Do-It-Yourself

If you already live a greener lifestyle by doing some of the simpler things like insulating your home, replacing old appliances with more efficient ones, driving less, and buying locally, then what is the next step? Maybe you can lower your greenhouse gas emissions by installing a solar water heater. Solar water heating is one of the least publicized but most cost-effective renewable energy options. According to Windy Dankoff of Conergy, solar water heaters capture six times more energy than solar electric at a third the cost. This is why solar water heating offers excellent economics.

It's 10 a.m. on a Saturday and I'm cooking an egg on the sidewalk, not in Death Valley but in St. Paul, and in a solar oven. The pace of solar cooking allows me to parent, write and ponder our civilization's future without burning my egg. I am using no natural gas and producing no carbon dioxide in the process. But the sun is not always available and a crispy solar pizza is still a dream.

Step 1: Create

This may include writing down what you create, via computer, typewriter, feather pen or crayon. Try to make your thoughts and images relatively two-dimensional as this will make them easier to reproduce.

I've been making wine at home for many years. I seem to constantly make small changes in the process in an effort to make it simpler and quicker. The way I do it these days is to use a 64-ounce bottle of grape juice, which is the cheapest generic grape juice I find in the supermarket, to make 3 gallons of wine at a time. Here's the way I do it:

• Choose at least a 5-6' tree grown to nursery standards.
• Select a site with enough room for roots and branches to reach full size. Avoid overhead and underground utilities.
• Prepare a planting area as deep as the root ball and 3-5 times its diameter by loosening the soil. Dig a hole in the middle of the area and set the root ball even with the ground level.
• Use water to settle soil and remove air pockets in planting area.
• Stake the tree to flex with the wind only if tree is unable to stand up to wind.

After a couple of years in the contemplation stage, my wife and I finally decided to build a small backyard water feature. In May 1999, we ordered pallets of Sahara stones, Holland pavers, and sand, with which we hoped to build a small (56"w' x 64"l x 14"d) pond. Before we began work, a key question was how to power the pond's fountain. Our 1920s house has no outdoor electrical outlet. Sure, an electrician could install one, but then a trench for the conduit and wires would need to be dug from the house to the pond site.

Materials:

My wife and I have a small water feature in our backyard. When we refill it in the spring, the garden hose gets the job done quickly, and then we give the water plenty of time to release gas before we add plants and animals. As the weather warms, however, evaporation requires that water be added from time to time. I do not use tap water, because its chlorine content could harm the resident fish, tadpoles, and other creatures.

--from http://styles101.homestead.com/hrecipes.html

Herbal Ingredient List:

Footnotes/Endnotes

Majestic Mountain Sage

Green Sense

Sugar Plum Sundries