The “Ways and Means” of ISBUs

In a new series of installments, I’m going to talk about “Architectural Foundations.”

In fact, the recent conversations we’ve been having about pilings and slabs led me to this.

Okay, it was “kicking and screaming” but still… here  I am…

We talk about HOW to connect an ISBU to the ground. But, we don’t talk enough about WHY we should do it.

Recently, a guy in Washington D.C. asked me WHY we should change.

“After all, we’ve been doing it like this for over two hundred years, and it works just fine.”

He’s a well-known politician, with a big seat. I’m not talking about the size of his butt.  “Big Seat” as in he’s on a BIG committee.

I  want to tear what’s left of my hair out!

• The Economy is in ruins – despite the white-washing by the media.
• Unemployment – (the real rate – you know – the one that factors in stuff like “lost jobs” – corporate realignments and restructures,  “left jobs”- jobs that will never return, people no longer in the workforce, people who work part time but WANT to work full time) is like… 16% conservatively. Even the experts admit it.
• Fuel prices are rising.
• Hyper Inflation is headed right at us and will hit us with both barrels.
• Education is suffering at levels that actually make me afraid of what and how my children will be taught.
• There are still large bodies of people with NO health care at all. Don’t even get me started on this.

And still, the guys and gals in Washington D.C. breathing that Olympian air (no doubt) still don’t get it.

At least, it doesn’t “feel” like they get it.

The country is paralyzed from the top to the bottom, from Washington DC to your own Town Hall.

You cannot spend what you do not earn.

It’s a lesson nobody ever taught Congress, apparently.

And look, don’t bail yet. I’m heading this into a talk about sustainable housing, so just hang on. Like any project, you just have to lay a solid foundation. Okay?

While we rot from top to bottom, we’re rotting from the inside out toward the edges? Yep. I said it.

Trying to figure out what I’m talking about?

I’m talking about waste production, misuse of materials, inefficient power systems, you name it.

At LEAST 45 percent of the world’s pollution comes from the way we build and maintain our buildings.

Anyone with a pulse can see that there has to be a  “common sense” based solution, one aimed at improving the way we do things.

And it all starts at HOME.

Why?

Because there are more homes built than any other kind of structure on the planet.

IMHO: You have to begin your home planning with the idea that you’re going to look from the beginning to the end of a structure’s life.

You need to design a home that will cradle you and provide room and comfort for all the “little cradles” to come. That means that you need comfortable housing that use less energy, require less maintenance, built from affordable materials that are recycled, re-used or re-purposed to suit your NEED.

And you need to consider how your home’s materials will be re-used when YOUR home no longer serves it’s purpose.

“Radical Architecture“, huh?

(In fact, I’m going to spin off a blog called”Radical Architecture” that will give builders tips about how to use materials in innovated and efficient ways.)

The idea is to close the loop on waste production. I want you to think about ways to insure that everything you use will cycle all the way thru, until ultimately, it’s just “gone”.

Zero Waste.

Take what you need and then use it ALL.

In nature, things live, die and then… fade away to become the building blocks for things to follow.

WE NEED TO DO THAT.

So I ask you this;

“Why can we NOT simply redefine the way we do things?”

“Why can’t changing HOW we do things change our way of life for the  better?”

Because the guys in those big chairs perched high on Mount Olympus haven’t figured out a way to profit from it, that’s why.

People will scream that it “just isn’t fair.”

I know they will. I’m one of them.

This IS about fairness. If you attended Civics Class in High School, you know that the forefathers thought that we may have been “designed” equal, but we certainly weren’t “born” that way.

It’s time to remind people that being born with privilege IS a privilege.

It’s time to level the playing field.

ALL families deserve to have a home.

I’ve said it before, in fact so many times I should be wearing it as a freakin’ tattoo.

But what does this actually translate into?

Here’s what I think has to happen;

Keep in mind what I’ve already said about affordable and sustainable building (Zero Waste, Proper Planning, et all). We have to establish SOME kind of baseline.

All projects need a starting point.  So, how about this;

(Keep in mind that I’m going to talk about “ground Zero Baselines”. If you’re lucky enough to have already surpassed this, God Bless You!)

We need to develop plans to allow families to buy lots to provide housing.

Look, folks; the Cavalry probably isn’t coming. IF they do show up, it’ll be to get in your way, or to tax your progress.   Mark my words. If we are to rebuild this Republic, we need it do it one community at at time.

By ourselves. Otherwise… you get FEMA.

I’ve seen how FEMA works. No Thank You.

So, how do we do this?

Owning your own home is good for the community. It increased local revenues by adding to the tax base. It provides families that will help sustain local economies and it’ll create jobs.

I fully realize that land is getting more and more expensive. after all, they aren’t making any more of it.

So let’s start with Golden Rule #1;

Get what you actually “need” and not necessarily what you “want”.

NEED and WANT are two different animals and they rarely live together in the same pen.

Housing costs should be kept affordable. In my book, that means $150,000 or less. Shopped a home loan recently? A $150k mortgage will cost you about $900 a month.

(Assuming the following:  You have “decent” credit, you put down 10%, you use today’s average rate of about 4.8% – corrected, your property tax will run approx. 1.25% and your PMI will run .5%.)

The lots will be narrow and deep.

That way, land will “go farther” and support more families. New Orleans is a good example of this, as are several other places. Most of us live in cities that have “Row House Districts”. Baltimore, Philly, San Francisco, you name it.

Consider raising houses off the ground for these reasons;

(A) to allow you to actually park and store possessions UNDER them, thus reducing your footprint requirement, and…

(B) Site preparation is MUCH cheaper when you use pilings as your foundation.

(C) to help deal with natural disasters like flooding.

A home set on 8′ pilings made of 2′ diameter concrete and steel will take quite a bashing before it fails.

It’s for this last reason that you should also include some kind of exit point to the roof. I lived thru Hurricane Katrina as did many others. I  cannot tell you how many times I watched the media coverage display people standing on their roofs waiting for rescue.

The less fortunate were trapped inside their attics with no way out… and they drowned.

Consider also that this “escape hatch” could also be used a vent to exhaust hot air from your house to help aid cooling.

(And kindly resist the urge to comment with “hot air” jokes… I get enough of them from my wife. Okay?)

Now let’s factor in “Sustainability”.

An insulated house is a happy house.

A super insulated house is um… well, it’s like the difference between kissing your sister or the Prom Queen.

The kiss is still the same… basically… but one is just more pleasurable than the other.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go kiss your sister… you’ll figure it out. 

A super-insulated house will require less heat and air conditioning to maintain the temperature within it. That means that you’ll spend a little more in the beginning, but for the rest of your life, you’ll spend MUCH less.

You don’t just have to go along with the rest of the sheep. You can use Geothermal energy to create heat, Solar Power to warm water, and Photovoltaic panels (PVs) to produce electricity for your home.

There are PV systems available off the shelf that will lower your homes electricity costs by 75% without you having to be, or employ a rocket scientist to figure it all out. (Yes, you will still need an electrician…)

Don’t believe me? Go to Green-Trust.org. Steve Spence is about as bright as it gets in the PV arena. In fact, I’ve enlisted (strong-armed, arm-twisted, insert your own adjective here) him to assist in the design of the PV system for my own home.

Go a little further with this PV stuff and you’ll produce enough power for your family, plus some extra for the families along the way. After all, you’re probably all gonna be connected to the grid.

But, is it possible to build a “light and airy” row-house that is comfortable and achieves the goals we’ve talked about for $150K?

Yes.

And by using ISBUs, we can build homes that most people just don’t believe possible, for even less.

And we can do it up North, Down South and even… gasp… in the West.

Stay tuned as we explore some of the “way and means” of  how ISBUs can accommodate these goals.

(Did ya get it? Did ya see what  I did there? I started out talking about this big “hot shot committee politician”  and then I close the post with “Ways and Means?”)

Sometimes I just crack myself up!

Sometimes “Twister” isn’t a party game…

I’m getting a lot of email from people in North Carolina.

After the recent tornadoes events that left over 44 dead and many, many families homeless -  ravaged families and Humanitarian Aid groups are trying to figure out what to do next. And they’re calling on us, to help.

Credit: Reuters: Chris Keane

They need high-speed, affordable housing solutions that are weather resistant.

And they need them NOW.

Sound familiar?

First, it must be noted that I’m NOT talking about Emergency, Temporary, or even “Transitional Housing”. I’m talking about scalable Permanent solutions.

In my book; “Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings” (which you can purchase by clicking that blue book up on the top right hand side of the sidebar) I talk about a housing solution that revolves around one 20′ container called a “CORE.”

Inside this single 20′ ISBU is a full kitchen, a large bathroom, a shower room, a laundry room/workspace and a mech/HVAC space.

While it sounds like a lot to cram into one small  Corten Steel box, it works flawlessly.

FLAWLESSLY.

This CORE is large enough to easily handle the requirements of a family of six.

AND by coupling larger boxes to it… say 40′ High Cubes or even 48′ High cubes, you can build large, STEEL, cost effective and energy efficient spaces for peanuts.

Overhead cabinets and storage modules are not shown.

By using “the CORE” the other boxes are just “defined (and insulated) space”. By adding ISBUs to the front and back of this unit, bedrooms and common spaces are easily created. EASILY.

Best still, it’s a scalable and expandable kind of structure, because you’re essentially just adding “modules” to it over time, as money and materials allow.

“Start SMALL and ADD IT ALL…”

… as you can.

Most ISBU Homes (and most alternative homes in general) are built using paychecks, not bank loans. It’s one of the ugly truths of “going against the grain.”

A system like “The Core” will allow you to build out slowly overtime, achieving a higher level of weather resistance, better energy efficiency, at costs that you can afford… using your own hands.

Read all about it in my book. You do have my book, right?

If not, WHY NOT? I mean… really. I lowered the price. I’m, almost giving it away. I WANT you to be better informed. I want you to build ISBU Confidence. I want you to house your family without becoming a slave to banks and utility companies.

It’s WHY I do this. Honest.

Any profits from the book go directly to help other families in need build strong STEEL houses for their families.

It’s not just Haiti.

It’s not just Christchurch, New Zealand.

It’s not just Chile or Peru…

It’s places like North Carolina.

Credit: Reuters: Chris Keane

They need our help. And we’re gonna help them. It’s what good people do.

So, you’re not just learning as you read that book…  you’re HELPING. What could be better than that?

Have I ever steered you wrong before?

Oh Gawd, you cracked it!

It must be that time of year.

The snow is melting, the site is unfrozen and it’s time to start setting boxes.

I’m getting the same question in my email over and over again right now. I’m also seeing the same questions asked in other places on the web, from “DIY to Specialty” blogs.

So, let’s address a question about HOW you attach the ISBU to the ground;

Dear Ronin,

Are you a Ninja? I’m just wondering because… oh, never mind.

(Editor’s note: No, I’m not a ninja, wise guy. I’m “The Man Of Steel.” Corten Steel. )

You’re constantly talking about putting ISBUs on pilings. You’ve even explained in great detail how to make them out of Sonotube casings.

But what if you want to just put the ISBUs on a poured concrete slab?

You know… not all of us want our ISBUs up in the air.

I want to just pour a slab and then possibly even embed some twistlock bases into them and then drop the boxes onto it. I  do know how thick the slab needs to be, as I hired an engineer to calculate it for me, so it’s all good.

If I set the boxes at a distance, say about 20 feet apart, I can get a pretty good size house for cheap.  I know that it’s true, you say it over and over again.

Man, you do tend to repeat yourself.

In fact, after  I visited an ISBU Pool House you built in Fort Myers,  we  decided that we’re going to build a house like the “Shindig House” you showed on your blog. It’s exactly what I have in mind.

(Editors note: He’s talking about an ISBU Pool Cabana /Guest House we built  a few years back in somebody’s back yard, in South Florida. Essentially, it’s a pair of 20′ ISBUs with a common center section, covered  by SIPs and SSMR. I think it even made a few magazines.)

Here’s what I don’t get;

The guy who wants to pour my slab keeps telling me that we have to grade the area and then cover it with plastic before we add sand to pour the concrete on top of.

Won’t the plastic keep the slab from drying?

Then after he gets done, we can’t use the slab for at least a week. In fact, he says he needs to send somebody by to water it.

I’m trying to work as fast as I can. Is he right about this? Or is he just padding his bill?

Answer:

Dear “Slabber”,

Your concrete guy is absolutely right.

Grading the site keeps stuff from puncturing the plastic he’s going to line your slab form with. You want to start with a smooth, clean surface  and you want your slab thickness to be consistent.

(You ARE dropping some rebar into it, right?)

You WANT to keep that slab “wet” for as long as you can (within reason). The plastic (usually 10mm sheets of visqueen or something similar) will help that happen.

This may confuse you even more, but then WET sand is usually added on top of the plastic, trapping in even MORE moisture.

THEN… you shoot your slab.

The idea is to keep the concrete wet to help it “cure” slowly and evenly. The end result is that this method produces a MUCH stronger slab.

When we shoot slabs for ISBU homes (or any other kind of homes or structures, for that matter) , I have people “water” them at least twice a day, (and sometimes even more depending on geographic location), just to keep things going the right direction. THAT is why he wants to revisit your slab. He doesn’t want your ISBUs to break it.

TIP: Depending on the end purpose of that slab, sometimes I’ll even shoot some sealant over it, to further slow down the drying process.

And you MUST wait at LEAST a week before you start playing on that slab. Two weeks is even better. If I can wait a month, I will.  The last thing you want to do is damage it by banging on it or loading it up, too soon.

A 40′ ISBU weighs about 8,000 pounds. A brittle (uncured) slab will cause you nothing but grief, once you set that big hunk of Corten Steel down onto it. Trust me on this.

So stop your crying and write that check.

BTW: You owe your concrete guy a frosty cold one. He’s looking out for you.

How many ISBU homes can you build at once?

Greetings, my Corten Minions…

Today, we’re going back to the beginning;

We’re going to talk about “The Basics of Boxes”.

As the world slowly turns, some families have nowhere to sleep.

In places like Japan and Christchurch, Peru and Haiti… families are still trying to figure out what comes next, after natural disasters couple with man-made ones to create obstacles seemingly fit for the shoulders of the Titans.

These are the times when the “next steps” are taken. These are perfect times to discuss WHAT could work, and more importantly… what probably won’t work.

We can’t just keep doing things the same old ways. It just doesn’t work any longer. I’m not sure that it ever really did.

And it’s not “just me.”

These same discussions are happening across dining rooms tables all across America, as families start thinking about what comes next.

• Our economy is really causing problems.
• Unemployment is still a cancer that infects many, many families.
• Outsourcing and “right-sizing” at the corporate level allows companies like General Electric to make billions in profits, pay no taxes and move jobs offshore, never to return.

(I’m not singling out GE, there are MANY companies in America that are doing this. GE is just a good example.)

Housing isn’t just a discussion any longer, it’s an issue that brings many families to tears.

I have a beloved “adopted” daughter who’s been trying to sell her house for longer than I care to remember. I’m not talking about a  McMansion. I’m talking about what is essentially a charming little “starter home”. The market has slumped so severely that in order for her to “stay in the market” she and her husband have been counseled to take about a $30,000 hit, just to get it sold. I’m not talking about deducting money from expected profit. I’m talking about deducting almost $30 grand from the existing mortgage price. We’re talking about digging a huge hole.

This is just madness.

How can someone who is forced to go thru that ever get back into the housing market? They’re going to lose their shirts. Families all over America are “underwater”, as well. Their houses aren’t worth the mortgages any longer. We agonize over it regularly.

Inflation is driving solutions even harder, but it’s building canyons that must be crossed at the same time.

I get a LOT of email. So much in fact that I spend a few hours a day trying to sort it all out.

Most of those contacts are in search of cost effective, affordable solutions that are possible for families – I’m talking about DIY (Do It Yourself) and families helping families.

Doing it yourself means that you’ll save a LOT of money.

Contractors work for profit. They have families too – families probably not much different than yours. But YOU need to focus on what you can, and more importantly CANNOT accomplish with your own hands.

This means that you really need to carefully define “your needs” and then balance it against “your wants”.

That refinement will help drive your design process.

I’m not talking about what I call “glory-boarding”…

…you know. stuff like the rendered Corten Coolness you usually see in places like Treehugger. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE Treehugger. I get a lot of inspiration from that site and some of that coolness finds itself “reverse engineered” into my builds.

But… I’m talking about designing real world, real use, real “paid for using real paychecks” spaces by real people – not just the “1 percenters”… the elite.

I can’t afford several hundred dollars a square foot to build my family’s home and if you’re reading THIS blog… you probably can’t either.

And that’s an area where it PAYS off to have someone helping you who has been there before.

No! Stop it! I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I’m not saying it has to be ME at all…

What I’m saying is that choosing the right design professional is really fundamentally important.

And it’s important to realize that the input from that PRO will more than pay his/her fees, if you’ve chosen them properly. They will know tips and tricks that will save time, money and labor. They’ll understand “spaces” and how they related to each other. And you’ll get a better home out of the deal.

Further, if that PRO can’t guarantee you that their input will actually save you their fees in return, it’s time to find another PRO. Seriously.

That said:

Let’s think about HOW you build your ISBU Home:

As you all know, I’m a big advocate of building and integrating using smaller 20′ High Cubes.

