Sustainability | Bay Area Community Exchange

3 Surprising Ways To Conserve And Recycle Water

22-03-2012

Today is World Water Day, and the entire Important Media network is celebrating with posts dedicated to this most essential of liquids. Check out all the posts from across the network on our sister site, Eat. Drink. Better!

International World Water Day is held annually on March 22nd as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. There are 7 billion people who need clean, affordable drinking water on our planet, yet more than one out of six people lack access to drinking water that is safe.

You may think that the “water crisis,” is only a concern for those in developing countries or isolated communities, but its your problem too. Since Insteading focuses on alternatives to the status quo, we’ve chosen to highlight some surprising ways that people and companies are conserving, sourcing, and recycling water.

Water From Poop

Sounds ridiculous (and gross), but it’s true. EarthTechling tells us that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently made a significant investment in a new technology designed to extract fresh water from human waste. Yes, poop. Not only that, but this multi-talented technology could also harness the energy generating power of excrement as well.

App To Help You Find Free Water

While public awareness that water is necessary for good health has grown, our obsession with convenience has created the monstrosity that is the bottled water industry. Bottled water is expensive, bad for the environment, and less healthy than you think. A smarter way to stay hydrated is to fill your own reusable bottle with water straight from the tap. Since bottled water has sent many public water fountains the way of the dodo, a crowdsourced app called “We Tap” can help you located sources of free water no matter where you are.

Chilling Out With Gray Water

There are three different kinds of water (shocking right?): potable water, gray water, and black water. The first is treated and comes out of your faucet, the second is what goes down the drain after washing dishes or clothes, and the third is what you flush down the toilet. Google recently discovered, that finding ways to reuse the gray water can mean big savings and lots of good things for the ecosystem. Check out CrispGreen’s post on Google’s revamped Atlanta data center, which uses an evaporative cooling process to keep its servers safe and conserve water.

What other surprising methods for conserving, sourcing, or recycling water have you encountered? Share them in a comment!

Image via Flickr/trouble with tribbles

One-Third Of All U.S. Adults Struggle To Afford Their Car

By: Beth Buczynski

15-03-2012

Articles

More than 36 percent of adult respondents said that if gas prices continue to rise, they’ll have to give something up in order to afford their car. Of those who regularly drive a vehicle, nearly one-in-four (23 percent) said it is at least somewhat likely that they will build up credit card debt to pay for gas in the upcoming months. Households with children (29 percent) are significantly more likely than those without children (19 percent) to indicate this.

When asked what they likely will do to better afford to drive a vehicle due to rising gas prices, survey takers said the following:

Dine out less often – 70 percent
Spend less money on entertainment (going out to the movies, attractions, concerts, etc…) – 64 percent
Postpone seasonal clothes shopping – 37 percent
Cancel paid online or other subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu Plus, etc…) – 22 percent

OK, let’s pretend for just a minute that I don’t have strong feelings about what or who is sticking it to the American people through gas prices while laughing all the way to the bank. Instead let’s focus on the amazing fact that people are willing to give up things that make them happy and allow them to spend quality time with their loved ones, just so they can keep driving that gas guzzler all over town.

WHY?! There are plenty of perfectly good ways to get around without owning a personal car. Alternatives like car sharing, bike commuting, ride sharing, walking, and public transportation are much cheaper and better for the planet too. The good news is, more people are becoming embracing these alternatives every day.

When asked how their driving habits would be affected by rising gas prices, U.S. adults who regularly drive a vehicle said the following:

Plan to drive less overall to save money – 61 percent
Plan to carpool – 9 percent
Plan to use public transportation – 8 percent
Plan to buy a hybrid/energy efficient vehicle – 6 percent

This is a good start, but the numbers need to be bigger. If you’re struggling to feed your car and your family, check out the resource below to learn more about alternatives to personal transportation. They’ll help you ride out the storm of rising gas prices (assuming they ever come back down) and who knows? You might just like them so much, you’ll never wanted to chain yourself to the pump again!

The Future Of Car Sharing Is Brighter Than You Think

Top 4 Peer-To-Peer Car Sharing Services

New Technology Turns Bike Rides Into Cash

Ride Sharing Makes It Cheaper To Get Home For The Holidays

Most Americans Would Rather Have A Walkable Neighborhood Than A Big House

Tips And Resources For Biking To Work (Even When It’s Hot)

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from March 6th – March 8th, 2012 among 2,254 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact: Allison Nawoj,anawoj@couponcabin.com.

