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By: NaturalFreeChoice.com We can help the environment and at the same time reduce costs. Some of the ways to start is being aware of the waste produced in our home, also what resources could be used in a more efficient way so that we can save water and other resources, therefore reducing the associated costs. Following are some ideas for water management: 1) Reuse water to feed the plant - the water can come from several ways: a) Dishwashing water - Use buckets for washing, for example two buckets can be used for one bucket for soap and water and other with only water to rinse the dishes. Use biodegradable soap for dishwashing so you can reuse it. b) Compost Shower - Use biodegradable soap c) Kitchen water - Water used from other kitchen uses, like water from boiled potatoes. d) Dish drying racks - You can build a rack over an area where you are growing plants, then clean water drips into the ground this way watering the plants.

Permaculture ethics and principles can be applied to both home and community. It helps us to make good decisions for healthy people and for the environment. Permaculture itself is an ethical design system. The ethics of permaculture involves three aspects; care for the land, care for the people, and care for the future.

By: NaturalFreeChoice.com Food storage can be used for long and short term planning. Having the right amount of food stored can provide us with enough supply in case that for some reason we are temporarily away from our regular food supply. You can buy the food already prepared for long term storing or you can do it by yourself by drying fruits, appropriate food canning, etc. Before obtaining the food that you are going to store (it does not matter if you are going to buy it already prepared for storing or are going to do it by yourself) you should follow some basic guidelines so you can have a successful plan

"Owenite Community Robert Owen 1771-1858 Owen's ideal community was drawn up in 1817 by the architect Stedman Whitwell. A large scale model was built and Owen used it on his lecture tours. The designed village spread Gymnasiums for Exercise attached to the Schools and Infirmary Conservatory in the midst of Gardens Baths, warm and cold Dining Halls with Kitchens beneath them Schools for Infants, Children and Youths, and the Infirmary Library, Detached Reading Rooms, Bookbindery, Printing Office etc Ballroom and Music rooms Theatre for Lectures, Exhibitions, Discussions. Museum with Library of Description and Reference Rooms Brew-houses, Bakehouses, Washhouses, Laundries, Dining halls Suites of adult sitting rooms and chambers Esplanade one hundred feet wide about twelve feet above the natural surface. Paved Footpath The Arcade and its Terracegiving both a covered and an open communication Sub-way leading to the Kitchens. As well as dwelling houses and dormitories for up to 2000 inhabitants. For more information visit Robert Owen's House in New Lanark."

Plan for our Rocket-Powered hot water system for the Basecamp shower + bath block Spending all your day gathering sticks for a hot shower is just no fun. No

"The software behind localfoodsystems.org is now available for download, use, adaptation and enhancement. It was developed using Drupal, which is also open source software, through a USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative Regional Partnerships for Innovation grant, and is now available to the public to ensure that social networking tools are freely available to those developing food systems and innovations related to specialty crops. Please share this message with programmers or those in charge of websites for organizations working on food system development who may have an interest in offering social networking tools to their members."

By: NaturalFreeChoice.com When storing food it is necessary to verify how we are going to manage the shelf life of our food. Looking for the right conditions is essential to keep it in edible conditions so we stay healthy also during the time we consume this food. When choosing your food for storage make sure that is in good quality conditions. When choosing the place you should follow the following steps, so your food last longer: 1) Quality of Food - Be sure that you are buying or storing fresh food or food that is in good conditions 2) Rotate: Food that was stored first should be the food consumed first (First In First Out) or the one the one that expire first 3) Low Temperature: Try to low the temperature as much as you can in the area of storage since every increase of 18 degrees F cut by half the live of the food. Try to store in an area above 32 deg F and below 72 deg F.

By: NaturalFreeChoice.com Soil improvementis necessary to get better crops when you obtain an acidic or alkaline result from a test. You may need to rise or lower the PH level depending on the results obtained from the test. Following are some techniques to adjust the soil to a neutral PH depending on the test results: 1) For both alkaline an acidic: Regularly add mulch, compost, organic fertilizers and other organic material. 2) For acidic soils: The usual way to correct acidity is to use Lime. The safest material is ground up limestone rock (agricultural lime). Also ash from wood fire can be used, crushed seashells ans dolomite.

"Energy security is rapidly becoming a major concern for citizens of both developed and developing countries. We have grown totally dependent on low cost oil and gas for our everyday lives. As increased pressure is put on the remaining reserves, prices are rising inexorably, and alternatives must be sought. This requires a change of lifestyle for the 21st Century. Wastewatts is a technology discussion forum that looks at ways in which we might change our fossil fuel dependent lifestyles, off-setting petroleum with renewable fuels or those derived from industrial or agricultural waste."

