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This startup is turning plastic waste into affordable housing

The company called Eco Domum, or Eco Home, is based in Puebla, Mexico. Founder Carlos Daniel González collects, sorts and melts down non-toxic plastics into a liquid, according to Unreasonable. That sludge is then put into a hydraulic press, which forms the plastic into hardened panels. It takes two tons of plastic to make one house. At scale, González’s plastic houses could be just what Mexico needs.

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Printed Solar Bio-Batteries

Led by biotechnologist Marin Sawa, a group of researchers at Imperial College London have devised a way to print solar cells onto paper. They use an inkjet printer to place a conductive layer of carbon nanotubes and a layer of living cyanobacteria to create devices which can capture and store solar energy.

In their proof-of-concept experiment, the cyanobacteria survived the printing process and were able to produce energy from photosynthesis. The trial panel was palm sized and gave enough energy to power a small LED light. Even better, being little more than paper, carbon, and bacteria, the bio-cells are fully biodegradable.

The work is part of an emerging field of science called microbial biophotovoltaics (presumably related to the biovoltaics I’ve mentioned here before) which uses algae and cyanobacteria to generate energy. The energy generated may be small, but it’s also cheap and easy to manufacture, and the microbes can continue generating electricity after dark, using compounds made during daylight.

The bio-batteries aren’t intended to replace standard photovoltaics for large scale energy production. Instead, they can provide an inexpensive and renewable source of energy for specific uses, such as air quality monitors and healthcare applications.

“Imagine a paper-based, disposable environmental sensor disguised as wallpaper, which could monitor air quality in the home. When it has done its job it could be removed and left to biodegrade in the garden without any impact on the environment.” – Marin Sawa

Sawa et al (2017) – open access

shopping responsibly

this is a sequel to my other post about alternatives to throwing things away. that post detailed some ways to reduce your waste, but the production, shipping, handling & transportation of new items can also be extremely wasteful & push costs up. obviously there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism & you aren’t a bad person for being unable to “shop ethically,” but some of these ideas can help with personal consumption. here are some tips about purchasing or acquiring goods with minimum environmental impact or just minimal financial impact.

ask around: ask your friends & neighbors if they have the desired item(s) that they are no longer using. this can be handy for most nonperishable goods, especially if you have a cooperative community. the free section of craigslist in your area is a good place to start, or the free section of the nextdoor app; you can also put up an advertisement in nextdoor or a similar app to ask if anyone has what you’re looking for & is willing to give it away.

thrift stores: good for clothing, furniture, & other things. it’s fairly easy to find a local thrift store online, & you never know what kind of treasures are there.

do your research before donating unwanted goods: some thrift stores that depend on donations will give out discounts to donators. you can use this on your next purchase at the store.

reselling sites: if you’re on the hunt for something more specific/that you prefer to be unused (such as makeup), people list all kinds of unwanted gifts & random things on resale sites. ebay is the most famous example, but poshmark, mercari & depop are all more fashion-focused places to get trends at a discount & without directly paying a corporation. thredup is the equivalent of an online thrift store, with more emphasis on basic/classic/affordable pieces. also, check out facebook for sale/trade groups in your area!

farmer’s markets: perfect for local produce. you support small businesses & get food that’s full of fewer artificial additives! warning, though: these can be pricey.

borrowing & renting: if you’re not going to need it forever, then don’t pay a forever price! often local hardware stores have tool rentals, for instance.

barter: trade something you don’t need for something you do. this can easily be another “ask around” one, but there are some websites specifically for swapping makeup, clothes, & more.

local artisans/stores: in the event that you absolutely NEED to buy something new, try getting it handmade or local. etsy is a good online marketplace for handmade goods, & some areas have their own sites/directories. ask around!

make it yourself/repair something: if you need something that you can create on your own (especially from reused materials), then just do it. see if you have a local makerspace, where you can access tools & assistance.

reuse: see if you have anything that would do the job, even if it’s not conventional. as long as it’s safe, you can do some WEIRD substitutions.

reduce: the classic solution, which is just not getting anything new. do you REALLY need another tube of lipstick? more shoes? your 5th jacket this season? i thought not!

edit: dumpster diving & curb picking are valid options as well. you might want to look into the legality of this in your area, but if you’re not afraid of getting your hands dirty it’s great. people throw away things that are still useable ALL the time.

this post isn’t exhaustive, so PLEASE add any websites or ideas that you might have! good luck!!

For every ‘dystopian/post-apocalyptic story that has people still surviving from scavenging and canned foods and no farms, no mentions of building a community nor an attempt at rebuilding a society 10+ years after THE END’ owe me $5.

Words to live by, brought to you from the local Bellevue Nursery.

low impact places around the world

belgium, europe

bhutan, asia

“bhutan mantains this by making the country a carbon sick and has set world records for planting the most trees per hour. they’re also aiming for zero net greenhouse gas emissions and zero-waste by 2030 as well as 100% organic food production. the bhutanese government has also formed a partnership with nissan to provide thousands of electric cars to the country” - @greenmatters on instagram 

it also probably helps that tourists are very limited and it is intentionally not as easy to travel there.

chile, south america

china, asia

“china recently announced they would spend more than $360 billion on renewable energy through 2020″ - @greenmatters on instagram, june 29, 2017

colombia, south america

“colombia is the first country in latin america, and the third country in the world, to pledge to produce deforestation-free coca. the pledge is part of the cocoa and forest initiative, which ghan and cote d’ivoire have also signed.” - @greenmatters on instagram

costa rica, central america

“costa rica’s renewable energy comes from hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar” - @greenmatters on instagram

egypt, africa

england, europe

ethiopia, africa

“energy produced by the new geothermal power plants will be used locally and exported to surrounding countries in africa” - @greenmatters on instagram 

france, europe

“instead of throwing away or destroying unsold clothing, france may pass legislation to make clothing companies donate or repurpose items in an eco-friendly way.” - @greenmatters on instagram

INSTEAD, they should make efforts to not overproduce. donating clothes should be thoughtful. many times, when clothes are donated abroad to “developing” countries, it destroys their local economy and opportunities for local clothing stores to sell their clothes cheaply enough. it is good to think of ways to responsibly get rid of “waste” and excess we do create, but the first step should be to stop the excess from being produced in the first place. #preventative measures.

india, asia

ireland, europe

“the irish state investment fund holds more than 300 euros in fossil fuel investments in 150 companies. the bill defines a fossil fuel company as a compnay that derives 20% or more of its revenue from exploration, extraction, or refinement of fossil fuels. the bill also allows investment in irish fossil fuel companies if this funds their move away from fossil fuels” - @greenmatters on instagram

germany, europe

new zealand

“new zealand hopes to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2035″ - @greenmatters on instagram 

palau

“the pledge is tamped on every visitor’s passport and must be signed before entry into the 13th smallest country in the world. palau’s hoping the pledge will help guests understand the vital role they play in protecting palau for future generations” - @greenmatters on instagram 

peru, south america

scotland, europe

“scotland has hit its 2020 emission target five years early and has gone from 10% to 60% of its electricity consumption from clean sources over the past 15 years” - @greenmatters on instagram 

sweden, europe

“so far, sweden is on track to meet their 2030 goals nine years early, thanks to a surge in wind power installations” - @greenmatters on instagram

united states of america, north america

maui, hawaii, usa, north america

san francisco, california, usa, north america

nebraska, usa (winnebago tribe), north america

“the tribe started to transition towards renewable energy over a decade ago and now has 400 kW of installed solar panels. by switching to solar power, their saving roughly $46,000 annually on electricity” - @greenmatters on instagram

minneapolis, michigan, usa, north america

“minneapolis, minnesota is the next city in the united states to commit to a goal of running on 100% renewable energy. they plan to have all their city facilities running on clean power by 2022 and the entire city by 2030. the [sierra club] notes that minneapolis is now the 65th city in the country placing folly renewable goals” - @greenmatters on instagram 

new york, usa, north america

“[governor cuomo] says the offshore wind farm will be critical to help new york state reach their goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050. in total, the wind development will generate 2.4 gigawatts of clean power.” - @greenmatters on instagram 

