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Based on qualitative interviews with sustainability-oriented parents of young children, this book describes what happens when people make interventions into mundane and easy-to-overlook aspects of everyday life to bring the way they get things done into alignment with their environmental values. Because the ability to make changes is constrained by their culture and capitalist society, there are negative consequences and trade-offs involved in these household-level sustainability practices. The households described in this book shed light on the full extent of the trade-offs involved in promoting sustainability at the household level as a solution to environmental problems.

Theories of the domestic stemming from the 19th century have focused on the home as a refuge and place of repose for the family, a nurturing environment for children and a safe place for visitors. Under this conception, domestic space is positioned as nurturing and private, a refuge and place of retreat which gave rise to theories of'home as haven'. While, arguably, some social conditions might suggest this is the case, Domesticity Under Siege exposes a different world, one in which the boundaries of nurturing domesticity collide with both outside and inside agents.Whether these agents are external military forces, psychological trauma or familial violence, they re-position meta-narratives of domesticity, not through identity politics or specialized subgroup experience, but relative to the actions of the world around an inhabited domain. That is, when home is constituted as a private realm, a place where individuals or groups can reside in'safety and comfort', it is argued as a place in which the individual exercises control or power. However, there are many occasions when forces act upon the home and threaten aspects of safety and comfort, often through such things as ruination, violence, mortality, and infestation.Organised around four thematic sections,'Microbes, Animals and Insects','Human Agents', Wars and Disasters as Agents'and'Hauntings, Eeriness and the Uncanny', chapters provide a range of approaches to the home which challenge notions of'haven'and reflect major causes that have played an important role in undermining the modern home. Examples and case studies explore the domestic screen, hoarding, hauntings, violence and imprisonment in the home, wartime interior art, the Hanover Merzbau and Wolfgang Staudte's 1946 film Die Mörder sind unter uns ('The Murderers are Among Us').

A stylish, inspirational, and practical guide to maintaining a more environmentally friendly household—includes eighteen projects both big and small.Sustainable lifestyle blogger and professional Christine Liu takes you on a tour through the rooms of your home—the living area, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom—offering tips, tricks, and 18 step-by-step projects designed to help you lead a more low-impact lifestyle.From guidance on decluttering and living minimally to advice about plant-based foods to tips on repairing old clothes, this book touches every aspect of home life. Whether it's by making your own toothpaste, converting to renewable energy sources, reducing your consumption of plastic, growing your own herb garden, or upcycling old pieces of furniture, the projects in this book offer numerous ways—both large and small—to make a difference.

Dieses Buch handelt davon, wie ein Haus zum Eigenheim wird, zum Zuhause seiner Bewohnenden. Besonders bei der Anschaffung und Nutzung von Wärmetechnologien wird deutlich, wie eng die Aneignung neuer Technik in Privathaushalten verwoben ist mit der Herausbildung von Identitäten von Paaren und Familien. Paarerzählungen über Kaufentscheidungen, Interaktionen mit Handwerkern, Bedienung und Reparatur von Heizanlagen, Verständnisse von Nachhaltigkeit, die Bedeutung von Holzöfen, von selbst gemachtem Scheitholz sowie damit verbundene Gemütlichkeitsvorstellungen – all diese Praktiken der Entstehung von Häuslichkeit sind zugleich Praktiken der Geschlechterdifferenzierung. Durch sie werden geschlechtsungleiche Paare als Paar hervorgebracht, als Einheit von Geschlechtsverschiedenen. Die Untersuchung trägt zum einen zum Verständnis der Ko-Konstruktion von Geschlecht und Technik bei. Zum anderen richtet sie sich an die sozialwissenschaftliche Nachhaltigkeitsforschung: Sie plädiert für ein Verständnis von Konsumdynamiken, das über Theorien rationaler Wahl hinausgeht.

Our behaviour in our own homes - our recycling habits, consumer choices and transport preferences - all have a huge impact on the environment locally and globally. Governments across the world are trying to formulate and implement policies to encourage and enforce more sustainable household actions. Yet so often these policies fail to have the desired effects because of a lack of understanding of the complex interplay of policy and individual behaviour. This book examines this interplay, looking at the role of values, attitudes and constraints in the links between policy and changing behaviour at the household level. The first part of the book explores the theoretical background looking at the politics of lifestyles and lifestyle change, policy legitimacy and barriers and facilitators for pro-environmental behaviour. The second part is made up of in-depth case studies from Sweden - one of the fore-running countries in this area - examining three main types of household behaviour: waste and recycling; consumption and labelling; and transportation choices. Within these case studies, the contributors examine what policy initiatives have and haven't worked and the role of values and constraints in those processes. This is the first inter-disciplinary, in-depth look at how environmental policy enters the private, domestic sphere. The theoretical insights and policy guidance the book offers will be vital in the drive to generate behaviour change at the household level and the move towards sustainable societies.

Reduce and recycle what goes down your drain Do you want to make sure your water usage is sustainable? Water-Saving Tips For Dummies provides practical methods to reduce the amount of water used around your home -- from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, to the garden. Discover how to: Find and install efficient water-saving devices Collect your rainwater Recycle your greywater Maintain a sustainable garden landscape Choose water-wise plants

Do you want to live well, be green and make a difference? There's never been a better time to reduce your personal impact on the environment and prepare for change as our society moves towards sustainability. With topics covering everything from green cleaning and eco-fashion to growing food and saving energy and water, Greeniology 2020 is a practical, fun guide to changing your lifestyle for a healthier home and healthier planet. Award-winning environmentalist and television presenter Tanya Ha provides green living advice, tips and ideas for the beginner and committed tree-hugger alike. They will compel you to change your life, and to be part of the solution to our planet's problems. Find out how to: - Reduce the impact of your lifestyle and help the planet flourish - Make your home more comfortable all year round - Save money on energy and water bills - Go green at work, and - Make your home safer and healthier for your family