Intentional Communities

A few Years ago I became very interested in setting up an intentional community close to the city. It didn't work out for a myriad of reasons. I would like to bring some of that hard work and information here. I don't want to loose the information I gathered there and will be slowly adding the files here hope the duplication will help diffuse the feelings of loss.

Aura Borealis sustainable solutions for northern living
auraborealis.com/index.html
An Alberta based company that designs straw bale homes. They have some very interesting design ideas the site is worth checking out. I was quoted $79.00 a square foot on Feb of 2002 less if you do some of the work. Note: I have heard complaints regarding this companies building technique and lack of practical skill. I'm keeping their link though as they do have some interesting ideas.

Checklist for Environmentally Responsible Design and Construction
http://www.buildinggreen.com/ebn/checklist.html
DESIGN - SITE ISSUES - MATERIALS - EQUIPMENT - BUSINESS PRACTICES

Creating The Not So big House
www.notsobig.com
The inspiration for The Not So Big House was a growing awareness that new houses were getting bigger and bigger but with little redeeming design merit. The problem is that comfort has almost nothing to do with how big a space is. It is attained, rather, by tailoring our houses to fit the way we really live, and to the scale and proportions of our human form.
Also: www.notsobigshowhouse.com/

The Solar Cooking Archive

The Solar Cooking Archive

We are working on some of the grade four curriculum on solar cooking and I came across this website. Makes me spitting MAD (not the website but the ideas that came to mind, I really think this is a valuable website).

Is it really so SOOOO incredibly hard for the powers that be to want people to live happy healthy lives?? Why is it 'they' want to keep the poor -people/countries- poor so badly? What can possible motivate people to want others to fail? I suppose I shouldn't focus on poverty so much as an inability to succeed or feed ones self and family nutritious food and clean water. I know that poverty does not lead to life in refugee camps you can have a very comfortable life and still end up in a refugee camp. War and natural disasters lead to life in refugee camps. Anyway this website completely demonstrates why our western governments/corporations don't want us using solar power right now. The fear of a truly independent people must be staggering to them. I mean my goodness "Not To Be Needed?" that is the worst feeling any parent can have. For the controlling "my house my rules" types of governments and the corporations trying to slave us out for profit...

Makes me want to get off the grid sooner rather then latter.