Tara gives lessons on free water Bill Gates Foundation has just budgeted $4m to investigate the potential of rainwater harvesting in the third world. But what about the first world?

America is rapidly catching on to water caching, as rainwater harvesting is also known.

In the Bay Area, Tara Hui, a rainwater campaigner, climbed under her deck, nudged past a cluster of 55-gallon barrels and a roosting chicken, and pointed to a shiny metal gutter spout.

“See that?” she said. “That’s where the rainwater comes in from the roof.”
>>Keep reading “Free Water”

Warmth and comfort not optional Start by calculating how much energy your home is consuming and what you can save by changing your habits and retrofitting your home. Online aids, like the Home Energy Saver in the US (hes.lbl.gov) or the Energy Star web site or Canada’s Natural Resources home heating calculator (www.canren.gc.ca) are invaluable.

The next step is to calculate the return on investment of generating your own energy, beginning with the simplest technologies and those that give the biggest immediate bang for the buck.

>>Keep reading “Make your home off-grid ready”

Palin: snakelike advocate of Big Oil Sarah Palin, is a true enemy of the ecological movement. The current Governor of Alaska is also a sharp and dangerous adversary.

Below is an interview she gave on Fox TV in May this year, advocating oil and gas drilling in Alaska, and paying a little lip service to renewable energy on the side.

Trish Rolfe, who runs the Sierra Club’s Alaska office, thinks Governor Palin has been a disaster for Alaska’s environment. “The idea that she stands up to the oil companies is a joke,” she says.

>>Keep reading “John McCain’s hood ornament”

I am always searching the ‘net looking for good, cheap, inexpensive, easy ways to DIY, these sites are right up my alley, I thought you might like them too. The first one is how to make a hay box cooker with more modern (and sanitary) materials:

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/hayboxcooker.htm

The second one is how to make a minimum …
>>Keep reading “Good Links”

Obama: unstoppable Following are energy and tax proposals listed by Sen. Barack Obama in a speech accepting the Democratic Party nomination for president on Thursday, according to excerpts of the speech released in advance.

Energy policy

- Investing $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy, wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels. Obama says that will lead to new industries and 5 million new well-paying jobs.

- Ending U.S. dependence on oil from the Middle East in 10 years.

>>Keep reading “Obama embraces eco-themes”

Mojave solar rig - world’s biggest Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, geothermal heat and wood - which are all renewable (naturally replenished). Renewable energy technologies include solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, micro hydro, biomass and biofuels.

In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, 13% from traditional biomass,
>>Keep reading “Renewable Energy 101″

It’s been very nice since my Dad has been here, we have been falling into a comfortable routine of eating, resting, enjoying nature and the views. My Dad brought his little dog, her name is Baby Girl, she is half pomeranian and half chihuahua, unfortunately she started going into heat the day she got here, so things have been a …
>>Keep reading “Updates”

Silas - skating high One of the world’s top skateboarders comes from an off-grid background in Eugene, Oregon. He talked frankly about his life off-grid, and drugs and skating to Thrasher magazine’s Jake Phelps:

Of his time in Oregon he says:

I stuck around until I was 18 or …
>>Keep reading “Silas Baxter-Neal interview”

Affleck: Green baize evening We’ve got to admire Val Kilmer, Sean Penn, Ben Affleck, Matt Gonzalez and Spike Lee — they have all put their names and faces to an event in support of Green Party Prezzy candidate Ralph Nader in Denver today.

It would have been easier …
>>Keep reading “Green stars shine at DNC”