Author Archives: CTemp

About CTemp

I am an entrepreneur now turned aspiring eco-entrepreneur. I have always had a green tint to myself, recycling and trying not to be wasteful. With the birth of my oldest daughter, I started to wonder what the world would be like when she got older. As I started to educate myself about what is happening to the basic systems we depend on for life and that we have evolved over the past 100,000 years to survive as a species, I became very concerned about the standard of living my kids would have if we continued on this trajectory. The more I became educated, the more I realized the size of the challenge in front of us and the more drawn I became into trying to figure out a way I could help our planet move in a sustainable direction. I think about resilience (local, durable, equatable, distributed, sustainable,...) as the guiding framework for a better future.

The Joys of Hang Drying Clothes

Posted on May 28, 2012

Dryers are a modern convenience that only a small fraction of the world has access to. We have a dryer; we are lucky. And we use it for drying our daughter clothes, our sheets and towels and my wife still … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, The House, The Life | 1 Comment

Chickens – In the City

Posted on April 26, 2012

One of the highlights for people when they come over to our home is that we have chickens. Many people don’t believe that chickens are legal in the City of Chicago. Yes, they are legal in Chicago, but are not … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Food Production, The Chicks | Leave a comment

Biking

Posted on April 20, 2012

I hate driving. Well, hate is probably too a strong word. So, maybe it is not hate. But I certainly seem to have my biggest negative visceral reactions when I think about driving. Ugh. So, I drive as little as possible and … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Transportation | Leave a comment

Keeping up with the Joneses

Posted on April 10, 2012

There are some great movies and books out there about how stressful, expensive and destructive trying to “Keep up with the Joneses” can be. I didn’t live through the 50’s and 60’s where a lot of today’s social norms began, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, The House, The Life | Leave a comment

Roof Goals

Posted on April 6, 2012

A safe, durable and efficient home is an important part of Slow Dwelling. Something that will keep us warm in the winter, cool in the summer and is built to last is important. One of the things we are trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction/ Rehab, The House | Leave a comment

Dwarf Urban Orchard

Posted on March 29, 2012

I love fruit. I love it for so many reasons. Picking a piece of fruit off a tree and taking a big bite out of it is awesome. You feel like you can taste the sun in the palm of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, The Garden | 1 Comment

Fertility. The Foundation of Life.

Posted on March 22, 2012

One of the big challenges for anyone growing food is the long-term productivity of the growing area. Each time a vegetable is pulled from the ground, it contains some nutrients that now are no longer there. And if nutrients are … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Food Production, The Garden | Leave a comment

Bummed out by the Federal Government

Posted on March 20, 2012

Part of the Slow Dwelling life is to take a long term look at what we do and make decisions based on that approach. And part of that is taking a long-term view of America. Helping to try to improve … Continue reading →

Posted in The Life | 1 Comment

Distributed Renewable Energy – Solar Thermal (2 of ?)

Posted on March 15, 2012

The first renewable energy system we got was a Solar Thermal system. There are lots of ways to get energy from the sun. When people think of solar power for their homes, they typically think of two main types. One … Continue reading →

Posted in The Life | 1 Comment

Conceiving, Designing and Building a Greenhouse. (Part 1 of ?)

Posted on March 15, 2012

In an effort to produce more of the food we consume and to extend the growing season here in Chicago, we are planning on building a greenhouse in our back yard. We have roughly 600 to 700 square feet on … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, The Garden | Leave a comment