LINKS
Solar Cooking
Solar Cookers International's Solar Cooking Archives and the accompanying Solar Cooking Wiki provide a wealth of information on solar cooking around the world, as well as information on making or purchasing and using solar cookers:
http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/The_Solar_Cooking_Archive_Wiki
To learn more about the work that Solar Cookers International is doing to bring solar cooking to those who need it most, or to purchase a variety of cookers and other items related to solar cooking, go to:
Solar Household Energy (SHE) does wonderful work in developing countries and sells their unique HotPot Solar Oven, one of my very favorite commercial cookers. I love my HotPot, which works like the best slow cooker you could imagine but you don't have to plug it in! You can learn more about the programs and the cooker as well as purchase a HotPot at:
See a video about some of the work SHE is doing (and watch food bubbling in a HotPot!) at:
http://current.com/items/77166662/solar_oven_revolution.htm
Molly Baker and her husband developed the ultra-portable Molly Baker Solar Oven for boaters and kayakers, and it is great for backpackers, too, or anyone else who wants an ultra-light cooker that can cook reasonable quantities of food, bake bread, etc. Check it out at:
http://www.mollybakersolaroven.com/
For information on integrated solar cooking (solar, heat-retention, and simple but much more efficient "rocket" stoves), go to the Integrated Solar Cooking website. Make sure you click on the media page and watch the "Rays of Hope" video, even if it does take a little while to download. Visit ISC at:
http://integratedsolarcooking.com/
To learn about the state-of-the-art Octagon Parabolic Cooker as well as other innovative solar products produced by Cleardome Solar, go to:
http://home.att.net/~cleardomesolar/cleardomehome.html
To learn about the awesome Global Sun Oven (check out the ultra-awesome Villager model!) and some of the good work Rotary is doing to promote solar cooking, go to:
There are lots of solar cooking videos on You Tube. Try searches like "solar cooking" or "solar cooker":
Solarcookingnut has lots of good solar cooking videos on You Tube. You can see an index of her videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=solarcookingnut&view=videos
A wonderful video about the solar cooker project at the Iridimi Refuge Camp in Chad, where solar cookers have worked wonders and are being manufactured as well as used:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_aNGYrBGbI
My own first published article on the subject of solar cooking:
http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/solarovens.html
Global Dimming
Global dimming as a result of the Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABCs) of black carbon and other particulates (aka aerosols) that circle the globe is having a profound effect on climate change, global warming, plants, migrational patterns (animals, birds, insects), and food production worldwide. In many parts of the world the primary source of the brown clouds is cooking fires (half the world's population still has no alternative to cooking with biomass fuels!). Lots of people talk about global warming, but global dimming is a serious problem that is not getting the attention it should. Educate yourself on the subject of global dimming so you can become part of the solution and help to educate others.
Good article on the Asian Brown Cloud:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020822blackcarbon.html
Good article on how pollution and particulates (aerosols) affect thunderstorms and rainfall:
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020501thunder.html
To learn about the ABCs in greater depth, explore the website of Professor V. Ramanathan, an authority on brown clouds and the Asian Brown Cloud:
http://www-ramanathan.ucsd.edu/
Interesting article about miniature unmanned aircraft Professor Ramanathan helped develop to get accurate, 3-tiered, brown cloud samples:
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=106891&org=olpa&from=news
Information on a fantastic solar cooking project that Professor Ramanathan is working on, that will provide solar cookers (and other less-polluting cooking options) to a large region in India—large enough to actually make a clear plume in the brown cloud—and collect comprehensive information on such things as differences in air quality before and after implementation of the program:
http://www-ramanathan.ucsd.edu/Surya-WhitePaper.pdf
Project Surya has begun! Get the latest on this remarkable project, which will give us much better facts and figures on the difference solar and other cleaner cooking technologies can make in regions where the primary cooking fuel has been biomass.
http://www-ramanathan.ucsd.edu/ProjectSurya.html
Sustainability
Barbara Kerr and Sherry Cole founded the Kerr-Cole Sustainable Living Center as an example of a way to live more lightly on the earth and its resources. Don't miss the fantastic solar wall oven. Visit the Center at:
http://solarcooking.org/bkerr/
Writing
My fun, new writers' resource and inspiration website is now up and running, with many pages online and more to come.
Visit Write 'em Cowgirls! and take a write on the wild side! (Hint: It's about spirit, not genre, and despite the irresistible name, gents are welcome too.) In addition to pages on fiction, nonfiction, creativity, and more, there is a page of resources and food for thought on Writing for Change, which might be of particular interest to at least some people visiting this site.
If you want to write for publication, one excellent resource is the Forward Motion For Writers site, a terrific collection of writers-helping-writers forums. Check out Forward Motion at:
The International Women's Writing Guild is a network for the personal and professional empowerment of women through writing. Visit the guild at:
Holly Lisle has written many great novels as well as articles, books, and ebooks on writing and is the founder of Forward Motion for Writers. Holly is a big believer in paying forward and has many wonderful resources and opportunities for writers on her own website:
http://hollylisle.com/
Special Places, Special People, Special Stuff
Mary Reynolds Thompson, CPCC, CAPF, is a certified life coach and facilitator of poetry and journal therapy. She teaches, consults, writes, and coaches individuals, groups, and organizations across the country and internationally. Her lovely Awakening the Eco-Soul website, begun to celebrate her upcoming book, is a beautiful testament to the interconnectedness of life and healing for us and our planet. Sign up for her monthly (give or take) burst of inspiration and updates:
http://awakeningtheecosoul.com/
Jan Phillips is an author, photographer, musician, singer, songwriter, teacher, and original thought leader and is one of the most talented, creative, inspiring women I have ever met. Her email "Museletter" can put inspiration in your email box on a regular basis, so don't be afraid to sign up. You can explore the many facets of Jan's work and talent at:
Shop the best selection of independent recording artists in the world:
For a great line of natural skin care products, visit Kettle Care at:
Sprouted beans and grains work very well for solar cooking and are very good for you and easy to digest. You can learn all about sprouting, as well as purchase high quality seeds and sprouting equipment at:
My favorite recipe resource: