Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in New Jersey used solar power, it would take 34 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area […]
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Ohio Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Ohio used solar power, it would take 210 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area nearly […]
Pennsylvania Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Pennsylvania used solar power, it would take 237 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area more […]
10 Awesome New Inventions For Homesteaders
Handy Camel Bag Clip The problem: Most bag clips are cheaply-made and used for light stuff like bags of chips. The solution: A hardy clip that seals bags without puncturing them, since the plastic “teeth” aren’t sharp. The tech: A handle on the clip lets you carry the bags around by the clip rather than […]
How To Build A Tiny House
So, you want to build a tiny house. You’ve spent countless hours envisioning a tiny house life. Your Pinterest searching days are dwindling; maybe you’ve saved a handful for inspiration. You’ve decided on the size, design, and amenities for your tiny house. Now, you contemplate the gap between you and your tiny house. To bridge that gap,
How To Make A Rain Chain
Rain chains aren’t just beautiful, but they can help manage water runoff around the home and help mitigate soil erosion from water pouring out of your gutters. In this video, green guru Michelle Kaufmann shows you how simple it is to build a beautiful rain chain.
Stacking Firewood
Stacking Firewood
Rain Chains
You know what’s perfect on a rainy day besides a good book and a roaring fire? Listening to the soothing sounds produced by a rain chain. There is something very zen-like about hearing the trickle of water during a light rain, or the roar of whitewater during a downpour! Rain chains were originally created in
How To Grow Sunflowers
I love sunflowers. Sunflowers display a bright splash of cheerful color against the garden fence, they provide an abundant crop of seeds which both our family and the birds enjoy, and they are so easy to grow. It doesn’t matter if you have a green thumb or not. If you can stick a seed in
Introduction to Agroforestry: What It Is and How to Successfully Implement It on Your Homestead
As a recently graduated wildlife major, I was a little out of my general comfort and knowledge range when I was accepted into the Peace Corps as an agroforestry volunteer. It was a challenging situation, and a serious one. It would soon become my job to teach locals about agroforestry farms and share different practices
Watch and Share: Genetic Scientist’s TED Talk Indicts GMO Agriculture
Dr. Thierry Vrain spent most of his working life advocating for biotechnology companies, as a soil biologist and genetic engineering enthusiast. In his recent TED talk Vrain systematically unravels the biotech spin, from the perspective of a scientist who can no longer ignore a growing body of evidence that GMOs cause problems. No matter how desperately chemical companies seek to paint critics as anti-science, reality rears its evidence-based head: considering everything we’ve learned since 1996, genetically engineered food crops deserve our best and most enthusiastic skepticism.
Eco Friendly Toys Ages 3-7
Eco Toys Ages 3-7
Hoop Houses
The earth may be giving, but the winds and the snows often conspire to take away that which the earth gives. So, for thousands of years people have been trying to protect a patch of earth from the vagaries of the weather. Enclosing an area and letting light in as a solution first appeared in
How To Add Nitrogen To Soil & 5 Natural Methods To Try in Your Garden
When you just start gardening, your knowledge of how to do it may be deceptively simple. Take a seed, put it in some soil, add water, and voila! Couldn’t be easier, right? And while this approach is a wonderful way to start, the beginner may notice that some sprouts do better than others. Surely there’s
Eco-Friendly Kitchen Sinks
Seekers of eco-friendly sinks, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news first: Affordable, new kitchen sinks aren’t 100% eco-friendly. When choosing a sink you’ll be balancing different aspects of sustainability. We’ve tried to give you a starting point for all the buying choices you’ll have to make. Kitchen Sink Materials/Colors
Alabama Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in Alabama used solar power, it would take 153 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover an area nearly
New Hampshire Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in New Hampshire used solar power, it would take 10 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover nearly two-thirds
New York Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in New York used solar power, it would take 76 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover nearly all
South Carolina Solar
Going solar? Good call. It’s the right choice for your pocketbook and for the climate. If everyone in South Carolina used solar power, it would take 74 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year—according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas calculator, that’s the equivalent of planting a forest that would cover all of
How to Build a Chicken Tractor: 4 Plans
Thinking about raising chickens for eggs or meat? A chicken tractor allows you to move the birds’ home around easily, so they’re getting a varied diet, and fertilizing your yard as you’d like.
