“The darker the surface, the more the heating. Fresh asphalt reflects only 4 percent of sunlight compared to as much as 25 percent for natural grassland and up to 90 percent for a white surface such as fresh snow.” Yale

Other places have also started catching on. For example, even in 2012 in the USA, volunteers started painting tar roofs white in New York. 1 However, this is not something trending everywhere. Some places are accustomed to dark colored roofs, so even in hot climates, they are slow to change.

This change will of course be easier in places where flat roofs are more common and ready to paint, but slanted roofs have options too. For example, metal roofing is more environmentally friendly2 than shingles, is more durable, and can last longer. What is more, the reflective properties of the metal can also help cool your homes.3

#GreenLiving #BetterBuilds #Construction #homes #houses

Hydroponics are becoming more and more popular in an urban setting, because they can be grown in small spaces (such as apartment buildings), and can be built into most unused spaces. For example, in Alberta, Canada, a family converted an unused school into a hydroponic farm that provides fruits and veggies for their town all year. [1]

Setups for hydroponics can range from large factories, to just a small setup on a kitchen counter.

Hydroponics will not work for all crop types (such as trees), and fruits that require pollination may have to be hand-pollinated.

Hydroponic Benefits:

• Can enable year-round growing.
• Reduce water usage (compared to conventional farming).
• No weeds.
• They do not require soil, which drastically cuts down the chance of pests.
• Can bring food options into food deserts
• Can be grown in restrictive spaces (such as indoors).
• Can avoid harsh weather by being able to be grown in doors

DIY Basic Hydroponics

Supplies:

• Bin with a lid
• Drill and drill bit
• Hydroponic baskets
• Lava stones or other filler
• Aquarium bubbler
• Hydroponic fertilizer solution
• Water
• Seedlings

Instructions:

1. Using a drill bit slightly smaller than the rim of your baskets, drill holes in the lid. Be sure to leave gaps between holes.
2. Drill a hole for the cable of the aquarium bubbler
3. Fill the bin with water and add the fertilizer solution
4. Put on the lid and place baskets into their holes.
5. Place seedlings into the baskets with the lava stones
6. Turn on the bubbler

Make sure the setup is in a sunny location, otherwise you will need a grow light.

DIY Window Hydroponics:

NPR and Window Farms

Do you have plastic bottles sitting around? You could consider turning them into a window food garden!

You’ll of course need plants that do not get too big (such as dwarf tomato plants instead of full-sized).

If your window does not get enough sunlight, you may also have to supplement that with grow lights and a plug timer.

Supplies:

• used water bottles or pop bottles
• a pump kit (with tubing and joints)
• a bucket of water
• growing substrate
• a hanging anchor kit
• silicone steel tube
• chain (for hanging)
• tools (electric drill, plier, hole punch)

… and convert them into a tiny food garden that hangs by your window. Here is a full tutorial on the setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igWJ8uqy4

#greenliving #farming #gardening #hydroponics #FarmingAndGardening

You can put the pumps, lights, and fish feeders on timers to automate them, and even use fish types people eat for fish farming.

Aquaponic Benefits:

• Can enable year-round growing.
• Reduce water usage (compared to conventional farming).
• No weeds.
• Can provide two income sources (plants and fish) [1]
• Can bring food options into food deserts [2]

Common Aquaponic Fish Mistakes

• Over-crowded tanks. Too many fish in a tank causes stress, poor water quality, and can increase the chance of disease outbreaks.[3]
• No Light. Fish need a cycle between light and dark to regulate their circadian rhythm just like people do,[4], so aquaponic fish either need artificial lighting, or a tank that gets sunlight.
• No Gravel: Gravel is not just for appearance, it can also help regulate the water quality for fish, provide enrichment, and reduce reflections. [5]
• No Hiding Spots: Having places to hide can make a fish feel safer and so less stressed. One easy option is driftwood. [6]
• No Bubblers: If you are not going to have water constantly flowing between your tanks and plants, then you will need bubblers to increase oxygen in the tank for the fish[7] and also reduce algae.[8]

Suggested Videos:

What's So Great About Aquaponics?

“Ever heard of aquaponics? In urban areas, aquaponics helps combat barriers that come with farming in cities, like lack of access to space. “

How This Aquaponics Farmer Is Reinventing Urban Agriculture

“There are so many barriers in place when it comes to growing food in cities, but education and lack of access to space are the hardest to overcome. Yemi Amu has dedicated her life as a farmer to solving this problem, by starting the only Aquaponics farm in NYC. Oko Farms in Brooklyn is both a working farm which provides fresh food to surrounding neighborhoods, while also actively engaging the public in education on how to grow food for yourself in urban environments.”

