EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume Thirteen, Number One Winter 2004 TIRES GO FROM WHEELS TO HOUSES by Sharon Leach, naturalist and educator, Richmond Hill, ON, Canada Many churches around the globe have as a stated mission the eradication of homelessness. Notably the Church Council of Greater Seattle, the United Church of Canada and the Scottish Churches Housing Agency. Earthkeepers would want this housing to be not only affordable, but also ecologically friendly. Here's a suggestion from Canada applicable to much of the USA. I visited a house in Ontario that was made of earth held in place by used tires, which were themselves filled with earth. The owners had first built the walls with earth, then plastered over inside and covered with earth-toned cement outside. The rooms were built in U shapes side by side with the south wall glassed for solar heating. The feeling was of being held and rocked by the earth. I didn't want to leave. Tires are waste, but also a resource, as is all waste. The owners started with a piece of land and were paid to take the tires. The $1800 they got from that was money for the project. When I visited, they had a 6-room, 2-bathroom house that had cost about $25,000. They were completely self-sufficient in terms of utilities. Solar panels provided for their lights, satellite dish and heat. The temperature varied from 65 in the coldest part of winter (Canadian winter!) to 75 degrees in the hottest part of summer (upper 90s). They had no utility bills and no mortgage payments. Because tires do not break down, they are safe for houses and manage waste at the same time. There are photos of these houses on the web at earthship.org. A visit there will show you some of the most beautiful houses of this style. It's one way of harmonising housing with the care of the world. Home     Table of Contents