Magazine Archive: Wise, Wacky, and Whiz-Bang Ideas from MOTHER EARTH NEWS

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on December 31, 2009
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ILLUSTRATION: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
From the magazine archive: Issue No. 1, January 1970 — the debut of MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

Since our first issue back in 1970 right up through today, MOTHER EARTH NEWS has featured advice for wiser living. We’ve published great project ideas for DIY solar collectors, tips for gardening and raising livestock, the best ideas for creating a greener home, wacky ideas for personal transportation, creative recipes, and much more.

Straight from our magazine archive, here is a selection of great (or wacky, depending on your perspective) articles from the past 40 years.

Alternative Fuels: Chicken Poop, Wood Chips and …

Chicken Manure Fuel Can Power Your Car  (1971)

Forget about gas, diesel or ethanol. Power your car with chicken manure! Mother has always published information about green transportation — from using alternative fuels to improving gas mileage. Perhaps one of our most unusual ideas was using chicken manure to power a vehicle. But first, you need to convert that manure into methane. To learn how, see How To Build a 100 Cubic Foot a Day Methane Gas Plant (1971).

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