Blair

"Indoor plants not only add a touch of greenery to your living space but also purify the air and boost your mood. While traditional soil-based planting is popular, growing plants in water, known as hydroponics, is gaining traction due to its simplicity and aesthetic appeal. In this guide, we’ll explore which indoor plants can be grown in water, how to care for them, and other useful tips for successful hydroponic gardening."

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100% wool dryer balls are growing in popularity to the point where I have even seen them at my local dollar store, and for good reason. They can save you money in laundry costs.

If you are someone who uses dryer sheets, these wool balls are a great alternative that removes static from your clothes and can decrease drying time by around 30-50%. So, you save money by not having to buy dryer sheets, as well as on electricity. All you do is toss them into the dryer with your clothes!

"Per Toner, “Dryer balls excel in reducing drying time due to their ability to create space between clothes. This separation facilitates better air circulation, leading to faster drying and potential energy savings.” | bobvila

I have had mine for many many years now, and they are still in great shape. When or if they do ever break down to the point of being unable to use, the wool is biodegradable.

Just make sure that what you buy is 100% wool. If you are crafty (and have access to wool) you can also make your own fairly easily.

https://youtu.be/de644Zwtnbg

It’s long been thought that soil is the only effective terrestrial methane sink, as certain microorganisms use methane as a food source, but similar creatures live under a tree’s layer of bark, meaning that not only do our woody cousins withdraw CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in their roots, but also remove methane as well, about as effectively or perhaps more so than soil.

Years ago, I took an online course on mountains, and one fact that stuck with me from it was about how people in the USA accidentally polluted the water in New York City by cutting down trees.

It was the 1800s, and the trees in the Catskill Mountains were cut down to accommodate growing populations, and as a result, the water quality for New Yorkers deteriorated rapidly. Yes, the agriculture pollution and sewage did play a part, but the trees were decided to be such a big problem, that they decided something had to be done.

So, they purchased land, and planted 18000 trees to restore the natural ecosystem.

How does this water-cleaning work? With watersheds.

“Watershed: an area of high ground from which water flows down to a river” | Cambridge Dictionary

Imagine it is raining in a forest. Droplets hit the ground, and —thanks to the vegetation which slows runoff — it is absorbed into the soil like a sponge. As the water moves through the soil, microbes are actively removing harmful pollutants, silt is filtered, and plants removing fertilizers.

Some of the water will end up in our lakes and streams, but will be much cleaner than when it started.

"The ability of forests to aid in the filtration of water doesn’t only provide benefits to our health and the health of an ecosystem, but also to our pocketbooks. Forest cover has been directly linked to drinking water treatment costs, so the more forest in a source water watershed, the lower the cost to treat that water. Forests provide these benefits by filtering sediments and other pollutants from the water in the soil before it reaches a water source, such as a stream, lake or river." | American Forests

Since this intake and outtake of water is gradual, removal of these forests can even to lead to a higher chance of both droughts and floods.

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/QOrVotzBNto
• https://youtu.be/OfqOOqz0RhU

Have you heard of the beautiful living root bridges in Meghalaya, India? Their construction is a lesson in patience as the roots are gradually encouraged to grow in the supportive shape. They need regular care, but grow stronger with age.

“Once a bamboo structure has been stretched across the river, the roots of the tree, usually the rubber tree (Ficus elastica), are teased and manipulated to become entwined with the bamboo until it becomes a strong mesh. The roots are allowed to grow gradually and strengthen over time. In the initial stages, only about 15-20 people can cross the bridge in a day. Much later, it can be as many as 50 or more, although it can take up to two decades for a living roots bridge to be finished.” | The Guardian

Once done, the bridges can have a lifespan of several hundred years; far outliving the original creators of them.

It is unknown when this tradition started, but they were written about in 1844, so it would be far earlier than that.

I just thought people on here might find this tradition as fascinating as I do.

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/1H0qTm7wNjk

A good place to start learning more about Miyawaki Method https://www.sugiproject.com/blog/the-miyawaki-method-for-creating-forests https://earthwatch.org.uk/program/tiny-forest/

Around 50 billion disposable drink cups are used every year in the US, but in the city of Petaluma, we will see if Americans have the discipline to reduce this footprint.

