Do-it-yourself Wind Turbine

I’m anxious to build one of these. I wonder what the limitations about such towers are in our neighborhood. ??

more about "Home Made Wind Turbine"

This video came from the Transition Town Movement site for the USA. There are various groups emerging in different states and cities to help with the transition to a post-petroleum and sustainable society.

Links:
Transition USA ning group
Transition Colorado group
A Group in Colorado with instructions, guides & materials

Ecovillage Design Training

Found a random post about an Ecovillage Design Training for Trainers, and a simple web search directed me to the Findhorn Foundation’s web site, the organization who presents the Ecovillage Design Training.

I’ve spent the last hour and a half exploring the Findhorn site. Founded in the early 1960’s, Findhorn has developed an intentional community of love as work and a shared spiritual context of goodness. (they might not call it that, but I do) Here’s a photo of the original caravan that began the whole community.

I am so inspired by what’s happening there, and can’t believe it’s taken this long for me to stumble across it. I don’t think my words here could really express the wonder, enthusiasm, relief, happiness and joy I feel when I read about these communities of people who have dived into community-based living and working; who are designing a sustainable future with hope and love. You really have no idea.

Findhorn puts on lots of trainings, workshops and work visits. If I had the cash, I would schedule a visit now. We’ll be going there very soon.

Building Cold Frames

Talking with Jim about cold frames lead to the discovery of these easy-sounding instructions for simple and inexpensive cold frames. I want to turn the three square beds on the south side of our garden into cold frames for greens and seedlings. Anyone have any experience with cold frames in Colorado?

The New Food System

I really love this article written by Michael Pollan in the New York Times. It’s an open letter to the next Farmer-in-Chief, about the American food system and what we must do to create healthy, sustainable food security.

In it, he challenges President-Elect Obama to steer us in a new direction for food, using the White House as an example. Victory Gardens, here we come!

Read and enjoy, and share with others.

$50 Greenhouse

A friend sent me this article, which gives instructions (and photos) for a 165 sq ft greenhouse, constructed for under $50. I love this because 1)it’s affordable, 2) someone figured out how to do it and 3) it uses a lot of reclaimed or scrap materials. Unfortunately, it’s not as durable as one of these greenhouses, but I think a person with the right skills could figure out how to use more durable materials, such as old windows.

I also don’t think this type of greenhouse would grow food over Colorado winters, which is something our household has been scheming about. But a good resource!

Sustainability and Community

I liked this blog post written by Cecile Andrews, Author of Slow is Beautiful (which I’ve begun reading). In it, she says,

“So building community is central to sustainability. As we support our local businesses, we create a vital and congenial street life where people will hang out rather than drive across town for costly entertainment. As we get involved in community activities, we have no desire to wander the department stores.”

Last weekend, our house was filled with many guests – a couple couchsurfing from the NW, Arthur’s co-writer Melissa and her young daughter, some geeks and a new housemate – and I was so completely happy. Glenda and I spent a little time playing charades (our own version of it, anyway) with Melissa and her daughter, and I realized – this is what we did before television. This is what we did when we weren’t out spending money, buying things.

We connected. We shared, we laughed, we talked, we even argued. But we were known and loved in whatever ways we were. We were together. And that togetherness is so much more interesting that watching TV or buying new shoes. (don’t get me wrong, I love new shoes). But I love spontaneous Saturday afternoon charades with friends even more.

What are your favorite ways of connecting with community? And, more on topic, how do those things contribute to sustainability?

Food Revolution Video

Arthur sent this to me just now, and I must admit – even though the video is slightly cheesy, it makes my heart swell up and fall in love with goats all over again.

Ahimsa Vegan Ecovillage

Another group getting started near Ithaca, NY, Ahimsa Ecovillage is a vegan community. I’m noticing how much I prefer the idea of building housing from reclaimed materials at low cost, versus the more normal-seeming cohousing that’s all about creating separate, stand-alone spaces that can be sold at market value.

Someone recently asked me the difference between an ecovillage and cohousing, and I realized again how much our ability to form communities that actually provide for people is limited by our ability to raise capital. Cohousing communities are more fundable by banks, because if the loan fails, they can chop up the community and sell individual units. Instead of having the freedom to design something that fulfills the housing, recreational, and creative needs of individuals and groups (while balancing solitude and togetherness), we have to build what bankers are willing to fund.

This is insane. I think it should be up to communities to determine how they are structured. (and I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this subject later)

More Communities of Interest

A community in Colorado (San Luis Valley) that is forming on 480 acres: Earth Art

A county in Oregon that is encouraging people to come form sustainable communities: Lake County

And a list of sustainable communities committing to being carbon neutral.

Concord Ecovillage

I am excited about all of the people who are coming together to build ecologically and socially sustainable communities. Here’s the blog for Concord Ecovillage in West Grove, PA. They’re taking more of a co-housing approach to their community design, and just started their progress blog this month! They already have photos posted of the community members. I especially like this photo of their celebratory cake: