Tk Gillman

Just for fun, here is a YT video of Hobbiton in New Zealand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M10HrcYjjuc
The hot water for the bath looks like a Rocket Mass Heater and it has a composting toilet.

Tristan Vitali wrote: I ordered 24 books on a "freaky cheap" discount back in April and sold them at my farm stand - spent $54 on the books and charged $2/per.

I ordered 24 books on that deal as well, after buying extra copies for my grown kids. I gave a few to friends but mostly put them in all the little library boxes around my neighborhood. I put in a new copy whenever I stopped on my bike and saw that someone took the one that was there. I like to think that this is on a continuum. Some people might never crack open the book but just read the title and could still benefit from the thought that there are ways that individuals can build a better world. Others will read it completely and try some or all of the ideas, but it is so easy to just skip to a page or two that covers an idea you are interested in. Once someone takes a step in the right direction, it can lead to more steps. The only change I would have liked to see, would be lighter versions of these that someone who is not ready to commit to going "pooless" or installing a mass rocket heater in their rental apartment, could take. The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes, or stated another way, in low risk situations, 80% of the benefits can be had for 20% of the costs. While this is not recommended for airplane safety or heart surgery, someone who is concerned about going pooless, could start by cutting back the amounts of cleaners, soaps, shampoos and detergents by half and if that still works cut in half again until they are at the lowest amount that still gives the desired result. The person in the rental apartment, could find ways of cutting the heat bill and creating greater efficiency. Someone who takes a step in this direction, may later try going pooless, when given the opportunity to work from home for 6 weeks (e.g. pandemic) or build a RMH in the home they buy or build themselves.

I just saw this video and had to share it with this community. During the heat wave of 1906, Baldasare Forestiere dug a home underground with just a pickax and shovel. He spent 40 years excavating 10 acres of rooms, tunnels, a chapel, an underground aquarium and courtyards to experiment with underground farming. He had fruit trees planted 12-22 ft underground with light wells.

I agree with getting tools first from garage or yard sales if available, then flea markets or other places for used tools. When you are starting from scratch, you can just get the things on your list that are available and then backfill with buying new as needed for specific projects. You get better prices and often better quality. If there are are farm sales in Bulgaria, then you would not need to transport the tools from afar. The same goes with screws, bolts, nails, etc. which can add up if you buy them new. Also look for canning jars and rings. You can get new lids for the jars cheap.  
I get free plastic buckets from local bakeries, often you can get lids with them. I just have to clean out the remaining contents (e.g. frosting).
I am not sure of the diameter of the black locusts, but anything wide enough could make good fence posts as it is rot resistant.

I like this idea. It aligns with Paul's explanation of the Wheaton Scale. I also like the Pareto principle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle which states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes also called the 80/20 rule. As with so many things you can often get 80% of the desired benefits with 20% of the effort/cost. If you can get a lot of people to start down this path and continue to improve it is better than getting a handful to take the all or nothing approach. The more people who define themselves as being on this path, the better.
When I read How to Build a Better World in Your Own Backyard, I thought that there ought to be the absolute approach and a "light" version. For example, Not ready to go "pooless"? Try using half the shampoo, bath gel and other cleansers you currently use. Are you still getting good results? Cut the amount in half again and see. Keep going until you use the minimum amount that gives the desired effect.

Years ago, I was in a business advisory group that included someone in the egg and dairy business. He complained that every other year the prices for eggs went so low that the commercial producers could not break even on the feed. Then the next year everyone would cut way back on the chickens and the egg prices would go back up. Then they would all invest more in chickens and the prices would go back down. I don't think it was quite as predictable as every other year, but the problem of being a farmer producing commodity products with contractual pricing controlled by companies like Kroger and Walmart meant that it was difficult for them to break even. We advised him to differentiate his egg production. Organic eggs were just becoming a "thing" in the larger grocery stores.
Years later, I saw a 60 minutes program regarding farmers that were convinced to take out big loans to build commercial chicken facilities (think caged hens), and later were losing money but if they stopped they would lose their farms.
So maybe we should place some value in not being part of either of these sad stories.

Most Europeans have never tried root beer. However, they think it tastes like medicine and cannot believe anyone would drink it as a soft drink.

Pearl, I think with the trampoline framework and the skins (jumping mats) supported by the springs and the safety padding in the right places, you might have most of the structure for a NoFati. Of course it could not be a Wofati as that has been narrowly defined by Paul to not include trampoline construction in the design. However, it would be similar to, but Not exactly a Wofati (Woodland, Oehler inspired, Freaking cheap, Annualized Thermal Inertia) structure, and therefore a NoFati.  I had thought of building something like this from salvaged pallets with 12' 2"X4"s threaded through pallets and supporting walls between the posts. With the pallets it would have a dead space that could be filled with salvaged insulation, but it would still be missing a major component like trampoline skins, on the dirt side to shore it up and keep out digging critters.
With the trampoline frames, trampoline surfaces (skins) and springs, perhaps all that would be needed would be EPDM and a lot of salvaged windows. Use the padding on any sharp edges, to prevent wearing. Mike Oehler would be proud if you were to get the material for $100, which might be better than his original $50 underground home, when you factor in inflation.
Of course, as was said earlier, if you could sell one full trampoline for $100 and get all your money back before you build the NoFati, that would be the ultimate score. Whatever you do with this terrific buy, I wish you the best of luck. If it were me, I would probably keep all of the potential things I could create in a stack until it was all rusted together and then spend the rest of my days lamenting the many wonderful things I could have created if I only followed through. So don't be like me and go make anything and we will all be proud. Please share photos when you get a chance.  

My opinion is that Kickstarter reaches more new people than fundraising through Permies. Yes it costs, but it also lets a lot of people know that a large group of people are already on board.  I would also keep it up for 30 days, not 14, as it takes new viewers more time to find it. Once it is closed fewer people will look at what was offered and why.
I like Mark Brunnr's  idea of linking previous youtube videos. Paul's 72 bricks was how I found Permies.

Kenneth Elwell wrote:
It is basically a powered version of an ice house, working on a small scale and daily schedule.
The A/C unit works in reverse to create a block of ice, so that when the A/C runs forwards (cooling the house) the ice is melted by the waste heat, reducing/eliminating the need for the compressor to run (the costly part of the A/C to operate).
The main benefit in a market like California, (where the company was) with high energy rates and peak pricing, is to be able to shift the load to "off-peak" times, using less expensive electricity.

There are commercial HVAC systems (e.g. Trane) that create a coolant slush during the off peak hours to be used for air conditioning during the peak hours. The same idea could be done with solar during the daytime to store additional cooling for night. I have heard of something similar for truck air conditioning, so they don't need to run the vehicles on idle while sleeping.

I have an RV with a 3-way fridge. The propane and cooling system are accessed outside the vehicle for safety, a factor you should consider if creating your own system. They frequently have problems because they need to be level to operate. Mine is 15 years old. I needed to clean the propane nozzle to get it working. A replacement is over $1K, so expensive, finicky and potentially dangerous. All RVs with propane include a propane alarm.

I like the Wofati cooling idea or any with thermal inertia. I have heard of someone using the underground tube as a house cooling idea but having it first come through to a cooling cabinet in the kitchen. This is good for fruits and veggies, cheeses, yogurt, but probably not meat.