Savitra reminded me of 'Earthships' during a lunch meeting a few days ago here at Auroville. (When he's in Auroville, Savitra uses the name the Mother gave to him. His birth name is Alan Lithman, a long-term Aurovilian & author of "An Evolutionary Agenda for the Third Millennium.")

He was describing a 2005 trip through the American Southwest when he was inspired by his visit to the Earthship community located near Taos, New Mexico. I had heard similar stories of these innovative homes designed for sustainability, so I surfed to their website and have also become inspired by the descriptions and photos of these remarkable habitats.

Links: http://www.earthship.org
http://www.lowcarbon.co.uk/earthships.html

Some samples:

"The Earthship is a completely independent globally oriented dwelling unit made from materials that are indigenous to the entire planet. The Earthship has been designed to reduce our impact on the planet and increase our connection to it by utilizing recycled and low embodied energy materials, passive solar heating and cooling, photovoltaic power system, catchwater, solar hot water, gray water and black water treatment systems."

These units must
energise themselves,
heat and cool themselves,
grow food and deal with
their own waste.

We are now in
need of EARTHSHIPS
- independent vessels
- to sail on the seas
of tomorrow’

- Mike Reynolds
Earthship Creator