-Caveat Lector- http://www.slip.net/~ckent/earthship/
A sustainable house, made of recycled materials, continues to push boundaries and win new adherents. THE EARTHSHIP In mid-September Hurricane Marilyn roared through the Caribbean, destroying a quarter of the homes on St. Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin islands. Full restoration of power took several months. Three thousand miles away, in Taos, New Mexico, Mike Reynolds, owner of Solar Survival Architecture, read the news and saw a demand for Earthships. An Earthship is a home design--utilizing recycled tires, aluminum cans and earth for construction materials--that Reynolds and his company have been building and perfecting for the last 25 years. It is self-sufficient, getting power from the sun, water from rain, and recycling its gray water and sewage. The Earthship would be perfect for a storm-beleaguered Caribbean Island, Reynolds figures. "These buildings are so heavy, and built into the Earth, that they couldn't blow away." If Solar Survival could build one on the island as a demonstration project, people could start to construct Earthships on their own. But Reynolds realizes that the company doesn't have enough time and resources currently to take on the project. That's life in a small firm with a revolutionary product in growing demand. "The problem is that we can't be everywhere," he says. "But everywhere we look, it seems that what we are doing is what is needed." COMMUNITY PROGRESS Four years ago, Solar Survival was just starting a demonstration community of Earthships called Reach. Reach, which stands for Rural Earthship Alternative Community Habitat, now has 15 homes on 55 acres. Reach, located 15 miles northeast of Taos, was followed by two other developments that are under construction in the vicinity. One is called Star (Social Transformation Alternative Republic), located 16 miles west of Taos, about seven miles from a main road. Star has 20 homes built or under construction. The latest development, Greater World (no acronym) is situated nine miles west of town, on Route 64, with 15 homes built or under construction. Both developments have more than 600 acres, and are long-term projects. It is common for an Earthship to be built over a two or three year period, because the owners often use cash on hand and participate in construction Maximum build out for each development is about 100 homes, with hundreds of acres of open space preserved. Reynolds purchases all of the land in these "membership communities," selling off the right to build. The residents own their home and the immediate land on which the building is situated. They have a right to sell the home, but not the surrounding land. That belongs to Reynolds, and later, the community will own it. Solar Survival lays down the only major public infrastructure--dirt roads. "I run the community for five to seven years to get it established, and then roll it over to the residents," he says. Then, the community will be managed like a condominium association. Solar Survival has built two rental Earthships at Greater World and one has been reserved for rental use at Reach. These are available to people building homes--or those who would like to find out what it is like to live in one before making the commitment. The company is planning more. "They are booked up--we don't have enough of the rental units built," he says. PRIVATE PROJECTS In addition to the membership communities, there are some private subdivisions in the works--one outside San Diego, California, and another near Rico, Colorado--that will be based on the Earthship. News has spread about Solar Survival designs. especially since 1990, when the term "Earthship" was coined. In Bend, Oregon, an Earthship won a reuse and waste prevention award from the Association of Oregon Recyclers in September, 1995. Homes have been built throughout the U.S. and also in Canada, Mexico, Bolivia and Japan. There is strong interest in the concept in New Zealand and Australia, and the company is currently negotiating to construct one for an upcoming world's fair in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1998. The company keeps track of Earthships that have been built or are under construction, and 300 are on the database. That list is likely not complete, because some are built independently, straight from the book. The designs range from a simple 1,000 sq.ft. unit to a million dollar mansion built by actor Dennis Weaver in Ridgway, Colorado. INSPECTORS AND PERMITS Although the popularity of Earthships is rising, they are still a novel concept to most public officials. The first Earthship builder in a region or county has to take the role of pioneer, educating building inspectors, planners and zoning boards. When Solar Survival sells architectural plans to a prospective homebuilder, the company generally has to help them through the permitting process, Reynolds says. It generally takes persistence, and a lot of time. The company's library of engineering reports, literature and videos helps. So does the fact that Dennis Weaver made a video touting the Earthship. Building an Earthship is not for everyone. Reynolds explains to prospective builders that they will have to be aware of power and water use. If it is cloudy for three days, doing the laundry may have to wait. Shades have to be pulled on hot, sunny days to maintain a cool inside temperature. Although it takes little rain to provide adequate water, (Taos is essentially in the desert, and Earthships do well there), a severe drought would likely require a resident to haul water. Earthships are customized for various climates and needs. In Florida, one was built with an extensive ventilation system through the flooring. If the builder requires a lot of power to run a computer or fancy audio equipment, additional solar panels and batteries must be installed, which adds to the expense. Solar Survival Architecture's offices are in an Earthship in Greater World. The company has four computers. To operate them and other equipment, additional solar panels and a more expensive DC/AC inverter providing reduced power fluctuation were required. Depending on how far outside of civilization one wants to build, telephone lines also can be a problem. Neither Reach, Star or Greater World have telephone hookups--although Solar Survival hopes that when enough demand is created, the telephone company will run the lines. Solar Survival had to pay a hefty sum to set up special telephone lines using radio waves to get the signal to the office. Cellular phones are used for homes. LAUNCHING THE EARTHSHIP Reynolds got started on the Earthship concept 25 years ago, spurred by national news on clear-cutting of forests and litter along highways. Reports by Walter Kronkite and Charles Kuralt--at the start of popular environmental awareness in the U.S.