Blog Action Day

October 15th is Blog Action Day, when blogs from all over the world will post on a single subject. The subject for the inaugural BAD is the environment.

Spread the word.

Technorati tag: EcoHouse

Living Space 21

Living Space 21 aims to provide cheap, low impact housing for the UK. If you have 40 square metres of land with access you can have one of their Studios on Stilts for £60,000. What's more, they've teamed up with the Co-operative bank who will provide a 95% mortgage, with stages if you choose to go the self build route.

If you do go the self build route they will supply the frame with doors, patio and stilts, if necessary, for less than £20,000. Plotsearch is recommended if you need to find the land for your build.

via TreeHugger

Technorati tag: EcoHouse

It's gonna take a forest- ecolibris, plant a tree for every book you own

Ecolibris intends to offset the publishing industry by having readers pay for tree planting. There are economies of scale, but it comes out at around a dollar a book. The current casa Spinneyhead, where every spare surface is stacked with reading matter, would cost a fortune to offset.

Technorati tag: EcoHouse

BioDepot - franchising biodiesel

I doubt it's the first eco franchise to come along, but it's the first I've seen. For a minimum investment of £35,000 franchisees can start producing fuel compliant with EN 14214 and ASTM standards (more on biodiesel standards).

Included in the franchise package are:

* A complete production plant (Bio Micro Brewery)
* Collection facilities for base material (UVO & Crush)
* End user sales systems (Public & Commercial)
* A production by-product disposal system
* Quality fresh vegetable oil delivery
* Full Training: (operational Bio Diesel production, technical, business/finance, sales & marketing.)
* Full launch programme
* Ongoing mentoring and quality assurance support
* National branded identity
* Significant personal income potential (In excess of £100,000)

I'd like to see biodiesel pumps springing up everywhere, so long as the primary source of raw material is locally sourced waste cooking oil. More power to them.

Technorati tag: Biodiesel

Ladies Love Green Guys

According to Nuts magazine "Caring about the environment" is now the number one most attractive trait a man can possess, displacing old favourite "Good sense of Humour". The Green Guy has the full press release.

It's not the easiest thing to start a conversation about in the pub though. "Hey, do you compost?"

Technorati tag: EcoHouse

Organic farming cuts greenhouse gases

A 27 year comparative study has concluded that organic farming methods such as no-till sowing and growing winter cover can see soil retain 30% more carbon than ploughing and chemical use. Not only do these methods sequester carbon in a cheap and simple way, they can produce as much, or more, food as "intensive" farming methods.

Technorati tag: EcoHouse, Farming, Carbon Sequestration

An X Prize for fuel consumption

The foundation that handed out $10million to the makers of SpaceShipOne for being the first non-government space craft has announced a $10million prize for the first team to produce a commercially viable car capable of 100 miles to the gallon. So far 30 teams have announced their intentions to participate.

Technorati tag: EcoHouse, X Prize, Fuel Efficiency