Solar Sister: Electric lighting sold by "Avon Ladies"

Article: Solar Sister: Electric lighting sold by "Avon Ladies"

Heat and lighting are necessary elements for survival beyond bare-bones subsistence; in the developing world, however, these two necessities require a lot of labor for fuel sources that threaten the health of people who use them, as well as the planet. Women spend hours each week collecting wood for cooking, and lights, where available, are almost always powered by kerosene. Various social enterprises have worked to tackle the first issue with clean cookstoves; others are now stepping in to address the need for clean lighting with a variety of solar-powered technologies.

Creative reuse: the Texas-shaped serving board

Article: Creative reuse: the Texas-shaped serving board

Got a Texan on your holiday gift list? As someone who grew up about 20 minutes away from the state line, I feel confident saying there’s one things that all residents of the state like, and that’s Texas itself. If you don’t believe me, take a visit and start counting the “Don’t Mess with Texas” bumper stickers – they add up fast.

Abilene entrepreneur Kyle Douthit clearly understands this. And as a former countertop installer, he also knows how much of the material from a job gets thrown away. He put two and two together, and about five years ago started collecting pieces of acrylic countertop, cutting them into the shape of the state and giving them away as gifts to family and friends to use as cheese boards, bread boards, etc…

Can green fashion save our oceans?

Article: Can green fashion save our oceans?


Five services that make compost for you

Article: Five services that make compost for you

Composting is one of those green activities that may still scare you a little: after all, don’t decomposing yard waste, food scraps, and other organic materials attract bugs and smell badly? Done right, you can compost just about anywhere with minimal problems. But if you’re not interested in a worm bin in the apartment or basement, or shelling out relatively big bucks for an electric kitchen composter, the trash can isn’t the only option left.

Michigan siblings upcycling aluminum cans into jewelry

Article: Michigan siblings upcycling aluminum cans into jewelry