Image Credit: Flickr – Images_Of_Money

Simple Ways To Save Money By Simplifying Your Life

By: Chris Keenan

13-03-2012

Articles

Climate change and the need to “go green” are topics constantly in the news. Solar panels line the roofs of your neighborhood and wind turbines have begun to dot the suburban landscape. Americans are demanding change and they want it now. Waiting for the government to do something could take forever, so it’s time to take the bull by the horns.

In conjunction with the Million Car Carbon Campaign (MCCC), I’ve put together a list suggestions to help you reduce your carbon footprint. The MCCC’s goal is to eliminate the equivalent carbon emissions of a million cars.

Read on for simple ways you can help the environment, while saving a few bucks and living happier in the process.

Save Energy – Save Money

Adjust your thermostat two degrees lower throughout the winter and two degrees higher during the summer to lessen your cooling and heating costs.
Don’t replace blown-out incandescent bulbs with new ones. Good lord, why do they even sell those any longer?! Install a CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb) instead.
Unplug appliances that are not in use. Merely shutting them off doesn’t fully cut the energy usage. Better yet, install a smart strip that will detect when an item isn’t in use and cut the power completely.
Trust me on this; your clothing comes out just as clean in cold water as it does in hot. Nearly 90 percent of the energy used to wash a load of clothes goes to heat the water.
Give the clothes dryer a break and hang clothes out to dry now and again.

Save Gas – Save Money

Leave the car in the garage and bike or walk to work. This will not only save you some money on parking and gas, but it will help get you in better shape.
If you live far from your place of employment, find out if car sharing or ride sharing is an option so you can give up your car for good.
Fight injustice in the inner city by petitioning your local officials to spend more on bike lane and sidewalk upgrades. Small improvements like these can significantly reduce traffic.

Save Water – Save Money

Reduce your water usage in the shower by setting a timer. Cutting shower time in half can lead to hundreds of dollars in savings every year.
Purchase a low-flow showerhead. They are inexpensive and pay for themselves within a month.
Replace your existing toilet with a dual flush system.
Every faucet in your home should have a faucet aerator. These help keep water pressure high while conserving water and heat.

Eat Smarter – Save Money

Think of the most expensive item you buy at the store; what is it? That’s right, it’s meat, and eliminating two or more meat meals a week will leave you healthier and a bit richer.
Commit to growing something, anything, on your own instead of relying on the grocery store. Even if you don’t have room for a full-size garden, there are yard-sharing options that will help increase growing projects in your neighborhood.
Focus on local food. Try foraging in suburban areas. And even if you can’t grow your own, just a little effort will reveal local food artisans you never knew existed. There’s also evidence that eating local is one of the best things you can do for the economy.

What are your favorite ways to save money while also contributing to a healthier, cleaner planet? Share them in a comment!

Image via Flickr/kennymatic

Extreme Green Building: In Search Of The 100-Mile House

By: Beth Buczynski

02-03-2012

Uncategorized

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a surge of people striving to live the “locavore,” lifestyle. Rather than focus on organic or vegetarian diets, locavores instead focus on geographical proximity, many pledging to only eat foods that have been grown or produced withing 100 miles of their front door.

Now, as GOOD’s Mark Boyer pointed out in a recent article, some locavores are expanding this philosophy to homes as well as food. Of course, growing your own is the easiest way to achieve this goal in regard to food, so it only makes sense that building-your-own would accomplish it in the area of architecture.

Last week, the Architecture Foundation of British Columbia launched an international competition to design a 1,200-square-foot, four-person home that exclusively uses materials made or recycled within 100 miles of Vancouver (also the birthplace of the 100-Mile Diet).

“Historically, most houses were constructed as ’100 mile’ houses from caves, sod houses, log cabins and stone houses to the First Nations’ indigenous cedar houses, tepees and igloos,” reads the competition website. “People worldwide used whatever available materials were at hand to build shelters for themselves and their families. But is this possible in a modern 21st Century city like Vancouver? This competition will challenge all participants to rethink the way we live and select materials, systems and technology that reflect this reality in the world of computers, the internet, Facebook, etc… Participants are encouraged to challenge the logic of the present, formulate new questions, and explore variations that will allow new potentials for living.”

This is a global competition. Architects, designers, artists, students and other environmentally conscious creators from around the world are encouraged to submit their ideas. If you’ve got big ideas about how to live efficiently off of the materials available in your own region, think about registering!

Image Credit: Flickr/locosteve

Edible Bus Stop: The Community That Gardens Together, Stays Together

By: Beth Buczynski

20-02-2012

Uncategorized

A simple yet creative gardening project called The Edible Bus Stop transforms a public transit area that used to be full of trash, and brings and entire community together.

Image Credit: Edible Bus Stop

Going “Halfsies” Could Curb American Obesity and Feed the Hungry at the Same Time

By: Amanda Buhman

15-02-2012

Uncategorized

It’s the day after the National Holiday of ~~Hallmark~~ Love. Perhaps you, like millions of Americans, overindulged on a nicer-than-usual restaurant dinner. Were your eyes bigger than your stomach? Or did you just pack it all in to the point of discomfort (and less amorous energy)?

About 40% of the food produced in the U.S. isn’t consumed. It’s wasted. This percentage has grown over recent decades as our portion sizes have continued to creep upwards. At the same time, many of us are eating plenty, as obesity rates can attest to. So the fact that 50 million Americans still face food insecurity seems a cruel contradiction to logic. We’ve heard it all before. What’s the solution?

According to Paula Minahan in the article, “Food Waste in America: A Growing Concern,” the amount of food required to eliminate hunger in the U.S. is only 5 billion pounds annually. The USDA says that if a mere 5 percent of food scraps were recovered, it would equal a day’s worth of food for 4 million people; recovery of 25 percent would feed 20 million.

We have to go right to the source of food waste in order to eliminate it.

That’s why Austin, TX-based start-up Halfsies is partnering with restaurants (major food waste culprits) to offer diners an option that reduces portion sizes, eliminates food waste, and funds organizations that fight food insecurity worldwide. Restaurants add a Halfsies logo beside specific menu items to signify they can be ordered as half portions, with remaining proceeds donated (60% locally and 30% internationally). The initiative will start locally with Austin restaurants and expand to NYC and then other cities in the coming year.

The Halfsies model may be a hard sell to diners used to leftovers or ordering with value in mind, but it’s certainly a move in the right direction. For restaurants, there is no loss of revenue or additional food costs; plus it offers the establishments a chance to brand themselves as conscious and engaged. For consumers, it’s a way to reinforce healthy eating habits and normalize smaller portion sizes.

Image Credit: Flickr – dinnerseries

Epic Fail: Why Monsanto Is The Anti-Sustainable Agriculture Company

By: Beth Buczynski

14-02-2012

Uncategorized

When I was little, my friend and I were talking with my mom about going apple picking. My friend seemed surprised by the idea that an orchard of trees was necessary to produce apples. My mom asked where her apples came from–and I’ll never forget her answer–

“I get my apples from the store.”

While there were just words from a child, the lack of food knowledge they demonstrated to me persists even to this day. Now not only do we not really know WHERE our food comes from, we have almost no idea HOW it’s grown or WHAT is used to protect it from insects and disease. This ignorance is perpetuated by companies like Monsanto, which make ridiculous profits off of the slow factorization of our food system.

On its website, biotech giant Monsanto claims that it is a company “committed to sustainable agriculture.” While these words might sound warm and fuzzy, you just have to survey Monsanto’s actions over the past few decades to know that it has no real understanding of they mean.

To finally cut through the PR propaganda once and for all, the Union of Concerned Scientists recently released a comprehensive report detailing the “Eight Ways Monsanto Fails at Sustainable Agriculture.”

Below are summaries of these eight points, proving that in fact Monsanto has held back the development of sustainable agriculture, and continues to do so. Click on the linked headers to read more on that topic.

#1: Promoting Pesticide Resistance

Monsanto’s RoundupReady and Bt technologies lead to resistant weeds and insects that can make farming harder and reduce sustainability.

#2: Increasing Herbicide Use

Roundup resistance has led to greater use of herbicides, with troubling implications for biodiversity, sustainability, and human health.

#3: Spreading Gene Contamination

Engineered genes have a bad habit of turning up in non-GE crops. And when this happens, sustainable farmers—and their customers—pay a high price.

#4: Expanding Monoculture

Monsanto’s emphasis on limited varieties of a few commodity crops contributes to reduced biodiversity and, as a consequence, to increased pesticide use and fertilizer pollution.

#5: Marginalizing Alternatives

Monsanto’s single-minded emphasis on GE fixes for farming challenges may come at the expense of cheaper, more effective solutions.

#6: Lobbying and Advertising

Monsanto outspends all other agribusinesses on efforts to persuade Congress and the public to maintain the industrial agriculture status quo.

#7: Suppressing Research

By creating obstacles to independent research on its products, Monsanto makes it harder for farmers and policy makers to make informed decisions that can lead to more sustainable agriculture.

