We compiled many of these valuable links through our online research, while building our sustainable solar powered homestead. Other links have been recommended to us by readers who have submitted online comments.

Links by Topic

Environmental Education
Gardening
Geodesic Domes
Green Building
House Plans
Homestead Utilities
Reference
Solar
Stumbles
Wind Power

DIY Solar Projects

Build-it-Solar is the best online resource for do it yourself solar projects. Featuring books, plans and project ideas for reducing energy usage and CO2 emissions.
http://www.builditsolar.com/index.htm

Solar Cars

SunVee proposes a concept for a solar electric vehicle. Includes a good bit of info on the history and design of solar cars.
http://www.sunvee.com/

Solar Cookers

The Solar Cooking Archive posts the latest news on solar cooking from around the globe. It offers tons of information including links to do-it-yourself plans, contact info for solar oven manufacturers, as well as solar cooking recipes. Sponsored by Solar Cookers International.
http://solarcooking.org/

How to Make a Wind Turbine

Overview of the Homebrew Wind Turbine Construction Seminar, in which 3 wind turbines were constructed in 6 days. Pictures of turbine construction in progress and descriptions of the process take the mystery out of homemade wind power.
http://www.otherpower.com/wisc06.html

Adobe House Plans

Clay Mine Adobe has a variety of adobe house plans that you can browse through. We considered building from adobe and spent a lot of time reviewing house plans for inspiration in drawing up the passive solar house plans that we feature on our site.
http://www.claymineadobe.com/house_plans.html

Passive Solar House Plans

Adobe Builder features adobe house plans with passive solar characteristics. The plans that I have linked to include a trombe wall, as well as south facing windows and an overhang.
http://www.adobebuilder.com/solar-adobe-house-plan-1560.html

Small House Plans

Living simply is the theme of the Simple Solar Homesteading website. It offers great photos of a self built cabin that was constructed for $2000. Plans are available for this simple solar homestead which include instructions and photos of how to build a small cabin and solar composting toilet.
http://www.freewebs.com/simplesolarhomesteading/index.htm

La Lucena Learning Center

La Lucena E.L.C. is committed to promoting environmental education in Argentina. They offer programs and internships that focus on exploring, understanding and appreciating the natural world.
http://lalucena.org/about_la_lucena/index.html

Native Plants and Grasses

This article provides a list of plants and grasses that are native to the Pinyon Juniper Pinelands. The list links into the USDA plants data base, where detailed info and photos can be viewed for each of the native species.
http://www.cnrhome.uidaho.edu/default.aspx?pid=85876

Natural Building Resource

GreenBuilding.com offers a wealth of straightforward information on green building methods, including adobe, cob, rammed earth, poured earth, earthbag, strawbale, cordwood, bamboo, earthship, papercrete and rock. They also promote workshops and events happening around the world that relate to natural building and sustainable living.
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/index.htm

Compost Calculator

This useful compost calculator takes care of all the complex maths to do with moisture content, available carbon vs locked away carbon and converting carbon:nitrogen by mass into carbon:nitrogen by volume. In short it will help you to create a custom recipe that yields good a compost mixture that is not too hot.
http://www.milkwood.net/resources/tools-and-calculators/compost-calculator.html

How to Plant Potatoes

The Garden Helper has instructions for how to plant potatoes in rows, mounds and even without a vegetable garden. I found the info useful when I was trying to figure out how to grow potatoes.
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/potato.html

Vegetable Gardening Guide

A basic guide to planting vegetables that I have found very helpful. It is for the novice with topics covering when to plant, common problems, and how to harvest vegetables.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/asparagus1.html

Cardboard Geodesic Dome

Instructions for making a geodesic dome out of cardboard or wood. The domes on this site have served as an effective shelter against wind, extreme heat and, once painted, rainfall.
http://www.monkeyc.org/dome/index.html

Heating Water with a Wood Stove

The Wood Heat Organization offers practical solutions for heating water with wood. This site not only shows safely build wood water heaters, but describes dangerous mistakes to avoid.
http://www.woodheat.org/dhw/dhw.htm

Encyclopedia of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living

A large, free, on-line resource aimed at providing accurate information on living in harmony with our planet, particularly with regard to green energy and architecture.
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/AEnotes.html

Definition for Global Warming

The Wikipedia definition for global warming. Including info on the cause of global warming, the effects of global warming and current facts on global warming and climate change.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

StumbleUpon.com is a great place to find quality sites without the hassles encountered with popular search engines. At ByExample.StumbleUpon.com you will find a directory of alternative energy websites, as well as the ByExample blog. Hopefully you will enjoy StumbleUpon as much as we do!