--'predicted future waste management problems, timber shortages and a housing crunch. "What we did in response to those reports was make buildings out of beer cans," he says. Then, the energy crisis hit and Reynolds incorporated earth packed tires into the design and energy efficiency. One thing led to another, he says, and the idea grew to where it is today. During the last quarter century, many people have become involved with the Concept, Reynolds says. "I've always had people working with me, although they have changed over the years. A couple people have been with me for 20 years." The basic materials are plentiful and cheap. "Everywhere I go, I have found tires and cans. The materials are indigenous to this planet, and they are as plentiful as trees. But they don't give anything back. . trees do. When designing the Earthship, we wanted to build it with something that we need to get rid of." The tires are packed with earth--about 300 pounds of it--becoming three foot diameter building blocks. They are laid down as the foundation, and form the basic structural unit. Earth is packed around the tires, and aluminum cans fill the gaps. Beyond that, the construction is similar to adobe, the traditional earth houses of New Mexico. Aluminum cans overlaid with concrete are used to make interior walls. The house is laid out with u-shaped rooms all opening up to a corridor that runs parallel to a line of unbroken south facing windows. The north side of the house is bermed with earth. Portions of the east and west sides that are exposed have a stucco exterior finish. The Earthship is a heating and cooling unit, Reynolds says, using the principle of thermal mass to maintain a constant temperature. In the winter, the earthen/tire walls store heat, and the south facing direction of the windows provide solar energy to keep the house warm. A wood stove provides additional heat, which keeps Earthships snug even at high elevations (they have been built at 14,000 feet in Bolivia and 9,000 feet in Colorado). In the summer, the high sun angle keeps the rooms in shadow-while the cool earth walls absorb s heat from the rooms. During the night, they release heat again. Ventilation control adds to the cooling effect. In essence, the house acts like a "thermal battery," making use of the natural cycles of night and day, winter and summer. UTILITY FREE No public utilities are required, with the exception of telephone lines--if these are available. Power is mostly from photovoltaic panels. The water is solar heated. In some houses, a propane tank runs the stove and oven. Water is collected from rainfall on the roof, stored in a 3,000 gallon cistern and passed through filters before entering a pressure tank. Gray water, from the shower and sink, is recycled by circulating it through an interior garden where vegetables and flowers can be grown. The line of windows creates a greenhouse like environment in the Earthship's connecting corridor. "The Earthship includes what is basically a food production system in conjunction to a gray water system," says Reynolds. Gray water also is used for outside irrigation. The Earthship continues to evolve. In 1995, the Solar Survival staff developed the Systems Package, which brings the operating equipment into one unit, says Reynolds. "All of the systems have been consolidated into one six by eight foot box, which can he put together by technicians in four days. We refer to it as the engine. If you are not connected to water lines or a power plant, your home needs an engine." The package includes batteries, gauges, pressure tanks, circuit breakers, a DC/AC inverter and many other systems related to the power and water. For a basic, two bedroom Earthship, the Systems Package costs about $15,000 installed in the U.S., give or take a thousand dollars depending on how far it must be shipped. Consolidating all of the systems has decreased the costs significantly, Reynolds says. "It has made our lives 30 percent easier and made the system 30 percent less expensive." A recent invention is the "solar toilet," which essentially heats and dehydrates human feces to the point where it is bacteria free and can be used as fertilizer, Reynolds explains. It must be cleaned out every two months, and two people generate about a pint of dry flake during that time, he says. One drawback is that the solar toilet requires about 220 sunny days/year to work properly. Earthships in wetter climates generally use composting toilets. HOMEOWNER PARTICIPATION Earthships can be built largely with unskilled or semi-skilled labor, and Reynolds has written books describing construction and systems in detail. Part of the philosophy involves homeowner participation in construction. This creates a dilemma for Reynolds, who wants to empower customers while maintaining some control over quality. "People who build Earthships need to work through us," he says. "We've been doing it for 25 years. If one is built that is shabby and nonfunctional, it could do a lot of damage to the concept." The company tries to counsel buyers as to how much assistance they need. A few require little or no help. "Some people simply bought the book and went ahead and did it, and called us six months later and said 'thanks a lot,' " Reynolds says. Others have little time or construction ability, and opt for the turnkey approach. Most fall somewhere in between. "We tell people they must analyze themselves--how much money and time they have, how 'handy' they are, and what are their physical capabilities." The cost of the Earthship depends on how much work the homeowner puts into it. For turnkey construction in one of the communities outside of Taos, building costs are about $70/sq.ft., which is comparable to conventional construction. "Once the Earthship is built, it does not tax you or the planet," says Reynolds. For those who provide