Time for some comments . . .

June 3, 2013

...st have a few posts about the Age of Limits conference and get back to the appropriate technology and home economics posts that are the norm at Root Simple. But, judging from the comments and emails we’ve been getting, it seems we’ve brought up a topic that needs deeper exploration, so we’re going to do a few more posts related to the Triple Headed Hydra of Despair: Climate Change, Economic Collapse and Peak Oil. Don’t worry about us becoming a do...

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It’s official: I’m a Ham

Mr. Homegrown

November 15, 2013

Appropriate Technology

13 Comments

...gled with math less had I had a hobby to motivate studying. My interest in appropriate technology was another reason. There is a ham I met online who is constructing a website that will be of interest to readers of this blog–he was inspired by John Michael Greer’s writing on ham radio. I’ll share that website when it’s ready to go public. Passing the test was easy, but I’ve got a lot of work to do. I have no radio, nor do I have any experience usi...

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Composting the Deceased/ My DIY Funeral Fantasies

Mrs. Homegrown

December 9, 2013

Composting

47 Comments

...le. The body is covered with a 1 foot layer of mixed greens and browns–the makings of compost. Then over that goes a massive pile of carbonaceous material (“browns”: dry leaves, wood shavings, etc.). This layer is to be 10 to 12 feet deep. Huge! It’s role is to absorb putrefying gases. Let the pile sit for two years. Every month or so, go out and sniff around. If you smell anything, add more carbon. I’d be tempted to use a thicker layer of compost...

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StoveTec’s Hot Rocket Stoves

Mr. Homegrown

August 12, 2009

Appropriate Technology, Preparedness, Rocket Stove

16 Comments

...tested one, the $37 to $40 price is a bargain. Rocket stoves are a simple “appropriate” technology that burns small pieces of wood and charcoal efficiently. We’ve blogged about them before and even constructed our own out of a vent pipe and bricks. Instead of burning a log to cook you can use trimmings from trees, bushes and even agricultural waste. According to StoveTec, “StoveTec Stoves, rocket stoves invented by Dr. Larry Winiarski, use 40-50%...

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All Politics Are Local

Mr. Homegrown

November 6, 2012

Thoughtstylings

8 Comments

I thought it appropriate on election day to repeat one of my favorite equations for happiness–a stoic flowchart that comes via Mark Fraenfelder of BoingBoing. At the end of the day, about half of America will be happy, and half will be dismayed. All we can do is remember that beyond voting, we cannot control the outcome of the election. So a stoic would advise us to not to rail against what we cannot change or affect, but to focus on what we can...

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