“Permaculture uses systems thinking and design principles to consciously design ‘landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for provision of local needs’” (David Holmgren) but one might think it go beyond this definition. EDGE EFFECT is a feature length documentary by Ana Sany … Read more
As an engineering student in Cairo, Radwa Rostom realized that she wanted to improve the quality of life for the local residents, many of whom live in poverty. She trained with environmental engineering companies, seeking to acquire the technical skills to make her dreams a reality. She would later work for an environmental consultancy firm, … Read more
Students at Colorado State University-Pueblo have found a natural and stylish way to keep cool. Under the tutelage of Maya Avina, a CSU-Pueblo art professor, they have constructed a cob bench. “It was a group of seven students – all women – and myself,” Avina said.“It’s a growing trend to use natural materials for building … Read more
The Renewables Global Status Report, released annually by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, digs into the growth rates of various energy sources, the flows of clean energy investment, and the world’s progress on its sustainability goals. The current edition is 250 pages long. This article went through the report and extracted … Read more
In 2006 I was invited to lecture at the King’s University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was a very memorable experience, lasting a couple of weeks. I just came across the following essay that I wrote at that time reflecting some of my observations sparked by that trip. I have been in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia … Read more
Here is another nicely made video in the Groundwork series featuring straw bale building and explaining why it makes so much sense to think in terms of using natural materials for dwellings. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com or click the title to watch on the blog.