March 26, 2005

Land

The Autonomous House

autonomous house
Off-grid Pioneer

BBC Radio had a great dive into the archives tonight (Saturday), with a show about our past visions of the Future House.

From the 1970s it featured the first well-developed idea for an off-grid home — The Autonomous House designed by Brenda and Robert Vale. And from the 80s – Biosphere 2. Both were off-grid ideas that were ahead of their time. The Vale’s ideas are just coming to fruition all over the US and the UK

Listen to the programme

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Land

They practice what we preach

Jules Dervaes and his family who live an almost completely self-sufficient life are about to be featured by the New York Times, with their own video on the newspaper’s web site.…

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0954252934-02-mzzzzzzz-6654621Guess what? Ecover is no longer the number one choice among eco-friendly detergents. (find who now holds that honour at the end of this article).

Lloyds TSB and the Royal Bank of Scotland should be avoided if you are looking for a home loan from an ethical company. Try the Nationwide, if you want a big company, or Ecology Building Society or the Ethical Mortgage Service instead. And Ecover has also been knocked off the top slot for house cleaners, dropping to number four.

These are just a few of the useful findings in the new Good Shopping Guide – click on the picture to buy the book. In dozens of handy sections from toothpaste to TVs, and Insurance to Ice Cream, the guide lists the main brands, and then rates them on an easy-to-read scale. Using 14 separate tests, including categories like Irresponsible Marketing, Animal testing, Environmental Reporting and Workers Rights, the guide delivers a point-by-point guide to each company’s activities.…

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