Article: In many ways off grid living
is a very rewarding experience.
Renewable Energy can really enhance and improve your life. Off grid
living does not have to be difficult either, as some of you may
believe. For a more in-depth look at Living Off the Grid and how you
can get started come to our website and sign up for our free weekly
newsletter at
http://www.off-grid-living.com/default.asp
Many people associate off grid living with hardship and doing
without-nothing could be further from the truth today. Off Grid
Living is about having plenty, yet living responsibly. Most people
have a hard time during the early stages of planning their off grid
move but that part can be easy with proper planning.
According to our latest research the main thing holding people back
from off grid living is the fact that they are heavily in debt. Get
out of debt Live off grid has become a common phrase around our
home. It isn't hard to see why this is. If you can eliminate your
monthly bill to the power company and some other bills as well you
could very well be on your way to getting out of debt. Along this
line of thinking, Jane and I have for years embraced a need and want
structure while Living off the Grid. We first buy the things we
need, only then do we buy the other things that we want. Check out
our latest newsletter to find out about getting out of debt and the
ebook that literally saved our life and our marriage by showing us
how to become debt free.
Off grid living opens
up many new avenues for creating employment from home as well. If
you have always wanted to write for magazines or websites but didn't
quite know how link up to our website and we will show you how. You
will soon see that Living Off the Grid is really worth it-there is
real joy to be found in off grid living. HOW WE GOT STARTED WITH OFF
GRID LIVING.
During the days of skyrocketing interest rates in the late 1980s, my
wife, Jane, and I realized that our dream of owning a home was
slipping away. For the first eight years of our marriage, we lived
in a rented house in Norwich, Ontario, and we just couldn't save
fast enough to buy our own place. Then, a friend gave us a box of 80
back issues of old homesteading magazines like Mother Earth News and
Harrowsmith. That box opened up a whole new world for us. Reading
those magazines, we realized other people looked at the world the
same way we did.
In 1992, we purchased 20 acres of forested land in Northbrook, a
hamlet in eastern Ontario about 150 miles from Norwich. The property
was on a plowed back road with school bus service, but it didn't
have electric power. We were determined to live without the "monthly
mortgage," as my wife calls it, to the electric company; our Off
Grid dream was born. Off grid living is what we were looking for.
The same friend introduced us to Living the Good Life, the classic
homesteading book by Helen and Scott Nearing, and I discovered
self-sufficiency. We began corresponding with Helen (Scott had died
five years earlier) about our move and our worries. In her motherly
way, she patiently guided us through our fears through many letters
that we still have. On May 5, 1994, we moved to our property,
determined to build our house before the first snow. We lived in a
tent trailer that I had bartered for when working with a local
carpenter. By June, we had the land cleared and the concrete
footings and block walls done. A local contractor put in the septic
system and well, and cleared the land. Early June saw us agonizing
over the high price of lumber. The next week I was at our chain saw
dealer to pick up oil and a new chain when I casually mentioned the
price of lumber. He asked, "Have you seen these mill attachments
that fit on your chain saw? You make your own lumber if you've got
trees." Excited, I told him, "I've got 20 acres of trees. Keep
talking!" He explained how it worked and I ordered one. When it
arrived the next week, I set it up and went to work. The mill
attachment cost $250, but it literally paid for itself the first
day. Throughout June and July our oldest son Andrew and I cut
lumber. I'm proud to say that not one piece of store-bought lumber
makes up our house frame. We cut studs, 6-by-6-foot floor joists,
10-by-10-foot beams, 19-foot-long roof trusses and 12-inch-wide roof
boards, all with the chain saw mill. Granted it was smelly, hot and
dirty work. But the chain saw mill proved indispensable to this
"cheap Scotsman," as my wife calls me.
We only cut mature trees, and we used dead and damaged trees
whenever possible. Because we cut the lumber right where the trees
fell, all the waste was left to break down and fertilize the forest,
there is no need to replant; simply let natural regeneration take
place. Building the house turned out to be a slow process. Soon
October was closing in on us and we only had the second floor done.
A roof was two months' work away. What should we do? After working
for nearly five months without a day off, we took a trip to my
parents' home in southern Ontario.
While we were there, my dad mentioned a large greenhouse grower who
suffered hail damage to half his plastic greenhouses and he had lots
of 200-by-400 rolls of used plastic to give away.