This allows you to build “modules” that can be coupled together to form “housing solutions” in a manner that is easily manipulated, transported and then set onto prepared foundations, by just a few guys and gals.

You can couple these smaller “modules” – containing entire Kitchen/Bath cores, for example – with larger ISBUs, like 40′ High Cubes.

This gives you a ton of versatility and a lot of leeway, especially when you’re dealing with building a home in a hard to reach area… like a cleared space out in the countryside, down a long graded county dirt road or even into a hillside.

Here on the blog, over the next few weeks, I want to REALLY EXPLORE Small House Design.

In fact, we’re going to look at other types of housing as well – the “Little Housers” (including those rascal “Tiny Houser’s”) , Boats and Marine watercraft and other types of “contained structures”, incorporating the best of all these worlds into one or more Corten Steel Boxes.

Think about HOW you store your possessions.

How do you manipulate your foodstuffs?

How much time to do actually spend in dedicated parts of your home?

We’ll take into consideration things like gabled roofs, reclaimed spaces and the agility required to actually use them. Some of us aren’t getting any younger…

We’ll talk about options like retractable spaces – pop-outs, lowered platforms and even recessed platforms as well…

Remember that in dealing with small spaces;

Multi-purpose planning is the rule of the day.

We’ll talk about incorporating outside deck spaces into “defined inside spaces” to create larger rooms without actually building them.

Along the way, I want you to think about what YOUR family needs… and then I want you to get off your bottoms and actually post comments.

Yes, I’m talking to YOU.

We’ll take all that input and develop a prototype – a basic module – that can be used as a starting point that will cross many geographic boundaries and cultural borders.

It’s time to slay dragons, starting with that “overwhelming” feeling some get confronted with – like when they consider concepts like  “sweat equity”.

I want you guys and gals to realize just how easy it is to think small, if you start out with the right ingredients.

Innovation and “forward thinking” aren’t impossible. They just take good planning and solid execution.

There are solutions out there, just waiting to find their way onto your dining room table. We’re gonna go find them.

Stay Tuned.

Is Ronin Defendable?

I recently got this in my email, a blurb written apparently in my defense, posted to some list thread.

Apparently I was the victim of “character assassination” and one of our “Corten Crusaders” picked up a sword and parried a blow.

It’s nice to know that some of you have my back. Truly.

I thought I’d share it.

(Comments in Italics are MINE.)

“We ARE an island of misfits, a family, a tribe.”

(HEY! Who you callin’ a misfit, Mom…?)

The spirit behind Renaissance Ronin is much like I imagine more wise and noble cultures lived in our recent past.

I feel that way about Alex Klein’s “Corten Crusaders”. He’s a sage, a tribal elder leading us to a life were were already drawn to… a way of life on the fringes of the common culture.

Look, he left “the city” to go live up into the mountains focusing on his craft and increased awareness. Then, he traveled the world – like a monk on a mission… spreading his “Gospel According To Corten.”

(Truth be told, it was more like being chased from town to town by angry villagers bearing pitchforks and burning brands…)

His book on ISBU Structures (you can find it on his blog-sites) is yet another chapter in his “Testament of Common Sense and Affordable Sustainability”.

We’re a diverse group, to be sure.

• WE come from all walks of life.
• We are rich and we are poor.
• We have NASA Rocket Scientists and Gov’t File Clerks numbered among us.
• Some of us are “Saints” and some of us are “Warriors”.
• Some of us seek Solitude – some seek the safety of Community.

We have seasons of incredible peace balanced by times of acute solitude, from hundreds of acres and hectares to hundreds of square feet.

We ARE a group spanning all cultures, each member bringing what they are to the party, as the best of what they are is added to the ingredient list.

(And compost. Don’t forget the compost. We get a lot of compost…)

We’re bound by a passion for the adventures in life, as experienced from our little steel dwellings.

(And, we don’t really like neighbors or busybodies trying to determine what is best for US…)

At Renaissance Ronin we find shelter and support, a place to give and get support… as we use common sense and increased awareness balanced by consideration and passion… to create a tribe of our own.”

Wow. Wasn’t that nice? It warms me to the cockles of my black little heart…

I thank you for your support. Individually, we are just voices. Collectively, we’re a freakin’ “Corten Choir.”

Sing, my children… SING!

“Anna one, anna two…”

hey.. who the heck is “anna”?

This Just In: Update On Earth Week Plus!

I’ve been telling you guys up in the tundra about a special series of Earth Week events on “The Tip Of The Mitt” in Michigan.

