Category Archives: Uncategorized

Latest Blogs on Canadian Geographic website:

• Winterizing at Eco-Sense  http://energydiet.canadiangeographic.ca/main/page/winterizing-at-eco-sense-2011-10-24-19-10-21
• The Two P’s of Composting Toilets.  http://energydiet.canadiangeographic.ca/main/page/the-two-p-s-of-composting-toilets-2011-10-17-11-10-43

Other links to videos we found interesting: 

• Amy Goodman and Chris Hedges discussing the Occupy Movement  http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11961
• Keynote by Gwynne Dyer to 2011 BC Power Smart convention.     http://a4.g.akamai.net/f/4/79195/30s/smb2.download.akamai.com/79195/4000/5469/5478/7241/Lobby_2/default.htm

Below is our Oct 2011 Eco-Sense update as sent out to our email list.  We now have over 400 people on our Eco-Sense list.  Many on this list are not active on facebook or twitter, so we send out an occasional update to keep in touch with folks.  Here it is.

Hey all,

Gord and I have been very active lately posting on our www.eco-sense.ca website/blog as well as getting a fair bit of press and magazine coverage.  Our blog has become our focus and the eco-sense.ca link will now take you there…the old website is of course still viewable from our blog (lower left hand side)

We have also been very active posting on Facebook and Twitter…yes we have broke down and now actually know what a tweet is.  Videos have also been consolidated and there is a video section on our blog… with links to all kinds of videos taken over the years and even in the last few weeks.  So, in light of all these changes, we thought it was time to send a quick email to our Eco-Sense list to keep you up to date.

News:

• Canadian Geographic magazine Oct 2011 edition is on news-stands now…a short snippet on us and our home, with two pages of photos, and the same for the Energy Diet Challenge families.
• Island Gals is a new magazine.  Ann has been writing an article for this quarterly publication.  You can pick it up where other such magazines can be found around town.  Oct issue (currently Free) has just hit the boxes and Ann’s article has been very well received so far.  Let us know what you think.
• Goldstream News Gazette – Losing Inches on a Carbon Wasteline – Highlands eco-gurus advise on national home energy contest by Charla Huber.  Discusses our involvement in the Canadian Geographic Energy Diet Challenge.
• Four recent posts on the Canadian Geographic Energy Diet Challenge Website
• What’s a Solar Powered Kitchen Look Like Anyways?  video blog
• We Live In a MUD House…Are We Crazy?
• The Talk
• The Journey Begins
• More video blogs just posted on our website in the video section and some photos of our newly completed Carbon Neutral Patio and cob oven built onto the earth sheltered Greenhouse.
• A couple articles from Quebec… on our method of building earthen floors…anyone read french?

On October 17th, from 7-9pm Gord is doing a presentation in Victoria on the research on our cob home for the BC Sustainable Energy Association.  Event is Free.  Check out the BCSEA events page for more details.

The Eco-Sense blog also has a new research section where the Cascadia Report, and the full Science report can be viewed and downloaded.

And finally a list of the interesting videos that we have encountered lately…the world is a very interesting place these days…if you have the time I highly recommend watching these videos.

Wade Davis speaks about BC…and BC Hydro…and the sacred headwaters.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGzDNfMumYU&feature=share

Keith Olbermann reads the concerns from the occupy walls street protesters  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8o3peQq79Q&feature=share

Chris Hedges on CBC news clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Covd7_O1ARE&feature=share

Helina Norberg TED talk from the producer of “The Economics of happiness” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r06_F2FIKM&feature=player_embedded

Dylan Ratigan’s  Awesome Rant…powerful   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI_P3pxze5w

I am not Moving – making connections and seeing the parallels http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjfhOPCPJnE

And a short funny one that Gord filmed a few days ago…of Ann cooking dinner.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZNh33t2ik&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Our best to everybody,

Ann and Gord

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Carbon Neutral Patio Materials:

Foundation:  Rocks

Benches and oven:  clay, sand, straw

Finish on benches and oven:  3 coats Boiled linseed oil.  Top coat of product called WoodPal (linseed oil, tung oil, and bees wax, oxide UV stabilizer).  Product info states that it is carbon neutral as it is crop based rather than petroleum based.

Finish on greenhouse wall:  earth plaster and painted with lime paint pigmented with iron oxides.

Hey Everyone, the time has come (due to lots of requests) for another public tour.  We checked the weather for this weekend and all looks good for Saturday.

*** TOUR FULL***

Date: Saturday October 1, 2011

Time: 10am to noon (actually more like 12:30 or 1pm)

What: Tour of our home and all the systems starting right at the off-grid chicken coop, the root cellar, woodworking shop, food gardens, and of course our home and the solar technologies and energy efficiencies.  Check out our newest addition…our carbon neutral patio (almost) with new bread oven.

Where:  3295 Compton road (Highlands).  See link for map and directions.

Cost:  $20 collected on tour day (cash or cheque)

Details: Please wear walking shoes.   There is lots of parking at the lower garden and we can all walk up the hill together.  There is parking up top for those with mobility challenges.  Please also note that our home is Fragrance Free, so please refrain from wearing scented products.  Much appreciated!  Also, for those with EMR, wifi, or other electrical sensitivities you should be fine in our home.

Thanks,

Ann and Gord