Better Houses - Self Sustaining designs

[Morton]

A Blueprint for the Green Life

   They say home is where the heart is, but let’s face it, from an environmental perspective, home is where the waste is. Indeed, there’s something terribly wrong with the way we build our homes, not to mention the types of homes in which we choose to live. The amount of resources and materials that go into building a typical single family home is truly mind-boggling. And this is overshadowed only by the amount of energy a typical home consumes over its lifetime. The typical North American detached single-family dwelling consumes roughly 10,656 kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity annually. ¹With more than 107 million households in the United States alone, a total of 11.4x1011 kWh are consumed each year. Of that figure, approximately 42% goes to heating and cooling.² 
   It is a well-known fact that since the 1960's the average square footage of U.S. homes has steadily been increasing, thus increasing the amount of space, which needs to be heated and cooled. The ecological footprint

of the average American house is currently estimated at roughly 1.5 hectares per person.³ That’s a total American footprint of around 161 million hectares, which is approximately the size of Greenland! 
   It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the conventional housing model is fundamentally flawed and unsustainable. Just like a patient on life support, virtually all houses are dependent on centralized municipal utilities. Without these lifelines, most homes would be rendered completely useless, yet the majority of the population finds itself living contently in poorly designed homes because they are the most widely available option. 
   “One can easily imagine the limitations, dependency, and vulnerability of being on life support in a hospital. What if you found out that you had to stay on a life support system for the rest of your life? Many people would rather die than live this way. We are living this way.”

- Michael Reynolds 

[Michael Anthony]

Awesome!!

[Trusader]

OMG!  this is where my heart is, and I can't wait to go there and build my SuperAdobe home.  People say I am crazy - - that it's wasted lands.  I reply, "No, land cluttered with bumper2bumper traffic jams, and miles and miles of rooftops IS wasted lands.  Thanks for this post.

p.s. and I'm thinking whether anyone will be 'allowed' to remain on a life support system .. unless you're insurance has 'unlimited' funds.  Which most don't, and I don't do allopathy. So, there's that!

[Morton]

You think that's cool check out the new tab at the top called Autonomous Living and the sub-tabs underneath too.

[Trusader]

I checked them all out, and yes very nice especially the caves.  I'll need a plan that I can do mostly by myself.  I would employ some assistance for sure.  I want more yard (about 40-80 acres) than home.

Your article did entice me to seek 'cave-tel' lodge rentals & finding one in Arkansas which isn't too far from me on a 260 acre ranch .. Yippee! no electronics .. 

Thank You Constitution Club!

[Fredrick Rehders]

Trusader, you do not have to leave Texas to find wide open spaces and unless you are well heeled and well prepared, you will find Arizona to be "Hard Scrabble", as areas with accessible potable water are necessary to survival and in short supply, thus very expensive.

Eastern Oklahoma & Arkansas are good choices, but always consider water, as a first priority!

[Trusader]

Fredrick,

Thanks, but OK is too close to Tejas for me. Tejas ranks 2nd according to highest revenue generation from UN~civil asset forfeiture, and is bar none a perfect example of a gestapo state.

I recently stopped to help someone, and a kop stopped to ask what I was doing .. after hearing what I was doing he preceded to tag me by asking for my DL just to run'em putting me in the system yet again. Stick a fork in me I am D O N E!

Not sure whether I want to go that far EAST as I am a West Texas girl, and love the arid air..

I plan to put majority of  $'s in water/land/then build a small calEarth home.  I want some peace and quiet and don't mind working hard. 

Thanks

Trusader

[Fredrick Rehders]

I'm sorry your experience here has been less than pleasant. Kops- R- Kops, pretty much everywhere.

When I was a younger man, I liked muscle cars, hot rods & big bikes!

I picked up some tickets and even a few knots on my head. My Dad said there was a lot of "Cause & Effect", at work...

so I went into the Army... lived in a lot of places and kept coming home to Texas.

She has been a lot better to me, since I got out of my twenties... but, so has everywhere else.

[Trusader]

Fredrick, your reply made me smile big time, thanks! I have always been a 'straight & narrow do it by the book keep your nose clean kinda person'. What happened to the thugs cowering behind the badges? How were they raised?!!!? Tickets are one thing but... my experience with the Tejas Rogue-Lawless-Pirates-Thugs-That-Run-Rough-Shod on Our-Paved-Seas-Unchecked was a little more than that.

I have become, because of the Rogue-Lawless-Pirates-Thugs-That-Run-Rough-Shod on Our-Paved-Seas-Unchecked, an expert in C.A.F. If there were a C.A.F. Poster Child it could be me. So I have done my fair share of educating the sleepers regarding this matter.

Sadly, it's not going away as I watch them ramp UP .. What with our MAGA Commander-in-Chief in CAHOOTS with the National Sheriff's Association (The Gutless Lawless Cartel), and especially the Rockwall, TX Sheriff lying out his ancient arse it's rampant. Every few seconds a motorist is stopped illegally here. Sigh! I was blessed, and managed to sue/forced settlement (only because they knew their hindquarters were headed to see Bubba & my Suit wanted a quickie payday). To have fake record expunged it was necessary to chase the Black Robed Devil down the highway to have order signed.

It is a most egregious thing to see. I am finally almost over my PTSD. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

This is looking like a P.S.A.!

[Morton]

I get the ticket thing Trusader,

We have a whole folder dedicated to "Perambulating".

But pardon my ignorance, what is MAGA?

[Trusader]

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE = when a kop stops you, usually in a speed trap set/so it's sanctioned by the state as they place the speed limit signs by the side of the road in podunkvilles with a Barney not too far away,  and he truly wants all your hard-earned money telling you that he 'smells' maryjane, and you are a money launderer.  In most cases they ROB & RELEASE & you get to go home without your $'s, and or vehicle, however, I was not 'most cases'.

There were 31 National/International publications that wrote about my case. With each and every article I learned exactly what it was all about to include that the 4Profit Prisons use the inmate labor for Private Corporation Profit usually paying them pennies an hour for a days work for the likes of Microsoft/AT&T/Victoria Secrets/Dell/Fast foods etc .. he list is endless, and we support the prisons to boot.

[Fredrick Rehders]

Whoa! Did some one fail to inform our Tweeter-In-Chief that the 4th and 5th Amendments strictly forbid such activity by government authority, without "DUE PROCESS"?

[Trusader]

You, and I know all about the 4th & 5th, but apparently, Danny (his title/or expertise on subject is an unknown), the person Trump is talking to at the 1:10 mark knows all about CAF.  But not really ... an expert!

When one lives in splendor in a golden tower sucking on a golden pacifier, and has made your Billions in the Dutch owned foreign country of  Manhattan riding around in bullet proof Esclades/Caddies/Mercedes it would be difficult to relate to CAF where the poor peasants run around 'making up stories' about their hard earned cash.