Well, Laren just sent me an update and I thought I’d share it with you.

(Note: The content is Laren’s and the reformatting is MINE. I am responsible for any errors. It’s cool, I have big shoulders… Oh yeah… anything in italics is mine, too.)

Laren says:

Greetings, Earth Loving Neighbors;

Well folks, Earth Week Plus is now fully underway.

We have already held our first events. Last week we showed an excellent movie about what can happen as Earth temperatures rise. It was followed by a discussion.

We also had an informative discussion, Wednesday, at the Cheboygan Public Library, about alternative energy and home energy usage, as part of the Java Chat series, put on by the Straits Area Concerned Citizens for Peace and Justice. We had several Solar home owners present.

Three of us will be part of the Solar homeowner panel, at the Earth Week Plus Expo on the 16th, next weekend.    On Thursday we showed the movie Gasland, followed by a very informative presentations, by Grenetta Thomassey from  “Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council“, and also Joann Cromley, from the group “Don’t Frack Michigan“.  Friday was a big night at the Headland Park, at Mackinaw City, for owl banding, and stargazing.

(Um, what the hell is a “Frack”?)

That was a Straits Area Audubon Society event.

Over the weekend there was an excellent opportunity to learn about harvesting maple sap, and boiling it down into syrup. Due to predictions of rain on Sunday (it has been a nice day), this event was expanded to include both Saturday and Sunday, at the Silent Sport Lodge, south of Wolverine.  That is what you may have already missed, but there is a lot more to come.

On Tuesday Night, if you are in the Upper Peninsula, there will be a showing of “Caribou Summer“, by biologists Kathy and Jim Bricker, in Sault Ste Marie.

See our website at:
www.EarthWeekPlus

…for more details, and info on a May showing, in Cheboygan.

On Wednesday night, the Straits Area Audubon Society is presenting a spectacular event, for the whole family. Be sure to not miss this one, and definitely bring the kids to see their “Snakes Alive” presentation, at the Cheboygan Public Library, That is April 13th.  Starting time will be 6:30 PM.

It is free.

Thursday 4/14 brings another great environmental movie and discussion, in Earth Week Plus’ movie series,  at Cheboygan’s Public Library. This week’s feature will be a great movie called “WaterLife” about a walk around the Great Lakes, to see how we are treating our amazing waters.  As we do with our movie series, there will be an extended discussion afterwards.

Rest up on Friday night, because our big Earth Week Plus Expo is happening on Saturday afternoon, from 12:30 to 5:30.  There is too much scheduled at the Expo to talk about right now, but there will be sixteen separate programs, live music, live raptors, and lots of fun for the whole family.

(Raptors? Where did they get dinosaurs? It’s those dang Jurassic Park knuckleheads again, I tell you…)

So, pack up the kids and head on over to Cheboygan.

(Take mine, too, huh? I could use a couple of hours off…)

The Expo will be held at the middle school. From Petoskey it is just twelve miles further than drives to places like Blissfest and Cross Village. From Gaylord, it is just a fast run up I75. And, as with all of our Earth Week Plus events, the Earth Week Plus Expo is free to everyone.

Though, we ask that if you can afford it, please consider bringing a nonperishable food donation, for our less fortunate neighbors.

Don’t miss it, and tell all your friends, which brings me to the next subject, which is that we still need a little of your help, in getting the word out, to even more people.

Earth Week Plus is a grass roots project, of the people, for the people, and by the people. So, we need the help of more people, in order for many more of us to learn that it is happening.

You might just tell people who are interested in nature, and sustainable living.

Or, forward this email to them.

Or, spread the word through FaceBook or Twitter.

And, please, help us post fliers.

I think a flyer can be downloaded in PDF format from EarthWeekPlus.com. Laren sent me the PDF (because he’s smart that way…) but for some reason, I can’t get it to post properly. I’m sure I’m doing something wrong.

Put them up on any community message boards, that you know of. Print out just a few, and put them in your car, on the dashboard.  Then, when you see a place to post one, you will have it, right there with you.

Earth Week Plus is for all of us.

But, those who don’t hear about it, will not be able to take advantage of this series of great free, green events.  So, help us get the word to them.

I look forward to seeing you there.  Please stop and say hello.  I want to meet you.

May your days be sunny,
-Laren Corie-
-Earth Week Plus-

Earth Weekers Invade Michigan! Oh my! ;)

Hi Folks;

A buddy of mine, that “Little House Savant” Laren Corie…

… reminds me that he’s involved in the “Lalapalooza-esque” Earth Week Plus festivities up in the tundra that some of you call Michigan!

