Home of the future?

I've recently been setting up my first smart home purchase- blinds that will close and open when programmed to keep heat out and let sunlight in for plants. This is so futuristic to me that I have been reminded of this fallow blog. 

These are the ikea Fyrtur. The inches of space left on the sides which seemed okay in the product photos, seemed different with light streaming in and when viewing at an oblique angle- I was able to see outside. I sent them back even though the marled gray is so beautiful. I swapped them for the Tredansen. The Tredansen blinds are nearly the width of the housing so they fill the window frame much better. At first I didn't like them but now they have faded into the background. 

Now my dreams have come true- sunlight wakes me in the morning, then a shade shields me from the hot morning sun, then the shades roll up all day for some nice fresh ambient light. I frequently think I have to change the configuration, only to see it is a slightly different weather or time of day than I thought and the blinds are still right on schedule. 

I enjoy tempering my experience with reading about when a technology was new. I recently saw a smart home on the show Columbo, which was set and filmed in the 70s- we have been hungry for this for a long time. But, the products are such a fact of life that I can't find breathless articles written with stars in the journalist's eyes. Well, that's not entirely true. I did find one that charmingly describes the smart home early adopters running empty pipes through all their walls so they would be ready for whatever new electronics got developed. Who would have thought it would come through the air?? 

Also though why does it take so much work on my part for it to come through the air. I realize I will need the router. I realize the blinds will need some receiver. And the remote, sure. But why also did I have to plug a disc into the router and a small guy (it is called a repeater, and it is like the plug part of a plug) into any outlet? I realize having me, the user, install the smart home app, Home Smart, on my phone, and teach it what all equipment I have, the names, the location in my home, and what I would like it to do is probably the best available solution for the most people. Maybe instead I could open and lower the blinds with the remote and after a few days it could start anticipating these times. Then as the seasons change I could use the remote again for a few days, training it anew. 

Tiny Solar Solutions

By Hannah West

As we are better learning to harness the vast supply of energy that beams down on us every day, a wider range of solar powered products are becoming available. This is exciting news both for those who can’t afford a full solar power system in their home and those who already have one but are looking for additional solar solutions—basically for anyone passionate about conserving energy. As an added bonus, solar powered products are great for when you’re out and about, roadtripping, camping, or for when someone’s already claimed the last plug outlet at your favorite coffee shop. Here are a few that we at Modernize are particularly excited about:

Device Charger

Via Ubergizmo

A dead phone battery is merely inconvenient in some situations, but it can be dangerous in others. Whether you’re running errands or exploring wilderness, a solar charger is an amazing solution that almost feels too easy. That’s the beauty of solar power! There are plenty of solar chargers out there—like the Gomadic SunVolt above—that can power up a number of electronic devices, so do your research before settling on one that just charges your phone or laptop.

Oven

Via SolarTown

Solar ovens could not be more perfect for camping. Instead of hovering over food while it’s cooking on the fire, you can set it in the oven and let it sit for hours while you’re busy doing other fun activities. Solar ovens are portable and so simple that you can easily make your own.

Outdoor Lights

Via My Fancy House

Because solar lights don’t need electrical wiring, you can put them anywhere you want on your property. Just make sure they’re in an optimum spot to soak up the sunlight so they can illuminate your yard at night.

Backpack

Via Birksun

A backpack with a built-in lightweight solar panel and USB connections will prevent you from ever fearing that red battery signal again. Whether you’re a student or a world traveler, a solar powered backpack will take away the stumbling block of running out of juice in a fast-paced world.

Tent

Via Bang Bang Tents

Yet another solution to the pervasive problem of getting power into our portable devices, the solar tent will allow campers to use camping gear and devices without worrying about proximity to electrical hookups. While solar tents are not yet widely available, there’s no doubt they’ll be popular with the festival-going crowds as soon as they hit the markets!

I have heard one hundred times that I must not run the water while I brush my teeth. But my tooth brushing technique involves constant rinsing so that I always have a cold, fresh toothbrush to work with. And the cold tap is on my right, and I brush right handed, so there is really no way my left hand can help at all. I have sincerely tried to brush my teeth with the water off and I hate it. I try to pretend I am camping, but I am not camping. I have tried using a cup of water, but they don't get clean so I just have to brush them over using running water.

