SUSTAINABLE HOUSE

In today’s world, some people worry about the planet. They dislike the inefficiency of modern homes and disagree with the idea that we are unable to change the way we live. For these people, the ideal home is one that does not harm the Earth. Michael Reynolds is a building designer. He started designing homes based on sustainable principles in Taos, New Mexico, U.S.A., more than 25 years ago. Now over 1,000 homes around the world incorporate his “living” building systems. These homes, called earthships, have built-in systems that take into account every human impact and need, for this reason they are called “ships”. They are designed to make a family feel independent and free as if they were on a long voyage, only in this case the ship is their home, their voyage is on Earth, and their goal is to live in harmony with their environment. Believe it or not, an earthship is made from old tires filled with earth. The walls are made of empty tin cans. The earthship and similar innovative designs can use many other recycled materials, limited only by the imagination. Earthships are designed to collect and store their own energy from a variety of sources. The majority of electrical energy comes from the sun and wind. Earthships are built to catch and use water from the local environment without bringing in water from a centralized source. Water used in an earthship is harvested from rain or snow. Earthships are based on the idea of a sustainable society, which is defined as one that satisfies its needs without diminishing the prospects of future generations. Nowadays, sustainable building is emerging as a responsible way for humanity to preserve the health and safety of the planet. As Michael Reynolds says, “Perhaps one day, more people will care about the planet. It’s unfortunate that some people might think this kind of living is inconvenient. It isn’t at all. I love my earthship!”

Adapted from: READING KEYS. Macmillan Publishers Limited: Miles Craven, 2003.