Earthship Biotecture has to be one of the least understood sustainable building and living models around. This is not least because they offer SO many benefits that it is hard to even know them all, let alone explain them all! Let it be said that an Earthship can stay at a comfortable climate at even -20 Celsius or 40 Celsius with no power requirements for heating or cooling systems. The systems of an earthship encounter the forces of nature, mainly the sun, rain, and wind, and funnels them into your home to provide everything you need to live comfortably with annual utility bills of around $200 or less.
I have been inspired to write this in sections, with you all, and once it is completed I will be compiling it into a single digital and paperback book available to all to learn and be inspired. So without further ado, here is the fourth part of my 101 reasons why Earthship are fuc!*ing awesome! I’m so curious to see if i start to run out of reasons before the end, or if they just keep coming... let's see!
41. Create sculpted walls using mud and re-used cans or plastic bottles.
The use of cans and bottles not only remove a waste source from the environment, but also allow you to form partition walls, decorative walls, and even staircases! You quite literally can sculpt the finishing features of your home to your hearts desire!
42. Reusing / Recycling Waste. Finally find a use for all those old glass bottles!
Many people hold on to hundreds of glass bottles because they are too good to throw away. I have never seen a better use than as a beautiful stained glass wall in the bathroom, or around a window to add colour and vibrancy. It is easy to do, and you can use them with cob or cement depending on the situation.
43. Earthships Use Water 4 times.
Earthships can cope with minimal rain because they use the water up to four times. First in the shower, second in the botanical cell, third in the toilet to flush, and fourth in the outdoor reed planters to create an outdoor oasis, even in the desert!
44. Vast Water Storage. Store 50,000+ litres of rain water in underground cisterns.
It doesn’t take much rain to fill up large cisterns, especially because every drop of water that hits your roof will be filtered and funnelled into these buried cisterns. One heavy rainfall could fill your tanks up on a wet week, and that could last you weeks or even months if you need! Many people in very dry areas create larger cisterns, so that when the rain does come you can never have to lose any from overflowing cisterns.
45. Clean water with no chemicals. Drinking water is filtered using mesh filter systems for reliable non toxic water.
Whilst rainwater is already very clean when compared to most tap water around the world, it does need a little polish up so its safe to drink. There is no shortage of choice for water filters, and the Earthship Biotecture Water Organising Module filter uses a low power DC pump to drive the entire system, on demand. Having reliably clean water is important, and often hard to find. You can not see toxins in tap water, or even bottled water and so there is no safer way than to be in control of your resources.
46. Layered Thinking.
Every system and detail of an Earthship is designed to interact with the other systems in a positive manner. As you think about sewage you're also thinking about electricity. As you think about water you're also thinking about sewage. As you think about water sewage and electricity you're also thinking about structure! This is critical to Biotecture and sustainable building in general. Layered thinking is the cornerstone of efficient planning and design. It is a way of thinking and is the reason why Earthship Karuna for example consumes only 150 Watts during the day on average, which includes my fridge, laptop and anything else that is needed to run the house! That is also why, despite it being a very cloudy day I am still able to avoid any power cuts and carry on as normal.
47. Be in control of your life.
Being in control of your resources, and the quality of those resources is necessary for real security. Being in control of your life means being self sufficient, especially when resources are being sold to us at extremely high prices. Earthships put you in control of you life in so many ways, because we can always trust the sun will shine and at some point the rain will fall.
48. Solar Hot Water. Easily get 250-500 litres of boiling hot water from the sun most days for free.
Solar water heaters are very good at heating up a lot of water with even just a bit of sun. Even on cloudy days there is enough sun to heat up the water to piping hot, and it all happens seamlessly and with no maintenance. A solar water heater is one of the cheapest systems, with prices from around $250 upwards. They will provide decades of hot water at no further cost!
49. Fully Automated Home. Almost all systems are completely automated, sit back and enjoy!
You might think that all these systems take a lot of maintenance, or that you have many things to do to keep this machine running. This is not the case. Earthship in general run all by themselves in most respects. The main things you need to do are open and close windows, check filters once a month and maybe clean them, put some water in the batteries every few months, give the solar panels a clean! Other than you really can just let your home look after you. Those days of chopping wood to stay warm in winter are over with Earthships.
50. Planning approval in every continent and dozens of countries worldwide.
Earthships have been built to meet domestic building regulations in most parts of the world. This includes USA, Canada, England, Scotland, Netherlands, Japan, Mexico, India, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Fiji, Indonesia, and China!
I made it half way! Wow. I think i need a pat on the back as it is Starting to get harder! Can I find another 51 reasons? I am starting to doubt, but let's see what inspiration can bring!
MUST WATCH VIDEOS
Earthship Underground House Tour- Sustainable and Net Zero Living...
Derek "Deek" Diedricksen visits an Earthship (the architectural brainchild of Michael Reynolds) in Taos, New Mexico. The particular model, like many others, features earth berm air intakes, a water recycling system for its grey water, and the luxury of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and even a two car garage! Ashley Turin gives us a full out tour of this, one of the newest Earthship builds on the Taos compound. This sustainable and passive solar home just may give you a few ideas for your own future designs.
WATCH THIS TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE GLOBAL MODEL IN ACTION
WITH GREAT EXPLANATIONS
MEET A COUPLE WHO ARE NOW LIVING FREE. THIS VIDEO SAYS IT ALL!
BE INSPIRED AND SEE THE TRUTH OF WHAT FREEDOM LOOKS LIKE!
Super Efficient Off-Grid Earthship Built for Early Retirement Plan
PREVIOUS PARTS
Part 1:
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@eco-alex/101-reasons-why-earthships-are-fuc-ing-awesome-part-1-my-new-book-in-the-making
Part 2:
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@eco-alex/101-reasons-why-earthships-are-fuc-ing-awesome-part-2-reasons-11-20
Part3:
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@eco-alex/101-reasons-why-earthships-are-fuc-ing-awesome-part-3-reasons-21-30
Part 4:
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@eco-alex/101-reasons-why-earthships-are-fuc-ing-awesome-part-4-reasons-31-40
Final Earthship Seminar Transcription Table Of Contents: + Incredible Earthship Video To Truly Educate and Inspire.
https://steempeak.com/ecotrain/@eco-alex/final-earthship-seminar-transcription-table-of-contents-incredible-earthship-video-to-truly-educate-and-inspire
Living off-grid in an Earthship home is about many things. It is not just an ethical choice or a building type choice, it is also a lifestyle choice. When you start to live off-grid, and self-sufficiently, you embark on a break out from the matrix/zeitgeist. You start to unplug yourself from the normal, dependent, vulnerable, and highly controlled way of life that many people are used to in cities and highly developed countries. When you are truly self-sufficient and out of debt you take away some of the main sources of stress: buying food, paying the bills, covering the mortgage or rent, and needing to work full-time to allow this to continue. We can also look at environmental issues and great need to build smarter and in a more connected way, especially in the face of climate change. Our global population is rising and with it the poverty level and inequality of wealth in all forms. To compound this issue, the cost of living is also hurtling up! We are moving toward a very unsafe and unsustainable future if we continue to build and live in the same way that we have been doing.
Did you know, I built four Earthships in India as well as being instrumental the creation of the first Earthship in the UK, Earthship Brighton. If you are also on this path and would like to read my story, I have recently published a book. It is not only a great story, but a valuable resource for you to learn from. I had no experience or training when I embarked on my mission, but managed to successfully build a gorgeous home called Earthship Karuna.
You can buy this book with Steem on the homesteaders co-op. Whilst you are there please do have a look at some of the other products as there are all kinds of great things there!
https://homesteaderscoop.com/product/earthship-chronicles-ebook/
If you don't have any Steem you can also buy the ebook and paperback on amazon.
http://mybook.to/Earthship-Chronicles
or
https://www.amazon.com/Earthship-Chronicles-sufficient-luxurious-experience-ebook/dp/B07MYCBXYB
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