External Resources
Sustainable concepts
Consumerism related
Finance related
Mr. Money Mustache Consumerism is usually associated with debts, and the idea of “this will make me/this other person happier”. While that is sometimes true, there are ways to avoid going into debt!
Two Cents “Personal finance tips and tricks for millennial and Gen Z!” With engaging graphic and real life examples.
Materials
This is by no means a comprehansive list, just a few places that we have come across as either inspiring, informative, or both.
Concrete
Pervious Concrete Pervious pavement, when maintained properly (like everything else), is a great asset for your property and neighborhood. Here’s a great place to learn more about it.
Landscaping/Food/Forestry
Plastics/Textiles
Interior Finishes
Waste/Pollution Reduction
Urban
Best Practices The UN's guide to sustainable urban practices.
EPA’s G3 Guidelines Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Guides and Publications
Project Drawdown Project Drawdown® is a nonprofit organization that seeks to help the world reach “Drawdown”— the future point in time when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline.
Manufacturing
Industrial Symbiosis Industrial Symbiosis works to make manufacturing work together as an ecosystem.
Water
Living Systems Living Systems - natural water cleansing via bacteria, algae and wetland systems.
Waste
Recycle Coach Learn how to properly sort your recyclables to prevent contamination! Did you know that contaminated recyclables are actually dumped into the landfill?
The ReUse People Oakland, CA-based company seeking to expand to other cities offers triple threat: deconstruction services, retail sales of salvaged materials, and consultation.
Zero Waste Alliance New Zealand works toward zero waste.
Zero Waste Alliance The Zero Waste Alliance is a non-profit partnership of universities, government, business and other organizations working to develop, promote and apply Zero Waste strategies.
Organizations
Center for Neighborhood Technology Chicago, IL. organization to promote a more livable and sustainable urban living.
Environmental Law & Policy Center A Midwest public interest environmental advocacy organization.
Green @ Work Magazine "The essential guide to the business world's growing embrace of sustainability."
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assesses scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
Rocky Mountain Institute "Rocky Mountain Institute is an entrepreneurial nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources to make the world secure, just, prosperous, and life-sustaining."
The Urban Conservancy New Orleans-base nonprofit dedicated to research, education and advocacy that promote the wise stewardship of the urban built environment and local economies.
Seed Savers Exchange Seed Savers Exchange conserves and promotes America's culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.
U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council is a coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote sustainable and green building practices and the developers of LEED.
Urban Ecology uses urban planning, ecology, and public participation to help design and build healthier cities.
World Resources Institute World Resources Institute researches climate change.
Tools
Sun angle calculator Sun angle calculator for passive solar designing
FEMA Flood Map Enter an US address to see if it is prone to flooding
Water Budget Data Finder Find out how much water your garden may need in various time of the year.
Architects & Designers
Bruce Goff Fearless design prodigy. From Kansas!
Frei Otto A special gift for creating lightweight tent-like structures.
Glenn Murcutt Chiefly admired among his contemporaries for creating an identifiably Australian idiom in domestic architecture.
Jersey Devil Jersey Devil's architecture shows a concern for craft and detail, an attention to the expressiveness of the construction materials, and a strong environmental consciousness.
Malcolm Wells This guy rocks! Dedicated to the promotion and discussion of: underground buildings, earth-sheltered architecture, eco-friendly design, and energy-efficient houses.
R. Buckminster Fuller Inventor, architect, engineer, mathematician, poet, cosmologist.
Paolo Soleri Founder of Arcosanti and the Cosanti Foundation, his theory of architecture and ecology is worth checking out!
Schools
Yestermorrow The Yestermorrow Design/Build School is a dynamic learning community exploring and teaching the integrated creative process of designing and building a sustainable future. Vermont.
Blogs
Chicago Gardeners Blog Serves as a collection of RSS feeds & links to make finding gardeners in the Chicago area easier.
Repkin Biosystems Michael Repkin is an ecological designer specializing in biological resource recovery and sustainable food production.
Habitat 2030 Blog A resource for connecting people who care about nature. It’s an exploration of issues surrounding human-natural ecosystems, and a forum for dialogue on conservation/sustainability issues in the Chicagoland region.
Thrifty Homesteader Deborah Niemann is an author and homesteader (and more!). Her blog contains recipes, valuable knowledge and info about her books and on-going events related to growing and harvesting food (by food we mean vegetables, meats, and pretty much anything that can be produced on a piece of land).