#8: Falling Short on Feeding the World

Monsanto contributes little to helping the world feed itself, and has failed to endorse science-backed solutions that don’t give its products a central role.

Image Credit: Flickr – sierratierra

Unique Austin Neighborhood Doubles As Lab For Smart Grid Experiment

By: Beth Buczynski

06-02-2012

Uncategorized

Texas might not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking about smart grid technology and sustainable development, but a ground-breaking, whole-neighborhood project in Austin demonstrates that community support goes a long way toward achieving both.

Headquartered at The University of Texas at Austin, Pecan Street Inc. is a research and development organization focused on developing and testing advanced technology, business model and customer behavior surrounding advanced energy management systems. Ultimately, the organization wants to have a hand in reinventing America’s electric system.

Their flagship effort is the Pecan Street Demonstration, a smart grid research project in Austin’s Mueller community.

Supported by a $10.4 million smart grid demonstration grant from the Department of Energy (and more than $14 million in matching funds from project partners), Pecan Street Inc. is leading a team of researchers from The University of Texas, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Environmental Defense Fund to develop and test an integrated clean energy smart grid of tomorrow in the homes of today.

Through a partnership with Austin Energy, the nation’s largest seller of green energy and the first utility in the world to create a green building code, Pecan Street researchers will test systems in up to 1,000 residences and 75 businesses in and around the Mueller community over the next 5 years.

Technologies tested will include:

distributed clean energy
energy storage technologies
smart grid water and smart grid irrigation systems
smart appliances
plug-in electric vehicles
advanced meters and home energy management systems
green building
new electricity pricing models

Learn more about this project and meet the members of the Mueller community who are helping to reinvent the grid in the video below:

Public Garden Plots Put Town On Path To Food Independence

By: Beth Buczynski

24-01-2012

Uncategorized

Self-sufficiency is a big part of living a more sustainable lifestyle. When you’re not dependent on others for your food, water, energy, clothes, or entertainment, you have more control over how those things are grown, purified, and produced.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen individuals become self-sufficient by growing their own food or going off-grid through renewable energy, but rarely have we seen an entire town support the idea of long-term food independence the way the small Victorian mill town of Todmorden, West Yorkshire has.

Citizens in the town have rallied behind an effort called “Incredible Edible,” a program and website dedicated to making the town of Todmorden food-independent by 2018.

To that end, townspeople have constructed raised vegetable, fruit and flower garden beds on almost every available nook of groundspace throughout the town. There are plots in front of the police station, the railway station, and even down by the canal. Citizens are invited to help themselves to whatever happens to be in season in the beds, at absolutely no cost.

Incredible Edible is also about much more than plots of veg, writes Wake Up World, it’s also about educating people about food, and stimulating the local economy.

There are lessons in pickling and preserving fruits, courses on bread-making, and the local college is to offer a BTEC in horticulture. The thinking is that young people who have grown up among the street veg may make a career in food.

The Incredible Edible effort has also helped to stimulate the local economy, as now local cafes and restaurants can source many of their ingredients from right within the city limits.

Top Image Credit: Flickr – vicki moore

Swap-O-Matic: The Joy Of Reuse In A Vending Machine

By: Loren Feldman

23-01-2012

Uncategorized

Here at Insteading we love swapping and bartering. Why get money involved just because you need something? Chances are if you need it, there’s someone in your community that’s trying to get rid of it. But we’re so disconnected (despite all our fancy technology) that we often forget to reach out to our friends and neighbors when we have a need, or want to share.

In the video below, shareable tech-spotter Loren Feldman introduces Swap-O-Matic, a unique vending machine project that playfully reminds us that reusing and recycling can be just as fun as buying something new. The concept may sound similar to those of you who have tried geocaching or similar treasure hunting games in the past. If there were a Swap-O-Matic in every town or neighborhood, think about how fun it could be to leave something representative of your region, while taking a souvenir of a place you’d visited!

Wondering why the creators of this project would put another vending machine on the already crowded streets of NYC? Here’s a little more about what they hope to accomplish:

The Swap-O-Matic is intended to be both a solution and critical response to the consuming, corporate culture that we live in today. Its core function is to support the reuse and recycling of products through swapping among participants. The project’s form, a vending machine, is not only a tool for swapping, but also comments on the problematic culture by playing on notions of the immediacy, instant-gratification, and convenience, values often associated with vending machines.

Visit the Swap-O-Matic website to request that the machine make a stop in your area. You can also like them on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

What would you be most likely to leave/take at a Swap-O-Matic? Share your ideas in a comment!

