Greener Gadgets Competition 2009

I love finding sites like this! The Greener Gadgets Design Competition is part of an annual conference focused on developing electronics that are environmentally sustainable. There's some pretty funky concepts showcased each year.

PCWorld has a slide show about the competition that you may find easier to explore.

The Hobbit House!

At least that's what a co-worker called it. The Earthbag House Plans blog shows a multitude of house plans . Earthbags are also called sandbags and can be stacked in an infinite number of shapes. See these companion sites for more information about this unique building structure as well as others.

Earthbag Building
Earthbag Building Blog
Green Home Building
Dream Green Homes Plans - for additional alternative home plans.

Non-toxic paint

I'd like to paint some of the walls in our house this summer. I have a lot of allergies so I'm always interested in ways to improve the air quality inside our home. Which has led me to low VOC paint.

Low VOC paints are lower in the toxic emissions that all paints and finishes release into you home years after application. Because of paint and other materials, your home can be 3 times more polluted than the outside air.

A number of paint companies make low to zero VOC paints. See the list at this site, Non-toxic Paints. Or go to The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality - from EPA.

Has anyone tried this type of paint? What do you think? Any suggestions?