Air conditioners and central air systems are energy wasting mechanisms that come with a high price tag each month during the summer season. Thankfully, there is an interesting alternative to cool your house naturally: the Cold Pot, a low-tech device that takes the simple occurrence of evaporation and makes it that much more significant.

Clay, a natural substance so menial to most, probably never thought of much, actually has some cool tricks up its sleeve. It’s been around long before the dinosaurs were roaming freely about and embodies an abundance of common (and uncommon) uses. From beauty remedies and products to external and internal medicinal treatments down to pet litter, clay plays an exceptional and health conscious role. Now, in a most unusual portrayal, clay is actually wonderfully useful in altering the warm temps in your home.

How exactly can clay cool your house naturally you ask? French-born designer, Thibault Faverie, has given us the answer with his terracotta Cold Pot invention that utilizes the organic process of evaporation to our benefit. Clay is extremely absorbent so that was the obvious main component used in the design. Cold Pot resembles what most would compare to a flowerpot. It does indeed appear that way, very sleek, simple, and compact in size and shape. But inside is where the magic happens.

Behind the clay exterior lays aluminum cooling slices, connectors, an aluminum pipe, and a fan. The outer pot converts heat through a wide opening at the bottom of the pot while absorbing the water on the inside as the fan propels, releasing it up through the cooling slices and pipe to the outer surface. Once water and air meet, evaporation occurs and a cooler temperature is dispensed. The contraption is so low maintenance it only requires 2 liters of water!

It hasn’t yet been specified how large or small of a room it can cool off, but if the Cold Pot actually ever goes into production, it would make a great little investment. It’s incredibly energy efficient, so no refrigerating gas needed which means as friendly as it is to our environment it also keeps our wallets in mind.

There’s also a major health benefit to the Cold Pot! The air you’d be breathing in would be renewed air, not re-circulated! Re-circulated air is the culprit of many airborne illnesses and germs as well as the lack of moisture, resulting in dry air. Dry air equals possible nosebleeds and sore throats. Renewed air gives you fresh, moist air helping to eliminate the issues mentioned above. Who would’ve ever thought a simple terracotta pot and the age-old philosophy of evaporation could sequentially help cool your house naturally? That’s some pretty awesome, progressive stuff!

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Image by thibault-faverie.com

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Be creative and sustainable–use salvaged card catalog drawers as backyard garden planters!

I am busy in the throes of planning a graduation party for my daughter at the end of the month. Nothing too fancy, it’s just going to be a backyard family affair, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to any less festive. We are planning as eco-friendly an affair as possible–there won’t be any disposable cups.

I’m also trying to decorate as green as possible, too. While I did give in on ordering some balloons, that’s where buying ready-made decorations end. Instead, I am getting creative and making my own decorations and using reusables in the making too. Like the party garland I will be making spelling out “Congratulations”, which will be way more personal than store-bought versions. I will also be decorating some clear glass bottles (leftover beer bottles, anyone?) using glass paint markers, and will be using them as bud vases for table tops.

By far, my favorite project is the library card catalog drawers that I’m using as planters for flowers in my daughter’s school colors. I’m reusing something that would most likely end up in a landfill and using it for something that I can use again and again–who doesn’t need more fun planters for the deck?

I was lucky enough to be gifted a couple of drawers by a thrifty friend, but you can often find them at antique dealers, auction houses, estate sales and even on Craigslist. Of course, you can also use whatever you can get your hands on to make fun and unexpected planters–old watering cans, leftover paints cans, salvaged washtubs and even broken down pallets. Green Chic never goes out of style and it’s sustainable too!

Here’s how I made my Card Catalog Planters

Materials:

Library card catalog drawers
Hammer and carpenter nail (or an electric drill)
Potting soil
Flower seeds or plants of your choosing

How-to:

1. Clean the drawers and remove any dividers.
2. On a safe surface–not your kitchen table–use the hammer and nail or a drill to poke drainage holes into the bottom of the drawers.
3. Add soil and plant your seeds or plants.
4. Water and enjoy!

I think they turned out great and I’m super excited to show them off at the party.

image: Jen Wallace

The post Read It and Bloom: Recycled DIY Card Catalog Drawer Garden Planter appeared first on EcoSalon.