THIN FILM SOLAR PANELS

Archive for November, 2008

It’s not always easy to get giant corporations to pay attention to consumer demands, but the Electronic TakeBack Coalition may have found a way— by demanding that Panasonic create a national recycling program on a Panasonic jumbotron screen in Times Square.

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Lately I’ve been searching for the perfect holiday gifts for my tech loving friends and family. I’ve been researching  wind-up chargers and renewable gadgets. Shown here is the Wind Up Mobile Phone Charger / Torch, which is one of the few I’ve found that’s compatible with the iphone:

“This wind-up phone charger and torch is the end result of an extensive search for the best mini emergency phone charging gadget that we could find. A twist of the wrist means you’ll always be able to charge your mobile in an emergency and there’s a handy light whenever you need it to!”

It is promoted as being small enough to keep in your glovebox, handbag or jacket pocket. So if you’re out hiking or camping or partying

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San Francisco is usually designated the green capital of California, but now LA is trying to take the City by the Bay’s crown with the world’s largest solar plan. Yesterday, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a long-range plan to gather enough solar power to meet 10 percent of LA’s energy needs by 2020. This will be a major upgrade for the city, which currently derives less than 1 percent of its energy from solar power.

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Written by Brian Liloia, courtesy of GreenBuildingElements.com

 

Earthen plasters provide a beautiful, soft, and an organic finishing touch to your home’s walls, whether they be straw bale, cob, wood, or even sheetrock. A simple natural plaster can be mixed from ingredients straight from the earth, including sand, clay, and fibers such as straw, cattail fluff, or even cow manure.

It’s a simple process and a creative one, too: you can let your imagination shine through earthen plaster with its vast sculptability and its variety of application.

How to make earthen plaster

A natural earthen plaster is composed of three main elements, typically sand, clay, and fiber.

• Sand provides structural strength and makes up the bulk of any earthen plaster mix. Fine, sifted sand is used to provide a smooth finish without small stones or pebbles to interfere in the application.
• Clay is a binding agent which helps to make the earthen plaster sticky and adhesive. Clay is typically soaked and mixed to break up larger chunks before being mixed with the other ingredients. Your earthen plaster’s color may be determined largely by the color of your clay. Local clays come in a wide variety of colors.
• Fibers such as short, chopped straw, cattail fluff, or even fresh cow manure are common and important additions to earthen plasters. Fibers help make the plaster strong and resistant to cracking. Manure is the fiber of choice of many traditional peoples (and many modern natural builders, too), and for good reason: the fiber content and enzymes make for a very strong and durable plaster mix. (And to set the record straight: once dried, earthen plaster containing manure does not have an odor. Also, it’s actually really fun collecting cow pies for plaster. Try it!)

Additional additives such as wheat paste help increase durability and stickiness. These ingredients can be mixed by foot on a tarp, or with a hoe in a wheelbarrow.

An earthen plaster recipe

The ratio of these basic ingredients may differ depending on the quality or type of materials that you choose to use. I can provide at least one recipe that I have recently used that has worked well for my cob house.

1. 3 parts (that’s three five gallon buckets) sifted sand (sand sifted through a 1/8? screen)
2. 1 part soaked clay
3. 3/4 part cow manure
4. cattail fluff (to taste)
5. 8 cups wheat paste

Applying earthen plaster

Earthen plaster can be applied by hand or with a trowel. Depending on the evenness of your wall’s surface, you may choose to go either route. The final mix should be soft, sticky, and wet, and it should hold readily to your (pre-soaked) wall. Add small amounts of water if your plaster seems difficult to spread on your surface.

Take the opportunity to experiment with your plaster and try making different shapes and forms. You can even embed mosaics directly into your plaster using smooth, broken glass or ceramic bits. (Save those broken dinner plates!)

Once your plaster has had some time to dry (but has not dried completely), you can make an even smoother finish by buffing the surface with something like wet burlap or a small sheet of rubber. Go in circular motions to work out rougher areas. You’ll be amazed by how much smoother your wall is after this simple process.

A low impact finish for your home

Earthen plasters are very beautiful, smooth, and soft, and can give your home a very warm and inviting ambiance. They are an obvious choice for straw bale or cob homes, but you can experiment with them on different wall surfaces, too.

Ultimately, they are a very low impact and environmentally safe way to make your home more attractive and to protect your walls.

For more information and natural plasters, check out the following websites:

• The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime, and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes
• Get Muddy! Make Earth Art at Mother Earth News
• Earthen Plasters at The Last Straw
• Natural Building How-To: Making Earthen Plasters video from Dancing Rabbit TV

Happy plastering!

To find more eco-friendly wall-covering options, click here.

It’s time once again for the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, and the results are sobering. Despite plentiful attempts at greenwashing, most electronics companies are not making the changes necessary to significantly cut carbon emissions.

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