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To catch the rain cover.png Rainwater catchment around the world. Get a paperback on Amazon or free digitally at http://www.tocatchtherain.org.


The Earthen Ox Oven at the Blue Ox Mill
Blue ox earthen oven. The earthen oven at the Blue Ox Millworks in Eureka, California was constructed in 2004 by Appropriate Technology (Engr305) students at Humboldt State University. The project took four, three-hour work sessions to complete over a total of four weeks. As of 2007 it is still standing, is in immaculate condition and retains nearly the same heating efficiency as when it was first constructed. This page includes information on the construction of the Blue Ox earthen oven and information and updates on its current condition.

Earthen Ovens have been used for thousands of years by cultures all over the world and they are still built today by people all over. Earthen ovens are made up of just that, EARTH! Sand, clay and straw are used in building these versatile ovens.

An earthen oven can be used to cook the same things cooked in a normal household oven, so long as you can fit it through the door! Often Earthen Ovens are somewhat unique from other ovens in that they don’t have a fire burning continuously to cook with. The oven is heated before any cooking is going to take place. Generally Earthen Ovens are fired for a few hours and the hot coals are then scraped out of the interior. Once the coals are scraped out, the oven is ready to cook in.

Fixable Infant Incubator

A safe incubator that will be used in local health centers in deveoping countries.

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Community action news

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May 6 Biodiversity news: Humans 'threaten 1m species with extinction' [1]

May 6 Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle: Bringing the power of plastic recycling to the people [2]

May 2 Mexico: A new, collective business model for traditional crafts in Oaxaca [3]

May 1 UK Climate news: UK Parliament Declares Environment and Climate Emergency, Claire Mitchell [4]

May 1 Bank On San Francisco: Supporting community financial empowerment [5]

Read More...


Fukuoka throwing a seedball at a 2002 workshop at Navdanya
Observe Nature thoroughly rather than labor thoughtlessly.

— Masanobu FukuokaW, The One-Straw Revolution
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Visit the Construction and materials Portal

Kiva's straw bale greenhouse
An alternative or natural building involves a range of building systems and materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. Ways of achieving sustainability through natural building focus on durability and the use of minimally processed, plentiful or renewable resources, as well as those that, while recycled or salvaged, produce healthy living environments and maintain indoor air quality. Natural building tends to rely on human labor, more than technology. As Michael G. Smith observes, it depends on "local ecology, geology and climate; on the character of the particular building site, and on the needs and personalities of the builders and users."

The basis of natural building is the need to lessen the environmental impact of buildings and other supporting systems, without sacrificing comfort, health or aesthetics. To be more sustainable, natural building uses primarily abundantly available, renewable, reused or recycled materials. The use of rapidly renewable materials is increasingly a focus. In addition to relying on natural building materials, the emphasis on the architectural design is heightened. The orientation of a building, the utilization of local climate and site conditions, the emphasis on natural ventilation through design, fundamentally lessen operational costs and positively impact the environmental. Building compactly and minimizing the ecological footprint is common, as are on-site handling of energy acquisition, on-site water capture, alternate sewage treatment and water reuse.

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ENGR 215 Introduction to Design projects – Spring 2012: Friends of the Dunes: The Spring 2012 semester of Engineering 215 worked with Friends of the Dunes to design and build projects that support the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center at 220 Stamps Lane, Manila, CA.

Spring 2012 ENGR 215 Intro to Design Projects - Humboldt Coastal Nature Center
Solar Powered Trail Lighting System
 Solar trail lighting  
Carbon Footprint Wheel
 Educational carbon footprint display  
Living Green Roof
 Green roof educational model  
Acoustic Panels
 Acoustic panels utilizing re-purposed materials  
Living Green Display
 Interactive display promoting environmental consciousness  
Rapid Composter
 Rapid composting system  
The Stretchbarrow
 Hybrid stretcher/wheelbarrow  
The Sandy Cove
 Amphitheater constructed of urbanite  
Pump Powered Dune Movement Simulator
 Interactive sand dune model  
Beachgrass Baler
 Tool to bale beach grass  
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