It is nearly impossible to fill a tire without cutting out the top wall. If you don’t, it takes twice the time and effort, and when the clay dirt settles, […]
Reduce your Carbon Footprint
Here are a few simple things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint Change to Fluorescent Bulbs – If every house in the United States changed all of the light […]
Hanging Out to Dry
Today I decided to do something to change the world. I built a solar clothes dryer. It wasn’t my first, and it only took about an hour to put it […]
Get Off Your Duff & Don’t Rest on Your Laurels
This the story of Duff & Laurel*, a rather apathetic and passive couple who slog through life unenthusiastically. As a young woman, Laurel had been involved in a community action […]
Finding our Magic Land
We had just finished our 2nd cross-country bicycle ride (from San Francisco to New York City) in August when the Realtor called to say he found a buyer for our […]
Trained at the Carpentry School of Hard Knocks
I started building things when I was in my mid-twenties. I tried my hand at making molds, stained glass windows and model houses. I also decorated my home with crazy […]
Before the Build
It’s mid-August, hot and humid, with record temperatures in the upper 90’s. We’ve been terracing the hillside, digging out for the waterfall and filling the retaining wall tires. Hoping to […]
A Realistic Cost-Benefit Analysis of Natural Resource Extraction in WV
As a citizen of West Virginia, I want our state to have a vibrant economy so that every person living here is able to provide for their families. Equally important […]
Don’t Just Gripe, Do Something!
As I am writing this post, oil is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico (resulting from the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig) at a rate never before seen. […]
Area Rug Made from Bicycle Inner-Tubes
Danish designer Annemette Beck creates textiles from recycled materials such as rubber, paper and metal. Her line of woven products include rugs, upholstery, fabrics, runners, blinds and even room dividers. […]