Our Greener Life

There seems to be a growing interest in earth-based buildings these days. There are several possibilities for the attraction – earth-based structures are eco-friendly, the building material is plentiful, and as the toxic nature of conventional building materials becomes more well-known, many people prefer the non-toxic nature of natural building materials. Poured earth is one type of earthen construction that is enjoying a resurgence.

What Is Poured Earth?

It sounds like a fancy term for mud, but it’s more than that. Like concrete, poured earth uses a combination of aggregate (hard, inert, binding material) and dry cement. Many people confuse the terms “concrete” and “cement” – they are not the same. Cement is a component of concrete, not vice versa.

When concrete is mixed, the aggregate is sand and gravel, which is mixed with dry cement and water. Poured earth uses soil as the aggregate, which is then mixed with dry cement and water. Thus, poured earth is somewhat akin to concrete (not cement).

The soil used in poured earth structures needs to meet certain specifications, which require testing to discern. If you are planning to build using poured earth and your soil does not meet the specifications – say it’s too high in clay – then soil amendments, such as lyme or magnesium oxide can be added to bring your soil up to specification.

How compatible your soil is for poured earth will determine how much cement you will need to mix in – the less clay, the less cement is needed. Mixing in a material known as flyash can reduce the amount of cement you need.

What Else Do You Need?

* You will need some way to pour the earth as you would concrete, such as a traditional cement mixer or concrete pump. Try to rent or borrow one from a local construction company.

* Frames are necessary to hold the poured earth walls as they dry. You can use concrete frames, steel, or wood.

* Plaster, cob, or other finishing material will be needed for indoor and outdoor walls.

Is It Expensive?

Initially, yes, it is a bit more expensive than conventional construction. At this point, poured earth structures are customized buildings, which makes any project more expensive. Bear in mind, however, that poured earth buildings are inexpensive to maintain (more on that below). Also, as poured earth becomes more widely known and utilized, the cost will likely go down as standard types develop.

What Are the Advantages of Poured Earth Buildings?

* Poured earth buildings are extremely durable, comparable to concrete.

* The thick walls of poured earth create a peaceful interior.

* Poured earth is free of chemically-treated wood, synthetic insulation, formaldehyde, and other toxic building materials.

* The durable nature of poured earth means that it is highly resistant to the wear and tear that occur in typical homes. It is very low-maintenance.

* Heating and cooling are aided by the radioative effects of the earthen walls, which have “inherent thermal mass.” They absorb heat and release it gradually, making the internal temperature inexpensive to maintain and far more constant.

* Fast construction is another advantage of poured earth buildings.

Once you construct a foundation, the frames are erected and filled with the poured earth mixture. For extra insulation, some builders will construct a second wall with a space between the two, which is then filled with eco-friendly insulation. After the walls dry and “cure,” you can finish them with plaster or cob (a mix of mud and straw). Then the interior and exterior walls can be painted as you like.

Image credit: www.greenhomebuilding.com

Have you ever been enjoying the beauty of a landscape only to have your experience ruined by the sight of trash on the ground or in the water? Few things ruin the beauty of nature like improperly discarded plastic bags, bottles, paper, tires, and so forth. You may want to get active and help fix the problem, but it seems daunting and unpleasant. So why not host a trash pick-up party? You will elicit extra hands to help while visiting with friends and having fun.

What Is a Trash Pick-up Party?

Basically, what you are doing by hosting such a party is making something fun out of a necessary (if somewhat unpleasant) task. You are pitching in to help clean up the environment in general and your community in particular. Trash pick-up parties can foster a sense of community as everyone pitches in to take care of the area. Here are some ideas and tips for hosting your trash pick-up party.

1. The first step in hosting your party is to identify a specific spot you want to see cleaned up – a roadway median, creek, playground, neighborhood, etc. Then, check with local residents and authorities to make sure your target area is not someone’s private property or private governmental property.

Take the time to obtain permission from individuals or appropriate authorities if necessary. Very few people would protest about a free labor party cleaning up their property, but it is still a good idea to ask!

2. Organize everyone’s tasks. You can do this in a fun way – you could have everyone pick his or her task out of a hat (or used plastic bag!). Decide on what tasks need to be done beforehand so that everything runs smoothly. For example, you will need someone to bring large bags or containers to hold the trash, someone to drive to the recycling plant, someone else to go to the local dump, etc. Be sure to consolidate these errands as much as possible to save gas and keep emissions at a minimum.

It would be a good idea to section off the area, too, so that everyone is responsible for a certain spot. This will make things more efficient and easier.

3. Take care of your party “guests.” You’ll want to have snacks and drinks available in reusable containers. Contact everyone ahead of time and ask them to bring something, or provide refreshments yourself. You might even want to have a special cake with an environmental theme (green frosting!).

Be sure to tell the participants what they will need to wear, such as waders or boots if it is a creek clean-up, thick-soled boots for areas with broken glass and other sharp trash, and heavy work gloves for everyone.

4. Keep your party green by organizing a car pool for your guests, or co-ordinating with the local public transit schedule.

5. Recycle what you can of the waste. Some things will just have to be thrown out, but try to recycle as much of the trash you find as possible.

And finally, have everyone meet at a restaurant, coffee shop, or someone’s home afterward for fun and camaraderie!

With Spring rapidly approaching, you may be starting to get things cleaned up for the season. Check out these helpful tips for dealing with garden waste.

When garden waste is composted, it decomposes aerobically – that is, using oxygen. Unlike landfills, which decompose waste anaerobically (without oxygen), garden composting produces few greenhouse gases. And when you recycle your garden waste, you are providing yourself with useful, organic compost, thus eliminating the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Here are some ideas for how you can recycle your garden waste:

* Grass clippings can be left on your lawn after mowing. They will act as mulch, helping to hold in moisture. As the grass clippings rot, they will enrich the soil of your lawn. Rotting grass clippings contain nitrogen, which is an important fertilizer for your yard and garden.

