Earth Homes Now
Earth homes have been around since humans sprang to life on the
planet. At that time most dwellings were caves, huts, lean-tos
or holes, all natural, with compliments of Mother Earth. Since
that time traditional houses have developed, expanded, been "mansion-ized",
supersized and highrised to the point of being anything
but natural. Back to the earth, we say!
Missouri Cave Home |
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We say this for good reason, because earthen homes are
making a comeback now that "green" is hip and in and
people are wanting to live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyles.
The term "earth home"
is somewhat generic and can be applied to many
different kinds of environmentally sound housing. For instance,
underground homes, earth berm, sheltered or rammed houses fall
under this category. Many consider cobb houses, which consist
of mud and straw to be earth dwellings, too.
Let's not forget straw bale houses (similar to hay bales for
horses) or adobe dwellings either as earth-type homes. And of
course another category is compressed earth homes. You see Mother
Earth is very versatile in what she gives us in order to build
houses.
Earth and Rock Home
So, on these pages we will be talking about these types of earth
habitats (and more):
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- Underground
- Earth berm
- Earth rammed
- Earth sheltered
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- Adobe
- Compressed earth
- Caves
- Earthbag
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One of the wonderful features
of all of these different kinds of earth houses is that they offer
excellent insulation from heat and cold. Any structure covered
with thick dirt, mud, rock or straw will not only shelter one
from the elements, but also from the sun and biting cold as well.
Lower energy bills are another of the advantages of earth built
houses. And with lower energy bills means fewer fossil fuels from
the power plants are being puffed into the atmosphere. If a person
wants to cut down on their carbon footprint then building or buying
an earth dwelling is an excellent start.
Add some solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal or hydro energy
and you can even have a negative carbon footprint as well. And,
let's not even mention that lower energy bills are good for one's
pocketbook.
Earth-made houses can also
be much cheaper to build than traditional homes
with wooden, brick or cinder block structures. One disadvantage
of building an earth home can be that it may be harder to sell,
when you want to move (many people just don't like change or things
that are different).
Another reason is because real estate agents don't know how to
price customized homes plus lenders are reluctant to give home
loans when property values of neighboring houses don't reflect
the value of one's earthen house.
On the flip side to this argument is that enthusiasts of earth-built
homes may pay over the asking price if it is something for which
they are looking. Anyway, I cover this in additional pages on
this website in a lot more detail.
But, my assignment to you is to get some dirt, mud and plants
today and start building. Or at least, grab a pencil and start
sketching your dream earth home. Tomorrow the world will be a
much greener place if we just take one small carbonless step towards
this goal today. And remember this will be one giant leap for
mankind!
Facts for Fans ...
Below the frostline, the basic temperature of the earth in North
America is between 55 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mesa Verde National Park is the United States' largest archaeological
preserves and the home of many cliff dwellings.
The Bill Gates' house is a 66,000 square foot mansion in Medina,
Washington that is also an earth-sheltered home.
Actor and comedian Steve Martin owns an $11 million earth sheltered
home in Montecito, California.
The human head weighs 8 pounds. - Ray from the movie, Jerry
Maguire
External Link
Wikipedia Entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_house
Updated March 27, 2015
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