Rob Marco recently decided to leave his job as a social worker to focus on writing and building a one-room portable home out of primarily recycled materials. It was a consequential choice, and one he does not take lightly -- Rob's Christian beliefs are intimately tied to his decision to live a more simple, sustainable life and eliminate many of the possessions and amenities most Americans covet. But regardless or religious affiliation or level of environmental commitment, he believes anyone can learn and benefit from his Urban Hermitage Project, which is why he plans to chronicle the experience on a blog.

Rob has purchased a small school bus, which he will also convert into a sustainable living space and reside in while he builds the hermitage on a trailer attached to the back. He hopes to have the entire project finished by the fall.

Rob points to the housing and energy crises as indicators that Americans need to start learning to live with less. And he's not alone in his solution: Several organizations exist such as the Small House Society and the Tumbleweed House Company  that advocate smaller, more ecological living spaces. He says it's catching on.

Rob has spent a tremendous amount of time studying sustainability practices and collecting discarded materials for use in the project. In this video, I talked to him about what the project means to him, the materials he's using and what can be learned from living more simply and sustainably.

WATCH THE VIDEO.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates on Rob's progress or check in with his blog for ideas on how to make your own living space more enivironmentally friendly.

-c