Pallet-based compost bin
Here’s what you need to know to make a quick, very serviceable compost bin out of four wooden shipping pallets. Pallet Compost Bin
Science
DIY science is the perfect way to use your creative skills and learn something new. With the right supplies, some determination, and a curious mind, you can create amazing experiments that open up a whole world of possibilities. At home-made laboratories or tech workshops, makers from all backgrounds can explore new ideas by finding ways to study their environment in novel ways – allowing them to make breathtaking discoveries!
Austin Event: Earthen Plasters
Design~Build~Live is one of a healthy number of groups in Austin doing their part to fill us all in on the ‘no-brainers’ of sustainability: measures where you don’t make a sacrifice to green your life but rather end up with a ‘better than polluting’ outcome. To steal a Worldchanging catchphrase, they’re trying to create a […]
On Human Manure
The above graphic is from a book that does not stink: The Humanure Handbook. Here’s a pdf version of this potential soution to water overuse. As author Joseph Jenkins notes, “a single person using a Clivus (pronounced Clee-vus) Multrum [specific type of composting toilet] will produce 40 kg (88 lbs) of compost per year while […]
CotBots will sense your space and dial home about it
The “CotsBots” are inexpensive, modular mobile robots created from off-the-shelf components. The bots are “meant as a platform to investigate algorithms, cooperation, and distributed sensing in large robot networks.” Each bot includes built in radio communication, and are written in TinyOS, an open source system for large-scale distributed sensor networks. Pretty cool idea that we […]
Going Back to School in Green, DIY Style
When Austin clothing designer, Kathie Sever, and writer, Bernadette Noll, learned about Swap-O-Rama-Rama at last year’s Maker Faire, they were inspired. Not only did they see the environmental benefit of upcycling unwanted clothing, but they also appreciated the opportunity to get creative and make something their own. When they took that inspiration home to their […]
Mikey Sklar’s Smarter Watering System
When you’re building an off-grid retreat in a city that received just 8.93 inches of rain last year, you might find yourself inspired to think about water a bit more wisely than those of us with more agua from the sky. I was lucky enough to visit Mikey and Wendy in Truth or Consequences last […]
HOW TO – Turn Old CDs into Dumbbells
Amy wrote in about Danny Seo’s project where he turned old cds into dumbbells. No tools are required and with just 150 CDs, a threaded rod and bolts you can make a 10 pound weight.