http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net Sustainable Living Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:39:31 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Bioplastics are plants as plastic; such as starch-based plants like potatoes into plastic in addition to casserole, or hashbrowns. That is the new world of bioplastics. Bioplastics came about due to a need to find less pollutive ways to create plastics. It is possible due to the strength of plant fibers ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/bioplastics-from-plants/ Ecological and socially sustainable living is the main theme for living in an Ecovillage. The social component to Ecovillages is modern living. Modern living with regard to life-style comfort. This comfort is centrally caused by the use of environmentally friendly technology. A progressive advent of the tradition of communal living, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/ecovillages/ 3M door and window warmer kits are easy-to-install frame insulation kits, used to increase the thermal dynamics of the home by sealing the cracks between the frame and the edges of doors or windows around the house, keeping drafts and cold air from getting through. As we move into an era ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/3m-door-and-window-warmer-kits/ A clustered LED light bulb like the CC VIVID Plus LED is an energy efficient, long lasting multi-directional light bulb that actually costs less than CFLs in the long run, while providing healthier lighting right now. The CC VIVID Plus LED light bulb has a standard cork screw socket, but with ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/clustered-led-light-bulb/ Strategies for Sustainable Architecture shows how sustainability can be incorporated into practical designs that work, showing one hundred designs that are working, throughout Europe, North America and Australia. When we look at the future that is coming tomorrow, and we realize that something must be done, when our hearts are screaming ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/strategies-for-sustainable-architecture/ Home Power Magazine has been around since 1987, was developed by Richard and Karen Perez with the mission to change the way people generate and use energy in their homes. Mini hydro-electric, wind, solar, rechargeable electric automotives, on-grid, off-grid, suburban or urban; Home Power Magazine is about reaching the maximum of ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/home-power-magazine/ Green Builder Magazine is the main publication of Green Builder Media and is dedicated specifically to residential sustainable development. For the residential sustainable developer, Green Builder Magazine is an authoritative voice with recommendations on design, products and practices, while complete with news, updates, legislative issues and legal issues. Profiles of other green ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/green-builder-magazine/ Acres U.S.A. Magazine is the best publication about sustainable farming available, with more than 35 years of continuous publication, filled with articles and information written by real people that make eco-agriculture part of their lives, while only advertising for the real farm suppliers. There is a lot of theory out there, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/acres-usa-magazine/ In todays world of sustainability, we need to watch every last use of our concrete; it is a limited resource, one that takes millions and millions of years to develop in nature. Harvested with great cost, usually at the sacrifice of underground caves, some of natures most precious environments. That gray powder ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainability-of-concrete/ Sustainable Living is a book for home, neighborhood and community, showing the most essential information in this area, information that most people are looking for, but have a hard time finding; here is fifteen years of sustainable living knowledge, packed into one place. Living sustainably is not just about being self-reliant, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-living-book/ Green Building Products is a greenspec guide to residential building materials, both for those who actually build homes as well as the conscious homeowner looking to remodel their home with a little consideration for the environmental impacts that traditional materials can have. Long-term value, health, safety, efficiency, beauty, durability, energy costs, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/green-building-products/ As the area of sustainability grows, so does the range of books for growing professionals in this diverse area; Heating, Cooling, Lighting is a book of design methods for architects that breaks the possibilities down into an organized array of concepts. The energy flow of a building can be cut down ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/heating-cooling-and-lighting/ Living the Good Life, and Continuing the Good Life by Scott and Helen Nearing is the original book on the 60s homesteading movement, and shows us what it takes to get out of the city and back to the land, with little money or knowledge. All of us know what it ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/living-the-good-life/ Micro Eco-Farming is a book about how to prosper with an organic mini-farm the size of the backyard to the size of a small acreage, for living a more sustainable way of life, today. Life is an enigmatic question, but everyone agrees that it should be lived to its fullest, but ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/micro-eco-farming/ The Straw Bale House is a guide to inexpensive home building with this unique and eloquent technique that is clean, lightweight, energy efficient, cheap and even earth-quake resistant. While many sustainable books just mention straw bale, it is sometimes enough to spark the human imagination into the far more elaborate, artistic ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/straw-bale-house/ RechargeIT is a Google.Org initiative with plug-in hybrid electric cars or V2G vehicle to grid cars, with the objective of showing how much cheaper and efficient electricity can be as an alternative domestic fuel source when compared to gasoline. V2G, also known as plug-in hybrids really are an