“the money will fund 26 large-scale projects that will help new york reach its goal of using 50% renewable energy by 2030″ - @greenmatters on instagram 

denton, texas, usa, north america

“the city of denton (pop. 130k) will install enough solar and wind to power everything by 2020. currently, georgetown, tx (30 miles north of austin) has the title of the largest community (60k) that relies on renewable energy in the u.s.” - @greenmatters on instagram 

taiwan, republic of china

“to prepare their citizens for the plastic ban, the taiwanese government will be adding additional charges to plastic straws, utensils, cups and containers over the next several years. additionally, the taiwanese government will be launching a number of marine clean-up programs. currently, the average taiwan citizen uses 700 plastic bags per year” - @greenmatters on instagram 

wales, europe

“the welsh government has spent roughly $10.4M to improve recycling services through their collaborative change programme, which gives local authorities money to improve recycling programs in the way they think best. by working closely with citizens, who are thrilled by the zero-waste goal, wales could show the world that a country can accomplish extraordinary things when the will of the people is supported by the government” - @greenmatters on instagram 

copyright infringement is not intended, simply trying to share credited work that will help make the world a better place to live a quality life

Do you know how to take care of your sewing machine?

Taking care of your machine over the long haul influences the longevity of your machine. It could mean the difference of having a machine over the span of 5 years versus 50+ years. Can a sewing machine even last 50 years? Yes, with proper maintenance and care it can! My personal machine was released about 1960 making it 58 years old. My grandmother’s Singer Touch and Sew is around 50 years old and she uses that machine so much it’s ridiculous it’s still working!

So how do I take care of my machine?

Glad you asked! It’s really not that hard to take care of your machine, in fact, the instruction booklet that came with your machine probably tells you how. Some new machines make it really difficult to take them apart to clean them up, but you’re going to want to figure out how!

If your instruction booklet doesn’t tell you how to clean your machine, below are some pictures from my own instruction booklet. Most machines are very similar and you can generally follow the same instructions. 

Here’s some general advice for cleaning your machine:

Firstly, dust out your machine. This means removing all the lint that gathered up from your last project (or projects). You can take compressed air and blow out your machine, or, like me, you can take a small, soft paint brush and gently brush it out.

Second, time to oil your machine! You can find sewing machine oil at almost any craft store. I recommend one with a zoom spout to make it easier to oil your machine.

So what do you oil? Pretty much any moving parts except gears and your belt. (Take a look at the pictures.) Work in the oil as you apply it by turning the hand wheel toward yourself. Also be sure not to put oil anywhere you would have thread or fabric moving through. Those places generally aren’t meant to be oiled and it will end up on your projects!!

Lastly, lubricate your gears. This is also a great time to check the condition of your gears. Gears wear down over time and I can say that I’ve had to replace gears before due to wear and tear. The teeth on the gears break with age (or improper machine use), although it can take a while before that happens.

LUBRICANT IS NOT THE SAME AS OIL. DO NOT OIL GEARS. NO. STOP. BAD. You can also buy this at your craft store, most likely.

How often should I be dusting and oiling my machine?

After every major project, or, if you’re working on a very large project (like a leather jacket), you might want to do it sporadically throughout.

How often should I lubricate my machine?

If you don’t use your machine frequently, once every two years is probably acceptable. I use my machine frequently enough to justify once a year.

OMG I FOUND BROKEN PARTS WHAT DO I DO?!

Google it. Most likely someone has already had the same problem and it’s probably documented somewhere on the internet just waiting for you to stumble across. Gears and belt replacements are the most common. 

If you’re looking for Singer Sewing machine parts, I highly recommend ordering parts from www.singeronline.com. Not only are they reasonably priced, but their products are high quality. I’ve ordered many parts from this business and they have my star of approval. They also have a youtube channel and document some common problems with machines as well as how to fix them. Check it out: Singer Online YouTube

Purple Dragon aesthetic

okay so in psychology years ago we learnt that it’s common for companies to put women in charge when there’s a predicted downfall so that they could be all ha see women suck at being in charge. and I just find it interesting how the UK is gonna have a female PM right after Brexit so like years from now people are gonna be like “the country saw some of its worst years under a woman” when it was men that fucked it up and then ran