“Fairbanks, Alaska is one of the coldest cities in the country with winter temperatures frequently reaching -30F. Yet, thousands of people choose to live without many modern conveniences such as running water and indoor bathrooms in modest, non-traditional housing arrangements. Why?”
low cost
Rocket-fired Griddle Oven — Free Plans
Kelly Hart posted an interesting story the other day about a Rocket-fired Oven and Griddle that really caught my eye. I think lots of readers would be interested in learning more about this stove. There’s some additional info on the Firespeaking.com website that will prove useful.
Keyline Cultivation for Rapid Soil Building
Here’s an update about the keyline cultivation system that I covered in a previous blog post titled Restoring Degraded Land. Building soil on degraded land is one of my biggest passions lately, because this is what the world needs now. Scientists say it takes nature between 100 to 1,000 years to form an inch of topsoil, depending on local conditions. The keyline system can form 4″ of good topsoil in 3 years by chiseling grooves in the ground with a simple farm implement.
Massive Earthbag Retaining Walls
I have to laugh when people keep asking me if earthbag building is strong. Earthbags (sand bags) have centuries of use by militaries worldwide, because they’re bomb, blast and bullet resistant. Millions of sand bags are used each year for flood control to stop raging rivers. As well, earthbag building is earthquake and hurricane resistant.
Rapid Growth in Tiny Homes
“Leah Wymer and Brady Ryan moved into 98 square feet so they could pursue their passions. From growing wedding flowers to making honey and sea salt, they say their tiny home is at the center of it all. Leah Wymer and Brady Ryan’s house-on-wheels wasn’t some big, planned project. Wymer’s dad, a carpenter, thought it would be fun, so they bought a used trailer off Craigslist for $500 and started building.
Low Cost Bamboo Ecological Housing in Nicaragua
“A video summary of Co2 Bambú Nicaraguan Guadua activities since beginning in 2008 through 2010.”