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The Foundation is intented to be Sanctuaries hands to the world.
Since I started Earth House in 1998 I saw a huge need for more information on earth sheltered housing. Disasters were on the increase. Single hurricanes blew away 60,000 homes at a shot. Tornado's wiped entire towns off the map. Yet the majority of web sites dedicated to earth homes were companies interested in promoting their particular construction technique. It is not that they were wrong it is that there were few if any standards. As a result each did what was right in their own eyes and many of the present earth homes are mold filled, subject to leakage and more. While one city or county in Arizona may require an engineers approval for the plans over in some other state earth homes are banned all together.
In Britain there is BESA or the British Earth Shelter Association. You will find that the concept was even brought before Parliament and the concept discussed but here in North America there is no such foundation or association.
If you look at the recent history there was an attempt in the 70's and 80's to bring Earth Sheltered housing to the public knowledge. There were several publications that came and went. One of the few strong proponents still in existence is Mother Earth News but earth sheltered homes are but a piece of the picture they are building.
The purpose behind a foundation would be to:
1. Set standards by engineers and architects that towns, cities and counties from across North America could follow and agree on.
2. To bring public recognition to this home style including its many benefits.
3. Find banks in each state/province that would provide mortgages without all the red tape most now apply.
4. Work with the governments to bring in grants to develop and improve earth sheltered homes.
5. To help create a central database of basic information for construction techniques
6. To work with new and existing companies and keep them and interested parties updated on new information and new technologies.
7. To set up a board of interested members who's job would be to.
-set up an online computer database of information
-to collate/analyze information for dispersal
-to meet on a regular basis to discuss news and projects
-to plan Earth Sheltered conferences in various parts of the USA/Canada
To bring about such a foundation we would have to educate the public, provide for speakers, and publish this information via the Internet and Media and to become a non-profit society.
A foundation would help create standards that could then be followed by other countries. If you have any further suggestions or ideas please contact Earth House at webmaster@earth-house.com
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