5 Lego-style apartment transforms into infinite spaces
This Super Tiny Apartment Is an Amazing Transformer
When Christian Schallert isn’t cooking, dressing, sleeping or eating, his 24 square meter (258 square feet) apartment looks like an empty cube. To use a piece of furniture, he has to build it.
A Barcelona mother shows us her 500-square-foot apartment that she is transforming for the birth of her 2nd child. She has transforming furniture (“Murphy tables”) and creative storage (shoes between stair steps).
By choosing a studio that measures just 12 feet by 7 feet, Felice Cohen can afford to live in Manhattan’s Upper West Side where apartments rent for an average of $3,600 per month. She pays just over $700 for her 90-square-foot microstudio. After a bit of adjustment she now loves living smaller, simpler and cozier.
More on Felice’s book: www.whatpapatoldme.com
Felice’s blog: felicecohen.wordpress.com
Original story here: http://faircompanies.com/videos/view/simple-life-manhattan-a-90-square-foot-m…
Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company gives us a tour of his 96-square-foot home on wheels parked in Sebastapol, California.
Understanding Greenhouse Gases
There are actually a few different types of greenhouse gases, including:
- Methane. This gas is emitted from livestock waste and decaying organic material. Methane is also released into the air when oil, coal, and natural gases are produced.
- Nitrous oxide. This gas is a common component of fertilizers and is emitted from human and animal waste in sewage. Car exhaust fumes also contain nitrous oxide.
- Fluorinated gases. These industrial gases were developed to replace gases that are known to destroy the ozone (such as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs), but unfortunately can also contribute to global warming.
- Carbon dioxide. This most common and very potent greenhouse gas is released when fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil are burned. It’s also released when we and other animals breathe. Leaves on plants and trees help absorb CO2 gas, so cutting down trees can contribute to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) keeps a log of all greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere for a certain period of time, typically over the course of a year, to measure the impact the gases are having on our environment. EPA inventories, along with records from many other countries, are given to the United Nations, which monitors global greenhouse gas emissions.
In our country, greenhouse gas inventories are monitored at various levels of government and by individuals as well as companies. For example, businesses such as agricultural operations are responsible for tracking how many greenhouse gases they release into the atmosphere.
Because projections show that, if unchecked, these emissions will continue to increase due to rising agricultural and industrial demands, the EPA and other environmental leaders around the world are working on initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow global warming.
Personally Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
You can keep and monitor your own personal greenhouse gas inventory. The EPA provides an individual household greenhouse gas emissions calculator that allows individuals to enter information about their monthly utilities usage as well as their vehicle mileage and use. After calculating your personalized greenhouse gas inventory, the site gives you tips on how to reduce your impact on the earth.
Fortunately, everyone can reduce greenhouse gas emissions just by keeping the following ideas in mind:
- Conserve energy in your home by using compact fluorescent light bulbs and Energy Star appliances, and by weather-sealing your home. You can also minimize excess energy use by unplugging appliances when they’re not in use and turning off your computer monitor if you’re going to step away for more than 15 minutes.
- Stop wasting water by fixing leaks and not letting water run while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing the dishes. Water systems use a lot of energy to clean our water, so the less you use, the more energy you save.
- Be green outdoors by using an old-fashioned push lawn mower that doesn’t run on fossil fuels and by composting your waste.
- Recycle and reuse as many materials as you can.
- Cut back on your use of your car by carpooling, using public transportation, biking, walking, choosing an energy-efficient or hybrid car, or using a car-sharing service.
The less energy you use, the lower your greenhouse gas emissions will be. So focus on conserving energy and water, recycling household and workplace waste materials, and being more conscious of the chemicals you release into the earth’s atmosphere.