Atlanta rooftops

Container homes

Homes made from recycled shipping containers.

California-based IC Green Inc. has designed a range of housing units that could well be the next breakthrough in sustainable green structures. The company reuses trashed shipping containers and converts them into a wide range of structures, from 320 square foot studios to 2400 square foot homes.



The company claims that the homes are designed to be architecturally pleasing and affordable at the same time. The structures are prefabricated and include all modern amenities and finishes that can be compared to many high-end custom home designs.

Apart from the shipping container bones, the dwellings are well insulated with radiant floor system, which minimize the energy required by the home. If you need much better systems, the company will also install green roofs, solar and geothermal energy systems for an additional charge.

Sustainable Living

Too much emphasis on green living and environment friendliness through Internet & media has created enough awareness among masses all over the world, that administrations are taking environment friendly decisions and we also see legislation being formed on national and international levels to protect environment.
But in this all going green phobia, a lot of confusion and misunderstanding is also developing, many of us now correlate use of green electricity to sustainability, in fact using energy efficiently is sustainability. Most of us think that using canvas bags instead of plastic is an eco friendly gesture, but caring a cloth bag every time we got to shop is being green.
It’s great that world wide huge cooperates are investing in renewable sources of energy, and production of eco friendly products. But sustainability can only be achieved if humans reduce there consumption level, and a line between needs and luxury will be drawn, when need for waste dumps and land fills wont be an issue. Sustainability is harvesting some amount of our food from our backyards, gardens and balconies, which was not irrigated with community water supply but the rain water we harvested. Sustainability is leaving our car at home and walking to the market, making sure suburbs are not turning into city centers and marine life is not contaminated just for a little luxury of no significance.
Giant steps taken by governments and Ngo’s can’t make much of a difference unless Little green steps are taken on individual level.

Sustainable Living Tip Of The Day

Sustainable living tip of the day is to use natural products to clean your house. It's sustainable to purchase natural clean products. Try lemon and baking soda and vinegar for maximum sustainability.

Green living improving Health today and tommorow

Much attention has been paid in recent years to what seems to be a growing environmental conscience in the United States. Going green used to be considered expensive and a luxury for those who could afford the trend. Now it appears that we are learning that not only is adopting more environmentally conscious attitudes good for our economic situation, but also our….health? Yes, if we dig a bit deeper we can see that dirty industries and backwards policy is actually harming the health of the earth for our children and the health of her inhabitants today.

How Does Environmental Policy Affect Public Health?

There are two levels of Cassociated with dirty industry, both direct and indirect. The direct consequences are examples like increased asthma rates in areas with high smog indices. Chlorofluorocarbon release into the atmosphere has shown to decrease the filter of direct sunlight on the planet, resulting in more concentrated ultraviolet light reaching the surface of the earth. Perhaps it is no surprise then that in countries with depleted atmospheric gas, skin cancer rates are among the highest in the world.

The indirect health consequences are harder to see immediately, but closer examination reveals that these are, in fact, perhaps the most hazardous. Bi-products of dirty and backwards industries, such as coal and oil processing, include cancer causing substances like asbestos and benzene. A U.K. study conducted in 2002 indicated that coal and oil industry workers are at a much higher risk of developing mesothelioma (associated with asbestos exposure) and leukemia (traced to benzene and heavy-metal exposure). Dr. Valerie Rusch among many other doctors who specialize in this area understand that these are substances that can be directly traced to antiquated pre-regulation equipment in industries whose environmental hazards are even more inherent.

Can we really afford to continue on the path we were on before? Investment in clean industry means not a healthier planet for our children and grandchildren, but also a healthier place for us to live today.

--June 18, 2009 Written by Bill Hawthorne with the maacenter