"Earthships" - Eggs in Different Baskets

[Bugalug Wizard]

Past and present visionaries, scientists, ludites, new technologies and philosophy, can all assist us to make the changes we need to make to save our world.

No single thing is going to do it. We need to employ a variety of environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies and ideas. (Not just one)

Environmentally friendly cars will be great when they come, but if everyone has one, it'll be faster to walk. As well as new technologies, we need new ways of thinking and living, so that perhaps in the future we won't need so many cars.

Turn the lights out, install a water tank, plant trees, use public transport, ride your bike to work, wee in the garden, have shorter showers, use solar heating, solar power, wind power, thermal power, wave power, pedal power, poo power... use them all, or just walk to the shop instead of taking the car. If that's all you can do, then that'll do.

What multitude of good things are you doing to save the world?
I'm weeing in the garden and hanging my clothes in the sun; and I hope the person who stole my push bike is riding it to the shop. But these Earthships people are doing it all:

Mr B. Wizard.

[transform]

Originally Posted by Bugalug Wizard

No single thing is going to do it. We need to employ a variety of environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies and ideas. (Not just one)

Turn the lights out, install a water tank, plant trees, use public transport, ride your bike to work, wee in the garden, have shorter showers, use solar heating, solar power, wind power, thermal power, wave power, pedal power, poo power...

Yes, use them all and investigate and foster different ideas.
Making walls out of old car tyres, cans and bottles is a great idea.
Australian inventor John Novotny invented his Novoram walls; compacted earth in a concrete jacket, 20 years ago.

Use the Victorian Bushfire aid as an experiment in building for the future.
We are now looking to rebuild a lot of homes in fire prone areas. Why not use the money to make them all out of earth, with solar power, solar heating, water collection, recycling, purification, sewage recycling - take them all off the grid - all the ideas from the "Earthships" people. Make all the new homes energy and waste self sufficient. Let's make it a huge social and environmental experiment. Insured and uninsured alike - throw money at them all and let them experiment - get off the grid, become self sufficient and fire proofed as efficiently and cost effectively as presently possible.

When it's all done, the rest of us can pick the best of it and follow suit!
Earthships and Novoram walls are good places to start.

http://www.eartharchitecture.org/ind...8-Novoram.html
http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/51559

[vinekarma]

Originally Posted by Bugalug Wizard

Past and present visionaries, scientists, ludites, new technologies and philosophy, can all assist us to make the changes we need to make to save our world.

No single thing is going to do it. We need to employ a variety of environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies and ideas. (Not just one)

Environmentally friendly cars will be great when they come, but if everyone has one, it'll be faster to walk. As well as new technologies, we need new ways of thinking and living, so that perhaps in the future we won't need so many cars.

Turn the lights out, install a water tank, plant trees, use public transport, ride your bike to work, wee in the garden, have shorter showers, use solar heating, solar power, wind power, thermal power, wave power, pedal power, poo power... use them all, or just walk to the shop instead of taking the car. If that's all you can do, then that'll do.

What multitude of good things are you doing to save the world?
I'm weeing in the garden and hanging my clothes in the sun; and I hope the person who stole my push bike is riding it to the shop. But these Earthships people are doing it all:

Bugalug, you have started something here! I wonder if they could design something similar to assist our governments and communities in rebuilding more fire/flood resistant housing, business and community properties.
Spirit has been urging people to step outside of the box and to come up with brilliant and innovative ways to tackle some of our most pressing climate issues. I pray they will guide our political leaders, bureaucrats’, business identities and the owner-builder to consider this emerging and utterly brilliant idea.

[vinekarma]

We will be featuring a special article on Earthships in the Environmental Section of the webpage soon. Stay tuned.....

Ok -Here's the new article on Earthships and an idea for sustainable rebuilding after the Victorian bush fires:
http://www.vinemedium.com.au/VineEnvironmental.html

[Bugalug Wizard]

Our government and communities most definitely should explore this wonderful sustainable building alternative. It's going to take a lot of intestinal fortitude to unstick the stuck-in-the-muds and force them to see that there's more of a buck in this than in there normal safe conservative ways (and that it's best for the community).

Recognising that some people who sit on Councils are business identities thinking of ways of feathering their own nest when they vote for or against new technologies - let us first convince them to invest in the new sustainable technologies before they cast their vote on what is best for the community.

It is up to the local community to force change on local governments and to get out and show the technology to the world before the boring people step in and give their boring negative take on this.

Mr B. Wizard

[lindentree]

Originally Posted by vinekarma

We will be featuring a special article on Earthships in the Environmental Section of the webpage soon. Stay tuned.....

Ok -Here's the new article on Earthships and an idea for sustainable rebuilding after the Victorian bush fires:
http://www.vinemedium.com.au/VineEnvironmental.html

A well written informative article that allows us bystanders to look at the possibilities of new innovative sustainable living. What will the utility companies do if this type of housing and living is taken up by communities around the world? There are vested interests in not changing technology, fearful corporations are afraid of losing their political bargaining and economic power. Just look at our oil and mining companies who are lobbying the governments not to move with climate change.

