in USA Today looks at the phenomenon of religious women wearing clothes that emphasise their modesty by covering their head or face. It quotes Wendy McDonnell of Lebec, Calif., who owns wendysmodestdress.com: “It all kind of goes hand-in-hand. The modesty. The home schooling. The home churching. Covering. Looking for the off-the-grid lifestyle. It’s part of a huge movement,” Wendy tells USA Today. (more…)

Green loans

If you want to buy off-grid real estate, whether it is a piece of land or a building plot, there are a number of major banks and building societies in the US and the UK which offer ethical or ecological mortgages. They will lend on assets that others banks might not be willing to accept.

Triodos Bank in Bristol, UK, is one of the best ethical lenders, but they do not offer domestic mortgages. However, if what you want is a smallholding and attached cabin, they might be just right.

In North Carolina, the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) has approved a Green Mortgage Program. The new mortgage encourages home energy conservation with expanded debt to income ratios, a 50% reduction in origination fees, and 100% financing for qualifying members. (more…)

Get em off

New powers to prevent motor vehicles from using English footpaths and bridleways came into force yesterday, reports the Press Association.
The regulations are particularly aimed at stopping motorbikes and 4×4 off-roaders using paths in national parks such as the Lake District and the Yorkshire Moors. (more…)