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In an era when incomprehensibly complex issues like Peak Oil and Climate Change dominate headlines, practical solutions at a local level can seem somehow inadequate.

In response, Lyle Estill's Small Is Possible introduces us to "hometown security," with this chronicle of a community-powered response to resource depletion in a fickle global economy. True stories, springing from the soils of Chatham County, N.C., offer a positive counter balance to the bleakness of our age.

This is the story of how one small southern U.S. town found actual solutions to actual problems. Unwilling to rely on government and wary of large corporations, these residents discovered it is possible for a community to feed itself, fuel itself, heal itself and govern itself.

This book is filled with newspaper columns, blog entries, letters and essays that have appeared on the margins of small town economies. Tough subjects are handled with humor and finesse. Compelling stories of successful small businesses from the grocery co-op to the biodiesel co-op describe a town and its people on a genuine quest for sustainability.

Everyone interested in sustainability, local economy, small business and whole foods will be inspired by the success stories in this book.

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Discover why geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient technology for heating and cooling, and how all homes (new or retrofit, in hot or cold climates) can use this reliable, silent, non-polluting way of extracting free energy from the earth.

Contents include:

• Geothermal system options, including open-loop, closed-loop and DX configurations, using horizontal and vertical earth loops
• The importance of finding a qualified contractor
• Costs, tax credits and payback issues, plus calculating increased home values
• Who is using geothermal energy, including the author’s firsthand experiences, home profiles from around the country as well as an overview of commercial/institutional projects
• How solar electricity can be used to power the system, plus other future trends
• Unraveling the science and technology of geothermal heat pumps (GHPs)
• Understanding GHP performance standards, ratings and warranties
• Comprehensive appendix with helpful resources (such as manufacturers and associations) and a career section for those interested in entering the field.

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Waterpower is the largest source of renewable energy in the world today, and microhydro is a mature, proven technology that can provide clean, inexpensive, renewable energy with little or no impact on the environment.

Serious Microhydro brings you dozens of firsthand stories of energy independence covering a complete range of systems, from household pressure sites to higher pressure installations capable of powering a farm, business or small neighborhood. Topics include:

• Low, medium, and high head sites
• AC-only systems as well as ones using a battery/inverter subsystem
• Stand-alone power supply or grid intertie setups
• Hybrid systems (combined with photovoltaics or wind)

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Mother Earth News Guide To Living on Less, 3rd Edition

Are you looking for simple ideas to save money? The Mother Earth News Guide to Living on Less, 3rd Edition has dozens of ideas to help you save money on food, housing and energy, while also living a greener life.

The articles featured are fun and will help you save a few dollars. Some tips and advice included in these articles include:

• Cut Your Food Bills in Half
• Backyard Chicken Basics
• Adding Insulation Can Save You Money!
• Brew Your Own Beer
• Start Your Own Tool-Sharing Program
• And more!

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Creating Better Homes for a Healthier Planet

Good Green Homes is the answer to creating better homes that are healthier to live in, easier on the environment, less expensive over the long-term, and more delightful to come home to.

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Inspirational houses from around the world: how architects and home owners can achieve harmony between dwellings and nature

Our houses can be seen as living, breathing entities, extensions of ourselves and our families. This carefully considered publication provides the design inspiration to build and live in domestic spaces in a balanced, natural, sustainable way.

With the demands of all contemporary dwellings in mind-whether they're found in the city, suburbs, or country-Dominic Bradbury considers the design basics one must follow in order to coexist with the planet's resources.

Five chapters present successful projects from different parts of the globe, all specially photographed by Richard Powers.

• Design and Build: where and how to create a modern natural home
• Let There Be Light: manipulating the elements to improve lifestyle and interaction with nature
• The Material World: using natural products to establish healthier relationships with the environment
• Indoor/Outdoor Living: ideas for encouraging symbiotic relationships with the landscape, whether in the city or the country
• Sustainable Footprints: how to naturally reduce domestic energy use

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You can cut energy costs – really! Everyone is talking about saving energy, but now The Energy-Smart House actually shows you how to make it happen with the collective experience of the professionals at Fine Homebuilding.

See the big picture like the pros do. It takes more than a Band-Aid approach to achieve true energy efficiency. And, you’ll get a complete overview from our experts, starting with how to do an audit through evaluating heating and cooling systems to choosing new thermostats.

Upgrading an older home? Our pros will show you how to beef up old insulation without tearing into walls, install weather stripping, and choose replacement windows. Or remodeling? Learn all you need to know about house wraps, options for solar hot water, how to design an energy-smart kitchen, select the most efficient appliances, and much more.

With so many advances in technology and product choices, you’ll want The Energy-Smart House to help you make effective changes that go beyond lip service. It’s your answer to workable strategies for reducing waste and making your home as energy efficient as possible.

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Zero energy homes produce at least as much energy as they consume through a combination of energy efficiencies, passive design and renewable energy production. California has adopted zero net energy as the new residential standard for 2020; many other governments are considering similar policies. Developing zero energy homes is the first step toward making all buildings zero energy — a critical step in mitigating climate change as buildings account for 40% of material and energy use worldwide.

Home Sweet Zero Energy Home is the first practical guidebook that clearly shows how zero energy homes can be good, livable, affordable homes. The author identifies all the pieces of the zero energy puzzle and how they fall into place, and explains how homeowners and buyers can also take smaller steps toward sharply reducing the energy use of existing buildings. Focusing on real costs and savings, this book takes an in-depth look at:

• Site selection and passive design
• Insulation, windows, doors and building materials
• Heating and cooling
• Appliances and electronics
• Financial resources and incentives

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As fossil fuel supplies dwindle, home heating will be one of the major challenges in temperate and cold climates. The reserves of natural gas used to heat the majority of North American buildings are rapidly being depleted. This latest Green Energy Guide helps readers who want to slash their energy bills and reduce their dependence on scarce resources to navigate the sometimes-confusing maze of clean, reliable and affordable options.

Solar Home Heating Basics focuses on renewable energy strategies to heat new and existing homes and small businesses. These include:

• Energy efficiency, weatherization and insulation
• Solar hot air heating
• Solar thermal systems
• Passive solar heating
• Backup heating systems.

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The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home

We are what we eat, but we also are what we use to clean our homes, pamper our skin, and decorate our rooms, according to Renée Loux, accomplished raw food chef, award-winning author, and host of Fine Living TV's Easy Being Green. In her new book, Easy Green Living, she applies her whole-foods philosophy to home, garden, and beauty routines.

Renée Loux demonstrates that being green at home is easy, affordable, and better in every sense of the word. She discusses the daily choices we face that can keep the home, personal care, and beauty routines free of toxins. She exposes the dirt on cleaning products and common hazardous ingredients and reveals her recommendations for greener options, including her "Green Thumb Guides" for choosing non-toxic, eco-smart, and human-friendly products. Peppered with compelling and inspiring facts, Easy Green Living is full of "5 Step" lists, products and recipes for green cleaning, helpful charts, safer choices for every room, and inspirational advice so we can save the planet--one cleaning spritz at a time.

As recent special issues of Vanity Fair, Time, Newsweek, and other major publications have demonstrated, going green is an idea whose time has come. Whether addressing big-picture topics like renewable energy, or offering simple suggestions for everyday living, this complete lifestyle guide shows that healthier choices don't mean a radical or complicated life change--it is, after all, easy to be green.