Half buried in the dry, red earth of New Mexico, are a series of buildings, unconventional in appearance and radical in design. They're Earthships -- sustainable, self-sufficient homes -- and the 50 or so that are scattered outside the New Mexico town of Taos constitute the Earthship world community. Earthships are the brainchild of Michael Reynolds.He is an architect graduated from cincinnati.
These EarthShips are build from recycled steel and aluminum cans, tires and other reclaimed materials. They are self-sufficient homes that provide their own water, power and heating. Water is collected from rain or snowfall and stored in large underground cisterns. It is then used a number of times, first for bathing or washing. It is then recycled into "gray" water, which is used to flush toilets before being taken out of the internal water system as "black" water. It is then treated and used to water the Earthship's plants. Power is supplied by solar panels and wind turbines and even in areas where sunlight is more likely to be caught through overcast skies, modern photovoltaic technology means that they can still be effective enough to make any Earthship anywhere in the world self-sufficient.
At it's most basic, Earthships can be simple shelters with their own water supply. Basic but essential, especially in the aftermath of natural disasters, At the time of Tsunami in 2004, Reynolds has built Earthships on the Andaman Islands.
It is really surprising that there is no mention of such marvels in Indian news world either in newspaper or in TV. Hats-off to the silent worker Michael Reynolds.. Who works for the society and contributes without expectation of any publicity in this self-centered materialistic world.