Lately, there’s been a lot of building work going on around Dancing Rabbit. So for this episode of Dancing Rabbit TV, we’re taking the opportunity to provide a “how-to” natural building lesson, an in-depth video about earthen plastering techniques and application. Tamar guides us through every step of the way, showing how easy it is to make natural plaster from just a few simple ingredients, and both making and mixing the plaster, and then applying it to a natural home wall. (Watch PART 2 of this video here: www.youtube.com
Peak Moment 103: Wanting to live a “reasonable, comfortable life” in tune with nature, Ann and Gord Baird are building a near “net zero energy” home on Vancouver Island. Their plans: the first load bearing, seismically engineered, two story, insulated, cob residence in North America. Solar PV panels for electricity with grid tie. (Wind power will come later.) Passive solar design with solar thermal for hydronic heating and domestic hot water. Composting toilets to enrich the earth for gardens along with grey water recovery for orchard irrigation. Rainwater catchment from a living roof tops off this sustainable, affordable, natural home for their three-generation family of six. Follow their progress at www.eco-sense.ca. Looking for a specific topic in our Peak Moment library? Visit www.peakmoment.tv. Go to “conversations” and click a tag, or do a search. Our home page lists “specials” (presentations and conferences) available on DVD. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Or go to “journal” to join the dialogue on Janaia’s Journal.
In this program, we’ll explore the exciting race underway to design greener products of all sorts. You can work toward a green career as a furniture maker, interior designer, industrial engineer, or product designer within a myriad of businesses. This is a contest that will reward those who can envision or help create the “greener mousetraps” of tomorrow. Jobs profiled in this program include: Architect, Interior Designer, Consultant, and Landscape Designer 21 minutes, color. direct link to purchase the DVD: www.phoenixlearninggroup.com
Peak Moment 119: Builder and author Shay Salomon finds that the happiest home builders are often the ones with the smallest houses. They’re less costly to build and maintain, more likely to be finished, use fewer resources and help people simplify their lives. One version of “smaller” is to share a house, which can ease our loneliness while building our social network. Co-founder of the Small House Society, Shay notes that scaling down can enable a ratcheting up of our whole lifestyle, as we revalue quality over quantity. Declaring “Enough”, she says, is the most ecological thing one can do. [ www.littlehouseonasmallplanet.com ]
