Earthships Made from Old Tires and Tin Cans
Could off-grid Gaudi-like green citadels provide affordable housing and free energy?
The Garbage Warrior, aka Michael Reynolds, has a vision of the future. People abandon crumbling structures in cities and the only reason they’d return to a city would be to scavenge for items to enhance their Earthships.
With the state of the American infrastructure, we can easily believe post WW2 structures won’t be far behind.
Reynolds built his first structure with steel beer cans in 1974. Named Thumb House, it still stands.
The film Garbage Warrior takes us through Michael Reynolds’ journey of experimentation. For example, after experimenting with steel cans, he later chose tires for the outer walls because they absorb and hold the heat his buildings need for off-grid heating.
“There’s nothing coming into this house, no power lines, no gas lines, no sewage lines coming out, no water lines coming in, no energy being used … We’re sitting on 6,000 gallons of water, growing food, sewage internalized, 70 degrees [21° C] year-round …”
