Chelsea Green Blog
Posts
Building for the Future: Fire-Resistant Green Building
The following is an excerpt from When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency by Matthew Stein. It has been adapted for the Web. In October 1993, when a vicious wildfire broke out in Laguna Beach, a southern California beach town, firefighter John Henderson was called down from his home…
Read More
Grow Berries in Your Low-Light Urban Space
The following is an excerpt from Fresh Food from Small Spaces by R. J. Ruppenthal. It has been adapted for the Web. A central problem for many of us who garden in the city is a lack of light. This is covered extensively in the vegetable chapters. I mention it again here only to note…
Read More
US Leads World in Wind Production (Sort of): A Green Milestone
The US has just passed a significant milestone: according to the Global Wind energy Council (h/t EcoGeek), last year the US overtook Germany to become, for the first time, the leader in wind power capacity. Of course, the US isn’t the only country increasing its wind power. Worldwide, according to Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of…
Read More
Build Your Green Roof with Sod, Turf, or Straw
The following is an excerpt from Serious Straw Bale: A Home Construction Guide for All Climates by Michel Bergeron and Paul Lacinski. It has been adapted for the Web. As an alternative to conventional roofing, the idea of a green cover over a house can be very attractive. You might choose a living roof for…
Read More
Raise Bees in Your Apartment: Urban Apiculture
Not everyone is a fan of bees, but when you get down to their level, you start to appreciate all that they do for us; pollinating the flowers and giving us delicious honey. Beekeeping is a noble profession or hobby to take on as you are providing a habitat for your colony to thrive. But…
Read More
Prepping for an Earthquake: How to Improve Your Home’s Earthquake Resistance
The following is an excerpt from When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency by Matthew Stein. It has been adapted for the Web. Ask anyone who has been through a major earthquake, such as the Loma Prieta or Northridge quakes, and they will tell you that a serious quake…
Read More
Evaporative Cooling Box: A DIY Project
Learn how to make an evaporative cooling box from home this weekend with these helpful & simple tips! The following is an excerpt from The Carbon Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit by Stephen & Rebekah Hren. It has been adapted for the Web. How to Make An Evaporative Cooling…
Read More
Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in a Garage or Yard
Learn how to grow shiitake mushrooms in almost any environment, including your yard and even your garage! The following is an excerpt from Fresh Food from Small Spaces by R. J. Ruppenthal. It has been adapted for the web. Some of the most expensive and delicious gourmet mushrooms on the market are shiitakes, which also…
Read More
Heat Your Home with Renewable Fuels: The G.O.R.E. Project
The following article has been adapted for the web from Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options by Greg Pahl. Shifting from our current reliance on fossil fuels to the use of renewable sources of energy is a tall order. But every little bit helps, and changing the way we heat our…
Read More
Build Your Own Carbon-Free Fridge
The following project has been excerpted from The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit by Stephen and Rebekah Hren Renter friendly. Project Time: Weekend. Cost: Inexpensive ($50–100, but can be built with scraps, except the thermometer). Energy Saved: High. Average refrigeration uses 8 percent of the average American energy budget.…
Read More
Why Rebuilding Resilience Is As Important As Cutting Carbon Emissions
Learn how to practice resilience to become more self-sufficient and self-reliant in the future. The following article has been adapted for the web from The Transition Handbook: From oil dependency to local resilience by Rob Hopkins. What is resilience? The concept of resilience is central to my book. In ecology, the term resilience refers to…
Read More
Your Complete Guide to Pellet Stoves: Leave Oil Heat Behind
Learn everything there is to know about heating your home with pellet stoves! Say goodbye to oil heat in no time. The following article is excerpted from Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Options by Greg Pahl. During the energy crisis of 1973, the Boeing Company asked Dr. Jerry Whitfield, a fuel…
Read More
Using a Hybrid Solar & Wind System: Tips for Living Off-the-Grid
The following article is excerpted from Wind Power by Paul Gipe. Prior to the development of interconnected wind turbines, wind generators had historically been used for powering remote sites where utility power was nonexistent (see figure 1 1-1, Off-the-grid wind systems). These home light plants used wind machines and banks of batteries sized to carry…
Read More
Ten Surprising Facts About the Energy We Use
The days of cheap oil energy have come to an end. What once was simple and cheap (i.e. driving to vacation) has become difficult and expensive. The skyrocketing cost (and limited supply) of energy has forced us to re-examine the energy we use in our daily lives. Below is a quick list of 10 facts…
Read More
Recipe: Sour Pickles
Growing up in New York City, experiencing my Jewish heritage largely through food, I developed a taste for sour pickles. Most of what is sold in stores as pickles, and even what home canners pickle, are preserved in vinegar. My idea of a pickle is one fermented in a brine solution. Pickle-making requires close attention.…
Read More
Replace Your Soap with Soapy Plants
Sick of chemical-filled soaps that leave your hands feeling dirtier than before you washed them? Then we’ve got the project for you! Do it yourself soap with soapy plants! It’s as simple as adding water. The following project is from When Technology Fails by Matthew Stein. It has been adapted for the web. There is…
Read More
Rare and Hard-to-Find Perennial Seed Sources
Eric Toesnmeier, author of Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener’s Guide to Over 100 Delicious, Easy-to-Grow Edibles, knows the value of a good seed source. So, to encourage interesting selections for your food garden this summer, we thought we’d post this helpful seed source appendix from Perennial Vegetables. From the book: Perennial vegetables…
Read More
Creating Community While Reducing your Food Bill
Sick of expensive groceries? Grow your own food with your community to cut costs and build lasting relationships! The following is an excerpt from Chapter 2: Urban Ecology in Heather C. Flores’s Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard Into a Garden and Your Neighborhood Into a Community. Many people see ecological living as…
Read More
Food Shopping: CSA in the Global Supermarket
The following is adapted from Sharing the Harvest: A Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture (revised and expanded) by Elizabeth Henderson. I grew up in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, a bedroom suburb of New York City, raised by parents who were deeply committed to the struggle for world peace and economic justice. They were city people…
Read More
Perennial Veggies: The Benefits of Perennial Vegetables
Think about how much work your perennial flower beds take compared to your annual vegetable garden. In a busy year, your perennial garden largely sails through despite neglect. Once your perennials are established, and if they are suited to your climate and site conditions, they can be virtually indestructible. An annual vegetable garden, as we…
Read More
Spicy Fried Egg and Tomato: Good Food Corner
Add some punch to a bland winter afternoon. Dust off your frying pan and whip up some Spicy Fired Egg and Tomato for yourself or your family. Taken from This Organic Life by Joan Dye Gussow, this recipe is great for less-than-perfect tomatoes. Ingredients 1 mild green chili pepper 4 tablespoons unrefined corn oil 1…
Read More