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First, just a few of the many books on this subject:
- Go M.A.D. 365 Daily Ways to Save the Planet. The Ecologist
- New Complete Self sufficiency. John Seymour
- Eco-House Manual. Nigel Griffiths
- Eco-Refurbishment. Peter F. Smith
- The Earth Care Manual. Patrick Whitefield.
- Carbon Detox: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Getting Real About Climate Change. George Marshall.
- Your Wake-Up Call: Signposts to Sustainability. Chris Wright.
…and some useful websites:
Alternative-Energy.co.uk
This website records the progress of two ordinary people, with modest incomes, living in an ordinary domestic house in their goal of achieving self-sufficiency in terms of their energy needs by installing alternative forms of energy generation (micro- generation) and energy saving measures.
Alternative Technology at Home
www.alternativetechnology.info
At our home near Ipswich in rural Suffolk, East Anglia, I have spent some enjoyable time on several projects to make us more eco-friendly and green living. None of them are going to save the planet, but every little helps. Renewable energy is certainly going to become more important in the future, particularly using small scale installations. Some of these projects are not strictly Alternative Technology, but here is a brief description of each of them, in the hope that you might be inspired to try some yourself, have fun and do your bit for the environment.
Beacon Energy
Today most people are aware of climate change and the damaging effect it is already having. Beacon Energy demonstrates and promotes sustainability, with particular emphasis on renewable energy and energy storage. We aim to persuade and encourage people to see the benefits of these technologies and philosophies, so that we can plan for the future in a way that recognises our collective responsibility to do something to reduce the speed with which negative changes to the environment are taking place.
British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV)
www.btcv.org.uk
BTCV is the UK's leading charity working with people to bring about positive environmental change.Centre for Alternative Technology
www.cat.org.uk
CAT is an environmental charity aiming to 'inspire, inform, and enable' people to live more sustainably. A solutions driven organisation, offering practical solutions to environmental problems, their key areas of work are renewable energy, environmental building, energy efficiency, organic growing and alternative sewage systems. Services include a visitor centre open 7 days a week, practical and informative publications, a mail order service of 'green' books and products, educational services for schools, consultancy for individuals and businesses, residential courses, membership and a free information service.Charles Dowding
Organic gardening, the natural no-dig way.
Chicken Shack
Chicken Shack is a cooperative based in west Wales. Members manage 5 acres of land and four
dwellings here and work to an evolving permaculture inspired design. We work towards an energy efficient and sustainable home. This includes a solar & biomass heating system, an organic veggie garden and orchard and we manage a meadow, a small woodland and willow coppice as well as a natural wetland. We have a growing interest in eco-tourism as well as running courses utilising the facilities we have here.
The Ecologist
The Ecologist is the world’s most respected environmental affairs magazine.
Each month we examine the connection between a wide range of subjects. Whether it’s food, war, politics, pharmaceuticals, farming, toxic chemicals, corporate fraud, mass media or supermarkets, the ecologist challenges conventional thinking and empowers readers to tackle global issues on a local scale.
Ecomoon Weddings
Green wedding design and coordination. EcoMoon Weddings was set up to address the needs of increasingly aware couples looking to have the Wedding of their dreams with green and ethical issues in mind.
Ecozine
Eco - the online green newspaper.
Environment Agency
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
We are the leading public body responsible for protecting and improving the environment in England and WalesEnvironmental Transport Association
www.eta.co.uk
The ETA campaigns for a sound and sustainable transport system. It is an environmental alternative to the other motoring organisations and offers a wide range of services including breakdown and travel insuranceEthical Consumer Magazine
www.ethicalconsumer.org
The UK's only alternative consumer organisation looking at the social and environmental records of the companies behind the brands.The Findhorn Foundation
www.findhorn.org
The Findhorn Foundation is the educational and organisational cornerstone of the Findhorn Community, and its work is based on the values of planetary service, co-creation with nature and attunement to the divinity within all beings.Flagship Home
www.rbkc.gov.uk/flagshiphome/general
36 Beaufort Gardens, Knightsbridge, is a five storey Victorian terrace house comprising of bedsits and one self-contained flat. It is representative of a large proportion of the housing stock in the Royal Borough, Westminster and other British cities.The aim of this project is to show that this type of house can make a positive contribution to a low carbon economy while maintaining the traditional character of the building and adhering to planning constraints.
Frugal Living in the UK
www.frugal.org.uk
Whether you want to reduce your debts, save for a holiday, stay at home with your children, live more simply or just beat the system a little and end up with more cash, hopefully you will find something here to help.Flush 4 free
All about rainwater harvesting. Home of the DIY Rainwater Harvesting Manual.
From Green House to Greenhouse
Saving the planet, like charity, begins at home. This web site is a "consumer's eye view" of conservation. It describes what we have learned in trying to make our household less damaging to the environment. By "household" we mean the way we run our house and also how we travel around.
Garden Organic
The UK's leading organic growing charity, has been at the forefront of the organic horticulture movement for 50 years and is dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.
Global Action Plan
www.globalactionplan.org.uk
Global Action Plan is an independent environmental charity that provides practical advice and guidance on making small lifestyle changes that make a real difference. Since 1993, they have been running programmes and partnerships that have successfully involved schools, organisations and the wider community.Green Building Press
The Green Building Press is the sustainable construction information specialist. We are here to help you create green, healthy and sustainable buildings.
http://greencottage.burysolarclub.net:80
Green Cottage is the private terraced house in East Bury of Andy Hunt and Gaynor Clarkson.
