sustainable living communities

[Flattlander]

The New Earth Project is working on building sustainable living communities throughout the world. They have a few in the works right now. They have a blueprint you can down load at the bottom of the homepage that explains everything. I am intrigued and wanted to share and also get opinions. This is the link:

New Earth Project

[Allcanadian]

@flattlander

The New Earth Project is working on building sustainable living communities throughout the world. They have a few in the works right now. They have a blueprint you can down load at the bottom of the homepage that explains everything. I am intrigued and wanted to share and also get opinions. This is the link:

New Earth Project

Thanks for the link, it wasn't that long ago I came to a similar understanding. I grew up on a farm and 30 years ago my father built solar thermal panels to heat a 60 cubic metre rock bed and basically everything on the farm revolved around sustainability. I had even built my own co-gen unit(combined heat and power), a 3 metre wind turbine and solar thermal heating panels for my little shop before I turned 16. We were so far ahead of the learning curve we didn't even understand what we had done, lol.

It's funny how people can get caught up in the rat race we see in the cities and how something completely unnatural can become the norm. It is also funny that the whole of the process is based on consumption, it is literally one giant consumption machine.

I lived in the city for a while but got out with my sanity intact and to be honest I will never go back, you couldn't pay me enough to go back.

In any case sustainable living isn't rocket science and we do not have to sacrifice anything. If I could do it when I was 16 years old just think what a responsible adult could be capable of, lol, it remains to be seen. The key word here may be ... responsible.

AC

[Allcanadian]

I read through the website and links a little more and I may be overly critical but it seems a little unrealistic.
The unfortunate reality is that nature can be harsh and this may look wonderful in theory but seldom works out in practice in my opinion.

One example is something as simple as a garden, in theory we simply bury some seeds and wala... food. In reality animals eat it, bugs destroy it and it is overgrown with weeds in no time. I have a garden because I believe in the concept however it is one heck of a lot of work someone must do.
One concept I do like is Aquaponics which joins two technologies in one symbiotic system...brilliant.

Another problem I see is the environmental footprint. Sure it looks wonderful but what is the cost of beauty?, large material intensive structures, massive amounts of concrete for the foundations and the first tropical storm would wreak havoc on the structures as presented. I guess my point is that some kind of expensive holiday resort is not my idea of sustainability. We have plenty of them already and what we need is something that works on a large scale for almost everyone.

I think Prince Charles had an interesting concept with small community villages sharing sustainable resources. Using natural materials wherever possible and working co-operatively for the benefit of all. Which means the concept of Money must be abolished as there is no room for profiteers manipulating others and hording resources. Free trade and a barter system would do away with most of the BS we see in the something for nothing economies.

It is doable in my opinion but we have a long way to go before it would be accepted by the general population.

AC

[boguslaw]

The best thing man could do is to leave Earth untouched and find own place in nature.

[Nick_Z]

Or, instead of leaving the Earth untouched, it can be planted with flowers, and fruit trees, and ample gardens for veggies, like in large community plots, or private ones as well. Also, with fish ponds, chicken coops ( that also provide fertilizer), as well as eggs and fresh meat. And community stables, for milk cows, goats, and some pig pens, as well.
That's how it was done in many places for thousands of years. And is still happening in some places, especially 3rd world countries, such as where I live. Where there are really no cold winters, and everything grows all the time. Even many of the Indians communities in the U.S. and other countries did not stay in the cold areas, year round.
The chase to make and accumulate money, houses, cars, and many many things, has made us change our ways. Ways that had worked, and can still work. There's a way to do it, still...
But, not on the 23rd floor of a hermetically sealed apartment building, in down town areas.
Unless you're a magician.

[Jeff Pearson]

There are several sustainable Earthship communities here in the Taos, New Mexico area.
Earthship Biotecture - Radically Sustainable Buildings
Greater World community has a visitor/education center.

[Blargus]

There are several sustainable Earthship communities here in the Taos, New Mexico area.
Earthship Biotecture - Radically Sustainable Buildings
Greater World community has a visitor/education center.

Those Earthships are amazing, I heard they stay 70 some degrees year round with no heating or cooling system. And it can pretty cold in Taos, right?

[ewizard]

It's a wonderful idea but a but Utopian and I'm not sure so realistic for a planet with 7 billion population. I have personally chosen to be in a very rural area and like the idea of being totally self sustaining but it can be a lot of work for someone getting older. At least the food part can be a lot of work but I'm also interested in Aquaponics like Allcanadian as it sounds like a way to produce food with a bit less work once it's all setup.

There were many people of like mindset in the 60's and early 70's but it has been found most people who tried this type of sustainable community went on later to become mainstream traditional material consumers.

[mercedes 308]

You should read - Beyond Civilization by Daniel Quinn. Makes good reading on this subject.

Civilization and agriculture are just means of control after all.