Green Intent

Finding ways to improve our environment.

Intentionally Green Community Discussions

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June 17th, 2008

So Very Neat

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This hit ALL of my green geek buttons.

May 5th, 2008

Okay, Personal Experiment

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We're looking at buying a house that, quite frankly, needs a metric boat-load of help. Included in the septic system. So I'm going to take the consultation from this website and install a separate gray-water and black water septic systems.

I also hope to get one of these home composters.

This is just the first round of ideas I have for this house. I'm looking into other things to make it greener. I just have one question.

Are you interested in the chronicling of this endeavor?

March 21st, 2008

Fuds!

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So there's been recipes posted on my friends list, some specifically for healthy alternatives, and I just finished reading an article in this lame-arse magazine my health insurance company sent me. (Yeah, I really am that bored.) Anyway, it was about this woman who decided to spend one year living off the land, even though she lives in the city and doesn't have like a ten acre lot of fields or anything. Here we have lots of yard space but it's mostly lawn. We used to grow strawberries, we had raspberries growing wild behind the garage, I think we cut down a lemon tree at one point, we definitely cut down a cherry tree, and we still have a grape vine, tomato plants and a plum tree. My eldest sister does even better at her house, she has peaches and she's got a collection of other fruit and vegetable plants that are still pretty small.

I personally make my own ice cream, and I'm considering making my own bread - hell, I'm home most of the time, it's just a matter of laziness really. (Though admittedly if I shelled out the money for a bread maker I'd be more likely to.) I used to be on a diet, when I wasn't living with my parents, that cut out a lot of overly processed food, but it's too hard to have a radically different diet when you eat together. Even still I don't have much sugar, I go for things like licorice and popcorn as snack foods instead.

So, is anyone else all up with the healthy, DIY food? What sort of things do you do?

February 1st, 2008

Stainless Steel Water Bottles

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So I know it's relatively older news, I've recently paid more attention to the issue of Nalgene-style water bottles leaking chemicals and am looking to switch to a stainless steel alternative. Does anyone else use stainless steel bottles and do you have any recommendations or warnings for bad brands? I figured I'd ask around before just buying one randomly.

January 14th, 2008

Link Dump

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From [info]epi_lj
Want to get solar power into your home energy mix but can't even dream of affording it? [info]darkmagess tipped me off to this site, where you can sign up for free solar panels. What they do is to install a complete solar system for you. You, in return, agree to pay them whatever you pay now for electricity. You can set the contract length and there's a buyout option at the end. So you can think of it as investing now so that you can affordably buy it out and get closer to being off the grid in the future, or it could be a way to make a green choice with no additional cost to you, or even if you don't care about the solar aspect at all, it could just be a way of locking in your current rate so that even as energy costs rise you pay the same amount for electricity that you do now for however long the contract is.

I know that a lot of people can't do this. On the one hand, it's only available in the U.S. and only available in some parts of the U.S. On the other hand, you have to have the right to do it -- this probably means that the best renters and people in condos can do is to share the information with their property owners. However, for the rest of you, what's the downside?

If you're *not* one of the folks who can do this, maybe you can share the URL around to folks who can.


Low Impact Living Some of this comes off heavy handed, but there's good stuff here too.

This looks a bit like a hobbit hole. I think it's adorable. There are some good links off of this website as well.

December 30th, 2007

Link for You

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/ovauban

Great article about a completely car-free community in Germany.

December 26th, 2007

Virgin Post

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Suburban community with separate housing devoted to greener, cleaner living within current socio economical structures. A self-sufficient community using the latest and most effective technologies to maximize productivity with minimal environmental impact through the use of energy efficient building, solar panels, windmills, and water recycling.

In the interest of developing this community, I must find information on:

Solar panels and using their power

Rain water barrels

Using graywater

Pasteurizing milk on a small scale

Hydrogen or electric buses

Small electric vehicles -http://www.electric-bikes.com/lev.htm
http://kinetic.seattle.wa.us/prt.html

Suggestions are welcome.
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