The following blog post was written by Michael G. Smith originally for motherearthnews.com and I have shamelessly posted it here to further spread his wise words.A group of about two dozen people gather on a wooded hillside in Northern California. They are women, men, and children, ranging in age from three to 72. They come … Read more
At Cob Cottage Company in Oregon Kara Stiff trained in cob, an ancient technique using clay, sand and straw, with stone or recycled concrete for the foundation. They built rounded houses that seemed right out of a fairy tale, using materials that were freely available just about everywhere, non-toxic, cozy and beautiful. There wasn’t a … Read more
Emma lives in the wild woods of Wales, where she is close to nature , with no running water, electricity, or internet. For Emma, this way of life is all about building a closer relationship to nature while also creating a lifestyle where she is free of the pressures of the modern world. Her simple … Read more
Andrew and Margo Hanson-Pierre from Clover Bee Farm in Schafer, Minnesota are building a solar greenhouse, which has a heat sink, something that will store the heat from the sun during the day and release that heat at night. The floor is made of 4-foot-deep river rock, but people also use large barrels of water … Read more
Nonprofit Critical Concrete aims to refurbish spaces that are shared by low-income communities in Portugal. They also try to educate the local community on sustainable and earth-friendly practices. The organization promotes green architecture through a summer school program that refurbishes a home for a family in need every year. Last year 32 students from 20 … Read more
Cocoa husks, dried orange peel, and ground blue pea flowers are among the ingredients that constitute a new class of building materials that could revolutionize construction. Not only are they biodegradable but some also absorb toxins. They are waste products that are used to make “Orb”, a sustainable building material that is carbon neutral. It … Read more