Water from the Sky!

Just finished reading Water From The Sky, by Mike Reynolds. Some very interesting points about our water supplies, and the possible situation we'll be in the future if were not careful.

What caught my eye is that, here in the Taos desert with 8inches of precipitation a year people can survive comfortably by catching their own water from their roofs, but in London, with over 28inches of precipitation a year, there are still water shortages.

Our lifestyles take advantage of the water around us (either from the lakes and rivers or under the ground in aquifers), but these systems are under constantly increasing stress by us.
Water is finite on this planet, and with an increasing population, and more pollution, serious water shortages are not just a possibility but a certainty.

That's why these crazy building that I'm helping build are starting to make more and more sense. Water collection is only one aspect, but the deeper you look into what sets them apart from conventional systems and conventional Architecture, the more they seem to feel right.

Pounding Tyres!

One of the main materials that Earthships are composed of are used car tyres. Once tyres have been pounded with earth they are resilient and malleable, as well as being fire proof, earthquake proof and hurricane proof.

These characteristics make tyres a fantastic material for housing in Haiti, which is prone to both Earthquakes and Hurricanes. As well as being resilient, they are also in abundance, as car tyres don't go away. They don't rot, they don't burn well and they are constantly being produced!

POUNDING A TYRE:

Firstly you set your marker for the tyre wall you wish to create, and then level the ground. You then fill the bottom of the tyre with 2 layers of cardboard, so the earth wont fall out. You then pour earth into the tyre and start to "Hand Pack". This simply means moving the earth into the rim of the tyre with your hands, and you continue to do so until the rim of the tyre is fairly solid.

The next step is to use a sledge hammer to pound further earth into the tyre working in a circular motion to ensure even compaction. After the circumference of the tyre is sufficiently pounded and level with itself, you pound the middle of the tyre. Using vertical strokes with the hammer, pound the middle until you hear a dull "thud" sound. Add more earth and repeat until the middle of the tyre is level with the rim.

Tyre walls are time consuming, but with a group of people a lot can be accomplished in a day!