How to Build an Earthship

What are the advantages of building an earthship?

1. Energy Efficiency - Earthships provide a large amount of thermal mass. This helps keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Most homes of this type have been built in the southwestern part of the United States although I did visit a house under construction in Bancroft, Ontario. I don't recall if the owners were going to insulate the outside at all, but it may not be a bad idea for northern climates.
2. Self-Sustainability - The homes are designed to take advantage of natural resources. The homes are typically built in rectangular form and oriented to take advantage of passive solar radiation. Rainwater is also stored in cisterns and gray water is recycled.
3. "Buildability" - Earthships can be owner built. There is obviously, quite a bit of labor involved but if time is not a factor, a house of this type could be built with just a couple of workers. Basic carpentry, plumbing and electric skills are required.
4. Easy Availability - Not only are tires easy to get, some places will pay you to take them away! There are plenty of tires, bottles and aluminum cans around.

What are the disadvantages of building an earthship?

1. Resellability - With any other alternative house building types, you might have a problem reselling a house that is "different" from the norm. In most cases, the occupants who build alternative homes are usually building them for a lifetime, but if plans change and you need to sell, it may take longer to find a buyer.
2. Building Permits - As with all alternative building methods, you might run into some problems with local building codes. The walls are the biggest hurdle. The rest of the house is built using conventional building methods, but getting approval for the rammed tires might be a problem.
3. Financing - Earthships are a very new concept in building design. Fannie Mae, the nations largest supplier of home loans are exploring environmental loans that might include earthships sometime in the future.



Convert Your Vehicle Into a Green Leader!

Using the microGreenTM oil filter will:

* Reduce oil usage by 70%
* Reduce filter usage by 50%

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTS:

* 1 gallon of used oil can pollute 1 million gallons of water, equivalent to the water supply consumed by
50 people in one year
* Burning just over 5 quarts of used oil pollutes the same amount of air a person breathes in 3 years
* 1 quart of used oil can form a 400 mile oil slick

SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT.

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