Are you locked in the system? Tired of the rat race – struggling to pay the bills and just breaking even? If so, you’re not alone. There are many others who feel called to a simpler lifestyle, living off the land or even cutting free from the system by living off the grid. It might seem like an impossible dream, but it really is possible to live more in harmony with nature, have more family time and experience the joys of self sufficient living. If that appeals to you, keep reading to learn how a better way of life can be yours.

In the summer of 2000 we moved to a small off grid cabin in the wilderness. It was there that we began to learn about gardening and a more sustainable way of life. Since then, we’ve been learning, little by little – often by trial and error. There have been some tough experiences, but we’re glad now that we never turned back.

Almost everyone enjoys the Christmas festive season. It is a time when we can feel happy even though it may be cold and dark outside. The festival is not the same without the installation of various beautiful lights and decorations. Today many people are concerned about the rising cost of energy bills, to help alleviate this problem it is now possible to install solar Christmas lights. These have become very popular over the last few years and are now being bought by many families up and down the country.

In appearance they look like ordinary Christmas lights. The difference is that they have a controller board that contains a battery linked to solar cells. From this the power is transmitted to each of the bulbs.

You may think that in winter the sun does not shine enough to provide power for solar lighting, but today’s solar cells can function even on a cloudy day. As the energy is stored in one or two batteries the lights will shine brightly throughout the night.

There is another benefit to be had from using solar lighting apart from the financial savings. This is the knowledge that they are environmentally friendly; no fossil fuel will be burnt to power them.

The energy supplies in the earth are gradually geing used up and it’s becoming more and more important to find and use alternative energy sources for industrial and domestic use. It’s no wonder that so many families are choosing to use home-produced “green energy”

The wind turbine is getting to be a common site across the land – you may be familiar with the huge ones in use by electricity supply companies. But you can build one from scratch that will suit an average family home, without breaking the bank.

There is hardly a place on earth that does not have enough wind activity to keep a home-built turbine whirring away. The great thing about wind energy is that its free! Like solar power and of course water which powers various hydro-electric power stations, it is something that occurs naturally. Its available all the time, waiting to be harnessed, to be tapped into.

You can build such a system for $200 or less. If you have a modicum of DIY skills and a good guide, you could put it together over the course of a weekend. And the materials required should be available from your local hardware store.

Global warming is one of the “hottest” issues nowadays. The current climate change is the worst yet to happen. Global warming is an overall increase in world temperature which is attributed to the increasing number of greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere. Searching an alternative energy source is considered a way of reducing the toxic emissions.

Greenhouse gases can be produced both by natural and industrial processes. The most abundant greenhouse gases on earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFCs.

There are several sources of greenhouse gases. Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation lead to higher concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Without the trees and plants to take in the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels, natural gas and petroleum products, all of the CO2 emitted stays in the atmosphere.

Also the use of CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration systems and in fire suppression systems and other manufacturing processes also increase the greenhouse content of our atmosphere. While the use of non-organic fertilizers in agriculture also lead to higher nitrous oxide concentrations, another greenhouse gas.