Dutch ‘Repair Cafes’ keep stuff out of the trash by fixing it for free In the Netherlands, there are more than 30 “Repair Cafes” — groups that meet once or twice a month to repair (for free!) clothes and gizmos and tools that might otherwise be discarded. The New York Times visited the original Repair Cafe, which began two and a half years ago, and found that people want to keep their stuff — even cheap stuff, like H&M skirts. “This cost 5 or 10 euros,” about $6.50 to $13, [Sigrid Deters] said, adding that she had not mended it herself because she was too clumsy. The group repairs electronics, too — everything from big-ticket items like vacuums and washing machines to the little gadgets that go haywire, like irons, toaster ovens, and coffee pots. Repair Cafes are mainly driven by the time and efforts of volunteers who pool their skills to fix what needs fixing. This all happening in a country that only puts a teeny portion of its municipal waste (less than 3 percent) in landfills. Crazy, or crazy like a fox?
Sandcrawler / Andrew Bromberg of Aedas Arquitectos: Andrew Bromberg of Aedas Ubicación: Singapore Área: 21468.0 sqm Año Proyecto: 2014 Fotografías: Aedas, Paul Warchol Descripción de los arquitectos. Sandcrawler, la nueva sede regional de Lucasfilm Singapur propiedad de Lucas Real Estate Singapur y diseñada por Andrew Bromberg de Aedas, tiene una forma de herradura innovadora. Una vez finalizado el diseño, inspiró el nombre del edificio, enraizándolo con el éxito de la famosa compañía de animación. Ubicado en la parcela CX2-1, este edificio de oficinas elegante y elevado está impresionantemente racionalizado. El patio abierto está ajardinado de una manera natural y con mucha vegetación, creando un gran espacio cívico dando una fuerte dimensión cívica que no se asocia normalmente con oficinas corporativas. "El deseo compartido de aumentar el nivel de espacio de interacción social fue la parte más gratificante del proyecto", dice Bromberg. © Aedas © Paul Warchol Planta Baja Planta Primer Piso Planta Tercer Piso Planta Quinto Piso
Creating Sustainable Agriculture Without Government Subsidies I first met farmer, author, entrepreneur, thinker, and self-described “Christian-conservative-libertarian-environmentalist-lunatic” Joel Salatin at his rural Virginia farm, Polyface, in 2009. We sat in rocking chairs in his home office and talked about everything from food and agriculture to law, regulations, and the Bill of Rights. I’ve seen Salatin several times since—in Washington, DC, and Little Rock, Arkansas and, most recently, back at his farm—and have even invoked his unsubsidized farming practices to argue that he and farmers like him should serve as the model for supporters of sustainable agriculture—meaning farming that eschews government subsidies while both minimizing environmental impacts and also turning a profit. Salatin’s books include Everything I Want to Do is Illegal, probably the best book on the crushing regulatory burden faced by small- and medium-sized farmers in America. Full Disclosure: Salatin is a member and supporter of my nonprofit, Keep Food Legal.
How “Soft” Architecture Could Change Lopsided Gender Dynamics I’m sitting at a desk on the 29th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Manhattan as I write this. When I look out the window, I see “architecture" in the form of tall buildings, the ongoing construction of One World Trade, the Manhattan Bridge. But then there’s another side to architecture, too. There’s the software that times traffic lights, the pattern of sun and shadow bouncing off of glass and metal façades, the fuel that keeps our screens bright. Sheila Kennedy, principal architect with the firm KVA Matx who has just won the $100,000 Berkeley-Rupp Prize and a semester of teaching at the University of California Berkeley for using architecture to advance female empowerment, specializes in this kind of “soft infrastructure.” For nearly a decade, Kennedy has been traveling to remote mountain villages in Mexico, favelas in Rio de Janeiro, and fishing towns on the Nicaraguan coast to work with residents on developing a kind of soft infrastructure economy built around light.