After thanking the greenhouse owner we loaded two rather unwieldy
rolls of plastic into our full-sized van. The children sat on the
plastic for the five-hour trip home. The next day we installed two
layers of plastic over the second floor to create a makeshift roof,
crossed our fingers and moved in. It was Sept.
25, 1994. Thankfully the roof didn't leak. Finally we were warm and
happy and our off grid living adventure had begun. and we lived in
the house like that for three years. During those years we started a
market garden business and began selling organic produce just like
we had before we moved. That provided most of our income, along with
part-time jobs. We built a 60-foot greenhouse with cedar (cut with
the chain saw mill) and the leftover plastic. We spent the
off-season cutting roof trusses and boards for the house. March 1997
was unseasonably warm and sunny, so we decided to put the roof on.
We worked 22 days straight, and at 10:30 Sunday morning of the next
day we pounded down the last shingle nail. Then it started to rain.
Jane and I stood on the hill overlooking the house, holding hands
and rejoicing as water dripped off the eaves. We were done. Our
completed house is 1,400 square feet with eight rooms.
The children sometimes complain about the kerosene lamps, or no
electricity and video games like their friends, but we know they're
happy. From the start we had hooked up solar panels to run a
computer and lights. Nearly nine years without a utility bill.
Hallelujah! During slow times, we work on other projects.
In 1998, we built a root cellar from field stone, a wonderful
building material. It's free for the taking and it looks tremendous
when the project is done. It's also a great challenge to master a
new art. Believe me, it is an art putting irregular stones together
and imagining what they will look like when you're finished. After
the root cellar, we tackled our fireplace. It looks beautiful and is
the focal point of our first floor. Everyone remarks on how ell the
fireplace fits in with our timber design.
When we're asked why we live the way we do, off grid living, one
event always springs to mind: the ice storm of 1998. Two full days
of freezing rain put most of eastern Ontario, southern Quebec and
the northeast United States in the dark from downed power lines. It
virtually paralyzed the area for weeks. In contrast, our children
were ready at the school bust stop the day after the storm ended,
but the school was closed for two weeks. We were relatively
unaffected. The hubbub that followed the storm included a gigantic
cleanup effort in the affected areas. Our 90-year-old neighbor
flatly refused to be removed from her home and placed in an
emergency shelter, unequivocally telling her would-be rescuers,
"I've lived more years than I care to remember with just my
woodstove, my hand pump and a bucket. It's you people who have the
problem." She promptly went back into her house, closed the door and
proceeded to fire the woodstove to make her supper. Our neighbor
really makes us laugh; our lifestyle is similar to how she grew up
more than 80 years ago. She smiles when she talks to us because we
can relate to each other. I know that anyone with a modest amount of
energy and perseverance could do what we've done. I owe a great deal
to the people who have gone before me and shed light on our own
journey to self-sufficiency. Special thanks go to Helen and Scott
Nearing. I hope they're smiling at our accomplishments, wherever
they may be. Off grid living is the way to live a sensible
uncluttered life.
HOW OFF GRID LIVING WEBSITE STARTED
After a few years of building and clearing land for gardens etc.
we discovered that our little project in self-sufficiency was of
interest to almost everyone that we met. Many others shared our
dream. We started to correspond with people we met and built a list
of names of Off grid home owners and many "want-to-be's" (about
half). Since I was doing so much writing anyways, correspondence and
such, my wife encouraged me to take a writing course and write for
magazines. I completed the 12 lesson course of the North American
Outdoor Writers with 10 of the lesson assignments being published in
North American magazines. My very first lesson was published in
Reader's
Digest- with others published in Outdoor Canada, Bob Izumi's Real
Fishing, Cabelas.com and many others.
Then I wrote an article for Mother Earth News about the building of
our home and off grid living, most of that article is in the
preceding paragraphs. The article was so successful that Mother
Earth printed it again the same year in their Guide to Homes issue.
We received an amazing 568 letters about how our story had inspired
readers to build their own home off grid. The seed of the idea was
right there. We already had several hundred names of people we knew
and these letter writers, so why not our own magazine. Obviously
other magazines were not targeting this group; these people had no
one to help them. So Off Grid Living was born. We share our dream of
off grid living with thousands of other families now. Living Off the
Grid is definitely worth it
About the author: For 13 years we have enjoyed OFF GRID LIVING. Come and visit our
website, and sign up for our free newsletter to learn more
Title: What is a Green Construction?
