Derek Markham

I dig singlespeed bicycles, simple living, organic gardening, sustainable lifestyle design, slacklining, bouldering, and baking with sourdough. My blog about fatherhood and natural living can be found at Natural Papa. We just finished our own family experiment in lifestyle design, living for almost six years in one 8 by 15 foot room. We hauled all of our water, used a sawdust toilet, had a solar shower for washing up, and we had two unassisted births during that time (one under the stars, and one in a tipi). Don’t try it. (Just kidding- you’ll never truly understand cabin fever until you’ve experienced 2 adults, two kids, and a cat in 120 square feet, during single digit temps in January!) I love good food; Colorado peaches are my all-time favorite. I really enjoy conversations with three year olds. I love being in the wilderness with my family; it feels like home. I love positive thinking and big audacious dreams. I like to skip rope, and yes, I do have a tiny rubber chicken (vegan) that lives with my flash drive.

Derek's articles:

Don’t Put Your Feet On the Seat, Put a Seat On Your Feet

Posted on February 12, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Above+Below London footwear is a creative line of repurposed and recycled shoes made from retro textiles from reclaimed seats on London’s Underground and buses, with an additional ‘green’ pledge: The company pledges to donate a tree for each pair sold, to be planted by Trees for Cities. The shoes are made from recycled tire rubber, [...]

Sustainable PC Design: Recompute Cardboard Desktop Computer

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Derek Markham .

One of the coolest entries that I’ve seen in the Greener Gadgets Design Competition is Recompute, a cardboard-housed PC. The Recompute design does away with many of the not-so-eco-friendly materials that go into computer manufacturing, such as ABS plastic, instead using corrugated cardboard for the housing.

Environment Furniture Balances Innovation and Sustainability with Exotic Materials

Posted on February 5, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Buying exotic wood furniture can be a boondoggle. Many of the world’s exotic trees have been over-harvested due to the high demand over the years, and the programs that bring the consumer’s awareness to the plight of tropical hardwoods are still gaining traction from the mainstream. Environment Furniture is one company striving to balance innovation [...]

Botanist Benches Add Style to Your Space

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Botanist Benches, out of Santa Ana, California, are made out of up to 50% recycled aluminum and come in a dazzling variety of colors, with custom pieces available to fit your home or office. Before you comment on the fact that these are new pieces of furniture (maybe not so eco-friendly), the company is committed [...]

Spring Gardens Start With Winter Reading

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Derek Markham .

It would be great if we could simply go outside and plant our garden after the last frost, water it and weed it, and then eat all summer from its produce. But the chances of pulling off a really good harvest in the garden without prior planning are pretty slim. Most first season gardeners have [...]

Isn’t It Time You Changed Your Oil?

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Not the oil in your crankcase, the stuff in your bathroom cupboard. Even the most natural of moisturizers and skin care products have multiple ingredients, some which I can’t even pronounce. Read the labels of your lotions and potions, your lip balm and conditioner, and see for yourself. Of course, just because I can’t pronounce [...]

Got Patience? Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard

Posted on January 24, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Australian artists Peter Cook (Pook) and Becky Northey shape living trees into sculptures, growing chairs and tables and mirror frames, even candelabras and people trees. Their partnership, Pooktre Tree Shapers, uses wild plum and black cherry for their art, which takes as long as 8 to 10 years to grow for the bigger pieces.

An Energy Efficient Tiny House That Sets Up in Hours

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Derek Markham .

A Colorado company builds ‘Smart Cabins’ out of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that can be set up in a matter of hours for a sweet off-grid house or weekend getaway. The company claims up to 30% to 70% energy savings for their octagonal yurts (built with R-28 walls and R-42 roof panels) and a temperature [...]

Bicycles Built From Grass

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Derek Markham .

OK, so it’s not made out of the kind of grass you have in your yard, but bamboo is in the grass family. The bamboo plant is an amazing renewable resource, the fastest growing woody plant in the world. Bamboo grows in places as diverse as the Himalayas, Australia, East Asia, and South America, and [...]

20 MPH Electric Skateboard Rolls on Fat Tires

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Derek Markham .

Here’s a transportation option for the short commute: the Altered M4 800. This little electric vehicle can be parked just about anywhere, maybe even under your desk. It looks like a toy, like a remote-control monster truck, but it’ll carry up to 260 pounds and can accelerate from 0-20 MPH in five seconds. I’m thinking [...]

« 1 2 3 4 5 »