Environmental Homes- Earthships

Now, when some people go about saving the Earth, they go in all the way. No little steps here, they recycle ad reuse everything. They go green in every way they can, with all the knowledge and effort they can muster. One of those people is architect Michael Reynolds, who builds Earthships.

What is an Earthship? Well, think of it as the ultimate recycled housing. Fully autonomous and created using what the rest of the world would deem to be garbage, Mr. Reynolds’ Earthships are home that the environmentally conscious can enjoy without a qualm.

An Earthship is a radically sustainable home made of recycled materials. They make their own electricity using solar and wind power. Even geothermal power if it is available. They heat and cool themselves naturally using solar and thermal dynamics. They harvest their own water from rain and snow melt and use it at least four times. They use and reuse all household sewage (greywater and blackwater) in indoor and outdoor botanical cells. The produce a significant amount of food, usually enough to sustain a small family.
Earthships are constructed using the byproducts of modern society like cans, bottles and tires. They are built to use local resources and be off the grid; dependent on as little fossil fuel as possible. They are heavily insulated and usually covered in a thick layer of stucco. Currently, Earthships are present in almost every state in the United States, as well as many countries in Europe.

Designed and marketed by Earthship Biotecture of Taos, New Mexico, Michael Reynolds has brought his dream of creating self-sufficient and Earth friendly homes to the world. He has been creating these Earthships since the 1970s and his homes have improved in design and function ever since. He focuses on using materials that are readily available in every country of the world, like tires and dirt, and making homes that will be durable, long lasting, and valuable to the owners for a lifetime.

You can read more about Earthships at: http://earthship.com/