Neutral Existence Environmental Site

What is Thermal Mass? Playing Catch and Release With Solar Power

2012-03-12T01:17:25Z

As anyone who has lounged in a sunbeam can attest, the sun brings heat to a room. In some climates at some parts of the year, this is a good thing. In a climate that is cold, you want the heat and light of the sun to shine through your windows in the…

Homes That Work With the Sun: Principles of Passive Solar Design

2011-11-28T16:22:28Z

The sun is an exploding furnace of gas, and it is anything but passive. Designing your home for the best possible use of solar power is also a…

Solar to Go: Small Folding Solar Panels

2011-11-07T00:18:25Z

It’s nearly summer, and it’s almost time to plan vacations. Rambling folks need power too, and those outlets can be hard to find on the road. Going off the beaten path, into less-serviced campgrounds? You’ll need your own power. If…

Hot, Hot, Hot! Connecting Solar Hot Water to a Tankless Water Heater

2011-09-27T01:19:49Z

We like it hot. Our showers, that is. So we stand in the glorious fountain of water that comes out of our shower, enjoying the hot cascade and using up the contents in the hot water tank in the process. Ah, the enjoyment. Oh, the guilt of using hot…

Easy Water Conservation Tip: Take a Navy Shower!

2011-08-11T00:53:07Z

There are so many great and painfully simple ways to conserve water at home. Here’s one way you might not have considered before, though: take a navy shower!

A navy…

Online Solar Assessment Tools

2011-08-04T19:40:34Z

It’s summer, it’s sunny, and solar power abounds. You’re sitting on the deck, watching the sun beat down on the roof, and you begin to think…

Find Recycling Locations Near You With This Online Directory

2011-08-01T17:35:11Z

Do you have a bunch of old electronics sitting around, just waiting to be recycled? Is it difficult to find a location near your home that will accept even standard recyclables such as paper, aluminum, and plastic? Thankfully, this website will let…

Buying Green and Renewable Energy: Weighing the Options

2011-06-04T16:56:41Z

Many of us want to buy renewable energy for our homes. We are tired of burning natural gas or coal, both of which contribute to climate change and changes in air quality. However, for many people renewable energy is a challenging thing to create at…

Outdoor Temperature and the Efficiency of Home Solar Panels

2011-03-25T23:48:11Z

The weather outside is hot: really hot. You sit inside, pleased because all of this sunshine must be good for your…

Solar Kits for Kids

2011-03-22T23:41:02Z

While it is winter and the sun has yet to make an appearance for more than a few minutes, it is coming. At least I hope that it is. While we wait for the sun to shine, teachers and parents can plan for summer and for children’s birthdays by thinking…

Growing Water Wise

2010-08-12T20:04:46Z

It’s the heat of summer. The plants are wilting rapidly in the garden, and you reach for the hose. Wait a moment. If you want to be water wise, you might want to reconsider your watering habits.

If you live in a desert, chances are that…

Home of the First Drive-Thru Bans New Fast Food Restaurants

2010-08-01T21:12:14Z

Baldwin City, with a population of 80,000 and home to a whopping 17 fast food drive-thrus, was home to the very first drive-thru back in 1948. But now the city wants to put a ban on any new drive-thru fast food restaurants, in hopes of fighting pollution…

Growing Networks, Growing Food: Community Food Security

2010-07-24T14:13:17Z

Food security: it sounds so formal, but the concept is actually very simple. If you can eat fresh and healthy food every day, you are food secure. If you struggle to buy or grow or glean enough food for yourself and your family, you are food insecure.…

It is Getting Warm Yet? It’s Summer - Time for Winter Gardening

2010-07-16T09:35:15Z

It’s summer. While the sun might be sporadic in many places, it’s time to plant your winter garden. Winter garden? Yes, that’s right. Planting a winter garden is a summer time activity, however hot it might be right now. Plants need…

How Humans Have Impacted The Oceans

2010-07-11T18:05:12Z

The devastating BP oil spill is still on everyone’s minds as its ecologically dire impacts on the ocean continue to take a toll. The scale of this particular problem is huge, but unfortunately, it’s just another way humans have wrecked…

Local Produce is Fun(gi)

2010-07-01T00:23:19Z

Growing your own? It never looked so good. The grow it locally movement is growing in leaps and bounds, and with it come new trends in urban gardening and foraging. Stinging nettles and dandelions are on the list for foragers in urban areas. Bees in…

Climate Change Might Result in Mass Extinction of Lizards

2010-06-19T19:43:12Z

New research from a study in Science claims that nearly 40% of all lizard populations, and 20% of species could become extinct by 2080, due to the effects of continuing climate…

Where Does Your Milk Come From?

2010-05-28T02:53:41Z

Ever wonder where that jug of milk came from that you just purchased at the supermarket? Just how far away were those cows raised? Well, thanks to this super nifty website, you can find out exactly where.

From the website “where…

Growing Soil

2010-05-26T01:09:43Z

It’s spring. The birds are singing, the plants are growing, and at garden stores across the nations there is a run on potting soil and other soil amendments. Everyone is heading out to buy soil.

I confess to buying soil upon occasion,…

Super Green Home: Turf Houses in Norse Era

2010-05-18T11:29:37Z

Talk about a green home! This website documents some ancient turf home reconstructions that date from the Norse Era in Canada and Iceland. The…

BestBloc Organic Sunscreen

2010-05-11T23:22:57Z

I went to a marketing convention a while back and met the owner of Best On Earth Products and he gave me a sample of BestBloc Organic…

Living Car-Free is Good For The Environment and Your Community

2010-05-10T14:32:55Z

In the eyes of many young Americans, the chance to one day own a car is likened to gaining a new kind of freedom and independence. However, many people are wising up about the realities of owning a personal vehicle, such as the writer of this particular…