Earthship

Earthship is a type of passive solar house made up of natural and recycled materials. It is an organization, where people work as volunteer to build 100% sustainable homes that are both cheap and awesome to live in. Mike Reynolds who is the founder of Earthship Biotecture, a company that specializes in designing and building Earthships, started it in 1970. Mike wanted to create a home that would do three things; first, it should be sustainable architecture, using waste material to entire planet as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Second, the home should rely on natural energy sources, free from electrical, and water lines. Finally, it should be economically feasible for the average person with no specialized construction skills to be able to create.

Mainly the walls of Earthship homes are designed by Tires and waste Bottles. These homes are successfully built in UK, Argentina, and Africa. This organization works with unskilled labor and mainly people volunteer to make such homes. They completely work on one aim i.e. Sustainability. There are many reasons that these homes are successful. When people hear about Sustainability, they usually picture primitive homes divorced from comforts of 21^st century. Earthships, offer all of the comforts of modern homes and more. Each home is outfitted with one or two greenhouses that grow crops year round, no matter the climate. One can feed himself with vegetables and fruits inside his home. Earthship home have water-recycling systems inside. Waste and Toilet water is again recycled for other use. Most brilliant piece of Engineering is their ability to sustain comfortable temperatures inside homes. Even in cold or blistering hot, Earthships constantly hover around 22 degree Celsius.

Solar panels on the roof and optional wind turbines provide the Earthship with all power it needs. One will never be short of power until one greedily chews electricity. It also provides complete freedom. With no bills and all basic needs provided in the home, one does not have to work a job just to survive. It is easy to build and Earthships are cheap too. The most basic cost is $7000 i.e. in maximum 5 Lakhs one can build a home with all facilities and with no bills for life time. In India, one home is already made in Rishikesh with name “Yogashram.” One can apply and work with this organization by clicking on this link “http://earthshipnetwork.com/.”

Earthships homes are made of waste and recycled materials. The structure is built with tires filled with dirt. The walls are created by placing plastic and glass bottles in concrete. There is a documentary movie, which tells how these homes are built, and what is the concept behind. The movie name is Garbage Warrior. This movie tells how Mike Reynolds struggle the law. The most powerful thing Earthship do is force people to think differently about how we live. If housing can be this awesome, and be beneficial to the environment, then what else can we change? What else can become simpler, cheaper, and better at the same time?

It is time for us to re-think of what we must consider normal.