Upcycled Find: Rewined Candles Fill Empty Wine Bottles

By: Beth Buczynski

17-01-2012

Uncategorized

I live in an old house that’s been split into three apartments. Our landlord is kind enough to provide a separate trash can for each tenant, we share a recycling bin. This gives me the chance to (unintentionally) snoop on their recyclables whenever I empty our bin.

One neighbor’s recycling, not sure which, consists almost entirely of wine bottles. Everything time see them sitting there (in plastic bags!) in the bottom of the bin, I have two thoughts:

1) Thank goodness they’re recycling.
2) There are so many other things they could do with these wine bottles besides recycling them.

Of course not everyone has time to spend crafting neat things out of old wine bottles (but if you do, this is the post to read), which is why I was so pleased to see a new company dedicated to reusing them in a creative way.

Rewined Candles, beside having a clever name, is a Charleston-based company that makes scented soy-wax candles in hand-cut recycled wine bottles. Even more interesting is that these aren’t your usual Vanilla and Lavender-scented candles: Rewined Candles are instead carefully blended to mimic the flavors and scents of your favorite vino varietal!

With such an interesting concept, it only makes sense that Rewined would be creative in choosing their packaging as well. But they don’t want any extra credit for choosing to go upcycled.

“Everyone is making things from recycled objects these days,” said Adam Fetsch, Candle Maker. “Our goal is to make beautifully designed candles with remarkable fragrances that happen to be poured into repurposed wine bottles. Cheers!”

Creative Recycling: How To Revive An Old Chair

Creative Recycling: 6 Ways To Reuse Junk Mail

Image Credit: RewinedCandles.com

New App Helps Eliminate Printed Catalogs Once And For All

By: Beth Buczynski

29-12-2011

Uncategorized

We had the pleasure of an extended stay with family over the holidays. It’s always funny to spend time in a home inhabited by an older couple, because you’re likely to spot remnants of “the way life used to be” before cell phones and laptops took over.

One thing I noticed was that my older relatives have TONS of clothing catalogs, and more arrive in the mail almost every day. The idea of shopping from a catalog seems totally foreign to me, but they would rather thumb through the pages of a catalog rather than conduct a targeted internet search and quickly scrolling through the results.

And she’s not alone.

As a recent TriplePundit article pointed out, “each year, about 19 billion catalogs are mailed to American consumers. It means that every American receives more than 60 catalogs every year on average. Why? Because according to the Direct Marketing Association, printed catalogs provide a 7 to 1 ROI and an impressive direct order response rate of 2.24 percent. With such impressive figures, is it surprising retailers are printing hundreds of billions of catalogs every year?”

But as the author, Raz Godelnik, goes on to state, this ROI is only impressive because neither consumers nor retailers are forced to acknowledge the immense environmental impact of this outdated marketing tactic:

53 million trees that produce 3.6 million tons of paper,
5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and
53 billion gallons of wastewater

Thankfully, the digital revolution means that the days of print advertising, even entrenched concepts like direct mail catalogs, are numbered. And a new iPad app, Catalog Spree, hopes to speed the change by appealing to the millions who found an Apple tablet in their stocking last weekend.

The free app offers all the glossy images and browsing pleasure of a catalog with out all the planet-killing, mailbox choking paper. And unlike those paper catalogs, Catalog Spree allows shoppers to track their favorite items, share them with friends on Facebook, and receive special promotions via email.

What do you think? Are digital apps like Catalog Spree the final death knell for the direct mail industry?

Also Check Out: Creative Recycling: 6 Ways To Reuse Junk Mail

Image Credit: Scott Leman/Shutterstock

5 Resolutions For A Greener, More Self-Sufficient New Year

By: Beth Buczynski

28-12-2011

Uncategorized

The year is quickly drawing to a close. These days after Christmas are always a curious type of limbo. While some reflect on the blessings and accomplishments of the 2011, many will spend their time crafting goals for a happier, healthier New Year.

Resolutions, while frequently unsuccessful, are a good way to ensure that you start 2012 with a positive outlook focused on the things that are really important: family, community, sharing, and sustainability. Each family and lifestyle is different, but if you’d like to reduce your negative impact on the planet while becoming more self-sufficient, here are some resolution ideas to get you started.

Go Ride A Bike

Many cities across the country are investing in new mobility options that provide exercise and offer an alternative to being cramped in subways or buses. Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. have major bike sharing programs that allow people to rent bikes for short-term use. Similar programs exist in other cities, and more are planned for places from Miami, Florida, to Madison, Wisconsin.

