environment

Public Lab Puts Eco Justice in the Hands of Citizen Scientists

Public Lab Puts Eco Justice in the Hands of Citizen Scientists

By Benjamin Preston

Benjamin Preston

Benjamin Preston is one of the few journalists to hold he dubious distinction of having been an alignment technician at a Pep Boys in Fredericksburg, Va., and a automotive reporter for the New York Times, among a wide variety of other occupations. He is currently a writer- and greasemonkey-at-large for Time Inc's online automotive publication, the Drive. In addition to the Timeses, he has written for the Guardian, BBC Autos, Car and Driver, Jalopnik, and, he is very proud to say, Petersen's 4 Wheel & Offroad. When he's not writing about cars, he's either working on his own beaters or at the beach surfing.

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A network of DIY environmentalists is helping monitor oil cleanups and busting polluters.

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Build This Water-Saving Toilet Tank Sink

Build This Water-Saving Toilet Tank Sink

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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Save water with this stylish homemade toilet tank sink. Why doesn’t every toilet in drought-stricken regions have one of these?

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How-To: Styrofoam Concrete

How-To: Styrofoam Concrete

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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Some nice detailed build notes from Nori Lamphere, describing her styrofoam concrete wall construction method, including a specific mix formula and mixing directions.

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Notes on a Garage Geopolymer Prep

Notes on a Garage Geopolymer Prep

By Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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“Geopolymers” have been called “super cements.” They are commonly made in academic labs, but so far I haven’t found a good DIY prep for hands-on learners. I’ve run down a couple of sources and compiled a (still untested) procedure for making small geopolymer stone objects in the garage. Comments welcome.

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