Just when I was starting to feel good about my DIY granola bars, along comes a couple with a do-it-yourself project that makes my attempt look small time. Portland, Oregon residents Mariah Morrow and Ryan Lingard built themselves a 130-square foot cabin in the mountains where they can retreat, relax, and go completely off the grid.

The couple named the cabin The Signal Shed and outfitted it with, well – nothing. There’s no running water or electricity and it relies on a wood-burning stove for heat. That said, this rustically luscious cabin is beautifully decorated and cozy.

Morrow and Ryan chose the location carefully so it would blend into its surroundings, then built it on a platform designed to protect the delicate foliage of the forest floor. Using recycled building parts and uncovered treasures on Craigslist, they built the structure in a mere two weeks. The cost? $57,000 which includes the price of the land.

For $1,000, you can buy the plans from Lingard and build the same cabin in your neck of the woods. Or, for $18,000, he’ll deliver a ready-built Signal Shed right to you. If you want a tiny, eco-responsible getaway of your own, you can’t top a cabin like this. While you’re there, you can practice making granola.

The post Tiny DIY Cabin Gets You Off the Grid and Back to Nature appeared first on EcoSalon.

When you come in from working all day on the Farmville, check out Urbanville life in the new online game RETROFITS. Launched by the California software company, Autodesk, it features talking buildings that encourage players to learn the benefits of eco upgrades to our city dwellings.

As the makers see it, “Buildings are the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S,” and we need to make buildings better with sustainable and energy efficient design.

“Don’t just stand there,” they tell us, “Play the game, post your high score, and invite your friends to compete – every little fit helps.”

In other words, follow the Farmville route to creating a cooperative green mentality.

More cooperation is needed on the part of architects, engineers, builders, designers and others in the housing trade. According to ArchDaily, a substantial 8 percent of all carbon emissions in America come from powering our buildings and experts say we can achieve half the goal of cutting down on those emissions 60 to 90 percent by 2050.

Want to get started doing your part? Play the game here and let us know how you like it.

The post Retrofits: New Online Game Launched to Play Up Green Renovation appeared first on EcoSalon.