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!
Zach DeBord, who did the bots and photos in my Pummer, Dude! piece in MAKE Volume 08, and collab’d with me on the Vibrobots and Solar Roller pieces for Street Tech, has posted a bunch of new pics of his Pummers on his Flickr sets. 2006 BEAM Pummers More: MAKE Volume 08: Pummer, Dude! [Free […]
Jake von Slatt has published a progress report on this project to turn an old 1929 Mercedes replica kit car (which is basically a 72 VW Beetle underneath) into a Von Slatt-fied steam-powered showpiece. Steampunk Car Update – Catalytic Converter on an Aircooled VW Motor
Create a nightime chorus of crickets that sing through the night by modifying an ordinary solar powered yard light. Original project by Michael F. Zbyszynski. To download Electronic Crickets MP4 click here or subscribe in iTunes. Check out the Electronic Crickets article MAKE 11 “Electronic Crickets” & You can see that in our
I wish all projects on the web had as many pictures as this one. This how-to, by Brian Trump, covers installation of a car alarm with remote start and a few other features. The only problem is, I can’t remember the last time I heard an alarm go off and people actually bothered to look. […]
The folks @ MIT are warming up to the idea of parabolic solar collectors, recently demonstrating this 12-foot dish of massive heating power – — the completed mirror focuses enough solar energy at its focal point to melt solid steel. The energy of typical sunlight is concentrated by a factor of 1,000. This was showcased […]
This is a nice article on how to identify and extract rotary encoders. It then explores how to decode your rotary encoder and has a little lesson on Quadrature Encoding. It does not go into extreme detail, but there is a lot of useful information. Some recent stereos do, especially ugly boom boxes and (non-ugly) […]
Ben writes- It’s amazing how a simple idea can take on a life of its own once you start. Have a desire to build a boat for fishing at your local lakes and a bunch of American Ingenuity? Build a boat out of things American, Duct Tape, PVC pipe, and plastic. I wanted a boat […]