Keep up the good work. To all those who feel strongly about getting the word out email this article to everyone you know.

Lindentree

[aFaceInTheClouds]

Originally Posted by lindentree

A well written informative article that allows us bystanders to look at the possibilities of new innovative sustainable living. What will the utility companies do if this type of housing and living is taken up by communities around the world? There are vested interests in not changing technology, fearful corporations are afraid of losing their political bargaining and economic power. Just look at our oil and mining companies who are lobbying the governments not to move with climate change.

Keep up the good work. To all those who feel strongly about getting the word out email this article to everyone you know.

Lindentree

Precisely my concerns being raised here. Everyone has to come on board, especially the utility companies. How can the government or utility company make a profit if people who live in these sustainable homes don't need to use a utility service because their homes are able to create all of their own energy needs? What type of changes need to take place with government regulation to move this type of housing forward? A lot of questions emerge when you see how complicated the building process has become with building regulations, government policy etc.

[Soireeblossom]

Hi all,

I went onto the Earthship site and viewed the videos and had a quick look at some of the homes they have built. They range from your basic house to homes you would be proud to show your neighbours.

Unfortunately I'm not so hopeful that you can change peoples opinions about this housing when it comes to selecting building materials. There are already people blaming the Greenies for the bush fires that occured around Victoria.
This seems such a shame, as I think everyone is trying to find a solution and to single out one group as being the cause, well I don't think that helps anyone.

I hope the Royal Commission will really get to the bottom of this and stop the rot.

Soiree

[Enthusiasm]

Would these ships be sturdy enough to survive an earthquake?

[vinekarma]

Originally Posted by Enthusiasm

Would these ships be sturdy enough to survive an earthquake?

Hello Enthusiasm,

I will attempt to find further information to answer your query, or maybe someone who has an engineering background would be able to share their views on how an Earthship would cope handling an earthquake?

Regards
Vine

[Bugalug Wizard]

I'm on a mission....my mission is to get off my backside and do something useful which is why I've just updated some trailers on the forum site. Please check out the EcoVillage Community trailer.
(And the good thing about computers is, you don't have to actually get up off your backside to get off your backside.)
Mr. B. Wizard
(going for a jigjog now)

[lindentree]

Originally Posted by vinekarma

Hello Enthusiasm,

I will attempt to find further information to answer your query, or maybe someone who has an engineering background would be able to share their views on how an Earthship would cope handling an earthquake?

Regards
Vine

Vine,

Maybe if you direct people back to the Earthship site they can check the building regulations, laws and engineering reports. This would be useful for anyone who wants direct information about other peoples building issues or experiences if they are considering building an Earthship home or community.

http://www.earthship.net/index.php?o...-laws&Itemid=2

[vinekarma]

A lot of Earthships enthusiasts have been waiting for the Garbage Warriors first visit to Australia and we don't need to wait any more.

Michael Reynolds is about to visit our shores and share his sustainable principles to audience participants. Michael is one of those unique breeds of architects who moved away from the mainstream to experiment with building sustainable housing and communities and returning to a more holistic way of living. It is a simple life philosophy that encourages people to use recycled materials to build their homes and to do no harm to their immediate environment.

For over 40 years, architect Michael Reynolds has been teaching the world how to live sustainably, promoting a holistic way of living that involves natural and recycled materials, renewable energy and self-generated food and water supplies. Michael is a highly successful author, and has inspired a recent documentary, 'Garbage Warrior,' which celebrates his life and work.

Source: State of Design

Michael designs and builds homes that heat and cool themselves and built from natural and recycled materials, produce their own electricity, collect their own water, treat their own sewage and grow their own food. He is the initiator of 3 off-grid communities and travels with his team around the world demonstrating Earthship/sustainable principles.

Michael’s recent international projects include: a teahouse in the Netherlands, a sustainable home in Nicaragua, an eco resort in Jamaica, hurricane relief in Mexico, tsunami relief in India, a residence in France and demonstrations in England, Scotland, Norway, Spain, Japan, Bolivia, Bonaire and Honduras.

Thursday 23 July from 6pm

Central Hall, 20 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Cost: $30 + GST tickets through stateofdesign.com.au/tickets

[Jacqueline]

I've just read the environmental page and would like an update on the progress of the rebuilding after the Australian bush fires.

Did the people rebuild their homes green? Did the government of your country promote Eco-friendly building? How many people and businesses were behind environmental sustainable rebuilding?

We are trying to build an Earthship in NZ and are experiencing a lot of red tape with the building regulations, are you dealing with the same thing in Australia?

[artFandango]

They couldn't be any worse then Australia's building regs. They're the pits. Some people have been waiting for ages to get the go ahead.

Bloody bureaucracy, they make you walk over glass before they will give an inch. So much for green living and attempting to make a difference in this screwed up consumer busting world.

Have you had any luck since your last post?

: )