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!

Citizen-powered energy grid

Citizen-powered energy grid

The community house at Westwood, with lots of solar thermal collectors on top Here’s a case study about a community in North Carolina building their own power. In part: When most people think about solar strategies they generally consider using them in their own homes. But cooperative or community systems offer a lot of potential […]

Migratory birds

Migratory birds

Goldenrod Foundation has created this nifty animated map to show how migratory birds use Plymouth Beach in Massachusetts. Check out their interactive map showing the migratory path of some of the birds that pass through Plymouth. It is fairly amazing to see that the birds seem to fly to specific regions and towns in far […]

Rocket cars

Rocket cars

Designing CO2 cars is a project for many middle school technology and science classes. The projects gives an opportunity for students to get hands on experience with the Design Process, working with tools and materials, and design and build for aerodynamics and manufacture a vehicle that can go very fast if even for a short […]

Make your own snail art car

Make your own snail art car

We’ve covered Jon Sarriugarte and Krysten Mate’s Golden Mean snail art car on the Make: Blog and in MAKE magazine before. But now, they’ve posted an Instructable of the build details so you can create one yourself! How many takers do you think they’ll have? I wished we lived in a world in which this, […]

Evaporation fridge

This solar refrigerator, invented by Emily Cummins, is a brilliantly simple solution for keeping food cool in a hot, dry environment. It’s basically a metal cylinder surrounded by wet material, surrounded by a mesh sleeve to hold it all together. Between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder is an open compartment where any medium […]