Eco-Friendly EARTHSHIPS HOME. No Need to Use Fossil Fuels to Heat or Cool a Home

One of the main principles of an Earthship Home is the use of thermal mass. It is built about 1.2 metres under the surface of the earth, where the temperature remains more or less stable, so there's no need to use fossil fuels to heat or cool a home. Another important aspect is use of water. All Earthships utilise and re-utilise water harvested from rain and snow. Household sewage is treated and used to grow food in "grey water planters", as well as for flushing toilets. Sewage from toilets is then contained in an outdoor botanical cell called a "black water planter". Reynolds' experiments to find sustainable ways of living were once questioned by the mainstream architecture community. "I was an idiot for building out of garbage," he recalled. "I have been persecuted for doing this - for treating sewage in the house or building the house out of garbage." Reynolds was referring to the time when the state of New Mexico took away his architect's license about a decade ago. He got it back in 2007, only after agreeing to comply with state rules. "But people are starting to realise that maybe there is something to look at here. It is going more mainstream," he said. Today there are Earthships in 50 US states and more than 25 countries worldwide.http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/01/trashing-earthship-homes-150125082356020.html