Healing Appalachia

Sustainable Living through Appropriate Technology

Al Fritsch, Paul Gallimore

• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9780813139005
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Residential Architecture

Healing Appalachia is a practical guide for environmentally conscious residents of Appalachia and beyond. It is also the first book to apply "appropriate technology, " or the most basic technology that can effectively achieve the desired result, to this specific region. Authors Al Fritsch and Paul Gallimore have performed over 200 environmental resource assessments in thirty-three states. They bring this knowledge to bear as they examine thirty low-cost, people-friendly, and environmentally benign appropriate technologies that can be put to work today in Appalachia. They discuss such issues as renewable energy and energy conservation, food preservation and gardening, forest management, land use, transportation, water conservation, proper waste disposal, and wildlife protection. They pay close attention to the practicality of each technique according to affordability, ease of use, and ecological soundness. Their subjects range from solar home heating to greenhouses, from aquaculture to compost toilets, from organic gardening to wildlife restoration and enhancement, and from solar cars to microhydropower facilities. Their discussions of each topic benefit from the knowledge gained from thirty years of practical experience at environmental demonstration centers and public interest and educational organizations. Each section of the book includes details on construction and maintenance, as well as resources for locating further information, making this an essential volume for everyone who cares about the future of Appalachia.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Solar Photovoltaics
• 2 Microhydropower
• 3 Wind Power
• 4 Wood Heating
• 5 Solar Heating Applications
• 6 Shade Trees and Windbreaks
• 7 Food Preservation
• 8 Edible Landscaping
• 9 Intensive and Organic Gardening and Orcharding
• 10 Regional Heritage Plants
• 11 Solar Greenhouses and Season Extenders
• 12 Wildlife Habitat Restoration
• 13 Nontimber Forest Products
• 14 Silvicultural Practices
• 15 Wildcrafting
• 16 Constructed or Artificial Wetlands
• 17 Land Reclamation with Native Species
• 18 Retreat Cabin Sites
• 19 Energy-Efficient Passive Solar Design
• 20 Natural Cooling
• 21 Native Building Materials
• 22 Cordwood Structures
• 23 Yurts in Appalachia
• 24 Simple Modes of Transportation
• 25 Composting and Vermicomposting
• 26 Composting Toilets
• 27 Recycled, Salvaged, and Deconstructed Materials
• 28 Ponds and Aquaculture
• 29 Cisterns and Water Catchments
• 30 Irrigation and Water Conservation
• Conclusion: An Appalachian Appropriate Technology
• Postscript: Communications
• Resources
• Index