What you can do:

If available, use your city’s bike share program to run short errands or commute to work. Memberships are generally inexpensive (only $75 for the year in Washington, D.C.), and by eliminating transportation costs, as well as a gym membership, you can save quite a bit of money!
Even if without bike share programs, many cities and towns are incorporating bike lanes and trails, making it easier and safer to use your bike for transportation and recreation.

Plant A Garden

Whether you live in a studio loft or a suburban McMansion, growing your own vegetables is a simple way to bring fresh and nutritious food literally to your doorstep. Researchers at the FAO and the United Nations Development Programme estimate that 200 million city dwellers around the world are already growing and selling their own food, feeding some 800 million of their neighbors. Growing a garden doesn’t have to take up a lot of space, and in light of high food prices and recent food safety scares, even a small plot can make a big impact on your diet and wallet.

What you can do:

Plant some lettuce in a window box. Lettuce seeds are cheap and easy to find, and when planted in full sun, one window box can provide enough to make several salads worth throughout a season.

Buy Local

“Small Business Saturday,” falling between “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday,” was established in 2010 as a way to support small businesses during the busiest shopping time of the year. Author and consumer advocate Michael Shuman argues that local small businesses are more sustainable because they are often more accountable for their actions, have smaller environmental footprints, and innovate to meet local conditions—-providing models for others to learn from.

What you can do:

Instead of relying exclusively on large supermarkets, consider farmers markets and local farms for your produce, eggs, dairy, and meat. Food from these sources is usually fresher and more flavorful, and your money will be going directly to these food producers.

Share A Car

Car sharing programs spread from Europe to the United States nearly 13 years ago and are increasingly popular, with U.S. membership jumping 117 percent between 2007 and 2009. According to the University of California Transportation Center, each shared car replaces 15 personally owned vehicles, and roughly 80 percent of more than 6,000 car-sharing households surveyed across North America got rid of their cars after joining a sharing service. In 2009, car-sharing was credited with reducing U.S. carbon emissions by more than 482,000 tons. Innovative programs such as Chicago’s I-GO are even introducing solar-powered cars to their fleets, making the impact of these programs even more eco-friendly.

What you can do:

Join a car share program! As of July 2011, there were 26 such programs in the U.S., with more than 560,000 people sharing over 10,000 vehicles. Even if you don’t want to get rid of your own car, using a shared car when traveling in a city can greatly reduce the challenges of finding parking (car share programs have their own designated spots), as well as your environmental impact as you run errands or commute to work.

Tap The Tap

The bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010, generating nearly $11 billion in profits. Yet plastic water bottles create huge environmental problems. The energy required to produce and transport these bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a year, yet approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not recycled—-they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans. And while public tap water is subject to strict safety regulations, the bottled water industry is not required to report testing results for its products. According to a study, 10 of the most popular brands of bottled water contain a wide range of pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, fertilizer residue, and arsenic.

What you can do:

Fill up your glasses and reusable water bottles with water from the sink. The United States has more than 160,000 public water systems, and by eliminating bottled water you can help to keep nearly 1 million tons of bottles out of the landfill, as well as save money on water costs.

Image Credit: designsstock/Shutterstock

Tiny House: Could You Live In A Hole In The Ground?

By: Beth Buczynski

23-12-2011

Uncategorized

The days of big houses that suck up vast amount of energy so families of four live together without speaking to each other are over. Not only are these McMansions expensive and unnecessary, they lack the unique character of a home built to suit the needs of those that inhabit it.

Tiny houses, homes built to be super efficient while often operating off the grid, are the new trend. Many people, like Welshman Simon Dale, are rejecting the high price building contractors and architects to take back the design process themselves.

The fairy-tale hobbit home pictured above was designed and built into a hillside by Dale for a scant $4,700 USD! And the interior is hardly what you’d expect from this “hole in the ground.”

If you’re already envious of this woodland paradise, but don’t think you could ever emulate it, think again. The only modern tool used in its construction was a chainsaw, which Dale used to cut down about 30 small trees. No old growth forest fell to his family’s needs. He focused on tools that used his own energy, like shovel, chisel, and hammer. Yet it took him only four months to produce this lovely home. A wood stove and solar panel provide power, while a composting toilet removes the need for complicated plumbing and a septic tank.

