Compendium of Useful Information

September 14, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Books & Reference, DIY

solar house

“Access to 2 gigabytes of information about sustainable and resilient living that meets the challenges of peak energy, climate instability, economic irrationality, toxic politics, war and violence.”

Compendium of useful information – version 1.0, september 3, 2010. The page reminds a lot of the 13 gigabyte database set up by Alex Weir (previously: How to make everything yourself – online low-tech resources), and from a quick overview I learn that many of the same sources are listed.

However, the list is better organised and also seems to contain quite a few DIY-resources which I did not see before.

Related: the recent launches of the Green Wizard Forums and the UNESCO Traditional Knowledge Base. Picture: totally solar heated house.

Waste to Meat Recycling

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Food, Meat, Recycling

“If pigs are fed on residues and waste, and cattle on straw, stovers and grass from fallows and rangelands – food for which humans don’t compete – meat becomes a very efficient means of food production”. Read. Via Energy Bulletin.

Parts of 1909 Automobiles

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Cars, Obsolete technology, Travel

Rambler price list rear axle Rambler price list steer wheeling group

Green Wizards

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Books & Reference, DIY, Environmentalism

“One of the things the soon-to-be-deindustrializing world most needs just now is green wizards. By this I mean individuals who are willing to take on the responsibility to learn, practice, and thoroughly master a set of unpopular but valuable skills – the skills of the old appropriate tech movement – and share them with their neighbors when the day comes that their neighbors are willing to learn”. Green Wizard Forums. (+ criticism & response).

Tricycle with Foldable Fairing

September 9, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Bicycles, Bikes, Human power, Low-tech cars, Pedal power, Recumbent tricycles, Travel, Tricycles, Trikes

The Hase Klimax has won the Eurobike 2010 award. The Klimax is a recumbent trike with a foldable fairing and electric assist. Beats any electric city car in terms of efficiency.

Hase-bikes-klimax-4Hase-bikes-klimax-5

Hase Bikes

Guerilla Farming

September 4, 2010 by kris de decker Filed Under: Farming, Gardening

“We’ve long gardened in two raised beds in the parkway in front our house (the parkway being the space between the sidewalk and the street). This is officially city property, though we are responsible for maintaining it. It gets great morning light, so it’s a valuable growing space. It’s also fun to garden out in public, so we can talk to our neighbors and get all the fresh gossip, and show little kids what food looks when its growing. The drawback to a public garden, of course, is that it is defenseless.” Read. Via Dinosaurs & Robots.