Forget that “just a week” nonsense…

If you know Laren like I do, you already know that he’s packed the festivities so full, they had to use the entire month of April!

We’re talking a “Green-Fest filled Gala” of GREEN celebrations and events that will focus on like as we like it… Green and Sustainable!

You’ve heard me talk about this guy before. He’s sharper than a box fulla broken mirrors!

Laren is one of those guys who throws everything he has into virtually anything he participates in, so this event will really be dripping with learning and goodness!

Here’s just a really short list of the “Earth Week Plus Coolness“:

1. Basics of Beekeeping
2. Growing Healthy Food
3. How to Workshops – like How To Make Maple Syrup!
4. Planning a Zero Energy Home
5. Tour a Solar Open House
6. Open panel discussions on LIVING in a Solar Home with solar home owners
7. Earth Day Clean-Up Events all over Northern Michigan!

And… there’s a  LOT more!

FOR FREE!

If you’re close enough to reach this event, DO NOT MISS IT!

The Event was recently featured on The Greenest Dollar and Heather is just as enthusiastic as I am about this gathering of “greenies!”

So, load up that ride and start making tracks for it! You won’t be disappointed!

Laren says:

This is primarily for those of you who are in Michigan.

This year, in the “Tip Of the Mitt” region of northern Michigan, we are further expanding our series of presentations around the celebration of Earth Day.

Last year we had about two weeks of events. This years they last over a month, and will actually continue, hopefully, year round. Another change, this year, is that we are going to have a much larger central event, which we call our Earth Week Plus Expo, which is like holding about twenty of our regular events, in one place, on one day.

And, it is all free.

It will be worth a nice Spring drive. Here is our website.

www.EarthWeekPlus.com

-Laren Corie-
Natural Solar Building Design and
Solar Heating/Natural Cooling/Energy
Efficiency Consultation Since 1975
www.ThermalAttic.com

www.EarthWeekPlus.com

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“We stole it from our children…”

We live in a world saturated by “sensationalistic” media. You can literally span the globe in seconds… in horror.

Fear-mongering and “doom and gloom” sell ad time and seemingly rule the day, in a world driven by profits and not benevolence.

We’re reading and watching daily…

… about cities decimated by disasters. Places Like Christchurch, New Zealand and entire provinces in Northern Japan.

Let’s not forget places like Haiti, Peru and Chile, as well. Earthquakes have really been brutal in the last several months, all over the planet.  Couple that with tsunamis and raging wildfires and you get the hint that an angry Mother Nature is giving us all a spanking.

Is there an upside to this madness?

In all the chaos and catastrophe, some would say: “Yes.”

I’m one of them. As areas rebuild they have opportunities to begin anew – creating order out of chaos and sculpting environments more compatible with both person and planet.

Now, anyone who reads this blog knows I’m not about to go on a “Treehugger” militant environmentalist rant.

What I AM suggesting is that reorganizing and rebuilding areas to be more compatible with both “Mother Nature and Mankind” can be both cost-effective and a huge boon to the people living there – not just NOW, but for the generations to follow.

By really putting some thought into action… (in the trade we call it “Pre-Design”) not only will they establish more comfortable and sustainable environments, the architects of these new places will rekindle long untended fires – hopefully fueling the desires of our kids, who might just have a shot at home ownership when they reach an age that requires they tend their own created nests…

In fact, that’s one of my biggest fears, truth be told;

Will my children be ABLE to own homes of their own?

Or, will it be “a luxury completely out of reach of the common man”… by the time they’re old enough to agonize over it’s loss?

Places like Christchurch, New Zealand are now giving serious thought to concepts like “sustainable town planning” as they literally redesign their city from the rubble up.

Talk about “blessings from curses”…

It’s an opportunity not afforded many major cities… Christchurch gets to initiate a new, sustainable and environmentally friendly list of features BECAUSE they get to start with what some would say is a “clean slate”.

The Japanese will be faced with the same set of circumstances, once they’ve had enough time to define where it will actually be safe to rebuild. My heart grieves as I think about all those families struggling to determine their “new” futures in a very uncertain world.

In our past, we didn’t really consider things like future energy costs, rampant inflation, or climatic change. Towns were not as sophisticated as they need to be in these times we now live in.

Back then… we built SHELTERS. It had to be fast, affordable to build and capable of being constructed with the labor and materials that we had on-hand.

