by Roseanne A. Ware
The High Low Tech Bridge to the Future
Earthships, made from recycled and natural material are completely off the grid. They were developed by Michael Reynolds in the early 70s. When you build an Earthship not only are you helping the Earth by recycling tires, bottles and cans but you also never have to pay for any outside utilities. They use wind and solar energy; recycled, filtered rainwater; a gray water system that recycles water from your sinks and shower to flush your toilet and water crops around the house, a waste management system and natural ventilation. They require no heating or cooling system as the thick, dense walls and tires provides thermal mass that naturally regulates the temperature.
Michael Reynolds had three goals in mind when developing the Earthships: 1) “sustainable architecture” using natural materials indigenous to the area as well as recycled materials, 2) they would rely on natural energy sources that are off the grid, creating less risk during natural disasters, and 3) that they are economically feasible and able to be built by those without any prior construction skills.
Earthships started in Taos, New Mexico but have now been built all over the world from economical models to mansions. There is a Greater World Earthship Community now in Taos. Additionally, you can grow food within your home, have a fish pond or grow banana trees. Earthships are virtually fire resistant as the tires rammed with dirt don’t burn.
I believe Earthships are one of the keys to future survival as they help us to be one with nature. They recycle materials and empower ordinary people to be able to economically build a sustainable home of their own. They do not require any outside utilities and have been shown to withstand natural disasters. Earthships allow you to live without depleting natural resources, which are dwindling quickly or polluting the environment yourself.
My non profit, Sol Adventurers Foundation plans on spreading this knowledge to orphans and at risk youth in Jamaica as well as youth from the Los Angeles area. We are launching a fund raising campaign next month for the Sol Adventurers Earthship, which we plan on building in late July 2013 in