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 Michael Reynolds
Michael Reynolds is the principle biotect and creator of the Earthship Concept. The Earthship has been designed to reduce our impact on the planet and increase our connection to it. Earthship n. 1. passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials 2. thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. 3. renewable energy & integrated water systems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little to no utility bills. Biotecture n. 1. the profession of designing buildings and environments with consideration for their sustainability. 2. A combination of biology and architecture. "Noah was told by God to build an ark. Just exactly how God told Noah is left up to the imagination. The fact remains that the clouds on the horizon were revealed to Noah and though he lived nowhere near water, he was inspired to build a ship. He must have experienced much ridicule for wasting time, energy, and materials on the ship. Inspiration, however, is more powerful than ridicule. Noah saw the clouds on the horizon and the coming flood, so he built a ship to float on the seas, for there was a time coming when there would be no land. Today, it doesn't take a prophet to see the clouds on the horizon. There are many signs of the "coming flood". The overall abuse of the earth by humanity is about to leave our ever growing population "flooded" with survival emergencies, on many levels. This will affect water, air, food, shelter, energy, etc. All factors of human survival, as we know it, are immediately threatened by the rapidly deteriorating condition of the planet earth. The media is full of emergencies regarding poluted oceans, rivers and streams, vanishing wildlife, air quality, radio active waste, garbage, homeless families, etc. The situation is escalating and in many cases irrepairable damage (relative to human lifespan) is done. This is no special awareness available only to one person. All of us can see the clouds on the horizon. Just as Noah needed a life supporting ship that would float independently without access to land, we are in need of life supporting ships that will "float" independently without access to vaious archaic self-destructive systems upon which we have grown dependent. These systems include centralized energy systems which give us acid rain, radioactive waste and power lines lacing the earth like spiderwebs. We have heating and cooling systems for our living spaces that totally depend on these cenralized energy systems. Most housing today would be totally nonfunctional in terms of comfort, water, toilets, electricity, etc. without massive inputs of energy from centralized sources. There is also food, another basic living need, which also comes mostly from centralized production systems. The quality of this food is, at best, questionable, and it requires energy consuming transportation systems for distribution. All of this is available through money, which itself is another system between us and our sustainence. Due to the fact that these systems have evolved within a certain narrowness of vision , they have begun to reach points where they do more harm than good. They are literally destoying the planet as they precariously sustain our rather incomplete concept of life. Our ability to evolve beyond these systems is becoming increasingly necessary, and has a twofold impetus. - If we learn to live without these systems, we could radically slow down destuction of the planet and possible reverse certain aspects of the deterioration.
- If it is already too late, we will need, in the near future, living units to sustain us via direct contact with existing natural phenomenon.
We need to evolve self-sufficient living units that are their own systems. These units must energize themselves, heat and cool themselves, grow food and deal with their own waste. The current concept of housing, in general, supported by massive centralized systems, is no longer appropraite, safe, or reliable. We are now in need of Earthsips - independent vessels - to sail on the seas of tomorrow. " - Excerted from EARTHSHIP - VOLUME 1 - HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN - BY MICHAEL REYNOLDS Film "Garbage Warrior" was filmed over three years, chronicling Reynolds' struggles with the government and his successes at turning a devastated community into a thriving one." http://www.garbagewarrior.com Africa We are planning to travel to Africa for an Earthship Expedition in Swaziland. October, 2009. Watch http://www.earthship.net for details and more information for interns to join us. Over the next two years, we are looking to have Earthship Expeditions in Canada, Patagonia, Tibet, Jamaica, Montana, Florida, Long Beach, Indiana and many buildings in Taos, NM. Earthship Biotecture PO Box 1041 Taos, NM 87571 575-751-0462 (questions) 1-(800)-841-9249 (store) 02079934859 (europe) biotecture@earthship.org Website: http://earthshipbiotecture.com Global map of all Earthships : http://globalnetwork.earthship.net |
