EARTH TECH.

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Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 24, 2010 at 1:19pm

Welcome, Carlin! Thanks for joining us.

Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 24, 2010 at 1:17pm

Hi Mark,
Thanks for these great links! I'm very inpressed with the eco-dome because of its simplicity and for me the organic pod design is very appealing. This reminds me of building a large pot or jar in which coils of clay were stacked on top of one another. Earth is abundant but I hope people will preserve the precious top soil and use dirt from deeper down. This construction takes advantage of the insulating qualities and theral-mass that earth structures are great for. Have you seen one of these up close and experienced the space? I'd like to visit one.

As I told you in my letter I was kind of a Geodesic Dome nut at one time. Domes are nutorious for leaks and are hard to insulate. They also have huge volumes of space that is often wasted, these eco-domes don't seem to have those kinds of problems so you get the spiritual "Great Circle" aspect that I like in a practical volume.

I really like the Ram Pump too! At first the charts and specs might seem intimitating but its amazingly simple and seems to be able to move quite a bit of water. I looked at some of the application diagrams which are great, its very versitile. In an earlier post you were talking about living off the grid. Are you using this pump in your current set-up?

I couldn't get to the page with the Peace Corps composting toilet but I have a copy of "The Barefoot Architect" that has an easily built concrete prefab panels reinforced with mesh. Its self-contained so the waste won't contaminate. I can post instructions for building it if you would be interested.

It sure is nice to see your posts they add a lot to the discussion.
Thanks Mark

Comment by Mark Boiko on January 24, 2010 at 9:19am

Hi Russell

I sent this to you privately and then thought it should be here anyway.

Hi Russ

I am happy to assist you with this. It has the potential to be ongoing as we share ways to live in this world without leaving an indelible footprint. The eco-village in Brazil did not go far enough to being Mother Earth friendly, but they are trying hard and it is an important beginning.

Super Adobe is a construction style that may be cheap enough to make housing more affordable for regular people. The man who designed the system won some major awards for his concepts.
http://calearth.org/building-designs/eco-dome.html

Then there is the amazing hammer pump which was invented long ago, but it uses the flow of a stream to create the pumping action - no electricity.
http://www.clemson.edu/irrig/Equip/ram.htm

And finally, in the cycle of shelter, water, and waste, there is the composting toilet which is a favorite of mine and keeps our toxic waste out of the Earth until it is ready to nourish the ground.
http://www.cee.mtu.edu/peacecorps/resources/Composting_toilet_Manua...

Or, the more expensive commercial style is also available at www.envirolet.ca

I am looking forward to learning more about all of this from the people who share in this forum.

Thanks Russell

Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 24, 2010 at 6:26am

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agriculture systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies.

Permaculture Principles .com is the most comprehensive educational site I have found on the principles of permaculture.

Permaculture flower: The permaculture journey begins with the Ethics and Design Principles and moves through the key domains required to create a sustainable culture.

Permaculture Ethics: Central to permaculture are the three ethics: care for the earth, care for people and fair share. They form the foundation for permaculture design and are also found in most traditional societies.

Permaculture Principles: The 12 permaculture design principles are thinking tools, that when used together, allow us to creatively re-design our environment and our behaviour in a world of less energy and resources.

Resources: Here you will find publications, free downloads, videos (tons of videos) and Online References (comprehensive list)

http://www.permacultureprinciples.com/index.php

Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 23, 2010 at 3:14pm

Have you heard of Eco-Machines? Dr. John Todd is doing amazing work in water treatment using aquatic plants in a greenhouse environment. He even has a personal, in home, sewage treatment plant!

http://toddecological.com/

Check out ECO-MACHINES
Also go to News and go to video There you will find film “Green ECO-MACHINE” a documentary. I think you will enjoy the work being done

Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 23, 2010 at 1:29pm

Welcome Beloved Relatives!
We are honored to have Chief Phil Lane Jr., Kristin Amber Dawn Marie Hill, Tim Collins and Grey Wolf join us since in the past couple of days. Thank you for joining us.

Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 22, 2010 at 3:19pm

Mark brought up what I think is a pivotal point when he asks why “North Americans seem to struggle to believe we can work and live together, closely in Intentional Communities.” In the video “What Happens If You Don't Have a Relationship to the Land?” with Chris Peters one point is discussed but Mark also hit on “’the rugged individualist mentality’ that needs to make room for communal cooperative thinking.” I am more inclined toward tribal because of the interdependence of tribal organization. If we can appreciate our dependence on one another and our relationship with the earth; that we belong to it and not the other way around we can begin to see the full scope of the shift we are involved in.

Comment by Russell F Cowgill on January 22, 2010 at 2:22pm

I've been trying to post this video but just can't get the job done so I'm including the description and the link below.

What Happens If You Don't Have a Relationship to the Land?
Chris Peters, director of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, says the dominant culture's relationship to the land must change radically. To avert a serious ecological crisis, Chris says that Euro-Americans must become "native": not in the sense of emulating Indian cultures, but rather in establishing an authentic spiritual connection to the land, and reversing the centuries-old notion of an otherworldly heaven that leaves no incentive to protect the earth. Chris asks, can the Euro-American worldview change in time?

http://www.globalonenessproject.org/videos/chrispetersclip2

Comment by Kristin Amber Dawn Maire Hill on January 22, 2010 at 11:39am

Wow its good to see people comeing together
and shareing these important things
good work Russell thank you for posting these awsume and imformative links

Comment by Mark Boiko on January 22, 2010 at 9:10am

Most choices that lead to greater self-sufficiency and sustainability demand that we are in closer contact with the fruits of our labor. I am presently involved with an eco-village in Brazil where I though I would end up moving at some point. One reason I chose Brazil was that Brazilian people seem to have the ability to come together in the formation of these alternate ways of living. I cannot pinpoint why they can do this where North Americans seem to struggle to believe we can work and live together, closely in Intentional Communities.

The rugged individualist mentality needs to make room for communal cooperative thinking. Sure, the social experiments of the 60's and 70's were problematic, because we all thought it was possible to live in and share one big house or structure. Nossa Terra, the eco-village in Brazil, progressively, acknowledged the need for individuality and independence, as well as the freedom to sell your share and move on if personal life circumstances demanded.

In the coming days I would like to see and share information about various construction techniques, water distribution, electricity generation, and, most importantly, making room for like-minded people regardless of race or religion. This is being done in Brazil.

Thanks Russell for all the great links; I will look at them all over the next while and also post some others. This is the kind of positive, forward moving activity that inspires me.

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