Say Goodbye to Wimpy Paper — Service 2008 (609): 1 — ScienceNOW

Paper grocery bags that can hold a few liters of milk without tearing? That may not be too far off thanks to the development of a “nanopaper” that is tougher than cast iron. The material–made from nanosized whiskers of cellulose–is also lighter than conventional paper and could provide sturdy scaffolds for growing replacement tissues and organs.

Say Goodbye to Wimpy Paper — Service 2008 (609): 1 — ScienceNOW

Ive been interested in papercrete since ive heard about it, but maybe there is some use for this super paper in a house building application.  Possibly  paper SIPS???
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Tags: papernanofiber steel

Open Architecture Network | Improving living standards through collaborative design.

Open Architecture Network | Improving living standards through collaborative design.

WOW.  I know I have saying that alot as of late, but seriously.  There are so many awesome projects on here.  Totally worth taking a peek at.

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Tags: open, source, architecture

Open Source Food

Open Source Food

MMMM, for those who love to cook as much as me- 
What could be better than open source cooking!?!

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Tags: opensource, cooking

GreenStone Group

GreenStone Group
“The purpose of the Greenstone Group is to increase the number of skilled entrepreneurs and thus build community and business wealth and employment through the growth of locally owned businesses.”

Ed and I have been discussing the microhouse project, thinking it may be a good thing to do it open source.  Might not be the most profitable, but certainly a good thing.  Friend Steve told me about the GreenStone Group.  Might be something that Ed and I can utilize.

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Tags: microhouse, Open Source, Greenstone Group,

Greenworks Company : : Greenworks

Greenworks Company is an offspring of Cal-Earth Inc., a nonprofit organization. Greenworks Company is dedicated to developing and distributing environmental and humanitarian films and productions. Its quest is to spread and sustain awareness and cutting edge solutions for these urgent global issues.

Greenworks Company : : Greenworks

Watch some of the trailers at the site-
Looks like good reading.
Erik

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Tags: alternativebuilding, construction, movies, environmental, humanitarian

80. Robots Evolve And Learn How to Lie | Robots | DISCOVER Magazine

80. Robots Evolve And Learn How to Lie | Robots | DISCOVER Magazine

mmmm, doesnt a robot telling you a lie just make you feel all warm and fuzzy?

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Tags: lietelling robot

Printing Out Buildings: R&Sie(n)’s Museum of Ice : TreeHugger

The eight-axis robot, top, at ETH’s digital fabrication studio in Zurich creates brick walls in custom patterns.

Printing Out Buildings: R&Sie(n)’s Museum of Ice : TreeHugger

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PolitiFact | A service of the St. Petersburg Times and CQ

PolitiFact | A service of the St. Petersburg Times and CQ

PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times and CQ will analyze the candidates’ speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate.

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Tags: PolitiFact, truth-o-meter, st. petersburg times

Sorry

Hey anyone who may read this.
I have been super lazy with my blog.
I know…  i reinstalled flock on my powerbook,
since its what i use most of the time nowadays-
I think it’ll be just as good or better than camino.
so just to let a’ll know…
E

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Tags: sorry, back to life, erik

AWESOME Story. Must read…

William Kamkwamba’s Malawi Windmill Blog

Wow.  what can I say about this.  Amazing.  Totally worth the read…

technorati tags:africa, malawi, william, kamkwamba, windmill

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Cottage industry

…long time since Ive last posted.  I got my powerbook fixed, but no flock on it, so much tougher to blog.   This is a very cool article on small housing and making room in your life for it…

Cottage industry / Renovation of a tiny – wait, make that minuscule — house in Pacifica turns its owner into a specialist in compact living

ie:

– Nix doors that swing. Find cabinets with sliding doors, and use
curtains or shades to partition off space. (Dieter’s “laundry room” is a nook
stashed behind a natural-fiber shade.)

– Multipurpose furniture, such as Dieter’s futon, and folding furniture,
especially chairs, add flexibility. These pieces do not have to be ugly; Dieter
has found modern and comfortable chairs at Ikea and Design Within Reach.

– Put furniture on rollers for easy cleaning and access to partitioned
areas. Some rollers come with brakes or locks, providing stability for beds and
couches.

– Build into the walls to create nooks and display areas, but don’t
build into the room with molding, baseboards or even door and window frames.
Even carpet intrudes on space; Dieter used bamboo on his floors. “Basically,
everything that comes into the room, I’m taking away,” he said.

– Make cardboard prototypes for possible additions to make sure they’ll
fit into the scheme of everyday life. Dieter even put up a mockup of his range
hood to confirm that yes, it really did need to be just 3 inches deep to ensure
that it wouldn’t regularly meet with his head.

– Think vertically. Narrow spaces between cabinets and appliances create
storage for pans and cutting boards. An Ikea accessory that affixes to the
ceiling and floor provides a full-length mirror and hat or coat hooks. Dryer
stacks atop washer.

technorati tags:micro, house, small, living

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MYT engine

WOW. seriously worth taking a peek at…

Shurcliff 100 Solar Space Heating Inventions

Excerpts from the book New Inventions in “Low-Cost Solar Heating — 100 Daring Schemes Tried and Untried” by Dr. William Shurcliff.

Shurcliff 100 Solar Space Heating Inventions

technorati tags:low-cost, heating, William, Shurcliff, solar, space, passive, active, water, storage

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Living in a box

An eight-foot aluminium box is being touted as the solution to the housing shortage. But what’s it like to sleep, eat, wash and entertain in one? BBC News’s Rajesh Mirchandani did just that.

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Living in a box

technorati tags:microcompacthome, cube, house

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BioBased Spray Foam Insulation

Boy, it’s hard to find a really good, green(er), efficient spray foam insulation for your home! This seems like a good bet: Biobased Spray Foam Insulation
is made from soybeans (a renewable resource), containing no harmful and
irritating micro-fibers or organic dust particulates. It is a thermoset
plastic foam that is, by its very nature, inert. Because it uses water
as the blowing agent to apply the insulation, the system produces no
off-gassing and provides an eco-friendly approach aimed at reducing the use of foreign oil products.
When the insulation is sprayed into the floors, walls and ceilings, it
quickly expands to 100 times its size to fill in every crack, crevice,
and void, creating a continuous air barrier around your home that
blocks outside irritants such as mold, pollen, and other allergens from
entering your indoor environment. The company states that “It insulates your home so well you will actually require a smaller HVAC unit in your home or structure. BioBased Insulation will not support mold growth and is not a food source for rodents, insects or other vermin.” Sounds good to me. 

BioBased Spray Foam Insulation

technorati tags:bioBased, insulation, soy, foam, green, building

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