In honor of the 2009 Blog Action Day topic, climate change, I’m writing about some of the not-very-pleasant health effects we might see if climate change goes unchecked.

According to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, changes brought about by climate change are expected to affect the health of millions of people directly. Climate change can affect your health in the future directly via heat waves, floods and storms. It can affect your health indirectly by increasing smog and ozone in cities and by contributing to the spread of infectious diseases, especially those spread by mosquitoes. The quality and availability of food and water would also be affected. The sick, elderly and poor would be at greatest risk from the effects of climate change.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified some negative health effects of climate change: increases in asthma rates and food- and water-related diseases, as well as increases in heat-related deaths and deaths from extreme weather events like hurricanes.

Working together, we can help prevent many of the negative health effects of climate change. Doing your own part at home is important, but so is making your voice heart on climate legislation. Learn more about simple ways you can get involved for change at Blog Action Day.

(Image via flickr/Fr Antunes)

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day: For a More Healthy Future

What: Blog Action Day 2009

When: October 15, 2009

This year’s topic: Climate Change

The point: Blog Action Day is an effort to get everyone in social media talking about one important issue on one day. No matter your blog’s topic, you can participate. This is not just for green bloggers. Got a cooking blog? How can you slant that to climate change. Got a parenting blog? How is climate change is affecting your kids? Hate climate change? Well, go ahead and blog it.

When bloggers join together to focus on one topic, on the same day, it encourages readers around the world to also give their attention to the issue. It’s seriously amazing to see everyone in the blogosphere join together for one day. It’s always fun and meaningful.

Who can participate: Everyone around the world is free to join in on Blog Action Day. Small blogs, huge blogs, new and old bloggers, everyone. There’s no limit on the number of posts, type of post, or your opinions.

How to participate: Head over to the Blog Action Day site and register your blog, or blogs. I usually have about four or five of my blogs participating, and this year Blisstree Green Living is on board too. So far 412 blogs are on board – are you?

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

Last year the topic was green, which suited this blog. This year the topic is poverty. Not sure what we’ll see here at Offbeat, but we’re in – are you? Anyone with a blog, podcast, or so fourth can sign on to participate. All you have to do is register at Blog Action Day 2008, and then commit to blogging about poverty on October 15th. This year the Blog Action Day site has a glitch that was not around last year- you can’t sign up all your blogs at once, or at least I can’t seem to. Hopefully I’ll figure out how to get my other blogs signed on.

Last year Blog Action day was way fun, it was great to see all the participants, so hopefully this year you’ll sign on. If you do let me know, and I’ll come and visit your post.

[image via Blog Action Day 2008]

Post from: Blisstree

Blog Action Day 2008

This is it; the last Blog Action Day Offbeat post. I tried to show a decent amount of sustainable homes today which I hope you enjoyed. If you’d like to learn more about green building and design or are thinking about building your own home one day check out some of my favorite books. I love a lot of building books — these are just what first came to mind. But if you look around you’ll find many more

You should check out Green Architecture though; it covers green building issue but also looks at the history of shelter and human nature as well. An interesting read. For whatever reason, I didn’t expect I’d like it so much — but I did.

Click on the book to learn more.

And a great DVD & book…

Last on the agenda today is a round-up of previous (cool) Offbeat Homes posts related to sustainability; some strongly so and some less sustainable but all were posts I liked and today would be a good day to re-visit them.

• The Honey House
• The Poop House
• The WIRED LivingHome Installation
• The Alphabet of Sustainable Building
• It’s Sol Fest Time!
• West Coast Green: The mkLotus
• Human Shelter: Air, Water, & Earth
• Amazing Woodland Homes: Not Just for Elves and Gnomes Anymore
• Green Is The New Black
• Grow Your Garden Higher, (Literally)
• Offbeat Hot: Q&A With Architect Bart Prince

If you didn’t get a chance yet be sure to visit some other b5media Blog Action Day bloggers today or tomorrow!

It’s been a nice (and long) Blog Action Day here at Offbeat Homes. I hope you had a great day. I know I did; it’s always good to see beautiful and sustainable homes. So, until next year… or… you could always come back sooner than that.

Post from: Blisstree

Green Offbeat Homes Round-Up

Rockhill and Associates aren’t an entirely sustainable architectural business but they do  incorporate green touches that stand out in their unique structures. They play heavy with how nature and landscape can be utilized with their structures which I like a lot.

Here are some of my favorites; for more information on the eco-incorporations of each project simply click on the link.

Kansas Longhouse

Nest House (maybe my favorite) 

Mackie House — you won’t believe how inexpensive this home was to build (land included).  

Visit Rockhill and Associates to learn more and see many more beautiful structures.

Don’t forget to check out what other b5media bloggers have to say about the environment for Blog Action Day.

Post from: Blisstree

Rockhill and Associates: Mixing Architecture & Nature

Eco-architecture and architects comes in many levels and flavors. From easy green to extreme but every bit counts. Here are some beautiful (and cool) green structures. To learn more simply click on the links.

DeBoer Architects — the Gatehouse

One World Design — the Drew Residence (I love this home)

San Luis Sustainability Group — The first permitted straw bale building in California

Arkin Tilt Architects – Palter Residence  (Everything they do is amazing; check them out.)

I think what people forget is that often (almost 100% of the time in my opinion) eco-living and beauty are so interconnected that it’s impossible to separate the two. If you’re looking for style and harmony with the earth it’s not that tough and it should be the standard.

Don’t forget to check out what other b5media bloggers have to say about the environment today.

Post from: Blisstree

Eco-Architecture: Four Great Examples

If you haven’t guessed yet; it’s Blog Action Day. At last count (I’m not updating all day so…) but at the last count there were 15,568 blogs signed up to participate with a total rss reach of 12,507,731. Not bad. That’s a whole lot of bloggers blogging about the environment. Many bloggers participating are part of the b5media network.

Following are the b5media blogs that are participating in this fine event today. There could be more too — yup, I miss stuff.

• Hippie Sounds
• Tree Hugging Family
• Simply Thrifty
• Declutter It!
• The Golden Pencil
• Yielding Wealth
• Daytime Talk
• Oz Music Scene
• The Sydney Traveler
• The Rock Dose
• Our Digital Music
• Copyblogger
• Problogger
• Quilting and Patchwork
• Alzheimer’s Notes
• She Plays Music
• The Code Cave
• Tangled Thread
• Home Biz Notes
• Brandcurve
• Metal Martyr

Wow huh. Good stuff.

Now, Offbeat Homes does tend to blog about the environment quite often; so what to do on a day that’s all environment is a good question. Since we always talk green the only thing to do was talk more green than usual. Stick around today for a heaping helping of green-minded architects, ideas, and of course the structures.

But first while I get situated why not go see what my pals in the list up above are posting about. I’m guessing the environment; combined with the flavor of their blog’s personal topics — should be amazing.

Post from: Blisstree

Happy Blog Action Day!