Energy & Sustainability

If you’re a maker just starting out your journey in sustainability, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to get started. From understanding the types of materials to utilize, learning what steps will help reduce waste and emissions, and finding inspiring new ways to explore creativity that don’t have a negative environmental impact. The good news is there are plenty of resources available for DIYers looking for ways to make their projects more sustainable – from simple switches you can make today, big-picture ideas for longterm change, or exciting new ways makers are helping push sustainability into the future. In these blog posts we’ll look at tips tricks and ideas specifically tailored towards diyers and makers on the road to creating projects with greater eco consciousness so that not only will you create something beautiful but also respect its impact on our planet!

Flashback: Solar Herb Dryer

Oftentimes, the bounty of the season is, well, bountiful and more plentiful than can be used immediately. In my garden, the mint, parsley, and cilantro are thriving, and while I love using these fresh herbs in my cooking, I still have way more than I can use fresh. Enter our flashback for this week: a […]

DC power, Power, POWER!

DC power, Power, POWER!

I love all of the… er… juice that electric-powered drag racing has been getting lately. I just found out today, via the HacDC e-list, that there’s electric drag racing right near me, the Power of DC, coming up the end of August, in Hagerstown, MD. It’s the 9th annual race, hosted by the Electric Vehicle […]

Milk crate composting toilet

Milk crate composting toilet

Erik over at Homegrown Evolution has posted a how-to on using a milk crate, a five-gallon bucket, and a toilet seat to create a dry waste toilet. Even if the idea of “humanure” and the composting of human waste is a gross-out to you, this might still make an easy camping/temp outhouse toilet. Humanure Dry […]

Bizarre boats of yesteryear

Bizarre boats of yesteryear

Rex Research is a great site, chock-full of info about wacky inventions that never made it, including a bunch of free-energy quackery and pseudoscience that’s still a lot of fun if you take it with a grain of salt. One of my favorite pages so far is this collection of weird-ass boats that folks have […]