I’ve been enjoying the latest newsletter articles by Coenraad Rogmans over at House Alive!. In the article, Building with Sand, Straw and Clay, Coenraad talks about the many variations of the magical mixture of these ingredients. There is a spectrum of ratios that create different variations of these base materials. Including cob, light clay, wattle and daub, bale walls, bale cob, earthen floors, plasters, renders, and paints . Within each application one would use a different ratio for a particular result. Say for instance you are working on a cob wall with built in niches. Ianto Evans teaches about corbel cobs. Cob with long stocks of straw for added tensile strength. Another is light clay, a mixture of straw tossed like a salad with the dressing being clay slip, or watered down clay. Or for an earthen oven a sand clay mixture. You can see how versatile it can be! Continue…
Path to Freedom is a very inspiring website, and cast of characters. The Dervaes turned their urban 1/5 acre lot in to a organic micro-farm; producing 55 to 85% of there own food. They are leading by example. Challenging us to become local, to connect with nature, think about our lifestyle and what is happening with our food supply.
It is our responsibility to know how to feed ourselves. Instead of marching down to the local mega-chain market, seek out local farmers, farmers markets or plant seeds in your kitchen window sill. No lawns left behind… start to mulch your yard; preparing the soil for a new life as a food producing garden. Learn about permaculture and plants that will grow in your bioregion. There are few things we really need. If our bellies are full all else is possible.
If you want to be a revolutionary - grow your own food!
Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless gas that comes from the soil of the earth. It’s a radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. Homes can have high concentrations of Radon, creating a unhealthy air quality. In fact it’s the the number 2 cause of lung cancer in the U.S. If your thinking about new construction plan in installing a Radon mitigation system. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to do. I’ve discovered a great resource on the EPA website about Building Radon Out [ PDF 5.5 MB], a how-to for contractors or DIY’s. Though I didn’t see a section on earthen floors and radon mitigation it does cover other types of flooring systems. Continue…
“We are living at a peak of human innovation, information, wealth and health, but we are also at a peak of population and consumption with raising temperatures and declining resources fueled by cheap oil and gas. Peak Moment television bringing you examples of positive responses to energy decline and climate change through local community action.”
Janaia Donaldson and Peak Moment TV have collected a wealth of interviews with members of our world that are making positive change. Some of the interview topics include peak oil, gardening, natural building, alternative fuels, local living, and community building. If you watch YouTube, have a look at Janaia’s interviews with Mark Lakeman of City Repair, Robert Bolman’s eco-village, and Anne and Gord Baird’s cob house interview.
One man tries to kick oil, live locally and keep his goats out of the rose bushes
Doug Fine, adventure journalist; NPR contributor and author, shares his experiences living off grid in New Mexico. His new book, Farewell, My Subaru, is his account of one man trying to kick the the American oil lifestyle. Doug tells of his experiences raising goats and chickens, converting to a veggy oil vehicle and near death experiences at the Funky Butte Ranch.
