The Raiooo Is A Very Stylish And Practical Cargo Bike...

Don't you just love Cargo Bikes.
They're probably one of the handiest, most practical transporters ever invented and this one, the Raiooo, created by Portugal's Polytechnic of Viana Do Castelo is a beautiful example of good design, common sense and eco-awareness. The design team have acknowledged the usefulness of plywood and the wonderful qualities of cork and leather. And it's electric assist.
There's more about it here...

Jules And Matthew Dreamt Of The Good Life In An Eco Home In The Countryside Built From Scrap Materials. Their Dream's Now A Legal Reality...

Matthew and Jules' dream of the good life in their own eco home somewhere in the countryside made from scrap materials is now a legal reality.
It nearly wasn't though.
Because the process was going to use too much paperwork, time and bureaucratic expenditure they decided to try and build their dream house 'under the radar' and not apply for planning permission.
A risky business as neighbours are likely to dob people in for that sort of behaviour.
They used railway sleepers, truck tyres, scrap metal recycled this and that and wooden pallets to build their eco home away from it all in Beaworthy, a little village with a population of only a few hundred in East Devon.
And over a period of five years, while they lived in a tent on-site, they built their dream without using any power tools.
They have a composting toilet but no electricity and no running water. And they have an underground pantry instead of a fridge.
Sure enough, some neighbours complained as they do and for a while it looked like the Torridge District Council would force them to pull down their dream.
But some sort of rare sanity prevailed and a government planning inspector, impressed by the couple's dedication and passion for sustainable living, ruled the house could stay because of it's eco-credentials.
You see. If you can dream it, you can do it... 

Here's A Simple, Smart And Efficient Composting Toilet You Can Easily Make Yourself...

Excrement isn't a subject that most of us talk about around the dining table.
I know politicians talk shit anywhere anytime but this voiding business is something that can't be, well, avoided. Most of us deal with it daily.
Walt Barrett has come up with his own version of a simple composting toilet that is easy for the DIY person to make.
It's eco friendly and inexpensive too.
Check it out here at Tiny House Blog.
Another opportunity to think outside the square...