Renewable Energy

Touring a Sufi Community in New Mexico

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Yesterday I had a wonderful and rewarding experience of touring a nearby Sufi Community along with other members of our local Permaculture Group. We were invited there by Sequoia and Sunny to immerse ourselves  for a few hours in their nearly self-sufficient life. I was quite impressed by the extent of their accomplishments during the … Read more

Low Carbon Ways to Provide Shelter

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In 2010, climatologists said Pakistan’s floods that year were “the worst natural disaster to date attributable to climate change”. Despite having less than 1% share in carbon emission, the country is ranked 8th in terms of exposure to climate hazards. Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change. Private homes are … Read more

Global Peace Week Explores 7 Core Needs

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I joined this panel to explore the idea of providing comfortable shelter for all animal and human life on Earth. The 90-minute plenary invited leaders in the field of ancient & earth wisdom, natural building and community building with Ousmane Aly Pame, Kelly Hart & Mark Lakeman to respond to the following questions: What would … Read more

Modern Indian Rammed Earth Home

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This 3,000-square-foot home in Vadodara, India, with three bedrooms and a pool, was built for a couple with two sons. They wanted an eco-friendly, well-ventilated home with plenty of natural light and an aesthetic blending with nature. “The layout is a simple one, divided in two blocks — one with all the living areas and … Read more

Container Apartments in Arizona

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The trend of taking shipping containers and recycling them into architectural elements for homes hit Phoenix in the fall of 2015, when Containers on Grand opened. It already had a waiting list upon completion. Brian Stark, founder of Local Studio and one of the architects behind Containers on Grand, began working on a second installment of shipping … Read more