their own interior finishing work for the home, construction costs go down to about $55/sq.ft. Do-it-yourselfers can build a home for as little as $11/sq.ft, but most range from $30 to $40/sq.ft. "There are opportunities to save money every step of the way, and almost everyone can take advantage of two or three of them." The three membership Earthship communities are designed to cut down costs for home ownership. "If people can live with little or no mortgage payments and little or no utility bills, that's going to change the way people relate to the planet and to each other," Reynolds says. This could reduce stress levels, crime and drugs, he believes. "We want to make it so you don't have to have two full-time jobs to survive." It generally costs $40,000 for the land and $ 15,000 for public utilities for a conventional home, before construction begins. "At REACH, it costs as little as $5,000 to buy in and begin building your house," Reynolds says. The membership fees will eventually pay Reynolds' cost of purchasing the land, but are not expected to earn the company a profit. "It's a forum for us. It creates a place for us to do the things that we do." EARTHSHIP CENTRAL Taos, New Mexico, is a town of 4,000 population located 85 miles northeast of Santa Fe, the nearest metropolitan area. Its residents include artists, retirees and others who have broken ties with urban and suburban life. Some who build Earthships are motivated by environmental reasons, others are "survivalists," still others just want independence from utility and mortgage bills, says Reynolds. Owned by Reynolds, Solar Survival Architecture has three related divisions: Solar Survival Sales, marketing solar home fixtures and components; Solar Survival Press, selling a line of books; and Solar Survival News, which produces a newsletter, the Earthship Log. The company earns revenues through a variety of initiatives--selling components, designing houses, consulting, running seminars, selling books, doing construction. The architectural staff has created "generic" drawings for Earthships, designed to meet building requirements in various settings. These plans sell for $1,600 to $2,000. The business has a total of 12 employees, although the company is affiliated with about 40 self-employed people who help with Earthship construction. "A lot of people buy into the community and end up working there in construction or making components," says Reynolds. Just about everybody who is employed by Reynolds is engaged in building an Earthship, he says. Reynolds does not pay his architects what they would earn in a city firm, but part of the compensation is the ability to live sustainably, at lower cost. That is part of the company's philosophy. "We need to make money to keep things going, but no one is trying to make a million dollars. We want to get everyone on our staff in an Earthship, and thereby reduce their costs." BUILDING A SOLAR DEVELOPMENT Keith Lindauer and his wife, Tracy, built an Earthship in the town of Rico, Colorado. We've been living in it for a year, and we're not hooked up to any public utilities," he says, "It was a very pleasant building experience and we love the house." Lindauer, who operates Rico Realty, decided to take the concept one step further by developing the first private subdivision of Earthships. "It's exciting," he says. "I have been in development for 20 years and this is the first time that I felt I was part of the solution." Land is being cleared and roads constructed on the planned 16-home development called Sundial. These must be completed prior to final approval. After that, lots can legally be sold. Three are currently reserved by prospective buyers. Home construction is slated to begin in May, 1996, after the snow melts. Lindauer is planning Earthships on 10 of the lots--with six to be developed in other solar styles. Two more are retained for commercial enterprises-Lindauer envisions a preschool and a food cooperative. The home lots are selling for $39,500, which he says is significantly less expensive than comparable building sites in Rico--due to the fact that he did not have to invest heavily in public utilities. A deed restriction requires the future homeowners to generate at least 1,500 watt hours/day of electricity from photovoltaic cells. Homeowners will have the opportunity to supplement that with an electric hook-up, says Lindauer. "We wanted to give people the option, to help them overcome the fear of switching to solar. They know there is backup power available is they need it." He describes 1,500 watt hours as a good base level which powers all of the appliances in his Earthship (with the exception of the gas stove). The development will have no water or sewer lines, and getting the county commissioners to approve that was not easy. "They insisted that we have grid (electric) hookup and public water and sewer. We fought hard against the water and sewer, because it is totally out of harmony with the community, and we were successful." In a county where developments are few, officials did not know what to make of the Earthship proposal. "They didn't take us seriously, at first," he says. "We ended up bringing a lawyer and court reporter with us, and that's how we got it approved." Rico, in the San Juan mountains, is an old silver mining town with a current population of 175, but significant growth potential. "We're 30 miles from Telluride (the fast-growing ski resort), and that puts incredible pressure on Rico." The town is expected to triple in population in the next three years. Lindauer believes that he is in the right place, at the right time, with the right idea. "I do think the market is ready for Earthships," he says. "There are people out there who are willing to examine the idea and give it a shot." He and his wife give tours of their home. "The response is overwhelming when we show this house to people," he explains. "You see the light bulbs switching on in their heads. I see myself as an Earthship developer for a long time to come." --R.S. ===== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.infiltration.org http://www.darkpassage.com http://www.mattoledefense.org/alerts/08192001_video.html http://sf.indymedia.org/display.php?id=100562#100565 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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