The city numbers around 60,000 people, and will participate in the Reuseable Cup Project. The aim is to furnish 30 local restaurants, from Starbucks to Taco Bell, with identical, durable, plastic drink cups, which customers and diners can use and then either leave on the table, or deposit in a network of dropoff bins around the city.

(Note before reading: I am aware it is very unlikely people on here can build one of these systems, so I am just posting it for those who find it interesting)

Evaporation of water from reservoirs and irrigation canals is a problem that many places struggle with today, but one desert solution was used approximately 3000 years ago.

“Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometres. The eleven qanats representing this system include rest areas for workers, water reservoirs and watermills. The traditional communal management system still in place allows equitable and sustainable water sharing and distribution."unesco.org

To make them extra interesting, they could be paired with a wind-tower. This technology could cool a house through evaporative cooling; or even to keep ice from melting too quickly in the middle of a desert.

(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/8lS_ar5UpiU
• https://youtu.be/Itr8I-zgepc

I understand that not everyone will have access to a stream/river with fish, but I thought people might find this interesting anyways.

Do you have videos that stick with you? "Through the Kitchen Window: A Town Living with Water [Harie, Shiga] " is one that occasionally pops back in my mind.

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.

(Both images above are from this website)

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.

More Info:

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

Within Arizona(USA) is a beautiful cliff-dwelling built by the Sinagua people in 1100-1425 AD. Montezuma Castle (renamed to this by colonizers) has around 20 rooms, and is built using a method that today people call “passive solar building.”

“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.

This ancient knowledge is making a comeback in houses, but is really helping for greenhouses. Even in colder climates where temperatures can reach -40c(-40f), passive solar designs are enabling greenhouses to run all-year.

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More Info:

• https://youtu.be/F2Pg3gY7wQ4
• https://youtu.be/8qtQgH7DQF0

I know very few people in the world have access to hot springs, but I just thought people here might find this information as interesting as I do.

Japan:

Cooking Eggs:

In some other places, hot-spring pools can become a neighborhood egg-cooking spot. In Japan, these eggs are called Onsen Tamago (温泉卵), and are slow-cooked in the natural spring water.

The result is a unique custard-like texture in the yoke, while the whites are soft.

“It is said to have originated in Onsen Towns in Beppu, Oita prefecture. It is said that the first Onsen Tamago was made over 300 years ago when a traveler left his eggs in a hot spring by accident and found them cooked when he returned." MyFormosaFood

More Info:

• https://youtu.be/PBDNjOLPnkg

Steam Cooking

“It is a cooking method using high-temperature steam heat gushing from hot springs, and it has been used in Beppu since the Edo period. Just put the ingredients in a basket, put them in a pot where steam of about 100 degrees called “Hell Steaming Kettle” and cover it.” | Jigoku Mushi

At tables equipped with timers and hot-spring powered steam cookers, you can steam your own food.

Heating Greenhouses:

“Hot springs are used to heat greenhouses for different types of fruit and vegetables. At Atagawa Spa on the Izu Peninsula, the Atagawa Tropical & Alligator Garden cultivates tropical plants like banana trees and bougainvillea.” | Nipponia

By piping the heat into radiators, they can heat and humidify the greenhouses with no electricity.

Iceland:

Volcano Bread

Cooking rye bread with the help of a volcano has a long history in Iceland. All you had to do was dig a hole near a hot-spring, place the dough (which is in a container) in the hole, and burry it.

The boiling water will steam the dough to a dense but soft texture.

Hopefully you remember to mark where the hole is, but if you did, you will have freshly cooked bread with no need of an oven. As an extra bonus, you can also cook some eggs when you are there.

More info:

• https://youtu.be/NXwuJlY3uy0

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While it might look like those grapes are in weirdly-shaped bread, they are really in clay. A pair of clay bowls are made, and left to bake in the sun. When they are dried, they are ready to use.

“When each pair of rustic “earthenware bowls” is completely dried, around 1kg of ripe unbruised fruit are put inside, and then sealed with another serving of mud to form a single closed, air-tight vessel.” Farmizen

This is called a “Kangina” and is an ancient preservation technique still used in Afghanistan to this day.

The kangina are put somewhere cool (sometimes buried) and will remain fresh for up to 6 months. They are both eco-friendly, and effective.