>Zero House, designed by Scott Specht, has the following awesome characteristics [thanks to Gizmodo]:

That extra wide roof holds a slew of high-efficiency solar panels that let you say goodbye to electric bills, powering the whole house and storing up enough extra energy in its batteries to keep everything running for a week, even if every single day is cloudy. That’s just the beginning…

The house holds its water in a 2700-gallon roof cistern, and the sheer weight of all that liquid pushes water through the plumbing. When you flush the toilets, it all ends up in a compost container in the basement, which digests all that stuff organically, relieving you of attaching your abode to any sewage pipes.

Even so, this house is highly civilized unto itself, with LED lighting built into the walls and ceiling, using very little power and lasting 100,000 hours without changing a single bulb. It’s off-the-grid living, in gorgeous style. Cantilevers, anyone?

>If that doesn’t catch your fancy then try on the “miniHome” at Sustain Design Studio

>Trouble is, if you’re like me, you love the city.  I’m doing what I can to help the environment but I can’t bear the idea of being so far away from so many things and people that I love.  For us city-dwellers check out DPD Green Building, an initiative started by the Seattle government.  They offer design plans, classes and lectures and a myriad of other materials for the DIY green conscious folk.

And hey skeptics, it wouldn’t be too bad to get rid of your water and electricity bills right?