You can also rake up your grass clippings and pile them up where they will rot. You can add bits of this rotting matter to your compost, or even sow seeds into the grass clipping pile. Squash and pumpkins are possibilities for plants that will grow this way, as long as the clipping pile receives enough sunlight.

* Prunings and trimmings from brush, trees, garden plants, etc. can be added to your compost pile. If they are large or woody pieces, you will need to chop them up a bit before adding them to the pile. If you have a flower garden, compost the pinched-off blooms and cut stems. If you have a vegetable garden, compost peelings, rinds, and leaf and stem prunings.

* Fallen leaves can be piled onto your compost, or composted alone to make something called leaf mold. This is a kind of compost that is high in nutrients. You can use it for mulch or fertilizer, depending on how you decompose it. Just chopping or shredding leaves produces mulch that you can use immediately, and it will enrich the soil as it breaks down.

To make leaf mold, you must let the leaves rot much longer, from 6 months to 1 year. If you do not chop the leaves first, making leaf mold may take 2 years. Simply compost the leaves in a pile, bin, or other container that allows for ample air circulation and turning.

* Biodegradable bags can be used for yard and garden waste if you have trimmings from weeds or other materials you do not want to recycle. Some communities will gather garden waste and return it as mulch or fertilizer.

* Creative uses for branches and twigs include home-made herb-drying racks, natural fences, or crafts. Use natural twine to lash the branches together and reinforce with nails if necessary.

Every year parents spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on toys and activities for their kids. While many of things are great for keeping young minds and bodies active, many of them are unnecessary. Sure kids need structured play, but they also need “free” plan and this is easy to do when the world’s largest playground is right outside your back door. Why not let them play outside?

Every toy, book, and TV show that comes out has been designed and redesigned several times in order to make it educational and entertaining for children.  The great thing about nature is that, while being entertaining and stimulating to the imagination, it’s also educational. Nature can teach children the basics of science, economics, and creativity.

It’s cheap. Depending on where you live, exploring nature is usually pretty inexpensive, if not free. It may mean going out in your backyard, local park, or perhaps going to the local nature center or state park (which usually have low cost fees or memberships). This way, you don’t have to pay for expensive toys, jungle gyms, or memberships to expensive entertainment centers, but you still get the benefit of stimulating and educational play.

It makes them think. Lately there’s been a trend in education towards inquiry based learning. Researchers have found that if students explore and experiment to figure out answers on their own, they’re going to learn better, and retain more information. It also helps them develop skills to be able to learn things on their own later. What better environment to learn things than out in nature.  There are lessons for kids of all ages to discover about the world around them.

It may help the world. Everyone these days is trying to be more green and more environmentally conscious. What better way to help do your part than to get your children interested in their own planet than right now when they’re young and impressionable? What might be a fun time for them now, might be a future hobby, career, or world saving invention.

It’s fun. While it’s easy to forget, childhood isn’t just for learning about how to be an adult, it’s also about having fun. Nature gives kids a chance to use their imagination and be free to just be kids.

While unstructured play outside is great for kids, you can also find a lot of places offering structured classes and learning sessions for kids that focus on the natural world. Check your local park, zoo, or museum. There’s a good chance they have classes you can sign up for, and since many of these places are not for profit, they’re usually affordable as well as informative.

Across the world, there are millions of dollars being spent to help promote sending your kids outside to learn from nature.  That’s because spending time in the outside world is so important for developing minds. It can also be a great escape for you as well.

Nature is the newest trend in skin and hair care. For years, we’ve been putting toxic chemicals into our bodies that build up and make us feel tired and sick, regardless of whether we eat them or if they seep though our pores. And people are finally catching on that natural is better.

Most stores now have a line of “natural” beauty products. Unfortunately, they often come with a big price tag attached too. Often times many of these products are not actually “natural” so it does pay to do your homework to ensure you are getting what you pay for.

Fortunately actually making beauty products yourself isn’t too difficult. So if you want beauty products that you know are natural and are also inexpensive, just make them yourself. Here are 5 quick and easy recipes you can make at yourself.

Face Mask
Eating good food helps give you the right nutrients you need to look good.  You can get more of these vitamins and minerals by putting the good stuff right on the skin.

Combining a mashed carrot, mashed avocado, and a beaten egg with a half cup a few tablespoons of honey creates a great face mask that provides vitamins, and improves the tone and texture of your skin. Just stir well, apply, let sit for about 15 minutes, and then wash off with cool water.

After you’re washed and nourished your skin, you can use grated cucumber or diluted lemon juice as a toner to help tighten your skin and close up your pores to close your pores and keep your skin looking great.

Hair Conditioner
Many people pay a lot of money for a conditioner that actually makes your hair look and feel good. Here’s a great natural recipe to save you money and help your hair.

Just mix an egg yolk with a tablespoon of castor oil and apply to hair. Let sit for about ten minutes and rinse out. You can use this every so often as a conditioning treatment for healthy shiny hair. If you like being experimental, you can try mixing other kitchen items, herbs, and natural items with eggs for healthy, shiny hair.

Hand and Foot Cream
A quick face mask will help make you look great in not a lot of time, but hands and feet require extra care.

Use 1/2 cup of olive oil mixed with natural sea salt and massage into your hands and feet. Leave a few minutes to soak and then rinse off with warm water.

When it comes to natural beauty products, these recipes are just the start.  You can find hundreds of different combinations in natural beauty books, magazines, and on the internet. Or you can go to your kitchen cabinet and make your own special creations.