Start a 1-Acre, Self-Sufficient Homestead - Modern Homesteading Everyone will have a different approach to keeping a self-sufficient homestead, and it’s unlikely that any two 1-acre farms will follow the same plan or methods or agree completely on how to homestead. Some people like cows; other people are afraid of them. Some people like goats; other people cannot keep them out of the garden. Some people will not slaughter animals and have to sell their surplus stock off to people who will kill them; others will not sell surplus stock off at all because they know that the animals will be killed; and still others will slaughter their own animals to provide their family with healthy meat. For myself, on a 1-acre farm of good, well-drained land, I would keep a cow and a goat, a few pigs and maybe a dozen hens. Raising a Dairy Cow Cow or no cow? On the other hand, the food that you buy in for this family cow will cost you hundreds of dollars each year. 1-Acre Farm With a Family Cow Grazing Management Intensive Gardening Half-Acre Crop Rotation
Self-Storage Insurance Coverages and Claims Handling: Mitigating and Managing Your Risk The unique nature of the self-storage industry makes it necessary to look into specialized insurance coverages. While standard business policies provide coverage for building, business personal property and general liability, a self-storage policy should include coverages that guard against risks specific to our business. Following are some key coverages, steps to mitigate claims, and advice on how to handle a claim if it occurs. Customers Goods Legal Liability Customers Goods Legal Liability (CGLL) is intended to help guard against claims related to self-storage tenants’ belongings. Owning a storage facility creates a relationship similar to that of a landlord and tenant rather than a warehouseman and depositor because the operator never takes possession of the customer’s goods. However, there are certain situations that can create legal liability for the facility. Sale and Disposal Liability The coverage also provides for legal costs. Be aware of your state lien laws. Handling a Claim
Bhutan Bets Organic Agriculture Is The Road To Happiness : The Salt hide captionA Bhutanese farmer puts her harvest of chilies on the roof of a shed to dry and protect it from wild boars, deer, and monkeys in 2006. James L. Stanfield/National Geographic/Getty Images A Bhutanese farmer puts her harvest of chilies on the roof of a shed to dry and protect it from wild boars, deer, and monkeys in 2006. The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan drew international attention a few years back for saying gross national happiness should trump gross domestic product when measuring a nation's progress. But Bhutan, which has only 700,000 people — most of whom are farmers — has another shot at international fame if it can make good on a recent pledge to become the first country in the world to convert to a 100 percent organic agricultural system. Going all-out organic is a lofty goal for any country given that many farmers — and poor farmers in particular — covet chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enrich their soil, boost production and keep diseases and pests at bay.
Morningstar Properties Launches $75M Fund for Self Storage Development Expansion Morningstar Properties LLC, which operates self-storage facilities under the Morningstar Mini-Storage brand, has launched a $75 million fund through its private-equity real estate affiliate Blue Doors Capital Partners. Blue Doors Storage Fund II will invest in facility acquisitions as well as the renovation and development of storage properties in major U.S. metropolitan markets and strategic secondary markets, company officials said in a press release. The fund, backed by a handful of institutional investors, is the second private-equity investment vehicle sponsored by Morningstar Properties. The company launched the $55 million Blue Doors Storage Fund I in February 2013. “Morningstar has been extremely pleased with the assets it has acquired and developed through Blue Doors Storage Fund I.
Farmer: 'It was the system that failed us' Missouri dairy farmers sell off cattle because of the droughtUSDA official: Legislation is needed to provide help U.S. is in one of the worst droughts in at least 50 yearsDairy farmers are particularly vulnerable; most are uninsured Mountain Grove, Missouri (CNN) -- Thunder clapped and rain fell just before Bionce, Sassy and the rest of Mark Argall's prize-winning dairy herd went up for auction. Had the storm come a few weeks earlier, and if the drought had eased, it might have saved the cows -- some of which were named with a bit of poetic license ("You can spell names however you want," he said) for pop-culture divas and celebrities. As it was, however, Argall's pasture was so dry that his cattle had nothing to eat, and the farmer was losing $75 a day just trying to feed them. Five generations of his family have milked dairy cows in this secluded stretch of Missouri's Ozark Mountains, but the inch or so of rain that fell on this recent Thursday was too little, too late. "We didn't fail.
Report Hong Kong Self Storage Market Attracts Real Estate Investors Consumer buy-in to self-storage services in Hong Kong has made the industry an attractive investment option, according to a whitepaper released by Colliers International, a commercial real estate services firm. “Self-Storage in Hong Kong: A Growing Niche” highlights factors driving consumers to rent space from storage operators and why the sector is ripe for investment. “The increasing volatility of prices in various asset markets and the growing difficulty of finding reasonable risk-adjusted returns have prompted real estate investors to look for non-traditional real estate investment opportunities,” according to the report. Among the key drivers for consumers and businesses are tight living quarters and insufficient storage at residences and offices. As consumers have grown accustomed to using self-storage for seasonal items, they’re becoming “increasingly comfortable with putting items like valuables, sports gear, wine and seasonal clothing in self-storage,” according to the report.
Sustainability | The Lexicon of Sustainability Running Squirrel is a native Cherokee who carries tribal knowledge passed down from his ancestors. Foraging helps connect him to these lost traditions, to sustainable lessons first learned in his childhood. near Dougan Falls Skamania County, WA 29 September 2010 Respect Mother Earth. “If only the top three leaves are taken, a plant will regrow. WHEN THE INDIANS CAME UPON A NEW LAND AND DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EAT, THEY ASKED MOTHER EARTH FOR GUIDANCE. ABOUT RUNNING SQUIRREL Running Squirrel’s parents arrived to Chinook country when he was about 10 years old. Mikuni Wild Harvest Forage SF Forage LA