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Earthships a possibility in Japan
Earthship Biotecture's Michael Reynolds discusses the situation in Japan. Plus, Architecture for Humanity's Cameron Sinclair details his organization's plans for reconstruction in the devastated nation.
Thu, Mar 17 2011 at 8:51 PM
 17
An Earthship in Haiti

Photo: ZUMA Press

Last week, I wondered if an Earthship, a super-sustainable, earthquake-resistant home made largely from recycled and natural materials, would get clearance to land in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Well, it's been two weeks since a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and catastrophic tsunami ravaged northeast Japan and I suppose the more appropriate question is: will an Earthship land in Japan?
 
Although the primary focus in Japan now is recovery — and managing the tense situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — the answer is most likely a big yes. Michael Reynolds — "Garbage Warrior," Earthship Biotecture founder and mad genius architect — was present in both earthquake-stricken Haiti and on the Andaman Islands following 2004’s devastating Indian Ocean tsunami ... it's looking like Japan will be no different. Although Reynolds has made no concrete plans to travel to Japan at this time, he has released a statement that notes: “Earthship Biotecture is currently gathering information on getting to Japan.”
 
The statement, heavy with the anti-nuclear energy sentiment, reads:
 
How many people went to sleep tonight saddened and worried about the disaster in Japan.  Saddened for the people who are suffering - worried about the deadly future that lies before all people due to nuclear power plants dotting the surface of the earth.
 
How is it that legislative institutions make it difficult to evolve radical sustainable living methods citing minute and insignificant dangers affiliated with the uncharted territory of new thinking ... while these same institutions allow a nuclear age that threatens the very ability of the entire planet to support human life?
 
There is a fight going on to stop nuclear power. This fight is with big money corporations and power mongers.
 
There is a fight going on to provide people with more freedom to take care of themselves in ways that respect and understand the ways of the planet. This fight is with lawmakers and government institutions.
 
There is a fight going on to use less of everything, live much lighter and hear the voice of the planet. This fight is with ourselves.
 
SHOUT OUT about the nuclear age to any arena that exists.
SPEAK OUT to legislators about fast tracking green building methods and systems.
 
WHISPER to yourself to take less and give more to the planet we live on.
 
I’m curious about how things will proceed if/when Reynolds and his team begin work in Japan given that the earthquake in Japan and the earthquake in Haiti are vastly different beasts. How will Earthship construction differ in one of the world’s most prosperous nations and in one of the world’s poorest? Will Reynolds focus on community involvement in Japan as he did in Haiti and the Andaman Islands? How will Japan’s Earthships be reflective of the country’s strong architectural traditions?
 
Regardless of specifics in Japan, here’s an excellent insightful look, via CNN International's Earth's Frontiers program, at Reynolds’ involvement in Haiti's rebuilding efforts. For those of you curious about what Earthship construction entails, it's a great intro. Just skip to the 2:45 minute mark to watch. And to be clear, Earthships aren't just built in the aftermath of natural disasters. 
 
Following the video on Earthship construction in Haiti is another CNN video in which Architecture for Humanity co-founder Cameron Sinclair discusses his organizations involvement in Japan.  
 
 
 

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

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Comments: 17
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anonymous
Joseph Bayana Mar 25 2011 at 8:47 AM

Because of the tsunami, earthquake and the nuclear disaster, Japan will be the first country in the world to develop its infrastructure for the 22nd century and beyond. Unfortunately, stating the obvious, we cannot say the same for Haiti.

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anonymous
paradigm shift Mar 25 2011 at 7:10 AM
the elephant in the room is overpopulation... when all places suitable for living, i.e. not on fault lines etc..are developed the ONLY place to put a nuclear plant, nuclear waste dump and other NIMBY type development IS on fault lines or in Japan's case when no room build airport in ocean and prop it up every year....eventually we will run out of places to build anything, coal plants, nuclear plants, wind farms, solar farms, etc etc... get rid of religion telling folks to breed like rabbits to overpopulate
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earth and turn it into a toxic trash dump.
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anonymous
paradigm shift Mar 25 2011 at 7:07 AM
In most developed Asian nations. modern building and even ancient structures are made entirely of concrete; partly due to earthquake and partly due to resource and partly due to it being cooler in warmer climates....ancient builders weren't rocket scientists; they just had common sense...modern world is 'intelligent' and can find stuff on google but has no common sense, i.e. don't build nuclear plants on fault lines, for instance. if you live in a fishbowl don't pollute your own water you need to
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live would be another...
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anonymous
paradigm shift Mar 25 2011 at 7:06 AM
In most developed Asian nations. modern building and even ancient structures are made entirely of concrete; partly due to earthquake and partly due to resource and partly due to it being cooler in warmer climates....ancient builders weren't rocket scientists; they just had common sense...modern world is 'intelligent' and can find stuff on google but has no common sense, i.e. don't build nuclear plants on fault lines, for instance. if you live in a fishbowl don't pollute your own water you need to
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live would be another...
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anonymous
RobertVA Mar 25 2011 at 2:55 AM
My father was stationed in Japan shortly after World War II. On a few occasions he described the difficulties when a building there had to be demolished. The modern technique using brute force was inadequate.. He indicated that the old mortise and tenon techniques for connecting the wood structural components just wouldn't come apart and the wood beam or post had to be sawed apart adjacent to the joint. In contrast the nailed joints in modern North American homes can be separated with relatively
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little effort. Of course modern power woodworking tools could make mortise and tenon joints with much less effort than the hand tools used in the past.
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anonymous
torq Mar 24 2011 at 9:02 PM

Did an editor even read this article? The grammar and punctuation read like a first draft.