Garden Oysters

Do you remember the buzz these two Berkeley kids created by selling a box of coffee grounds that will grow tasty mushrooms? When our box gave up its last oysters, I took the mycelium and inoculated our garden with it. This year, I'm being rewarded with some new oyster mushrooms!

Adding mushrooms to a raised bed garden is simple. do a little research and learn what sort of stuff your desired mushroom grows upon (oysters: oak, maple) and stuff some of the host material into the moist corners of your garden. Prep it well (make it good and wet, in most cases). Buy plugs, or look for living mycelia. Inoculate the host matter... and then wait. In a year or less you might have a new, renewable source of mushrooms!

BTW, did you notice how low effort this is?

Human Powered Fun

I've become involved in the human powered kinetic sculpture world. Many of the billions of people on Earth use their muscles to meet their everyday needs for water, food, and shelter. I get to use my muscles to make strange vehicles move upon the face of the Earth. Above, the Whittaker, a pedal powered paddlewheel water taxi, seen here at Rivertown Revival in Petaluma. Below, the SemiSide, the world's first side-by-side semi recumbent sociable tandem bicycle, as Dave Harris and I learn how to ride it.

I'm capturing some of this work over at Three Feet of Air.

Introducing Dave Harris!

Welcome, Dave!

Dave Harris is a Contractor, Builder, Maker, Solutionist, and Sustainability enthusiast. Together, we just might rock the local Green Scene.

Why does Sonoma County need yet more info and exposure to how to live more gently on the planet? Don't you already follow Transition Town Sebastopol? Perhaps our perspective from keeping one foot in the coming age and one foot in the passing age will be entertaining.

Building a Floating Island

I've begun getting video.
http://vimeo.com/user7636532/building-a-floating-island

My New Nomadic Life

I share my days among the towns of Citrus Heights, Santa Rosa and Oakland as well as visiting a working vineyard near Clearlake. I'm connecting with old friends and making new friends.

It's a time of renewal for me.

At the global level, I believe this is the calm before the storm: in the next few months we will begin to feel the effects of Japan's calamity all over the world. Everywhere I go I am making mental catalogs of available resources, noting how resilient the locals are, and participating in conversations around helping those in need while also caring for ourselves.

I wasn't sure about whether any of this belonged on "The Home of the Future" but as I move into this new incarnation of the work I can see that it does.

Right now, today, I am eating these berries as I look at this broken swimming pool and imagine how to convert it to aquaculture using onsite materials.

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Waste

Cleaning out the refrigerator, I end up with a collection of bottles and containers formerly holding the last bits of condiments and food. Food stuffs I had already decided I would never finish eating.
A big part of sustainability is being careful what I buy at the store so that I have less stuff to throw away.
Tonight I removed about 20 pounds of compostible (food) waste from the kitchen and another 10 or so recyclable packaging.
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Updated Template

There was nothing wrong with the old template. However, the comment system had been taken over and was going to cost me money. I successfully archived all the comments before changing over to Blogger's comment system.

Backyard Foraging

My neighbor Jess writes a nice article that includes how to make pesto from nasturtiums. She's pretty keen on something she's calling "weed gardening." It's a technique of noticing what is growing really well in the margins of your yard, and using that as food. She made a successful quiche from sow thistle, for example.

I've been eating wild radish for as long as I can recall. I discovered it when I was perhaps 8, exploring the wilds of Orange County. I'd pull up the ubiquitous plant and chew on the thin bit of root meat surrounding the woody core, enjoying its horseradish like quality.

My yard right now has several hybrids of wild radish and other brassicas. The particular plant in the picture above is making giant, juicy, crisp, flavorful seeds pods. I'm munching on them nearly daily. Soon they'll start to set seed and they won't be so pleasant.

Have a look around your yard! See if there are any edible feral flora growing near you. Start simply, adding petals to salads and that sort of thing. Educate yourself so you don't accidentally eat something harmful, but by all means experiment and find what's yummy in your unexpected places!

