The Alternative Ways of Living & Consuming group is one of the oldest on CouchSurfing (created in August 2004), and the biggest in the Ideas category. It holds numerous sub-groups related to Alternative Lifestyles.

Past threads

We started indexing all major threads of interest in the end of 2008. Feel free to add relevant threads to this list or to quote them when answering questions in the group. If you work on the page, please tell us what time frame you covered (in the discussion page) so that we don't repeat the work! There is a wiki working group if you are looking for advice or just want to chat with the volunteers.

Alternative machines

• Pump up the water!
• New much more efficient aircraft engine may never fly

Building & Eco-Construction

• Foundations made of used tires
• The Vitruvian Building System - Green?
• Alternative homes: Bender tent
• Living in a bus
• Sustainable buildings and Air Quality

Clothing, Design & Fashion

• Clothing in Voluntary simplicity
• Recycled furniture
• Alternative clothing on-line shops

Democracy & Politics

• Not voting in the US
• Patriotism

Controversy & Conspiration

• Free Energy
• Ranting against oil and for new energies
• We are Bringing Hell to Earth (rants and unspeciaized panic)

Economy

• Recent Economic Crisis
• Is the Crisis good or bad?

Education

• Education is not for sale

Energies

• Fighting for oil or developing alternatives?
• Alternative Heating in Winter
• Fridge Alternatives
• Algae as biofuel
• Converting diesel trucks to run on veg. oil
• Human-powered house

Food & Drinks

• Where does Milk comes from?
• Cruelty-Free Milk
• Local vs Organic
• Dumpster Diving
• Vegetarian vs. Meat-eating
• Veganism vs. the ‘150km rule’
• Skipping waste - Dumpster Diving
• Dandelion Coffee
• Cutting off the Wheat
• Alternatives to milk
• Wheat, Sugars, Proteins, Carbs
• A good reason not to eat animals
• 50 Ways not to waste food again
• Criticism of the 100-Mile Diet

Gardening

• Using Tires to grow Vegetables
• Permaculture
• Edible Forest Gardening
• Grow your own food in your apartment
• Soybeans

Global Environmental Issues

• Global Warming or Global Cooling?
• Carbon Footprint
• The belief of climate change causing more storms
• World Wide Views on Climate Change

Health & Hygiene

• Dirty, Smelly Hippies
• Obsolete Immune Systems
• Natural Immune Boosters
• Shampoo
• Giving Up Shampoo (More)
• Home remedies
• Colloidal Silver - Supercure?
• Natural Way to Prevent Mosquito Bites

Lifestyles

• A year with a 1€/day
• Polyamory
• Abandoning Consumerism
• Spreading "green awareness"
• Sharing facilities - communal living
• Useful skills for nomads
• Some thoughts (living with less)

Meditation & Spirituality

• Binaural Beats
• Extra Sensorial Perception

Movements

• Zeitgeist Movement & Venus Project
• Project Venus
• Hugs for Peace

Philosophy

• radical anarchist/leftist community video project!

Recent Events

• Events in Greece
• Swine flu
• US law against organic food?
• The truth about Swine Flu Vaccine
• Australian town ‘world’s first’ to ban bottled water

Safety

• How safe are the products we consume

Sustainable Development

• Sustainable Development is any oxymoron

Hi-Tech

• Eco Media Player... wind-up technology is the future!
• TV-Alternative

Travel & Tourism

• Alternative Travel Suggestions for Asia
• Cross an Ocean without an airplane
• Urban Camping

Waste

• Energy and Waste
• Plastic Bag
• The Impact of Plastic

Links

(please format the list when you have some time)

Here are some of the links other members provided:

Unformatted

• http://idealist.org/
• http://charityvillage.com/
• http://www.katimavik.org/
• http://www.cwy-jcm.org/
• http://www.volunteersouthamerica.net/
• http://www.greenpeace.org/international/
• http://www.cat.org.uk/
• http://helpx.net/
• http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/
• http://www.lowimpact.org/
• http://skippingwaste.trashwiki.org/
• http://greendrinks.org/
• http://www.kinsalefurthered.ie/

http://gaiaeducation.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83&Itemid=65

Way of life

• http://squat.net/

Do It Yourself

• Instructables

Community Supported Agriculture

• Local Harvest
• International sites

Free economy

• Karmawish An Internet based LETS
• http://www.helpx.net/

Intentional Communities and Ecovillages

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intentional_community
• http://www.ic.org/
• http://www.eurotopia.de/english.html
• http://www.auroville.org/
• http://www.theartfarm.info/
• http://ecogarp.com/
• http://www.eurotopia.de
• http://www.gen-europe.org/
• http://www.onestepbeyond.org
• http://www.svanholm.dk
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96kodorf_Sieben_Linden