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anonymous
moribundman Mar 25 2011 at 9:07 AM

They've put away with editors. Illiteracy must be promoted.

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anonymous
C Dub Mar 24 2011 at 7:31 PM

Shoot nuclear waste into space. Problem solved. Aim for crappy planets if you're worried about it slingshotting back here.

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anonymous
RobertVA Mar 25 2011 at 3:06 AM
Casks for transporting high level wastes by road, rail and sea include heavy reinforcement to prevent ruptures in the event of an accident, in addition to radiation shielding. Combine that with the fuel being some of the densest elements around isn't very conductive to mounting it on a rocket and accelerating it to the 25,000 MPH it takes to get anything out of Earth orbit. What a mess if one of those rockets failed shortly after launch! Then there's the issue of keeping the fuel from overheating
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until the disposal cask is on a trajectory that will keep it permanently away from Earth.
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anonymous
Robert Mar 24 2011 at 12:42 PM

It is far better to use nuclear energy then use fossil fuels. The crisis in Japan is awful. It however was not the earthquake that did the damage. It was the Tsunami. They need to be built to be Tsunami proof or they need to be moved inland. I live in the shadow of the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station and I could not be happier. Fossil fuels are not being burnt. It is a safe sustainable energy. There is far too much misinformation out there.

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anonymous
paradigm shift Mar 25 2011 at 7:15 AM
I echo the comment below. You DO NOT live near Yucca Mountain or where they have to dispose of 'waste'...that is another 'externality' or unfortunate truth that it has to go SOMEWHERE..... Even before Katrina, poor in N.O. were being dumped on, getting cancer etc from fossil fuel industry...nobody cared who didn't live there...it is always 'somebody else'. NOT ME. I think US is going to very shortly start reaping the karma they have sown for years dumping on others and exploiting others...I think
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'the end is near' for us dumping on others and mostly middle eastern nations as 'christians' think they are 'special'. Karma will bite you in the a$$ every time.
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anonymous
Randy Mar 24 2011 at 6:20 PM
Sorry to tell you, but nuclear energy is not sustainable. Every nation that has nuclear power plants are struggling to find a way to store/dispose of the spent rods. As of right now they are continuing to put them in caves and seal the door shut. But doesn't our drinking water come from underground also? We can't shoot them out into space because who knows what would happen. Anyone that believes the myth that nuclear energy is the answer should do some studying on how dangerous the spent fuel rods
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are and how peopel are disposing of them. From what I have seen, they are throwing them into a hole and hoping nothing bad happens. We see how well that mentality is working with building cities on fault lines. It's not when something bad will happen it's when! - A realist's veiw.
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anonymous
Robert Mar 25 2011 at 1:14 PM
The iron in our soil naturally shields low level radiation. The spent rods that are removed from the reactor are kept on site in a pool to shield the radiation until the radiation levels drop to the point where it is safe to move them and bury them. This process takes about 20 years. 20 years is a long time but the nuclear power plants only have to refuel about once every 20 years. I get my information from the source. A family member works at a nuclear power plant. Look I would love to use wind
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and solar power to power everything. It is possible. However, we also have lots of nuclear fuel to burn through. The fuel we are using now is that of decommissioned nuclear weapons that were manufactured during the cold war.
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anonymous
SFG Mar 24 2011 at 6:40 PM

It is not as good as you think. Low level Nuclear Waste such as contaiminated tools and materials are being buried, but as far as I know the high level waste such as fuel rods are being stored mostly at the plants were they were used. Yucca Mountain in Nevada has never recieved approval to open and to my knowledge there are no site in the US were high leve waste can be stored.

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jbartelmo
jbartelmo Mar 18 2011 at 10:11 AM

That would be great, but would the Earthship be able to handle the tsunami as well?

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anonymous
t3chsupport Mar 24 2011 at 6:26 PM

but they can/do stand up to earthquakes and hurricanes.

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anonymous
Earthship Biotecture Mar 18 2011 at 10:06 AM

http://www.earthship.com/japan
Michael Reynolds will be on J-WAVE 81.3FM, Tokyo, on March 22(Tue) around 3:35PM. listen at http://j-wave.co.jp
マイケルレイノルズは、3月22日（火）3:35時頃にJ - WAVEの81.3FM、東京にされる

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