#farming #gardening #greenliving #aquaponics #FarmingAndGardening

In Harie, Shiga(Japan), water canals run through much of the town, and the people there use it to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with fish.

Imagine a pool of water that people use for washing fruits, vegetables, and dishes. That same pool has carp that call it home, and the carp eat the scraps and keep the water crystal clear. This could be inside the home or outside, but it is constantly added to by natural spring water, and the water exits in to a canal. This system is called “Kabata,” and has been used for over 300 years. [1]

The Wider Benefit:

That running water then heads to rice flats, which benefit from the natural fertilizers the fish provide. That water then heads to wetland area, where the water is cleaned by reeds and other vegetation before entering a lake. [2]

Suggested Videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THcKJpXwqVM

#cityplanning #greenliving #water

“Luffa is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family.“ Wikipedia

Luffa plants are from southeast Asia, and can be grown in places with a long warm summer. The fruit can take a long time to grow and toughen it's inner fibers (about 150-200 days), but after that time, they are ready to become sponges. Explaining it simply, you peel the skin, wash the insides, hang them to dry, then you are done.

“Getting all the seeds out can be a challenge, but the drier the sponges are, the easier the seeds will fall out. Save the best ones for next year. You can also cut open the sponges in any shape you want to remove seeds or make a loofah fiber mat.“ luffa.info

When done, you can use the sponges for bathing, washing dishes, and even as industrial filters. [1]

Suggested Videos

• https://youtu.be/4ioU11rQyd8
• https://youtu.be/oq4ZgAGd-JM

#gardening #farming #greenliving #plasticfree #zerowaste #FarmingAndGardening

Two open kangina full of red grapes in Afghanistan. Image Source

What Kangina Are:

Kangina is an ancient preservation technique still used in Afganastan today that makes use of clay. Produce is sealed within two clay bowls, and stored somewhere cool.

It is thanks to Kangina that even people in remote communities can still enjoy fresh produce in winter months. [1]

If stored somewhere cool, they will remain fresh for up to 6 months. This is because the vessels are a form passive controlled-atmosphere storage. Due to restricting the airflow and moisture, is is harder for microbes to thrive, but at the same time, the clay still supplies enough oxygen to keep the grapes alive. 2

How They are Made

After making bowls out of clay, they are left in the sun to bake. Once they are completely dried, they are ready to use. [3]

The produce (often grapes) are placed inside a bowl, and another bowl is placed on top and the seams are sealed with mud. [4]

#preserves #food #greenliving

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona, USA

“In passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, reflect, and distribute solar energy, in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design because, unlike active solar heating systems, it does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.” Wikipedia

For the cliff dwelling, that included a design that ensured the buildings were hit with the heat of the low-winter sun, but protected from the high-summer sun by overhang. It also made use of ventilation, small windows and doors (to reduce temperature loss), and more.

For greenhouses, even in colder climates where temperatures can reach -40c(-40f), passive solar designs are enabling greenhouses to run all-year. [1]

For houses, they can save the owners money on both heating and cooling, which is why they are very common in both earth-houses [2] and earth-ship [3] designs.

Window Awnings

By reducing the need for artificial cooling and protecting windows from damage, Window Awnings support a future that's more comfortable, energy-efficient, and resilient to extreme weather.

In hot weather, windows become major heat sources—-especially those facing south or west. Sunlight pours in, heating up rooms and overworking fans or AC (if you have it). Awnings offer passive solar cooling by shading windows and blocking direct sunlight before it reaches the glass.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, awnings can reduce solar heat gain by 65% on south-facing windows, and 77% on west-facing windows. [1]

This not only cools your home naturally but also protects furniture and flooring from UV damage. Well-placed awnings also let in low winter sun, making them effective year-round in passive solar design.

Types of Awnings

• Fixed Awnings: Permanent structures that consistently block sunlight. Simple and effective for sunny windows.
• Retractable Awnings: Can be pulled in or out depending on the weather or season. More adaptable, but usually more expensive.
• Clamshell Awnings: Durable, hinged panels (often aluminum) that can be propped open for shade or dropped fully closed during storms.

Why Clamshell Awnings Deserve a Comeback

Clamshell-style awnings are a practical choice for anyone in storm-prone areas—-or for those off-grid who want a multi-use, no-power-needed solution. When closed, they form a protective shell over the window, guarding against extreme weather.

