My Quest for Easy Green

About two years ago, I was really into a show called, "It's Not Easy Being Green". It was about the experiences of the Strawbridge family, located in Cornwall, in England. (I know, I sound very American.) Anyway, it was on the Green channel, when the Green channel actually played shows about green living. I moved, canceled the Green channel and stopped following the show. Recently, I was surfing the internet and decided to look the Strawbridge family up to see what they've been doing. While it appears James and Dick have gone on to make additional seasons of the show for the BBC, the two ladies of the household have decided to pursue other endeavors. I found the show to be charming, and frankly, their quest to live a greener life on a farm was an influencing factor in my decision to move to a farm. It just looked so fun and interesting.

I don't regret the decision to move to a farm, but, I will admit I haven't had time to pursue some of the cool projects they have tackled in their time on their farm, which they call Newhouse Farm. I suppose I'm writing this to add a reminder to my written documentation that I do need to renew my efforts to look at things like solar power, wind energy, greenhouse gardening, etc. So there you have it. Abrupt huh?

How to DIY Anything

Have you ever just wanted to be able to build anything? Maybe that's just me... but, in case I get stuck for project ideas, I have found the Mack Daddy of all DIY sites! Check out Instructables.com.

I have never seen so many cool, useful, useless do it yourself projects in my life! Anything from building a solar heater from beer cans to how to make pulled pork. You can find out how SOMEONE has done it here.

Wind Power Without the Drawbacks: Aeroturbines

Wind energy is clean and green, but has its critics and its drawbacks, including noise pollution, and the possibility to harm wildlife (birds fly into the turning blades). But, a company from Illinois has come up with a design that seems to have revolutionized the wind turbine industry. Aerotecture International.

From their site: "Aeroturbines are wind turbines designed for urban settings. Invented by University of Illinois industrial design professor, Bil Becker, Aeroturbines are a new development in wind turbine technology. Aeroturbines can be installed on existing rooftops or built into the architecture of new buildings to provide clean renewable electricity at its site of consumption. Aeroturbines are uniquely suited to urban environments because they are:

• Noise and vibration-free
• Safe for birds
• Able to utilize multi-directional and gusting winds
• Self-regulating (no overspeed protection required)
• Low maintenance
• Made from low-cost and readily available materials

The structural features of the Aeroturbine allow for its easy integration into new or existing buildings: the modular/stackable cages are additive and can be mounted in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal orientation."

These urban wind turbines basically look like a huge helix. They are apparently quiet, can be made safe for the birds, and it seems they are on track to be acceptable for zoning in many major cities due to their unobtrusive design. Check out Aerotecture International. It is the future of wind power.

Green Resolutions for 2008

Welcome to 2008! I'm going to go the predictable route and make some resolutions for the new year... green resolutions. We'll look back at the end of 2008 and see how I did. I figure if it is a matter of written record, I almost have to stick to some of these!

1. Take shorter showers. Showers usually save more water than a bath, but to add some additional water savings, if I can simply cut the average length of my shower down by 1 minute, it adds up to a savings of approximately $100 over the course of a year! (I heard that on T.V. a bit ago.)
2. Probably the most cliche, over used, over invoked resolution of all... I want to get into better shape. How is this green? I could walk or bike to the store. Save gas. I'll watch less T.V., saving a bit of power. And, best of all, being healthier, saves money for us all because I'll spend less time at the Doctor's office over the course of my life. You don't even want to get me started on the cost of medical treatment in this country!
3. I'll try and catch my car pool more often. Overall, I've been doing a better job of catching my car pool this year, just because gas prices have been so high, (that's right, if it comes to money, I'm all about it.) but I need to hit it 100% of the time. Plain and simple. Save gas.
4. I'd like to start composting table scraps. I have a garden, we throw away a ton of food. Could just as well be fertilizer for my garden and landscape. Less waste in the landfill.
5. My ultimate resolution is to put together a rain water catch system to use for irrigation of my landscaping and garden. Its a bit nerdy, but I'll save more water, and save some cash too... all in the name of saving the planet.
6. I'm going to switch out all the light bulbs in my house with compact fluorescents. Duh!