Listen to Dale talk about why the principles behind tiny, self-built homes are essential for the health of our society and environment in the video below. For more information about the home, building plans, and more photos, please go to his website, A Low Impact Woodland Home .

h/t to Gaia–health.com

Medieval Spanish Ghost Town Becomes Self-Sufficient Ecovillage

By: Beth Buczynski

17-12-2011

Uncategorized

Hundreds of years ago, there were thousands of small, isolated villages built all around the Spanish countryside. These villages were depopulated in the 1950s and ’60s, when the villagers were pressured to join the country’s growing industrial workforce.

In a very short period of time, these once bustling villages became desolate ghost towns, destined to crumble back into the dust from which they were built. But a group of motivated, young Spaniards rediscovered one of the villages in the 1980s, and set out to rebuild them into the self-sufficient communities of former centuries.

There are now a few dozen “ecoaldeas” – ecovillages – in Spain, most build from the ashes of former Medieval towns. One of the first towns to be rediscovered was a tiny hamlet in the mountains of northern Navarra.

Listen to Mauge Cañada, one of the early pioneers in the repopulation of the town, explain the restoration process as she shows you around the village, which is slowly coming back to life.

Image Credit: Flickr – slow Spain

Handmade Holiday Gift Idea: DIY Infused Vodkas

By: Beth Buczynski

14-12-2011

Uncategorized

Holidays are the time for making spirits bright, right?

Instead of buying expensive flavored spirits for all your holiday cocktail recipes, why not make your own? A bottle of vodka infused with your own creative blends of local fruit and organic spices also makes a great gift for those that imbibe.

This easy to follow tutorial from Wired How-To will show you how to transform plain old vodka into a handcrafted masterpiece in a few easy steps.

All you’ll need is some vodka, something to infused flavor, some unique jars or bottles, and a creative mind! Here’s more on how to find/choose your ingredients:

Vodka - Vodka is easily the most important (and expensive) part of the process. Although practically any brand will do in a pinch, close attention should be paid to its ingredients and distillation methods. In short, the fewer high quality sources of starch (wheat, potato, or even soy), and the more distillation and filtration, the better. A quick and dirty test: If it smells like rubbing alcohol and burns going down, spend the extra ducats to upgrade. It doesn’t matter what kind of flavor you infuse if the base vodka tastes like death.

Flavor - In terms of flavor, it’s an open playing field. Berries, melons, vegetables, and even spices can be infused to add some kick. However, just like gourmet cooking, the fresher the ingredients the more vibrant the flavor. Frozen or jarred fruits and vegetables should be avoided at all costs. At a loss for which flavor to shoot for? Some common choices include: Watermelon, lemon, apple, strawberry, peach, mango, cucumber, chili, mint, ginger, garlic, and lavender. If you want to get really saucy, try mixing a few.

Infusion Jar - Almost any glass jar will work, if short on time or materials. If you can track down a bona fide infusion jar, even better. They’re easy to spot as most have a spigot at the bottom and a secure lid for the top. In a worst case scenario, you can always go to local retailer (Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) and pick up a cheap sun tea jar. Just make sure that whatever you bring home is clear, can hold up to 750ml, and has a tight lid.

Click here for complete directions.

Be sure check out all of our other DIY ideas in the 2011 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide!

Image: Buddha’s Hand Infused Vodka
Credit: Flickr – geminica

California Concept Cafe Celebrates Families And Community

By: Beth Buczynski

13-12-2011

Uncategorized

There are plenty of restaurants that DON’T cater to families. While those who prefer dining free from the shrieks and giggles of children are entitled to their preferences, it can be hard for hard-working parents to find a place where their brood can eat together in peace.

This gap in the restaurant industry is exactly what inspired the creation of Bumble: a new concept cafe in downtown Los Altos serving up farm to table organic fare for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

“We welcome customers of any age but cater to families with young children as an inviting place to dine and relax with kids,” said proprieter Mary Heffernan.

Unique offerings include a fully-stocked playroom with teachers leading arts and crafts projects, story time and free play where you can drop your kids to eat and play while parents relax on site, a welcoming sandbox in the front yard with sparkling play-safe sand and a 22 foot aquarium between the Family Room and Playroom to engage and entertain while you eat dishes made from local and organic ingredients.

Ok so it has a play space. One could argue that McDonald’s offers the same combination of services. But it’s how Bumble chooses to use its amenities that sets it apart from toy-hawking fast food restaurants.

“Our concept includes Family Memberships, offering the opportunity for families to be a part of the community at Bumble, explained Heffernan. “Members can charge their bill to their house account and use their membership points for playroom time, art classes for kids and special events like Mom’s Nights Out and Friday Night Family Style Dinners. Sunday Nights are Movie Night in the playroom at Bumble and we have lots of fun seasonal special events too.”