Tips for DIY Installers

• Angle awnings to block the high summer sun but allow in low winter sunlight.
• Choose durable, weather-resistant materials like aluminum, treated wood, or fabric with UV protection.
• For clamshells, check salvage yards or second-hand stores—-they're often available for cheap and easy to repaint.

#GreenLiving #Housing #Building #FarmingAndGardening

“A food forest, also called a forest garden, is a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in nature.” | Project Food Forest [1]

With proper care, a food forest can even last generations. For example, in the 1920’s near Philadelphia(USA), John Hershey created a food forest. Although today that land has been broken up by urban sprawl, many of the trees survive today in empty lots, backyards, and by parking lots.

There are pecans, walnuts, persimmons, apples, and many more, all growing without maintenance. [2][3]

Parts of a Food Forest:

These gardens are typically broken down into these layers:

1. Canopy: large fruit or nut trees
2. Understory: dwarf fruit trees, like pears, juneberries, mulberries, and more.
3. Shrubs: berries, like elderberry, currants, blueberries, and more
4. Herbaceous: Herbs, like mint, lemon balm, comfrey, and more.
5. Rhizosphere: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, ground nuts
6. Climbing: Peas, grapes, hardy kiwi, honeysuckle.
7. Ground Cover: Strawberries, catnip, walking onion.

However, it is important to note that what plants you use will be specific to what can grow in your area.

Food Forest Benefits:

• Promoting a healthy soil microbiome
• Increased carbon-capture (no-till)
• Preventing erosion
• Retaining water
• Low maintenance
• Can support wildlife biodiversity

[4][5]

References:

1. https://projectfoodforest.org/what-is-a-food-forest/
2. https://www.shelterwoodforestfarm.com/blog/2018/10/17/exploring-americas-oldest-food-forest
3. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZTmb_1
4. https://grocycle.com/food-forest-layers/
5. https://twobrothersindiashop.com/blogs/farmers-kitaab/food-forests-and-soil-health

#permaculture #farming #greenliving #foodforest #FarmingAndGardening

In Canada, 16-42 million birds[1] are killed by window strikes, and in the USA, that number goes up to 365 million-1 billion. [2]

Sadly, one or two of those bird-shaped decals do not help, since the decals have to be no more than 2-inches apart.

“Window decals may help, but they must be placed no more than 2-4 inches apart in order to be effective. Birds will try to fly through larger gaps. This means that on large windows, many closely spaced decals may be necessary to deter bird collisions.” Audubon

Luckily, the fix for this window problem is easy. For the first example; there are bird-safe decorative window films and decals(they must go on the outside of the window).

The most common design is made up of several small white dots, while others are more decorative.

If decals will not work for you (they sometimes don’t last in cold climates), you can opt for permanent (and more expensive) window etchings.

Need an even less expensive option? You can make your own dots or designs using a Uni-Posca pen. The markings can be scraped off if needed. Just remember that the markings must be on the outside part of the window for them to work.

• 

  Trellis Bird Safety Film

• 

  Etched glass

#cityplanning #betterbuilds #cities #building #housing #greenliving

Since this is untreated water, it is healthier for the plants in your garden [1] while also saving you money on your water bill.

The use of the barrels can assist drought-prone areas by collecting water in the rainy season which can then be used during the dry season. This reduces the strain on local water reserves.

Before Buying

Many cities do also have incentives to buy rain barrels, so be sure to do some research on that for your area.\ Some places (such as some USA states) have different regulations regarding water capture, so please look into that as well. [2]

Tips:

• Barley: If you are having trouble with algae, try barley. It helps restrict algae growth. [3]
• Mosquito Dunks: If you have a open-faced (no mesh or cover) barrel, consider a mosquito Dunk to help deal with mosquito larvae in a safe way. [4]
• Timers: If you water at the same time every day, consider a battery-operated faucet timer and a soaker hose
• Gravity: If you can get your barrels higher than the ground you are planning to water, you should be able to water without problems

DIY Option

Supplies:

• Garbage can with a lid
• Valve Spigot
• Screening
• Drill and drill bit
• Waterproof duct tape

Instructions:

• Use the drill and drill bit to make a hole near the bottom of the container for the valve spigot.
• Install the valve spigot (installation instructions will vary depending on what you buy)
• Use the drill and large drill bits to make a hole or several holes in the lid.
• On the top side of the lid, cut the screening so it will cover the holes, and tape in place with the water proof duct tape.
• Place the lid upside down over the container so the rim of the lid helps to funnel the water
• Place your new rain barrel under your downspout.
• Optional: Add another tap near the top of the container if you want to link multiple containers.

#greenliving #traditionalskills #water #gardening #farming #FarmingAndGardening