Have you dreamt of living away from the city, in a sustainable, off grid home? Today, I visit my neighbor Cathy Krueger, to discuss just that. 

Last year Cathy and a team of volunteers embarked on a mission to construct the first earth ship in our region. If you’re not familiar with earthships, you’re in for a real treat. According to earthship international, earthships are designed based off of 6 principles. 

1.    Thermo-solar heating and cooling

2.    solar and wind electricity

3.    self-contained sewage treatment

4.    building with natural and recycled materials

5.    water harvesting and long-term storage

6.    some internal food production capability

This particular earthship is heated through an attached greenhouse, cooled through an underground tube, and powered by solar panels. Water is collected from the roof and stored in an underground cistern, food is grown in the greenhouse, and the epicenter of the entire structure is a massive (and surprisingly controversial) recycled tire wall (more on that later in the podcast). It may sound odd, but honestly, it felt cozy and dare I say, normal, on the inside. 

Thank you so much for listening and enjoy the story of this amazing build.