Benefits in Green Building

Guest post by Krista Peterson

Sure, everyone seems to be getting out and going “green” these days. From driving hybrid cars to living vegan lifestyles, many people are taking different steps towards better living throughout the world recently. In the area of green building, using these types of building materials can be not only beneficial in cost effectiveness and sustainability, but also in some more important areas. Minor substitutions and green materials used in the building process can be particularly beneficial in improving overall health and cutting down on the risk of disease for the future.

Paint is often one of the primary materials throughout a building or remodeling process. What many people are unaware of is that most common paints are high in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) which present health risks and threats to air quality when constantly inhaled. Given the repeated exposure that would be likely during a remodeling or building process, the associated health risks with VOC’s are a possibility for builders and remodelers. The range of health problems can span from extremely minor to some more permanent and long term issues. Repeated exposure to VOC’s have been shown to sometimes lead to health risks such as fatigue, headaches and dizziness, as well as more dangerous risks like kidney or liver damage.

Alternatives for paint products are relatively easy to come by. Most common hardware stores carry great options for normal paint products that are usually high in volatile organic compounds. The best alternative is to look for organic and low-VOC paints. This will certainly reduce risk of exposure and health risk.

Insulation can also be a great way to replace potentially toxic products with green building materials, while reducing health risks in the process. Many older homes, up until the 1970’s and 1980’s were built using asbestos as a common material in insulation purposes for houses and buildings. Unfortunately, although being extremely versatile and trustworthy as a building material. Asbestos began to be known as one of the primary developers in health problems such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, respiratory problems and other minor issues such as fatigue and dizziness. While both of these may seem inconsequential as far as health problems, the other risks are not to be taken lightly. For example, mesothelioma life expectancy is usually only between eight and 14 months after diagnosis. Having older homes checked for asbestos in the insulation and looking for new alternatives can be a major step towards better overall health. Even in the case that asbestos may not be a problem for your individual house, insulation is a great option for green building because of its ability to increase a home’s sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint, while still being cost effective.

Green options in insulation present some of the best forms of sustainability in houses today. As previously mentioned, making the switch to these green options can certainly decrease possible health risks, but they can also be high in sustainability and extremely cost effective at the same time. Some of the options in green insulation include the use of cellulose and lycnene. Cellulose is usually the most popular form of green insulation. It’s made from 80 percent of recycled paper and parts of newspaper, and comes complete without the dangers of formaldehyde. It’s also one of the cheapest options of green insulation as well. Lycnene is a form of spray foam insulation that is often the most sustainable form. Because it’s sprayed into seeps and cracks, its ability to keep air trapped in the house is excellent.

Certainly there are other easy steps that can be taken to help out in green insulation, but these two are some great ones to look at, primarily because of their ability to replace products that may have health risks, while still adding to the overall sustainability of the home.

E-Waste? No Problem.

This is "Timmy."

Timmy is full of e-waste.

Where should Timmy go to put all this e-waste? Is there a place nearby which will take this e-waste from Timmy? Yes, there is! I found ecollective.com through Google, and then Mobius Computers through ecollective. Chris answered my voicemail in under 5 minutes, and within an hour I was dropping off 300 pounds of wires, cables, computers, monitors, and a printer. "If you'd have told me all this was going to fit in that little car I'd have never believed you," said Aaron, the supervisor. He was super friendly and knowledgeable and made the process painless and easy. "The state pays the charges for CRT recycling, since we're a certified recycler."

While The crew at Mobius unloaded Timmy, the other company I'd contacted to get my goodies called me back. Too late! Mobius Computers Corporate E-Waste Recyclers wins this round!

Next!

So what now? We have so much technology... is that what is going to save us?

No.

It's getting to know each other more, releasing each other from our fears and pains and blocks... it's courageously looking at my relationship of 25 years and acknowledging "We've been working on this for years and we're still stagnant and it's just getting worse;" it's trusting that a higher Power is at work; it's realizing that I am free in a way I've never been; it's searching for and doing whatever it is I am uniquely here on the planet to do; it's encouraging you to do the same; it's seeing that we are all saints already and our fears hold us back from expressing that; it's unplugging from Facebook and taking a friend out to dinner--

We will be saved not because of technology but because we finally stop being driving by our fears and then hitch our souls to our dreams.