ideal option for ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/rechargeit/ Brad Pitt is using his celebrity status together with Global Green USA to help promote a green tendency in reconstruction through the wake of hurricane Katrina. Already, they have chosen six finalists, for their project, and each project shows something special in the area of sustainability that makes them unique, while ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/global-green-usa/ The Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal goal announced on November 27, 2007 abbreviated RE<C is Googles attempt at creating a new renewable energy revolution. Initially, Google will need to hire experts that can help them produce one gigawatt of electrical power that is actually more cost-effective than the production of coal, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/rec/ Sustainable Sites seeks to set standards for sustainable landscaping, through guidelines to site development that will greatly reduce the environmental impact of landscapes, much in the same way that standards already exist for sustainable green buildings. Climate regulation, clean air, clean water and an improved quality of life; these qualities look ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-sites/ Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development by Herman E. Daly is a way of looking at growth and sustainability from different angles. This book accounts for new ways of thinking about economy through wealth of nature, the necessity of morality and value of community. Challenging traditional thinking about what ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/the-economics-of-sustainable-development/ The Philosophy of Sustainable Design outlines the most important issues and ideas emerging in the movement toward sustainable architecture and design, over the last thirty years. This is a starting point for those involved in the building industry and looking for a more responsible method of building. This is ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-design-philosophy/ The University of Waterloos Alternative Fuels Team breaking through the common thinking about Hydrogen fuel cells by making the very first successful model by a University for the Challenge X Competition. When students start making their own models of advanced technologies like hydrogen cars that have only really been taken seriously ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/uwaft-alternative-fuels-team-and-the-challenge-x-competition/ Sustainable Living has 25 international examples of both high and low-tech homes across five different continents, through lavish photographs both in color and black and white, showing historical neighborhoods to rustic settings, with some of the most surprising materials from straw bales to sandbags, inspiring green design in every little ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-living/ Sustainable Planet is a product of the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD), and shows how we, as American citizens, can improve our quality of life by changing the way we consume, promoting social justice and protecting the environment for a more self-reliant tomorrow, starting right now in our ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-planet/ Green Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave by Chuck Hall is a way of observing every aspect and phase of the human lifecycle as an integral part of nature and the environment through a clear perspective of sustainable living. Green Circles is a 176 page paperback first ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/green-circles-by-chuck-hall/ Could mushroom spores replace conventional foam insulations? A renewable source of sustainable insulation from mushrooms that also acts as a firewall (and could even be grown into a whole house) was invented at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is planned to be commercialized under the label Greensulate by Eben Bayer and Gavin ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/greensulate-insulation-from-mushrooms/ The Climate Savers Computing Initiative was announced on the 12th of June, 2007 by more than thirty different high-tech companies such as Intel and Google in order to drive energy-efficient computing; saving 5.5 billion U$ in energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 54 million tons per year. Everybody knows that ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/climate-savers-initiative-2007/ The UK is ordering new sustainability standards on their modern built ZEH homes for the year 2016, and a showcase was released on the 13th of June, 2007, Kingspan OffSite, featuring six lighthouse-class homes that have no carbon footprint whatsoever. Two bedrooms, sixty percent more insulation, southern facing windows, 93,3 square ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/the-uk-goes-zeh-efficient/ On the 5th of June, 2007 at the World Water Foundation (WWF) convention in Beijing, Coca-Cola officially pledges to replace the water it uses. Three factors; REDUCE, RECYCLE and REPLENISH: Reducing the water used to produce its beverages Recycling water used for beverage manufacturing processes Replenishing water in communities and nature. Launching a multi-year partnership ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/coca-cola-pledges-to-replace-the-water-it-uses/ Balance Point Homestead is a passive solar energy off grid home in the Mohawk Valley, upstate New York. David and Sarah's self sufficient passive solar home is totally off the grid, is not a part of the buy back program and was never intended to be. It was always meant to be ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/balance-point-homestead/ H2CAR or Hybrid Hydrogen-Carbonis a proposed process for a more sustainable biofuel that virtually eliminates CO2 emissions in biodiesel, multiplying biomass efficiency to a point where our nations current demand for oil would be completely met and eliminating the need to sequester the current overdose of CO2 in our atmosphere. H2CAR ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/hybrid-hydrogen-carbon-process-h2car/ Orchard Supply Hardware based in San José California is supporting the efforts of Miller School in Santa Maria, with over 1,000 U$ in gardening supplies and cooperation to