How Energy Efficient is Induction Cooking?
Induction cooking is a promising new technology that could make food preparation much more energy-efficient (as well as time-saving).
Living Off The Grid
Living off the grid might seem like a dream come true for some of us. No longer tied to electricity or natural gas coming for a utility, we have greater choices for locations and saving money over the long-term. If you are someone who wants to set down roots away from the traffic and bustle
MTV Cuts Down Rainforest for Reality TV Show
After the Viacom-owned network finished filming their new treasure-hunt themed “Real World/Road Rules Challenge” on a remote, uninhabited island in the Republic of Panama, locals returned to find their beach tattered and abused. The television show, which premieres on September 17th, took over the neighboring, inhabited island in militant style by hiring the local police
Portable Solar Power Systems
Did you know that the amount of energy produced by all of the world’s nations is still less than the amount of energy provided to Earth by the sun in a single hour? The sun is, without a doubt, the biggest power plant on the planet, and for that reason, everyone who leads a self-sufficient
Companion Planting For Cabbage
Companion planting is one of the very best ways to keep cabbage plants healthy and free from insect pests such cabbage loopers, cabbage root maggots, slugs, flea beetles, diamondback moths, and aphids. Cabbage is easy to grow in the homestead garden if you select varieties suitable to your United States Plant Hardiness Zone, enhance the
Lessons In Self-Sufficiency Learned From Hurricane Irene
Insteading’s Michele Decouteau shares lessons her family learned from riding out Hurricane Irene on their New England homestead.
DECT Phone Safety
DECT Phone Safety, Dangers of DECT, low radiation dect phones
25 Free Rabbit Hutch Plans to House Your Furry Friends
Whether you’re raising meat rabbits or looking for walk-in rabbit hutch plans for your favored pets, making your own hutch can save you money and help our environment by reducing waste. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available to find what works best for you when raising rabbits. Important Details to Consider When Building a
A Practically Waterless Washing Machine
A new washing machine that uses just a cup of water, a pinch of detergent, and about 1,000 small recyclable plastic chips to clean clothes is coming to an appliance store near you, by the end of 2012. Cost will be comparable to the average price of a conventional machine. Plus, your clothes come out of
A Surprising Reason We Don’t Farm As Sustainably As We Could
I recently posted a description of a highly sustainable form of row crop farming that combines high productivity with low environmental impact. This is not just a theoretical vision but something which is actually being practiced on a significant commercial scale (e.g. non-tillage, cover cropping, controlled wheel traffic, variable rate fertilization…). It is difficult to
Tree Houses! From The Past Into The Future
future tree houses, modern tree houses, treehouse inspiration
How The Average American Uses Energy
Inspiration Green Blog. Inspiration to green the world.
