My partner mentioned this idea a few months ago but we have yet to get around to trying it at home. I came across this fusing tutorial today (from last year) and now vow to give it a try at home. Looks fun.
We live in the country. There are animals in the country - racoons, skunks, porcupines and even the odd bear. I’ve been researching composting and the issues that come with small/large animals and also with extreme climates… it can be VERY cold here in the winter and VERY hot here in the summer. And there is a tonne of snow - last winter we had 13 feet of snow!
This seems like an interesting tumbling composter (though I am not sure about the ‘batch’ requirement - I’d need two!) These INDOOR models seem pretty cool too (And I LOVE the domain name - peoplepoweredmachines.com!) Videos available at NatureMill. Super cool if they work as well as they are supposed to. I’d love to try one out.
Any suggestions or recommendations?
I stumbled across Locallectual today - a site that aims to help us figure out where stuff is produced and more importantly, help us find local stuff that we like.
According to the site’s founders:
We’re forward thinking, we’re smart, and we’re tired of being disappointed by country of origin labels. We know that there’s power in what we buy, and we’re looking to harness that influence to benefit local economies—and more importantly, the planet.
We believe it’s important to be knowledgeable about the origin of the products we buy as well as the practices of manufacturers. We believe companies should do their best to forge beneficial relationships with their workers, their communities, and the globe, while producing quality goods.
Sounds great. I support these ideas 100%.
I think the site may be new as content isn’t in abundance but they are certainly onto something cool and clearly understand a little about social networking and community building.
On a related note, in Canada yesterday, the Prime Minister Harper announced stricter (but not strict enough in my opinion) definitions for the ‘Made in Canada’ label. Under under current Canadian law, if 51 per cent of the production costs were incurred in Canada and the last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada, it is legal to use those labels. So the move by PM Harper was in the right direction, just not a big enough step.
This is a cute idea. And so simple. You could even create your own. With an old box.
- a reversible cardboard theatre
Available in “France, Europe and on the Internet”.
Or, in your own home, from an old box and a few strokes of paint.
Either way, I dig it.
Over at Nature Mom’s Blog, they’ve profiled a few great books for kids with eco-friendly themes.
Awesome.
Just in time for summertime reading.
I have a nearly 3 year old daughter. She is a tomboy. I love that she is a tomboy. It makes it easier for me, the original tomboy.
Sometimes, though, she dumbfounds me. She runs upstairs, all on her own, and navigates the difficult tasks of putting on tights and a fairy dress — all on her own. Without any whining. Then she prances down the stairs and demands to be called ‘Princess’.
She would love one of these felt crowns. Or two. One superhero crown, for the tomboy days and one princess crown, for well, the princess days.
Rock Port, Missouri is the first 100% wind powered city in the US! Very cool.
It is estimated that the turbines will generate 16 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. Historically, 13 gigawatt hours have been consumed by the 1,400 residents and businesses in this town.
I’ve been searching for a guide just like this for weeks. Leave it up to the brilliant minds at the David Suzuki Foundation to create it — a ‘handy, printable, perfect-for-your-fridge guide to which plastics are safer –which plastics are safe for what use and which are safe to re-use! Hurray!
Get your (pdf) guide to ‘Safer Plastics’ - Plastics by Number from the David Suzuki Foundation.
National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan have just conducted a study measuring and monitoring consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 14 countries around the world. Unlike other measures, Greendex is the first to rank the performance of individual consumers, rather than countries as a whole.
The results? America placed LAST. And Canada placed second LAST.
Who was first, as in the most sustainable? Brazil and India!
What is your Greendex score? Find out on the Greendex Calculator.