Energy & Sustainability

If you’re a maker just starting out your journey in sustainability, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to get started. From understanding the types of materials to utilize, learning what steps will help reduce waste and emissions, and finding inspiring new ways to explore creativity that don’t have a negative environmental impact. The good news is there are plenty of resources available for DIYers looking for ways to make their projects more sustainable – from simple switches you can make today, big-picture ideas for longterm change, or exciting new ways makers are helping push sustainability into the future. In these blog posts we’ll look at tips tricks and ideas specifically tailored towards diyers and makers on the road to creating projects with greater eco consciousness so that not only will you create something beautiful but also respect its impact on our planet!

Reusing Disposable Masks As Textiles

Reusing Disposable Masks As Textiles

While attending Maker Faire Lille, I was happy to meet Mimi, an artist that got the bright idea to use discarded face masks as raw material for fashion. Mimi saw the piles and piles of used masks that were going into landfills all over and thought that she could make a statement about disposable fashion […]

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Need a repair? The Fixit Clinic will guide you to get things working again

Need a repair? The Fixit Clinic will guide you to get things working again

I often describe Fixit Clinic as “a hobby that’s gotten way out of control.” We held the first Fixit Clinic in 2009 as a modest experiment to make basic tools and specialty tools available so attendees could disassemble, troubleshoot and — hopefully — repair common consumer items: to take apart appliances and electronics, mend fabric and […]

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Emergency Prep! How Makers Can Prepare For Disruptions and Disasters of All Kinds

Emergency Prep! How Makers Can Prepare For Disruptions and Disasters of All Kinds

Responding effectively to emergencies and disasters is almost always a result of preparation. With a little forethought, know-how, and advance planning, makers with a DIY and community mindset are fantastically positioned to help themselves and others in extreme situations. But which threats should we invest in preparing for? Risk is calculated by multiplying likelihood times […]

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Reuse Hollow-core Doors To Make Plywood and More

Reuse Hollow-core Doors To Make Plywood and More

Reusing isn’t new, but items deliberately made from reclaimed materials have become statement pieces. The “upcycling” movement and rising interest in eco-conscious wares has given value to the valueless. Decrepit and dangerous barns once left to decompose are now painstakingly picked for profit. Even shipping pallets have earned a place as sought-after sources of wood. […]

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Fix Our Planet, Part 4: Reinventing a Material World

Fix Our Planet, Part 4: Reinventing a Material World

We need new tricks — quick — to decarbonize our stuff and the ways we manufacture it.

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Fix Our Planet, Part 3: New Power Nation

Fix Our Planet, Part 3: New Power Nation

How we’ll remake America’s national infrastructure to electrify everything

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Fix Our Planet, Part 2: Decarbonization Begins At Home

Fix Our Planet, Part 2: Decarbonization Begins At Home

Erase half your carbon footprint – just by electrifying your roof, your heat, and your wheels

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