tonyrabbit's story links

An audio interview with author and editor Diana Leafe Christian on the topic of intentional communities including ecovillages, cohousing, communes, co-ops and more. She gives a great overview of the movement and how to find and join a community.

Interesting article on how green building is a very effective climate change solution to invest in. A study shows that it reduces carbon output far more than investments in nuclear or clean coal and saves consumers money while creating jobs.

Cohousing communities can help prevent global warming by reducing their energy use by as much as 60%. Shared facilities and pedestrian design can help further reductions in carbon footprint.

Ecological Homes using 10% of the energy of a conventional home! Green buildings for the same price as conventional! Abundance Ecovillage is a 100% off grid community demonstrating energy conservation techniques that can make green home building affordable.

The government in the UK is planning to build 10 carbon neutral ecotowns of 5000-20,000 homes by 2020. The ecotowns will run on renewable energy and some are hoping to make them car free. When will the US government start this kind of effort.

Two studies released today say that producing biofuel on cropland causes land in native ecosystems elsewhere being converted to cropland resulting in an increase in greenhouse gases. This is a blow to the ethanol and biodiesel movement unless they can find ways to produce their fuel from waste products or from non-cropland. Another lesson is that conservation is key - driving less, fuel economy, eating lower on the food-chain, etc.

CommunityBuzz found a podcast on Cohousing and Green Building featuring Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm, a cohousing community in New Hampshire. The 18 minute audio program focuses on the ecological features of the community including energy efficiency and design to minimize driving. The cohousing units received a LEED Platinum rating, the highest rating awarded by LEED.

Coworking is a movement to create a community of cafe-like collaboration spaces for developers, writers and independents. Like cohousing, it allows people to share resources and create a sense of connection. It can be a great way for folks who might otherwise work from home to collaborate and get some separation between home and work life.

According to the New York Times, sequestering C02 from coal may not be as easy as people hope. Burying just 10 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted over a year from coal-fire plants at current rates would require moving volumes of compressed carbon dioxide greater than the total annual flow of oil worldwide

Ithaca, NY was ranked second on a list of Greenest Cities, in part due to the Ecovillage at Ithaca, an intentional community focused on sustainability. The Ecovillage has 60 cohousing units and an onsite organic farm. Ecovillagers give workshops and generally promote sustainability in Ithaca, which has the highest percentage of people who walk to work in the country.

The Cohousing movement is growing across the US, even in smaller towns. With over 350 cohousing communities in the US its not surprising that some are starting up in places as diverse as Grand Junction, CO and Noblesville, IN

Community Buzz found a great article on renewable energy in cohousing and how the two can reduce your energy costs. The article is on Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm in New Hampshire

Great article in the LA Times about senior cohousing (aka elder cohousing) as an alternative to nursing homes.

It's both primitive and high-tech all at once. It's called an "ecovillage" – sort of a settlement based on the belief it actually "is" easy being green. Fox News travels to an ecovillage in northeast Missouri to see whether it's a nice place to visit or if you'd really want to live there.

An article on how cooperative living allows greater connection and reduces your environmental impact. Examples of communities from all over the US including Earthaven, Sowing Circle, and Winslow Cohousing.