| | |  | Sustainable Housing | Home » » Toolbox for Sustainable City Living: A do-it-Ourselves Guide | | | | | | | Description: | | The tools you need to create self-sufficient, ecologically sustainable cities “A surprisingly effective model for connecting people with dreams to the resources they need.” —Austin Chronicle With more than half the world’s population now residing—and struggling to survive—in cities, we can no longer afford to think of sustainability as something that applies only to forests and fields. We need sustainable living right where so many of us are: in urban neighborhoods. But how do we do it? That’s where Toolbox for Sustainable City Living comes in. In 2000 the dynamic Rhizome Collective transformed an abandoned warehouse in Austin, Texas, into a sustainability training center. Here, with their first book, Scott and Stacy, two of Rhizome’s founders, provide city dwellers—those who have never foraged or gardened along with those who dumpster-dive and belong to CSAs—with step-by- step instructions for producing our own food, collecting water, managing waste, reclaiming land, and generating energy. With vibrant illustrations created by Juan Martinez of the Beehive Collective and descriptive text based on years of experimentation, Stacy and Scott explain how to build and grow with cheap, salvaged, and recycled materials. More than a how-to manual, Toolbox is packed with accessible and relevant tools to help move our communities from envisioning a sustainable future toward living it. Scott Kellogg a Stacy Pettigrew are co-founders of the Rhizome Collective, an educational and activist organization based in Austin, Texas, that recently received a $200,000 grant from the EPA to clean up a 10-acre brownfield that they are transforming into an ecological justice park. Toolbox developed out of R.U.S.T.—Radical Urban Sustainability Training—their intensive weekend seminar in urban ecological survival skills.
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Scott Kellogg | | Paperback:
| 242 pages | | Publisher:
| South End Press | | Publication Date:
| June 15, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0896087808 | | Product Length:
| 7.98 inches | | Product Width:
| 8.06 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.63 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.95 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.9 inches | | Package Width:
| 7.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.7 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.8 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 19 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 19 customer reviews )
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54 of 56 found the following review helpful:
 Urban permaculture DIYOct 01, 2008
By Grant Smith
"GrantKSmith"
When searching for books on sustainability its easy to find books heavy on opinion while practical application books are few and far between. This is one of the latter, a very accessible project oriented guide to making changes in the way we act. This book is filled with small scale systems that provides a great starting point for people who want to make actual change in their lives and not just read environmental theory, as great as that may be. The real gem in this book is the well organized bibliography, as many of the projects I would feel more comfortable completing with more detailed background knowledge of the processes going on, which is of course beyond the scope of this publication. Not to downplay the information contained in the book itself, which is awesome.
The key to making change is to make small changes, baby steps, slowly building your new lifestyle. I started with the vermicompostig, which is pretty tame, and moved on from there. Good Luck!
54 of 58 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent Resource, However LimitedFeb 10, 2009
By Bryan Duggan
I found "ToolBox.." to be a quick and enjoyable read, however, when it came to the details of implementing described projects I found limited information. Don't get me wrong, I do not regret purchasing the book, I was just expecting more guidance on specific projects. For instance, when I started reading the energy chapter, I got really excited when there was a discussion on a "bicycle wind mill", however, after a brief description of the design, the authors quickly moved on to another idea. I was also hoping for some design ideas utilizing bicycle "human powered" generators or such. Strong points that I will mention about the book, are the really good descriptions of graywater harvesting and filtering systems. In all, very informative, but do not expect it to provide all the answers.
53 of 62 found the following review helpful:
amazing new book on radical sustainability!Jul 16, 2008
By Kelly Jack Piper
Wow! I just got this amazing new book written by members of Austin's Rhizome Collective. It's full of highly practical, affordable, and simple designs that can be used by anyone to achieve sustainability in their home, neighborhood or community. There are a number of books on sustainable living, but this one stands apart from the rest - the systems described in it are innovative and unique, many of which I've never come across in any other book. The author's approach to sustainability and permaculture is especially important as they emphasize the interconnectedness between sustainability and social justice, a perspective that is sorely lacking in the movement. Many books sell sustainability as a product, and lead us to believe that our problems can be bought away. Not this one, it cuts away at all that greenwashing propaganda and promotes a genuine, radical sustainability that is accessible to the majority of the people in the world. The introductions to each section are very interesting, giving a general overview of each of its five main sections: Food, Water, Waste, Energy, and Bioremediation (a topic I've never seen covered in anything other than dense,academic texts). The writing is highly informed and intelligent, yet down to earth and accessible.
One of the most standout features of the book is its incredible artwork - done masterfully by Juan Martinez of the Beehive Collective - the book's many vivid illustrations and helpful diagrams make it a joy to read and look through. Highly recommended!
16 of 17 found the following review helpful:
Way, WAY Beyond How-To TipsFeb 03, 2009
By theabster
Wow this little book has a lot of information in it! A lot more than I bargained for, actually. I was interested in doing a little "urban farming" in the form of apartment-gardening and helping friends plant food on the unused hill behind their house, maybe starting a compost heap. But this book covers everything from constructing a homemade "wetland" for filtering household water, to recycling human waste (see the hilarious section on the Mobile Composting Toilet!), and so much more. It's not just about taking small steps to get yourself off the grid, it covers comprehensive ways to move communities off the grid entirely--which, the book explains, may become necessary in the not-so-distant future. Frank and crisp in style, and completely without condescension or hysteria, the book describes in clear terms what we can expect in the future if our current systems persist, and how to start making our homes and communities sustainable, equitable and autonomous. While I can't see myself putting all of it to use (there is a section on cultivating insects for chicken feed, making me relieved to retreat into vegetarianism), I felt vastly more aware when I'd finished it, in addition to learning a few things I will try.
16 of 18 found the following review helpful:
I read this book in one day! I could not put it down!Oct 28, 2008
By Elizabeth Richardson
This book is everything it promises. After reading it I felt that I could begin projects that would bring me closer to sustainability.
The explainations and diagrams seemed simple and affordable.
This book is the answer to the question, 'What can I do right now?'
Thank you for this book.
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