One small step for man....

It all comes down to the house. What came before, what comes next must wait. We are embarking on a journey. A journey that will open the door to many previously uncharted paths. A journey aboard an earthship! (Cue epic music)
What is an earthship? you may ask. I think we can safely surmise that it is a dwelling. But it is a dwelling unlike many others. Aboard an earthship are all the systems needed to keep the human traveler thriving. Instead of shedding water as most houses do, it collects it. Instead of pumping water fouled by one use into the sewer/septic, it reuses it 3-4 times. Instead of using ever dwindling “natural resources” in its construction, it makes use of modern humanities natural resource; trash. Tires, Bottles, Cans, what else can we salvage from the ever growing piles of castoffs spanning the globe? There may be lumber shortages as we continue to decimate forests in pursuit of the allmighty dollar, but there are no tire shortages. Here in Alaska where we live, Recycle bins are made available, but it has long since been decided that it is too expensive to ship recyclables out of state for processing.
However, we are not here to bemoan the shortcomings of our modern society. Let us instead feel grateful that we inhabit the planet at a time so ripe for change. We live in the age of information and there is nothing we cannot learn if we can only find the right questions to ask. Maybe some new questions are in order.
Back on track now...So far we know that an earthship is a dwelling, it’s built with recycled materials (tires, bottles, cans....), concrete/plaster/mortar mixed of local earth and additives, and south facing glass. Some wood is used, but can be a very minimized amount. Many are built into hills, some are not. (Point of interest; our land is NOT hilly) For the ones that are not, berming on the cool side of the house is an option up for strong consideration. The structural walls are made of tires pounded full with earth. This process includes a strong back, a sledgehammer and a lot of dirt. Non structural walls are made of bottles and cans used as bricks with mortar between. The roof is an area with much room for exploration. Roofs are shaped in a way that will encourage water catchment. Some are flat and/or straight with metal coverings, some are shaped like hippie spaceships with various other finishes. One handy thought to keep in mind is “Form follows Function”; an earthship is built is such a way that all of the benefits of the building materials used are brought to their full potential. Lost Yet? Isn’t SOP just to slap together 4 walls, a roof and plug in a heater? Not so aboard the earthship fleet. Roofs catch water, tire walls catch heat from the South facing windows, food(plants) grow downhill from your grey water sources and their runoff flushes the toilet. Solar and Wind energies are harnessed for minimized electrical needs. Sound Interesting?
My husband and I with the help of our three children, two dogs and a communities worth of help are going to build one this summer (2010)! As a person newly immersed in the idea that a house could be more than a box, I am beyond excited to see what comes next. The purpose of this blog will be to record the process of building our earthship. We are conducting an experiment in sustainable living. How much will it cost us to build something that once standing, will have little to no utility bills, grow bananas in Alaska and keep our family warm year round without any fossil fuel usage (as well as being the house of our dreams!)? We are gathering as many of the components as possible 2nd hand and are asking heavily for donations of time from interested members of our communities. However, I am no slave driver and we are planning on a summer long building party including kids, food, beer, bonfire and an overall good time had by all. Should we succeed(Or should I say When), we will be happy to return the time borrowed to help others find their paths on the the road to Sustainablity. I am not suggesting that everyone needs an earthship, but there are methods in the building of one that everyone can use. We all need to learn to supply our own food, and stop fouling the planets water. Water shortages lead to stress on all levels of the food chain, but it is running off roofs all over the world. When we think of new, valid questions to be asking, we may stumble upon new ways to walk lighter upon the world. Isn’t this exciting?