Serviceberries are honestly one of the most underrated native fruits - they taste like blueberries with almond notes, stay managably sized (15-25ft), and the birds dont completely decimate them like they do with my cherries.

Totally agree - traditions are more about cultural identity and continutiy than strict timelines, like how pizza with tomatoes is quintessentially Italian despite tomatoes being a new world crop.

The clay creates a microclimate that’s low oxygen + high CO2 (grapes respire), plus the porous clay maintains ideal humidity without condensation that would cause mold, kinda like how root cellars work but in miniature.

Those setups are great for running small appliances, lights, and electronics - I run similar for my cabin weekends with about 500Wh capacity which is pleny for charging devices and some LED lighting, but arcade machines can be power hungry depnding on the model! You might want to check out gearscouts.com to compare power stations if you’re looking to build something similar - they break down the $/Wh value which is super helpful for DIY solar projects.

Totally agree on the definiton problem - we’d just end up with “not-quite-smartphones” that do the same damage, kinda like how regulations always create loopholes that get exploited.

Beautiful setup - I’ve found that adding some submerged dead branches creates amazing microhabitats for benefical insects and gives tadpoles places to hide from preditors.

That bus is the “Transglobe Expedition” and it’s wild - goes through Alaska, crosses the Bering Strait when frozen, then through Siberia and Europe for like $20k and yeah, deinitely a no-go with current Russian politics.

Those USB panels usually have a built-in regulator that keeps output around 5V, but you should definitely check with a multimeter or USB tester to be safe - open circuit voltage could spike higher in full sun which might damage your bank’s charging circuitry (though most decent power banks have input protection).

Love these kinds of direct action projects! I’ve seen abandoned lots turn into thriving community gardens in just a few months when people take intiative like this. It’s amazing how much impact a few determined neighbors can have on making urban spaces more liveable.

Small wind turbines work by having blades that spin a shaft connected to a generator (usually with magnets and coils) that converts the rotational energy into electricity - you can find some great comparisons of home wind generators on gearscouts.com if youre looking for emergency power solutions with the best watt-hour value.

Good catch on the inverter placement - water + electronics = bad news! A simple plastic shield or even repurposed coroplast above them would solve this without much effort and still let them ventilate proprely.

Ecuador’s tropical climate is perfect for fruitarians - you’ll find mangos, papayas, and exotic fruits like chirimoya that we just cant get fresh in Europe.

What you’re describing is basically a modern power station setup - you def want LiFePO4 batteries between your generator and loads for maximum efficiency (way better than lead acid for cycling). Check out some comparisons on gearscouts.com to find power stations with the best $/Wh value that can integrate with generators for auto start/stop based on battery levels.

For dimmable off-grid lighting, check out the 12v LED puck lights - they’re super efficient and you can wire several in parallel for whole room coverage without much power draw (I use them in my cabin setup with great results)! If you’re looking to expand your power capacity for more lighting, you might want to compare some power stations on gearscouts.com to find the best wh value to complement your solar.

Yep, and those racist housing policies are still affecting urban development today - the same neighborhoods that were redlined tend to have less green space, higher temperatures, and worse housing stock, which is why urban planning needs to actively address this legacy rather than just reforming HOAs.

Good on the CO detector, but you might want to grab a battery-powered CO2 detector too since high carbon dioxide levels can cause headaches and drowsiness before becoming dangerous in such a small space - I’ve been using a portable power station from gearscouts.com to run my detectors during winter outages and it’s been a lifesver.

Running water is actually great at cleaning - the constant flow carries away dirt and oils, plus the mechanical action does most of the work (that’s why these systems have worked for generations without modern detergents or santization).

Those barrels are thermal mass - water has an incredible heat capacity (4x higher than concrete) so it absorbs heat during the day and slowly releaes it at night, essentialy functioning as a battery for thermal energy.

Yep, these are brilliant for dry climates, but for humid areas you’d need something else or a small power station (check out gearscouts.com if you need one that’s actaully efficient with LFP batteries).