Basically imagine that your favorite restaurant suddenly fell in love with your favorite bar, your buddy’s man cave, your best friend’s living room, an art studio and a movie theater all at once, and your babysitter just happens to live there. I’m not even a parent, but that combo sounds fantastic!

Adult's-Only Patio

But more than all the beautiful interior design and fantastic services offered by Bumble, I appreciate their emphasis on personal relationships, play, and whole body wellness. You can eat all the local, organic food you want, but it you’re stressed out all day and all night without a break, you’re not going to feel great in the morning. Bumble truly is a new concept in the restaurant industry–a friendly place where community members of all ages can nourish their body and mind.

So if you live in Los Altos, I’m officially jealous that you have the chance to experience Bumble first hand.

Even though Bumble is just getting started- they’ve been open for 3 months and have a fast following of local families already. And Heffernan hopes that you’ll join them over the holidays.

“We are planning a “New Years Eve Bash” event for families- kids bring their PJ’s and sleeping bags to watch the ball drop in the Playroom while parents get a real New Years party experience upstairs (everyone knows how hard it is to find a babysitter on New Years, here’s your solution!)”

Learn more about Bumble on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp

All images courtesy Bumble Cafe/Picasa

Can We Crowdsource A DIY Solution To Our Broken Food System?

By: Beth Buczynski

09-12-2011

Uncategorized

Tired of depending on corporations and factory farms to supply her food, artist and technologist Britta Riley decided to employ the experience (and window space) of a community of co-developers to quickly find an indoor farming solution for urban dwellers.

The result, a scant two years later, is Windowfarms: an independent company that makes vertical hydroponic platforms for growing food in city windows, designed in conjunction with a online citizen science web platform for with over 16,000 community members worldwide.

“What we’re doing is what NASA or a large corporation would call R&D, or research and development,” explained Riley in her presentation for TEDxManhattan. “But what we call it is R&D-I-Y, or research and develop it yourself. So for example, Jackson came along and suggested that we use air pumps instead of water pumps. It took building a whole bunch of systems to get it right, but once we did, we were able to cut our carbon footprint nearly in half.”

Hear more about how crowdsourcing can help solve one of the biggest environmental problems on the planet (and shrink your food bill) in the video below.

Handmade Holiday Gift Idea: DIY Beeswax Candles (Two Ways)

By: Beth Buczynski

09-12-2011

Uncategorized

There’s nothing guaranteed to soften the mood in any room like a candle. Candles are a wonderful way to release a wonderful scent or enhance relaxation.

Many conventional paraffin candles and air fresheners utilize artificial and chemical-based ingredients, which actually pollute your air instead of making it more pleasant to breathe.

Candles made from beeswax instead of paraffin is a great gift idea, especially for loved ones who are sensitive to perfumes and fragrances, or have allergies. Beeswax candles also produce very little soot and burn much longer than traditional candles.

We found these handy tutorials to guide you through the process of making two different styles of beeswax candles. Be sure to let us know how they turn out!

1. Beeswax Candles In A Jar

The first tutorial comes to us from Kanelstrand.com. All you’ll need is some beeswax pellets (available from Amazon and other online retailers for about $7/lb), cotton or hemp wick, wick tabs, glass jars of various shapes and sizes, super glue, and pliers. Once the candle is formed, decorate the jar to make a unique gift!

2. Rolled Beeswax Candles

If you’re short on time, making your own rolled beeswax candles (see featured image) is even easier! Simply buy some sheets of beeswax from a local craft store or online craft supply vendor and find some cotton or hemp wick material. Then, follow the delightfully dated tutorial below! This DIY project is especially handy for young children as there is not hot wax to contend with.

Be sure check out all of our other DIY ideas in the 2011 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide!

Image Credit: Andreja Donko/Shutterstock

Handmade Holiday Gift Idea: DIY Terrarium Necklace

By: Beth Buczynski

01-12-2011

Uncategorized

Jewelry is an incredibly popular gift for the holidays, especially the very expensive gold and diamond varieties. But who has hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of dollars to spend on earrings or watch? Especially when you think of the human and environmental toll paid to get it out of the earth and into the jewelry store.

Instead of buying into the high priced jewelry game, why not make a thoughtful trinket that will reflect your loved one’s fascination with sustainability, gardening, and all things handmade?

Clossette.com recently published a wonderful tutorial on how to turn a few simple materials into a lovely upcycled necklace. The best part? The necklace is also a tiny garden!

via Ecouterre