Biofuels
Can you really run a car, truck or bus on used french fry grease? Is ethanol a good idea? Can my vehicle be converted to run on biofuels? How do I do it? In this workshop, Chuck offers some of the pros and cons of biofuels without getting too technical. He also offers resources for those who want to learn to make their own biodiesel, and tips and recommendations on getting started.

Building with Natural Materials
While many contract builders are offering greener options in homebuilding, hiring a contractor to build a home up to LEED certification can be 20%-50% more expensive than a traditional stick-built home. The good news, however, is that if you don't mind putting in a little sweat equity and a lot of time, you can built it yourself. In many cases you can use materials gleaned from the building site itself. Using such materials, the building fits in better with its surroundings and gives you the added satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself! In this workshop, Chuck explores some of the many natural building techniques, including: adobe, cob, strawbale, rammed earth, earthbags, earthships, and slipform stone building.

Deep Ecology
There are many commercially available products that are more environmentally-friendly than their traditional counterparts, but do they go far enough? How do we empower ourselves and others to take back our lives from self-appointed 'experts' who've convinced us that we can't build our own houses, grow our own food, educate our own children and make our own choices about our own lives? Is it possible to live a totally sustainable lifestyle in which we put back at least as many resources as we use? In the Deep Ecology workshop, Chuck describes what it means to be a 'Culture Artist' and how we can make the paradigm shift from a throwaway consumer culture to a more sustainable one.

What is Cob Building?
Can you really build your own home for less than $1000? In this workshop, Chuck explores cob building in depth. No, cob building doesn't involve corncobs! The word 'cob' comes from an old word meaning 'rounded lump or mass.' Cob is a mixture of sand, clay and straw, similar to adobe but more freestyle. This approach leads the builder to be able to incorporate sculptural effects into a building, creating a dwelling that is aesthetic as well as inexpensive. This workshop is available as a one-hour Power Point lecture/overview or as a workshop offering hands-on experience with cob building. If you choose the latter workshop, you will need to have a site suitable for building with cob. This would include an outdoor setting with a ready supply of clay, sand, straw and water. It will also require a change of clothes for all participants, as it involves a lot of playing in the mud!