I just ran across this interesting video about straw bale building posted over on Lloyd Kahn’s blog. It’s about the Builders without Borders Straw Bale Eco-house, which was constructed and exhibited in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 2008.

The video shows many of the steps involved in the construction of this load-bearing straw bale house, including how they deal with the problem of too much moisture in the straw. Straw bale building enthusiasts and regular Mother Earth News readers may see a few familiar names, too. The members of the building team include Catherine Wanek and Bill and Athena Steen. Take a look!

I always enjoy watching videos from the TED website. Here’s an interesting one on tapping wind energy with kites. The idea is that kites have the potential to get much higher up in the air than even the largest wind turbines, so they’re a good tool for tapping into the large amount of wind power found at high altitudes.
 

Just because the weather's getting chilly and some species are headed south for the winter doesn't mean your bird watching has to go on ice. Actually, you may be in for your easiest, coziest bird watching yet. The American Bird Conservancy has launched an online channel of bird videos called the Bird News Network (BNN). You can find regular BNN reports, as well as footage of rare and endangered species such as the Cerulean Warbler and the Royal Cinclodes. Their latest video includes interviews with conservationists working to save the Thick-billed Parrot, whose dwindling population of fewer than 2,000 individuals is found only in Mexico.

I shared this find with a good friend who also happens to be an ornithologist, and she offered a terrific recommendation of her own. While anyone with an Internet connection and a passion for birds can find footage of a blue jay or a hummingbird, only the healthily obsessed know where you can find a moonwalking manakin. This little guy moves so fast that researcher Kim Bostwick had to use a special video camera that captures up to 1,000 frames per second just to see his dance. You can read all about it in Jungle Dancers: Kim Bostwick and Manakin Birds.

P.S. Many of you are probably aware that winter can actually be a great time for real-world bird watching. Check out these tips for winter bird watching, plus find out where you can sign up for this year's Christmas Bird Count (begins Dec. 14).

• Winter Bird Watching 
• Join the Winter Bird Watchers 
• Sign up for Audubon's annual Christmas Bird Count 

Fiber-cement siding is durable and low-maintenance. Fine Homebuilding has produced an informative, short video for tips on Cutting Fiber Cement With a Circular Saw.

There’s some debate about how eco-friendly fiber cement is. It takes quite a bit of energy to produce the Portland cement that holds the boards together, and the cellulose sources may not be sustainable (although some products use recycled materials). But the final product should last a long time, so it’s a good option for siding.

The DIY network has 171 videos on topics ranging from flooring to tiling, electrical to plumbing. The Tutorials for Basic Home Improvements are neatly organized in 12 categories. Even if you have experience with similar projects, the videos offer a quick review prior to starting work.