Microscopic Images Of Seeds
The diversity and intricacy of shapes and sizes of seeds is extraordinary. Even more amazing is that within even the tiniest of seeds lies the complete genetic information required to birth and structure such organisms as the complex passion flower, or a 360 foot tall sequoia. Seeds are also amazing travelers, either with the help of
Tiny House Builders
With so many individuals and companies building tiny houses, how are you supposed to know who to choose? Some tiny house builders can build and ship homes nationwide or send their design plans across the world. Other, smaller builders, focus on their region and work primarily with locals. Choosing a Tiny House Builder The thing
Growing Leeks: From Starting Seeds to Blanching Bulbs
If you’ve never had the experience of growing leeks, you don’t know what you’re missing! This straight-laced member of the allium family has a milder flavor than onions, and it’s extremely cold hardy, making it a great choice for Northern gardeners looking for fresh vegetables in the dead of winter. To reap the fancier flavor
Outdoor Chandeliers
An outdoor chandelier can create the perfect, mood-setting lighting to make your spring and summer nights last even longer. I love those afternoons with friends that move into dinner in the backyard with a great bottle of wine, which turns into another great bottle after the sun is already setting. Have you ever noticed that
Tips For Winter Emergency Preparedness
Winter blizzards can be life-threatening. Are you prepared to survive winter’s wrath? Millions of people in the United States live or recreate in isolated areas, away from the amenities of city services. If emergency services are not readily available, self-reliance is required. In an emergency scenario, your life and the life of loved ones may
21 Facts About Bottled Water, The Environment, & Human Health
The plastic water bottle market in the United States is worth billions of dollars annually. Plastic water bottles can be purchased just about everywhere and they are quite convenient, but there are many problems associated with them. In fact, when you become aware of the problems and how many there are, you may never buy
6 Deer Repellents You Need To Try
Just. One. Deer. That’s all it takes to undo hours and hours of painstaking yard work. Just one deer can wreak havoc on a beautiful garden. Those vegetables? Flowers? Uprooted. Well-raked planters? Trampled. Fortunately, there are several low-impact ways to deter and repel deer. You don’t have to resort to poison or nasty chemical solutions
Best Gazebo Kits
There’s something about a gazebo that makes for a picture-perfect backyard. They add class to your outdoor area and give guests a place to gather. You’ll have a range of options when buying gazebo kits—from small to large, classic to modern. So, first, you’ll need to settle on some important details. You’ll want to consider
Why You Should Start Using A Clothesline
When I think of using a clothesline, I think of a conversation I had when I still lived in the city. While hanging my laundry, my neighbor’s little boy poked his head through the fence. ”Whatchoo doing?” “Hanging up my laundry.” “Ain’t you got a dryer?” “We got rid of it. The sun and the
20 Unique Weathervanes For Your Homestead
Before radio, television, satellites, and smartphones, a weathervane was the weather reporter of the homestead. Atop the roofs of homes and barns, they told homesteaders how fast and which direction the wind was blowing. Sudden changes of direction or wind speed could mean a storm was approaching—an early warning system that helped homesteaders save countless
10 Considerations For Your Backyard Duck Coop
When it comes to barnyard livestock, ducks are probably the easiest-going of the bunch. When there is a slight drizzle, the goats complain and run into the barn. When the north wind blows ice crystals across the fields, your chickens are floofed-up and hiding in the coop. Meanwhile, the ducks are blithely waddling across slush
Goat Shelter Basics: What You Need to Know to Keep Your Herd Safe
Goats are remarkably hardy animals. They can survive on forage and browse that would make a cow or sheep’s stomach rumble in discontent, and their clever feet can scamper among rocks, cliffs, and scree that are impassable to even the most surefooted human. For all their apparent toughness to inhospitable environments, however, there is one
13 Fall Crafts Ideas for the Family
The evenings are getting cooler, and I can sense that special, autumn crispness all around me. If you haven’t already done so, check your crafting supplies, because here come the autumnal-themed crafting ideas for you and your whole family. There’s something for everyone on this list. Grab your hot cocoa or warm cider, gather your
Controlled Burns: Everything You Should Know
Fire has always been a part of our environment just like water, earth, and air. Believe it or not, fire is one of the most essential natural agents of change because it plays a vital role in maintaining certain ecosystems. Native Americans have understood this and used fire to maintain prairies, keep the ecosystem healthy,
DIY House Winterizing
There’s useful knowledge that disappeared somewhere between these last couple generations. Maybe it’s just me, but there seems to be a lot of younger folks out there trying to figure out how to live in a harsh cruel world with bills to pay and things to do. Regardless of where or how you live, staying
The 4 Types of Solar Cookers
Downing trees or gathering sticks to fuel stoves is a major cause of deforestation and desertification. But if you could get that fuel free from the sun… The Panel Solar Cooker The Panel Solar Cooker uses reflective panels to focus sunlight onto a pot. These work best in tropical climates or in the warmer months
All the Different Sugars
List of all the Different Sugars
80 Awesome Earth Day Tips
Happy Earth Day! What better way to celebrate than choosing to make some positive changes in your everyday life! Whether you want to reduce your carbon footprint, teach your kids about the importance of protecting the environment, or support a company that makes donations to earth-conscious charities, we’ve found 80 things to do on Earth