The Efficient Way to Live  By Amanda Reese
Almost all the energy that powers the earth’s systems originates from the Sun. With the rising expense and use of natural resources, many claim that the ability of the earth to use and recycle energy is slowing down. More and more people are looking for ways to cut back on energy and still live comfortably; Taos, New Mexico is one place to find Americans doing exactly that by building their homes out of used materials.
An Earthship is a U-shaped house built using old tires as its main building component. One of the most important factors to building an Earthship is to make sure the open side of the U is south facing. Since ninety-nine percent of these homes are completely solar/wind powered they need to be able to catch the sun to the south during the cold winter. The majority of Earthships also have earth burial on three sides of the house to maintain a warmer temperature in the changing seasons. To build the house, tires are packed full of dirt using a sledgehammer or some other sort of device, and then laid one on top of the other like bricks. The process of filling each tire can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to half an hour per tire. Once they are full, each tire weighs up to three-hundred pounds. The second main building components of the Earthship are aluminum cans, which are used to build internal, non-structural walls. In some cases cans are used to build structural walls as well. The walls are layers of cans and concrete, with the tabs of the cans all pointing to the outside whenever possible. This is so the plaster can grab a hold of the tab and stay in place. Concrete and adobe plaster cover the cans and tires; wood is then cut and framed so that the tires and cans are not seen from the inside. Earthships are built with the conservation of water in mind. The roofs of the Earthships are designed to harvest rainwater, which is then diverted to storage. Premade tanks are built in some occasions, but cisterns are more frequently attached to the side of the Earthship using tire walls. The water from the cisterns is brought inside, filtered, and used regularly. Gray water from showers and sinks, and black water from toilets (human waste) is recycled to water produce gardens on the side of the home. In short, Earthships are able to “catch” water from the sky (snow and rain) and use it four times for use as water for drinking, water for showers and sinks, water for the toilet, and water for the garden; this water is either heated from the sun or natural gas. Earthships produce energy using a solar or wind powered system. Finally, Earthships are able to maintain a comfortable temperature in any climate. Michael Reynolds is the man responsible for the initial concept of Earthships over twenty-five years ago. He now has his own Earthship business in Taos, New Mexico where there are whole communities of Earthships called The Greater World Community. The Greater World became a legal subdivision in 1998, and is currently attempting to increase its development. Reynolds has also written several books on the subject of Earthships. Find out more information on his homepage at www.earthship.net. The warming of the earth’s temperature is due in large part to human activities. The eight warmest years on record since 1850 have occurred in the decade since 1998, with the warmest year being 2005 (www.epa.gov/climatechange). Projections on future climate changes place the average temperature of the Earth’s surface increasing by almost four degrees by the end of this century. However, even with these seemingly dire predictions, there is hope. Recent interest in “Green Living” over the past few decades has lead to interesting developments such as New Mexico’s community of solar-powered homes. Involvement does not have to be as drastic as living in a house made of tires, but there are small steps we can all take to help our struggling environment. Most importantly, we must pay attention to recycling, water usage, and gas emissions. For further information of what you can do, visit the Environmental Protection Agency Website at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/index.html
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