As a member of the Bury Solar Club, our home Green Cottage is equipped with all the latest energy technology and conservation methods, and is a suggestion for a typical terraced house in East Bury with energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. In these pages, we aim to show what can be done in a resource-poor and climate-changed 21st century with a very ordinary house!
Groundwork UK
www.groundwork.org.uk
Groundwork is a leading environmental regeneration charity making sustainable development a reality in many of the UK's poorest communities.Henry Doubleday Research association
www.hdra.org.uk
Dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.
Low impact Living Initiative
LILI is a non-profit organisation promoting practical ways that you can reduce your impact on the environment, learn new skills, save money and have fun. Contact us to find out more about our residential weekend courses, factsheets, manuals & books, and online shop.
NewLandOwner
A specialist company providing advice and assistance on all aspects of managing land in the countryside.
Our advice is often especially tailored to meet the needs of those who are new to rural land ownership. For new and existing farming and smallholding enterprises, we can provide:
· New Farming and Smallholding Start-Up Plans, to start from scratch
· Help with the selection of crops, livestock and machinery
· Land Management Plans, for livestock and crops
· Smallholding and Farm Business Plans
· Environmental Schemes with grant aid
· Supporting evidence required for Planning Applications and Agricultural ties
· Farm building design
· Commercial vegetable and plant production
· Organic farming methods, often the preferred optionNottingham Ecohome
OneClimate
A space to join with new friends from around the world in order to tackle climate change collectively.
Permaculture Association
www.permaculture.org.uk
The Permaculture Association supports people and projects through training, networking and research, using the ethics and principles of permaculture.The Positive Network.
Sustainable living is the key to our future. The Positive Network is a new, online networking facility to support a more sustainable future. Here you can find out about individual projects, share your own ways of reducing environmental impact with others, find information on recycling, give away things you don't need rather than putting them in landfill, and find companies and organisations who have Earth Care and People Care at their heart.
Resurgence
http://resurgence.gn.apc.org/home.htm
Resurgence publishes articles that are on the cutting edge of current thinking, promoting creativity, ecology, spirituality and frugality.Rocket Gardens
Instant organic vegetable gardens. Ideal way to start growing your own.
Salvo
Architectural salvage and antiques: doors, fireplaces, furniture, gardens, glass, ironwork, kitchens, lighting, radiators, stone, windows and woodwork. Reclaimed building materials: beams, bricks, flagstones, flooring, roof slates and tiles, timber. Some new, replica and reproduction.
Simple Living Network
Transform your life by learning to do more with less. Since 1996 The Simple Living Network has been providing resources, tools, examples and contacts for conscious, simple, healthy and restorative living.
The Soil Association
www.soilassociation.org
The charity at the heart of the organic food and farming movement.Sustrans
www.sustrans.org.uk
Sustrans - the sustainable transport charity - works on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport in order to reduce motor traffic and its adverse effects.Transition Towns
This site provides a focal point for all of these towns, villages, cities and localities around the world as they implement their own Transition Initiative. A Transition Initiative is a community working together to look Peak Oil and Climate Change squarely in the eye and address this BIG question: "for all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly increase resilience (to mitigate the effects of Peak Oil) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?". The result is a collectively designed energy descent pathway.
Transport 2000
www.transport2000.org.uk
Transport 2000 is the independent national body concerned with sustainable transport. It looks for answers to transport problems and aims to reduce the environmental and social impact of transport by encouraging less use of cars and more use of public transport, walking and cycling.Walsall Ecohouse
Martin and Jane Normanton have dramatically improved the insulation and heating system of their solid–wall house over a period of years. Their project shows how very substantial emissions reductions can be achieved on a limit budget by making changes in installments and by using DIY.
Waste Watch
www.wastewatch.org.uk
Waste Watch is the leading national organisation promoting and encouraging action on the 3Rs - waste reduction, reuse and recycling.Wiggly Wigglers
Here at Wiggly Wigglers, helping the planet isn't about joining a club, or taking a vow, or giving up things you love. Instead, just get out there and have a go: make some jam, plant some spuds, change your washing-up liquid. And, when you're done, curl up on the sofa with some of the books inside and find out more about the amazing place called Planet Earth.
Willing Workers on Organic Farms
www.wwoof.org
The International WWOOF Association is dedicated to helping those who would like to volunteer on organic farms internationally.The Yellow House
This site tells the story of how we turned our 1930s ex-council house into our environmental dream home. We wanted to reduce our energy consumption by two thirds and renovate our home using sustainable materials, but without losing comfort or style.
Zero Carbon Britain
zerocarbonbritain details how Britain can eliminate emissions from fossil fuels in 20 years and break our dependence on imported energy.It demonstrates how we can achieve this by halving energy demand and installing massive renewable energy generation.
Zero Carbon House
All about a zero carbon house on Britain’s most northerly island of Unst, which will bring obvious benefits to the environment. This carbon neutral home lowers the carbon footprint by producing its own energy and storing it to heat the home. This energy is also used to fuel an electric vehicle for transportation. The house will be a useful study vehicle for research, giving students the unique opportunity to view a real eco-house, meet the people who live there, and regularly access the energy usage data that will be updated daily online. .
t +44 (0)1749 674842 e sally@sallylever.co.uk