Earthships 101

October 14, 2007

So here are the details – Earthships 101 – I will warn you that I am a novice, but I have absorbed as much as I could since yesterday and here’s what I understand thus far:

Eartships are built from recycled materials. The supporting walls are used tires packed with dirt and pounded down (36″ thick). Interior non load bearing walls are concrete interspersed with used aluminum cans/glass bottles.
Earthships are entirely off grid. Each earthship has solar panels for electricity, a solar hot water unit, passive solar design, and a cistern for rainwater. The rainwater is filtered and used for potable water. The water from the sinks, bath, and shower are then filtered and pushed into a greywater system which is used to water the plants throughout the whole in a drip system. The water that drains from the planters is pushed into the toilets for flushing at which point the water is marked as “blackwater” and is no longer usable so it enters a traditional septic system outdoors. Off grid = no utility bills. Ever.
Earthships are literally built into the earth (see photos). The thick walls as well as the portion of the building that is seemingly underground take advantage of thermal mass to ensure no heating or cooling system is necessary.
Earthships are beautiful.

Since yesterday, I’ve watched a ton of videos and perused pictures of earthships. The majority are in three communities in New Mexico where the Earthship creator – Reynolds – lives. Each is a truly unique structure. There are no words.

A couple pics of the Earthship we visited in NC are below. They are linked to pages with larger images.

Also in Whispering Willow Blog

Wrap-up: Merlefest

May 27, 2013

A few months ago we attended Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC for the very first time. We were quite excited to participate as our friends at Cloister Honey had spoken highly of it. They were not wrong, it is definitely a good time – good music, good folks, and lots to do. It rained almost […]

From the Road: Forsythia & Fried Green Tomatoes

April 17, 2013

Forsyth Georgia is a quaint town midway between Atlanta & Macon. Every year, on the second weekend in March, the good folks of Forsyth celebrate the coming of Spring with the aptly named Forsythia festival. Artist and crafters setup around the beautiful downtown courthouse as folks from the surrounding area come out to enjoy food, […]

Booth Evolution

April 11, 2013

This year is shaping up to be another big festival year for us. With the purchase of bubbles (our soapy van) we have the ability for the first time to transport proper furniture to our multi-day shows. It was a huge change for us and came with some trepidation as we tried to decide what […]