Author: Zack Verde
Article: As
people begin to realize the impact we make on the world around us,
going green is becoming a phenomenon. So, just what is green
construction? There has been an increasing concern with
environmental and pollution issues in recent years. This has not
come about completely without some serious justification. All
indications are that we are in a serious crisis. The green
construction movement is a reaction to this crisis. Green
construction is a home, building, or other structure that is built,
maintained, repaired, or even demolished with thought to the
environmental impact. This impact may take several forms.
One of these forms is
energy efficiency. The production of electricity from the burning of
fossil fuels is one of the most harmful activities to the
environment in existence today. Green structures incorporate
renewable energy sources that might include the use of wind, solar,
low impact hydropower, or biothermal energy. The source of power is
not the only concern. Another concern is the reduction of power use
in lighting and appliances.
Water pollution is
another concern addressed in green construction. This is especially
true in the case of urban runoff. Storm water runoff is a major
source of pollution in rivers and lakes. Green structures take into
consideration the reduction of all toxic materials. This includes
mercury, asbestos, and lead. These three substances have been linked
to major health problems.
Green Building also is
involved in waste. Waste is a key word. Waste can be reduced. It can
be reused and recycled. The reduction of waste in construction, or
renovation, and even demolition involves such things as proper
disposal of materials. Landscaping is also involved. Large scale
landscaping projects involved with Green Building seek to protect
and preserve natural resources as much as possible.
The above are just
some of the factors that are part of the green construction
movement. They have in common a concern for the environment. There
are a wide range of issues that are nearing the real danger point.
Global warming has become more than just a liberal hobby, and a
recognized scientific fact. Pollution of the sea and the waterways
is endemic and increasing. Asbestos and lead have poisoned and
sickened thousands.
People are beginning
to wake up and realize that we live on a fragile planet and we
continue to abuse it at our risk. The green construction movement is
a place to stop the slide, and return to sanity. It is a grassroots
movement that offers hope not only to us, but also to the
generations that will follow us upon this earth.
About the author:
Zack Verde is with GreenBuildingCompanies.com - providing
information on
green building companies.
Title: The World Turns To Renewable Energy
Author: Rick Chapo
Article: One
can't go far these days without discussions of energy issues
arising. Renewable energy sources are part of that discussion, but
what exactly are the types available?
Renewable energy is somewhat of a catch all phrase.
It refers not to one energy production method, but to many types
that have one thing in common. They all use an energy resource that
is freely available and does not run out per se. Let's take a look.
Solar Energy - Solar energy is considered a
renewable energy source because it uses the power of the sun to
produce electricity and heat. Since the sun isn't going to burn out
any time soon, it is a free power resource for the next four or five
billion years.
Wind Power - Wind power is actually a type of solar
power. Wind is produced when the sun heats of different surface
areas at different rates. The air over hotter surfaces rises and
cooler air rushes in to fill the gap. This is wind. As long as the
sun is shining, we will have wind. We can harness wind for
electrical production through turbines. The wind turns the blades of
the turbines, which crank a generator that puts out electricity.
Wind power is currently the fastest growing renewable energy
platform in the United States.
Hydropower - Hydropower is electricity generated by
damming a river. Turbines are built into the dam. Much like wind
power, water flows down through the dam because of gravity and spins
the turbine fans as it passes. This cranks a generator, which
produces electricity. Hydropower currently accounts for 10 percent
of the electricity production in the US, but is losing popularity as
building dams is very expensive.
Biopower - The great hope of President Bush,
biopower is based on the idea of using organic material to produce
fuel for cars, heating and so on. It is better than using fossil
fuels, but has some serious disadvantages. Ethanol, for instance,
can help replace gasoline, but it produces a ton of smog. Processing
organic materials also takes nearly as much energy as it produces in
the form of fuel and such. All and all, this is one of the weaker
renewable energy resources.
Geothermal - This renewable resource works by
capturing the steaming water temperatures in the earth's crust. If
temperatures reach 240 degrees, the inherent energy can be converted
to electricity. Geothermal is a great idea with limited application.
The problem? It is not readily available.
In the United States, only California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah can
support geothermal plants.
Renewable energy is definitely the wave of the
future. Sooner or later, we are going to have to convert to these
energy platforms. With huge oil companies buying up solar and wind
power companies, it looks like the future may be sooner than we
think.
About the author: Rick Chapo is with
SolarCompanies.com - providing information on renewable
energy.
