Underneath those lovely cob rocket stoves is a very basic stove that anybody can build. Here’s a how-to that shows all the basics and how it works, made from inexpensive materials. It features high-efficiency, less emissions.

http://www.aprovecho.org/web-content/media/rocket/rocket.htm

What is this thing called “cob”? It is amazing stuff. It has been known to last 500 years when used as a building material. It’s made only out of natural materials and is mixed by hand (and foot).

If you want to see how it’s done, take a look here:

http://ilovecob.com/video/makingcob/makingcob_10mb.mov

Today’s ecovillage builders can learn alot from the master cob builders. Yes, master cob builders.

This video is about where it all started, in Britain, not among those seeking an alternative lifestyle, but among traditionalists. Get ready to see some really lovely cob structures. Who says it has to look like a hobbit house?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljoBV_UJRi4

Merry Christmas! Early? I don’t think so…. the stores don’t think so….

Relax and listen to a couple of my favorites: Jingle Bells and O Come All Ye Faithful, jazz style (me playing).

Jingle Bells and O Come All Ye Faithful

Teepees, open fire, 30 years of living close to the way our ancestors did. And, even if you live there your whole life you can still come out as a computer science pro.

Get insight into the mindset of those who choose this way of life. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww7MXAgu0D0

Let’s get real — I’m not giving up my computer or my cell.

This ecovillage uses a multitude of eco-technologies and also has WIFI. Now we’re talkin’.
Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT6NIj4kEbQ

Could you live in a house that had only 360 square feet of living space? What if you had a roommate? What if you had a spouse and a child? That’s commitment to a sustainable lifestyle!

Take this video tour conducted by a very nice couple, expecting a baby, of the lovely sustainable home they built.

http://drtv.dancingrabbit.org/2007/08/23/eco-cribs-larkspur/

Imagine a home heater that is actually integrated into the walls and furniture of your home. The heat the stove produces radiates from the stove into the room. Very efficient.

This video shows two rocket stoves that are used as home heaters in a cob house. They look so simple and easy that anyone could build one. Take a look:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/demo/?review=1#url=http://drtv.dancingrabbit.org/2008/04/30/rocket-stoves-video-superefficient-wood-fired-heaters/

Here is a contrasting approach to an eco-village, in Eugene, Oregon. If you saw any of the pictures linked to in my previous post or watched the video, you will see the vast difference between this eco-village and the one in Missouri.

These builders used some really unusual techniques. For instance, they made a floor out of dirt, sand, straw, linseed oil and beeswax. Amazing. Also, the buildings and the area are gorgeous. Take a look:

http://www.maitreyaecovillage.org/Maitreya%20Tri-Plex.htm

 

The main site, with a very nice aerial shot of this beautiful eco-village.

http://www.maitreyaecovillage.org/

Yes, there are people who really are taking the plunge and completely changing their lifestyle from consumerist to sustainable. I have to tip my hat to people who are doing this. It’s easy for one to grow some tomatoes in an urban backyard and then claim to be working toward sustainability. One can boycott certain products, drive less, etc., but to radically change your life — move to a different living environment and adopt and live by sustainable values — is putting your money where your mouth is in a real way.

The residents of this eco-village in Rutledge, Missouri share two vehicles that run on vegetable oil fuel. They also have a large outdoor kitchen. The style of this ecovillage is distinctly outdoorsy, and also, it shows that the essence of sustainable living has nothing to do with large investments in fancy “eco-technology.” The narrative on the site projects a real sense of community and contentment with the sustainable lifestyle.

Check out the pictorial tour, which provides a great deal of information:
http://www.dancingrabbit.org/tour/tour_commonhouse.php

The video tour gives you a much better feel of what life is like there:
http://www.dancingrabbit.org/tour/VideoTour.php