At the gate

January 31, 2006

Joel Akin

There is a stirring among the rogues of the world to find a way into the lands of settled peace. It we who live in these lands who must find a way to live in comfort with the tools at our disposal. There is a saying that man find peace by turning his neighbor into a friend and then finding a way to live in peace with himself. We tend to be our own worst enemy and find ways to destroy the things we love the most. Probably first is the conception of beauty. It changes with the ways and methods of 'style' created by others. Most of us are so busy with our lifestyles that changes are not in our books. Take for example the style of a house. In Canada the house is built on a simple frame style, boxy or rectangular in appearance made of wood, plywood, nails, stucco, insulation and cement. It is fairly basic in all its ways but it lacks originality. Yet the house 'styles' we see from the cheapest to the most expensive are built with these materials in mind. Originality flies out the back and we can't seem to find a way to break the opinions of those who live in these houses.

Then there is the question of materials. We know that most wood has to come from Forest so this means somewhere along the mountains there are trails that lead us to timber. Timber is a renewable resource and its price is fairly reasonable. With the addition of insulation it is a valid material for building a home. Yet why is it so many of these homes are torn down in 50 years to make way for new models? Part of that answer can be summed up in new technologies. We see that safety features demand it. Yet I do wonder with some seriousness where technology will end. Lets say that Electricity is replaced in 50 years simply because homes are operated by power units that heat and cool. And there are Televisions but they are self powered with fuel cells that pull in what they need from the atmosphere. Same for other items we purchase so the electrical plug in becomes a relic of the past.

Our floors are covered with bamboo as we find it takes ten years to grow a bamboo to fullness and 50-100 years for a Pine. Our walls are made of composites of compressed earth, soil, sand and recycled materials. All of those materials came from the small half acreage we purchased for our home. Materials excavated and reused in the creation of our home.

Some concrete walls are transparent as fiber optics are aligned with the grain making the wall a near window. Windows themselves are the length of trucks composed of poly-morphic glass. They function on multiple levels polarizing the brightness of the sun with a switch, acting as image and security gathering devices so the images can be replayed with the flick of a switch to see what person or animals visited that day. They also are inpenatrable and rocks thrown at it leave no cracks but the window slowly heals itself.

There are dreams and then there are dreamers. When we find a vision we like we stick to it and so it is with Earth House. I see the enemy at the gates. I hear the sound of their swords and spears and they want in to the blessed land we live in. Who those enemies are will remain unnamed for now but the time is coming when they will rush to us demanding to have a share of the pie. The ironic part is most of us are content with the desire to own our own home. That is what we want and need to feel complete. Earth Homes has gone through changes since they first sheltered people in the earth thousands of years ago. Now we are left with technology that for the first time allows us to find most of our materials on the property we purchase for this home. We are left with a sense of wonder and awe at how we can build a home with such simple things. If we can only find a way to share these with the world our homes will go from lasting 50 years to ten times that amount. And perhaps that would be enough to help bring a little more stability to earth.