May 14th, 2009
The wonderful people at ‘Natural Homes’ blog (naturalhomes.org), have compiled their ‘Natural’ Tiny House Top 10, featured some of the nicest, cutest and most environmentally friendly little houses around. Enjoy…
No. 1 Glass bottles, collected from a dump, were included in the cob walls of this tiny house in Romania. The large south facing window was a gift from friends who had thermopane windows installed. The two smaller windows facing east and west are actually car windshields. The walls are finished with coloured clay, which gives a very beautiful effect. The house can be seen on the natural homes map here. This is the owner’s web site where you can read about green architecture and see a lovely collection of cob seats and other tiny houses by Casa Verde. More
April 9th, 2009
I’ve been interested in ‘hand-made’ products for ages, especially wooden stuff. A couple of years ago, I got a pair of wooden plates made by a chap called Tony Wrench (who infamously lives in a hand-built roundhouse in Wales and has been the subject of a lengthy planning battle – but he won! http://www.thatroundhouse.info).
The plates are great – we use them almost every day to eat our dinner off. They stand the test of time and probably look better as they get used and abused. They keep food warmer as they are more insulating than ceramic plates and are very tactile to hold/use. Apart from a twice yearly oiling (I use Walnut Oil), they can take all the abuse you can throw at them – just don’t leave them soaking in water for too long.
About a year ago, though some connection or other, I came across a website for a guy called ‘Robin Wood‘ (no really, that’s his name). He lives in Derbyshire and uses a foot-powered lathe to make wooden plates and bowls. The type that really intrigued me was called a ‘porringer’ – best described as a sort of breakfast or desert bowl with wings! The bowl is turned with an extended lip, most of which is then axed off to leave the ‘wings’ which form perfect handles, meaning you can hold the bowl in one hand on the base and your thumb resting on one of the wings to counter balance it.
The Poringer, hand made by Robin Wood
A porringer became top of my birthday present list, and as you can see above, I love eating my morning porridge from it!
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February 19th, 2009
Way back in February 2007, I attended a meeting of Birmingham Vegetarians and Vegans. The guest speaker was a lady called Helen Asea, who, in 2004 had travelled to Iraq to become a ‘human shield’.
Thinking that this could be an interesting talk, I recorded it on my second-hand (ebay bargain) minidisc recorder and have finally got round to editing it and uploading it for everyone to enjoy as a PodCast!
More
February 9th, 2009
There is something very special about wood-burning stoves – mention them in conversation and people tend to ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh’ as they dream up romantic images of cuddling up by their warmth and glow on a cold, dark wintery night.
I know someone who distributes wood-burning stoves here in the UK. Over the past six months, they have had a surge of interest and sales due in the main part to the rising price of gas, and partly because burning wood in a proper wood-burning stove is seen as environmentally ‘right on’.
Orion Stove from ACR Heat Products
November 26th, 2008
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Rants by
Martin
Most adults in the UK, and I guess the ‘developed’ world are aware of the economic recession that is in progress, along with some of the unprecedented actions that governments are taking to ease us out of this situation (but hopefully not back into the one that created the problem in the first place).
David Korten
David Korten, a psychologist, presents a different view on economics, specifically in relation to ‘Peak Oil’ (ie the fact that oil production has or is about to peak, and from this point onwards oil will become increasingly more expensive). More
August 7th, 2008
If you’re anything like me, do you walk through the lanes, pathways and woods and see the lush green growth that nature has provided, and wonder what plants you can eat or might be useful in some other way? The answer comes in the form of this handy and inexpensive downloadable guide that you can print yourself – The Handy Foraging Companion and Hedgerow Herbal from ‘Judy of the Woods‘.
Just £3.95 
This latest version of The Handy Foraging Companion And Hedgerow Herbal comes in a portable post card size. The downloadable and easy to print feature-laden guide contains a list of over 350 edible plants in a handy format, as well as detailed illustrated profiles on over 50 common edible plants of Britain and Northern Europe. More
August 2nd, 2008
Sunday August 3rd is the official start of Climate Camp 2008 at Kingsnorth in Kent. I wish I was able to go but work and other commitments means I can’t, which is a shame ;-(
On Wednesday afternoon, a hundred climate campers secretly converged and occupied the site for this year’s Camp for Climate Action, a kilometer away Kingnorth power station.
Dozens of marquees were slowly put up, neighbourhoods arrived from all over the country, solar panels popped up, a central kitchen dished out three delicious meals a day and compost toilets were being built. A vision of a sustainable self- managed world is being put together piece by piece in a field in Kent, less than 45 minutes from London. All are welcome to come down as soon as they can to join in with the creation of Climate Camp 2008, in preparation for the opening on Sunday, 3rd August, when hundreds more will come and begin the week of workshops and action preparations. More
August 2nd, 2008
Back in 2006, Ryan bought a big car. He says it’s a “beautiful but totally excessive Range Rover Sport”. A big part of the motivation then was the huge tax write off for heavy SUVs (in the USA), combined with a short commute and weekly trips to go hiking with friends.
Since he moved back to San Francisco, Ryan doesn’t need a car, so he wants to take this SUV off the road for good. More
August 2nd, 2008
Greenpeace has made a wonderfully suggestive video and asked everyone to show forests some love! Those who are rather prudish should realise that everything is ’suggested’ and if you are offended it’s because you have joined the dots – they have not been joined for you! More
July 15th, 2008
Mercedes have made plans to make their whole car lineup fossil fuel free by 2015. Does this mean that fossil fuels will run out by then? Of course not, however Mercedes are clearly concerned that due to ‘Peak Oil’ the price of fossil fuels will only be going in one direction!
Mercedes (which includes the Smart Car) plan is just that, a plan and in reality they may not achieve their goals, but the key fact is that a major automotive manufacturer has set such a significant goal. More