build a state-of-the-art school garden. Volunteers, teachers andelementary students working together in the garden is traditionally what school gardens have always been about ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/school-garden-in-santa-maria-is-supported-by-osh/ Excel-Aire makes Bio-Bubble; a 100% degradable bubble packaging that turns to water, CO2 and harmless biomass through the d2w (degrades to water) oxo-biodegradable additive process. Bio-Bubble is oxo-biodegradable, has been comprehensively tested, is environmentally safe with no compromise to product features or performance and is completely recyclable either as a plastic ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/bio-bubbles/ Chevrolet Volt by GM (General Motors) just may be the car that will revolutionize the way Americans commute, this hybrid sports car has a sleek and aggressive style that plays caddy to what todays working class needs, wants and most of all, what the near future is certain to demand, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/chevrolet-volt/ Green construction faces obstacles but is on it's way to become a more "known" industry. Buildings That Breathe - Green Construction is Coming of Age by Sally Deneen and Brian Howard http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/green-construction/ As a for-profit organization, Google Philanthropy will spend three million in Google stocks on sustainability projects for developing nations such as Ghana in Africa. Offering possibilities for venture capitalists and start up companies in the area of sustainability is only the tip of the iceberg, Google Philanthropy intends to reach out ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/google-philanthropy/ The Tesla Electric Roadster of Tesla Motors gets its name from the famous Nicola Tesla; a man who knew electricity should belong to the world, a man who knew its potential. Are you thinking of using a car that is completely self-sufficient and sustainable for the modern age? ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/tesla-electric-roadster/ Remote military bases in Western Iraq migrate to renewable energy sources as cheaper in the short term. As of August 11th 2006, the US Military in charge of western Iraq has made the firm decision to migrate to renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar. The decision was made due ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/remote-military-renewables/ Governor George Pataki (New York) calls for fuel efficient cars, tax credits and development of alternative fuels as an energy plan. He offered this 10 year plan on the same day an Alaskan pipeline was shut down for repairs which could enhance his possible presidential run. Patakis Remarks @ a National ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/pataki-energy-plan/ Established in 2005, the Thailand Institute of Packaging Management for Sustainable Environment (TIPMSE), is a non-for-profit organization sponsored by Coca-Cola, that fights for a more sustainable future in Thailand. TIPSMEs most recent conquest has been a MoU or Memorandum of Understanding for the development of waste segregation, collection and recycling models ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/coca-cola-in-thailand/ Hurricane Katrina gives birth to Sustainability Projects in New Orleans With a 3 Million US dollars investmented from Ameriquest Mortgage Company and associates and the genius of young university architecture students from Tulane, the rebirth of a sustainable New Orleans will receive its first example. With the reconstruction of the historical New ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainability-in-new-orleans/ Green Roofs in Urban Landscapes It has been some 50 years since Germany began to pioneer a trend in urban development known as the green roof. MSNBC posted on the April 27, 2006: The planted rooftop of the American Society of Landscape Architects building in downtown Washington is a model of ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/green-roofs/ Sustainable Forestry - Strategies for replenishment Sustainable forestry is about protecting the future of our biosphere, making sure we have air to breath, and clean water to drink. But it is also about making a global economy sustain its needs for wood in the present as well as the future by ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-forestry/ Sustainable Fisheries - Enhancement and wise use. Sustainable fisheries look to secure protection, enhancement and wise use of fisheries resources for our current needs globally and the needs of our future generations to come. Sustainable fisheries are those that look to develop a more sustainable natural use of our ocean's fish, ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-fisheries/ Sustainable Development - Environmental sensitivity A good definition of sustainable development is easily stated by the UN: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." And within this area there are three basic points of reference for international organizations such as ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-development/ Sustainable Business - The result of crisis Sustainable business exists as the direct result of crisis. Every time we suffer an energy crisis, we stimulate creative solutions. Those solutions don't always come from within any specific field such as the oil industry, but more often than not those people who are ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-business/ Sustainable Agriculture - Basic principles. The concept of sustainable agriculture revolves around three basic principles, environmental health, economic profitability and social as well as economic equity. Sustainability has a founding precept that we must meet our own needs here in the present without compromising the ability for future generations to meet ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-agriculture/ Sustainable Architecture - Concepts of energy conservation. Sustainable architecture is based on the concept of energy conservation. Sustainable architecture design is focused on "all points are zero", as are sustainable architecture schools. Depending on who's theory of thermal dynamics a person is studying, the focus in sustainable architecture may ... http://sustainable.rain-barrel.net/sustainable-architecture/