"In this section find out what the programme will do for you, how it works, more about the workbook and the extras... What will it do for me? Cut your household bills - with easy, helpful, practical advice: Take control of your daily costs Reduce your impact on the environment Understand better these times of change and uncertainty Act together with your friends, family and community Have fun, make friends and save money at a pace and schedule that suits you Transition Together helps you build a Practical Action Plan. It cuts through the massive amount of often confusing information that's out there, and provides you with reliable facts and practical tips from the experts. It provides local information relevant for all of us living here in Totnes and District. This programme is free and only available to local residents. So far over 280 residents in Totnes are taking part in the programme..."

"Crowdmap is designed and built by the people behind Ushahidi, a platform that was originally built to crowdsource crisis information. As the platform has evolved, so have its uses. Crowdmap allows you to set up your own deployment of Ushahidi without having to install it on your own web server\nUse the power of the crowd to monitor and visualize what went right, and what went wrong, in an election.\nWhether it's a natural disaster, epidemic or political crisis, Crowdmap was built for it.\nCrowdsourcing isn't just for emergencies, you can use it for local knowledge and business too.\n

"Transition Voice is the new online magazine for the Transition movement, a cultural wave of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe who are responding to peak oil and declining fossil fuels by helping their communities and families to prepare for a future where economies and culture will likely look very different than they do today. Transition planners hope for a life that will be cleaner, more local, and human-scale."

Welcome to the home of Transition Town Westcliff, an exploration of how the people of Westcliff on Sea and the surrounding area can prepare for a carbon constrained, energy lean world. TTW is a community-led initiative which is working towards the creation of an Energy Descent Action Plan for the town. The thinking behind TTW is simply that a town using much less energy and resources than we presently consume could, if properly planned for and designed, be more resilient, more abundant and more pleasurable than the present. TTW also believe that only by involving all of us - residents, businesses, public bodies, community organisations and schools - will we come up with the most innovative, effective and practical ideas, and have the energy and skills to carry them out.

Low Carbon Exeter is a dynamic civil action initiative. Our main aim is to respond to the challenges of climate change and resource depletion in a way that is conscious of the global scale, but makes practical and insightful changes on a local level. For more about us go to The Vision section. Welcome to the Low Carbon Exeter city in transition website, the online platform for helping to make a low carbon Exeter. We're continually improving and adding useful tools and interactivity, so please take time to look through the site and revisit it frequently as this helps us to improve it for you, to contribute yourself find out about how this site works.

Transition Mayfield is part of a national initiative in response to the crisis in fossil fuel supply and reserves world wide, referred to as Peak Oil. There is increasing energy consumption in the West and escalating demand in the developing nations. Nuclear and hydrogen energy are not safe and fraught with long term problems. The objective is to make the transition to renewable energy. The present level of demand cannot be met solely with renewable energy. There is a need for creative, practical ways to consume less energy. The Transition Initiative is a catalyst for communities to formulate and implement ideas and strategies for local, sustainable development.

WE NEED TO PLAN FOR OIL PRICE RISES ... ASAP !!! Many years ago these rises were predicted to start between 2006 and 2012. They will dramatically affect ferry prices and therefore food and other products brought over from the mainland, AND will isolate the Island by reducing commuting and 'exporting' of our own products. Globally, they will change transport, plastics, pharmaceuticals and how we grow & distribute food. This issue is called 'Peak Oil'. Climate Change is another set of changes that will affect us all - perhaps more than Peak Oil, but probably many years later. Much needs to be done to deal with the implications for food, disease, building, heating, etc. To survive these challenges and use the opportunities, we need local plans for sustainable lifestyles that use skills rather than machines.

By: NaturalFreeChoice.com Choosing the right technology helps to protect our environment, and at the same time makes our work easier, this type of technology is called appropriate technology. It is designed taking into consideration the ethical, community, economical, and cultural aspects from where it is going to be used. There are some characteristics that describe this technology like the reduction of electric use, reduction of labor, uses renewable energy and materials that are friendly for the environment, etc. Following are some example of this technology with a brief description: 1) Solar cookers a) Use heat from the sun and cooks slow b) There are several designs: 1) Heat trap boxes 2) Curve concentrators (parabolic) 3) Panel cookers 2) Solar dryers a) Can be used to dry vegetables and fruits b) Some designs are: 1) Plastic dryers: made of wood frame and wrapped with a clear plastic 2) Wood and glass dryers: uses air flow

This time I am going give you some tips about soil improvement techniques for clay and sandy soils. Soil that is mostly clay will need some sand and other ingredients to make it better, the same with sandy soil, will need some clay and other things.

To obtain healthy plants we need healthy soil . Since there are different types of soil we can improve it according its type. The techniques are the following: 1) Organic compost: Provides nutrients. 2) Mulch: Good for earthworms which change humus into nutrients. Protect from direct sunlight, provides nutrients, and increase soil biota. 3) Dry and liquid compost: The same benefits as mulching.