Title: The World Turns To Renewable Energy
Author: Rick Chapo
Article: The issues
associated with the continued of fossil fuels are complex. What is
undisputed, however, is the world is turning to meet the challenge
through renewable energy.
The World Turns To
Renewable Energy
When one thinks of the
amount of energy needed to power the modern world, it is easy to get
a headache. The sheer volume is so massive as to be difficult to
picture. Now that we have awakened to environment, climate and
societal problems associated with the continued use of fossil fuels,
it is interesting to hear the politicians suddenly thinking green.
Ten years ago, who
would have imagined the Terminator, now the Governator of
California, driving around in a hybrid hummer? Well, he does. More
so, Governor Schwarzenegger happens to arguably be the greenest
politician in the Unites States when it comes to actually taking
action. California, after all, has just instituted a 3 billion
dollar solar energy plan.
Alas, the federal
government falls on its face when it comes to energy issues.
Beholden to big oil, there current administration simply refuses to
acknowledge there is a problem, much less take action. For many in
the country, this must give the impression that nothing is being
done around the world. In fact, much is being done, but the U.S.
simply is not taking part.
For example, give some
thought to Victoria, Australia. This province has just committed
itself to obtaining 60 percent of all of its energy from renewable
sources by 2016. That is a staggering number.
How about Germany? The
Germans lead the world in wind and solar technology. By 2020, a full
20 percent of the total German energy supply will come from
renewable energy. If you have ever experienced the lights of Berlin
at night, you know that is impressive.
How about Norway? The
country is 99 percent reliant on renewable energy sources. Norway
has no petroleum powered power plants. None! It imports no oil. In
fact, it exports nearly all of its oil resources, making it the
third biggest exporter in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Russia.
How about Brazil? The
country is known for its "interesting" political situation, yet it
has managed to turn itself into a clean energy giant in South
America. The reason is the country has converted much of its
transportation, public and private, to ethanol. By 2007, it is
believed most transportation in Brazil will run on 100 percent
ethanol, which is a biofuel made from sugar cane. The price per
gallon of ethanol is half that of oil. If the United States was to
take the same step, the savings on oil each year would be close to
$2 trillion dollars.
The above represent
only a few samples of a world making a concerted clean energy
effort. Unfortunately, the United States is both the biggest
consumer of fossil fuels and emitter of greenhouse gases. Until we
follow these changes, the process will be incomplete.
Article: As fuel
prices skyrocket, personal financial situations and entire economies
are threatened. Biomass energy has been offered up as a possible
solution.
An Overview of
Biomass Energy
Energy can be produced
in a number of ways. We can burn fossil fuels, use the sun's light
for solar energy, use water for hydroelectric generators or even the
heat of the Earth's core in geothermal energy. One often overlooked
source of energy that belongs among all these others is biomass
energy. Indeed, President Bush seems particular keen on the subject.
Biomass is biological
(natural) material that was once living, or still is living, that
can be used to produce energy. For example, lawn clippings, dead
trees, unused crops, wood chips and other wood byproducts are all
biomass. Even household trash can be considered biomass, as can
"landfill gas", produced when garbage decomposes in landfills.
Biomass energy is
produced when these materials are burned as fuel to produce energy.
Some biomass materials are burned to produce steam, which is then
used with generators to produce energy and heat. Other biomass
materials, such as landfill gas, ethanol (produced from corn and
other leftover crops) and biodiesel (this fuel is made from leftover
animal fats and vegetable oils) can be used to create biomass energy
that can even power transportation vehicles.
While biomass energy
should be used as frequently as possible, as the biomass fuels are
readily available, this type of energy is often overlooked. Biomass
energy only accounts for about three percent of the energy used
yearly in the United States.
Some people feel that
using biomass for energy is not safe for the environment, or that
they do not want a "garbage" burning power plant in their area. In
fact, biomass energy is actually very safe for the environment - the
only byproduct is carbon dioxide, which comes from the burning of
any fuel. This greenhouse gas does have some harmful properties, but
not near as many as the pollutants that are released with the
burning of fossil fuels.
In order to see just
what biomass energy can do for our world, society needs to become
more open to the use of biomass as an energy source. Using discarded
and waste products can help to reduce the amount of trash going into
our landfills, as well as cut down on our need to use fossil fuels.
This, in turn, will not only help the environment but also the
world's economy.
Biomass energy is an
under-utilized energy source that needs to be fully researched and
used in the years to come.
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