“If you create your own electricity, heating and water systems, you create your own politics. Maybe that’s what they’re afraid of." There is a difference between those things that sustain humanity and those things that entertain humanity. The necessities versus the assets. The necessities are every humans birth right and can be provided by the planet itself. My work is simply a road map to these necessities to be made available to every human." - Michael Reynolds” EarthShip.
Earthsip Eco housing designs
The Earthship ECO self sufficient design principles center around a passive solar or wind generated home made of natural and recycled materials. They have a thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. Earthships use only renewable energy with an integrated water harvesting system. The water is recycled along with the sewage to help food grow inside and outside the structure.This enables the Earthship home to be operated off the grid with little to no utility bills.
The Earthship Eco housing design can be built anywhere in the world and in any climate. Earthships can keep you comfortable in any climate in the world with little to no utility bills or need for fossil fuels.
If one was to rent an EarthShip Eco house at the Greater World Community. It could be 90 degrees outside and totally cool inside. One could charge their cellphone on solar power and know that the waste water from the sink went to feed the banana tree in the bedroom!. Eco resorts can benefit not only holistically but finacialy from this design principle as can the home owner. You are currently able to rent and study the Earthship designs.
Earth Ship bedroom
Micheal Reynolds is the founder and spirit behind EarthShip. Michael is more then a friend of the earth and a sustainable living educator. Michael is an altruist and responsible for Earthship relief work in Indonesia and Haiti's disasters. The EarthShip work that was acheived in those countries is superior. Earthship provided them education along with ECO structures using the materials already present in their country. These results could not have come from any of the aid agencies.Sustainable ECO housing education can be spread to other third world communities but who is sponsoring EarthShip? No one, Who can produce the same results. No one.
EarthShip Pioneer Michael Reynolds discussing the art
of living a carbon zero lifestyle.
Micheal has not had an easy road getting this self sufficient and carbon zero education out there. So far it has taken a few years to perfect not only the designs but the ongoing method to get around the building regulations. Michael has done well in the mean time to create what is classed as "pockets of freedom" zones where the regulatory body cannot prevent you from creating these self sufficient designs. These regulations need to change. By their very core design principles the EarthShip polices resource wastage, encourages self sufficient communities and sets the stage for a non-destructive existence that removes stress from the lives of people and the planet.
What do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common? Not much unless you're renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent housing. For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of "Earthship Biotecture" by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony. However, these experimental structures that defy state standards create conflict between Reynolds and the authorities, who are backed by big business.
Frustrated by antiquated legislation, Reynolds lobbies for the right to create a sustainable living test site. While politicians hum and ha, Mother Nature strikes, leaving communities devastated by tsunamis and hurricanes. Reynolds and his crew seize the opportunity to lend their pioneering skills to those who need it most. Shot over three years and in four countries, Garbage Warrior is a timely portrait of a determined visionary, a hero of the 21st century.Earthship n. 1. passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials 2. thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. 3. renewable energy & integrated water systems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little to no utility bills. Biotecture n. 1. the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their sustainability. 2. A combination of biology and architecture.
The concept and goals behind the "EarthShip Greater Community project" can not be underestimated. Their self sufficient designs can be considered to be the future but available today.The human race will desperately need to adopt these design concepts to survive. We can change suburbia over to include these Earthship principles. Earthship Living By the Weather Channel
Quote-Earthship Biotecture designs and builds homes that.
• Heat and cool themselves naturally via solar/thermal dynamics... • Collect their own power from the sun and wind... • Harvest their own water from rain and snow melt... • Contain and treat their own sewage on site... • Produce a significant amount of food... • And are constructed using largely the byproducts of modern society;like cans, bottles and tires.
We are evolving the way humans live on this planet.We are redesigning existing methods of living - home by home. We all are constantly making small, believable steps toward slowing down and ultimately reversing the negative impact of human development on the Earth¹s ability to support plants, animals and humans. We believe that this must be done in small steps that people can understand and easily act upon. Regardless of whether the governments, corporations or other "powers that be" cooperate or not, Earthship Biotecture empowers people to make positive changes in their own lives to reduce their personal effect on global warming. Our home base is in Taos, New Mexico where the designs are invented and evolved, but we provide these homes all over the world. We publish books, produce DVDs and host seminars to create a transfer of knowledge globally. Michael Reynolds, FounderEarthship Biotecture -End quote
You do not have to use recycled materials, you can use natural Hempcrete and Hemp materials to build if recycled materials are not available. Either way, building an ECO structure this way makes Earthship the most versatile and economical building design in the world. The ethics of this system are arranged to liberate human needs- Not contain them for commerce.
Earthship make vital points: Why pipe water long distances from a centralized community water system, or from an expensive well that needs significant electrical power, depletes aquifers and lowers the water table, when water falls from the sky?Why have a corporate or political "middle man" between us and our energy needs? our vessel (home) must be designed to sail with the forces that exist beyond human control and exploitation.
Rain water is harvested. Waste water is used to grow
These needs will not be addressed in the same capacity or in real time by a corporate or government body. They cannot survive on your self sufficiency. The current idea that buying a few green products will get us to where we need to go is completely FALSE. We need a restructuring of DESIGN principles into the building code. We also need to change over what we can in the existing infrastructure to match the capacity of these ECO design principles. The understanding behind them needs to be in the curricular for us to give our children a future.
Eathship can describe the reason why the best: Human's need comfortable temperatures, light, electricity, hot water, food, sewage treatment, etc. These necessities are all available within the framework of a certain "rhythm" in the Earthship. The more we are able to align our priorities and needs with the prevailing rhythms of the planet, the easier and less expensive (both in terms of economics and ecology) they will be to obtain.
The education system must educate from the very START - WHY we need these alternatives and how the current system works to be truly objective. When a child goes to school She/He see's their teacher flip a switch on the wall, a light comes on. When they turn on the faucet or tap, hot water comes out. When they pull the handle on the toilet, it flushes. Absolutely ZERO thought or education is given to where their electricity came from or what kind of nuclear waste was produced to generate it. Further to where the power plant is that supplies this power.
Nether do they know which water table is depleted to bring them water and what chemicals have been added to it. Where does the sewage go after it is flushed and which rivers and lakes are polluted by it.The education system cannot create sustainable development this way, it never has been able too.We can only turn the tables by reforming this education along with the building codes.
If you cannot adopt an Earthship for now, you can give them criticaly needed support by helping get carbon zero housing implimented into the building code. This upgrade will prevent our current wasteful and destructive architecture from continuing. These design concepts are critically needed to be implemented into the building code and MUST serve as an example to builders world wide towards sustainable development. This education and the building code is a must for these systems to succeed. Your support is needed to help get ECO housing building designs mandated into the building code. Please sign the petition here to support and address this directly.
The Panacea online university is currently offering the instructional Earthship building resources for EVALUATION and study. To qualify for this material you can be a builder, academic or researcher INTENT on starting these community or housing projects and supporting Earthship. Note- these resources cannot be legally "lent out", sold, distributed or used for any other purpose. Those who are able to make a go of this art of living a carbon zero lifestyle and support Earthship can contact us to discuss collaboration.
