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!
LEDs to the Rescue? Not So Fast – Bits Blog – NYTimes.com… There is an industry consensus that solid-state LED lights will play an increasingly important role in energy reduction programs. Light-emitting diodes use as little as one-tenth the power of an incandescent bulb, produce pleasing light and last for up to 20 years of […]
San Franciscans go crazy when a new museum, restaurant, or public space opens, and flock to it en masse as if there are no other choices for activities. The overwhelming crowds last for at least six months, during which time it’s almost impossible to enjoy a visit. This is now the case with the California […]
Jon Udell has posted an informative piece for anyone considering installing a wood gasification boiler; he gets into everything from dealing with local regulations to installing the unit: By now it was November and the boiler was still sitting in the garage. The next hurdle, which gave me a few sleepless nights, was moving this […]
About a week ago, Claire from Poopscape posted a teaser picture of a project in progress to her Flickr stream. There were some hints and guesses for papier-mâché, and when her tutorial went up it was better than most papier-mâché projects I’ve seen around. She’s created these fantastic faux bois containers from mostly recycled materials. […]
U.S. becomes top wind producer, solar next… – Nice to be #1 at this, good start! The United States overtook Germany as the biggest producer of wind power last year, new figures showed, and will likely take the lead in solar power this year, analysts said on Monday. Even before an expected “Obama bounce” from […]
Here’s a really neat energy project: In this instructable, we describe how to build a photo-bioreactor that uses algae to convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy. The energy that is produced is in the form of algae biomass. The photo-bioreactor is built from plastic recycled water bottles. By using algae as a biofuel, we […]
This Instructable has a bunch of ideas for reusing plastic (PET) bottles. Some of them are obvious (a grain scoop and a parts bins), some are more novel (a mosquito trap and a plant coldframe). Above are biscuit/cookie cutter, a butter churn, an LED light bulb, and an electric fence insulator. Quick and easy homestead […]