Now, City Planners must take the long view – we have to consider the “new truths.”

It’s not enough to build McMansions on every corner anymore. Everything has it’s price. And like death and taxes, the price must be paid… Rising energy costs top that list in my view.

Foresight and design of scalable architecture that will allow growth both “out and up”,  creating infrastructures that will support the weight of the masses that will come is a requirement that cannot get pushed off the table any longer.

In America (and most places beyond) urban metropolises are generally large sprawls surrounding compact and centralized commerce zones. Public transportation (like buses and cabs) crawl thru the centers like ants, but seldom cover the out areas comprehensively.

How many of you live in places where buses don’t go?

How many of you live in places where there are sections of town completely isolated from you, unless you drive a car?

In the city I live in, there are actually Hospitals, Libraries and Government Service Offices that are unreachable without a very expensive cab ride. It’s due to poor planning, plain and simple.

And there’s more to consider;

The price of oil is all over the map as I type this.

OPEC is using current Geo-political events to play with the barrel prices of oil.

Comprehensive public transportation and alternative vehicles can help combat these “seemingly uncontrollable manipulations” of profit.

We don’t have a leash on OPEC.

They do what they want, whenever they want, usually at our expense.

We have to recognize that transportation systems based on fossil fuel powered vehicles have many costs that exceed the act of fueling:

• Manufacturing vehicles requires large quantities of energy and oil products.
• The number of cares required affects the construction of roads (more public transport equals fewer roads required)
• Fewer roads would mean less impact on habitat and better maintenance of environmental stability.
• Fewer required vehicles equals less Air pollution in the form of carbon monoxide.

It should be noted that carbon monoxide contributes to climatic “change” and effects…

Somebody said:

“We don’t inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”

I say that we stole it from our children… and it’s time to give it back.

In my opinion – If we are to be smart about rebuilding these cities and provinces (or even planning new communities) , we shouldn’t rush into the reconstruction without planning to meet the needs of today as well as considering the needs of tomorrow.

We have a chance to construct cities that utilize alternative methods of transportation; things like bicycles, electric cars and cargo haulers, and even pedestrian friendly corridors. Putting “dedicated” lanes in existing cities would normally be cost prohibitive (think of all the ramifications… like taking part of people’s front yards to “claim” the required space) but when you’re rebuilding or re-settling… it would be much easier.

It reminds me of those commercials you see on TV;

“You can pay me now… or you can pay me later.”

And prices seem to be going up exponentially across the board. So, can we afford to wait for “later?”

Take electric bicycles. We’ve all seen them. Some of us covet them. They allow us to get places we couldn’t normally go, cost effectively and relatively quickly. Need to make a quick milk run? That electric bike can be just the ticket. And you plug it in at night to recharge it, for pennies.

Electric buses are a larger version of the electric bike, for those runs where you need room to carry more cargo, like several bags full of groceries from the nearest SuperStore.

What if you created hubs where electric buses connected with places where electric bikes or even electric cars could be used, to “reach out” even further? Ever been to a nursery? Ever seen those electric carts they use to haul around hundreds of potted plants and bags of planting material?

You have to admit they’d haul a lot of groceries home… or even several kids to soccer or the library… for pennies.

I know you’re rolling your eyes;

“Ronin is preaching Utopia again…”

But these same principles apply, whether you’re talking about “Christchurch” , “Corten Clan” or “Church Camp”. If you think “scalable” you can see where these same concepts could be applied to villages, towns, cities or metropolises.

The technology is already there, sitting on the shelf waiting to be implemented. The only thing stopping us is ambition and initiative.

Now, take all this “concept stuff” and transfer it to that “Corten  Community” that you’re wanting to build, in places like Houston… and heaven forbid… in the “out and aways”…

You know who you are…)

There are several clans/tribes/family groups building “Corten Villages” as I type this. I know it’s true. I’m working with several of them, myself. They stretch from coast to coast.

I tell them what I’m telling you;

By really thinking thru HOW you interact with each other, you can not only plan and build sustainable communities, you can actually enhance your everyday “face to face” lives. Efficient, affordable, sustainable improvements will lead to the achievement and fulfillment of a higher standard to measure your existing “quality of life” against.

Our forefathers gave this some thought as they plied the prairies in Conestoga Wagons.

We just have better tools.

Now, SOME of us are rethinking this as we make forays into “forest and furrow”…

As we think hard about looking for places to resettle our families while the world slowly turns…

Image Credits: HiveHouston.org