Overview of Off-Grid Living

           Off of the grid living is gaining popularity world-wide.  What is an off-grid you might ask? Well the definition of an "Off-Grid" is a community based on primitive settings without need for public utilities such as: power, plumbing and cable/wifi etc. With our planet is slowly dying and climate conditions changing at an uncomprehensive rate some people wish to escape the normal way of living and choose to help our planet rather than contributing to its death. These people who wish to do so can find their solace within the off-grid world. One of the main reasons someone might choose to live an off-grid lifestyle over a traditional suburban lifestyle other than to escape the traditional way of life is for the following reasons. Off-gridding works with nature rather than against it, it minimalizes carbon foot-prints, and also manages waste and other types of pollution. According to "Home Power Magazine"(see citation bellow) statistics done in 2013 show that an estimated 1.7 billion people are living off-grid world-wide. While in America studies show that 180,000 citizens are living off-grid. These numbers are growing fast showing that this might be the future.


Here are some brief examples of how off-grids can function without use of utilities. Off-grid communities typically can get there power from solar panels, wind mills, and thermal energy. Water is ether stored, collected, or drawn from a well. while food is cultivated ether by owning livestock or growing food in a green house or farm. As far as other utilities go such as plumbing usually pump systems are in play these can be ether operated by hand or managed electronically. However when it comes to using the bathroom plumbing can be as primitive as the out house. Bellow is an image of an earth-ship. This type of off-grid structure helps prove the point that off-grid structures work with nature rather than against it.

This is general concept of an off-grid earth-ship structure.

(citation bellow)

If you look closely you will notice that the frame of the building is made up of old tires and bottles. Tires are great insulators and make for a strong frame when packed with dirt. The bottles provide spacing in the concreate to minimalize use of concrete as well as giving a home to these otherwise useless bottles. By utilizing these resources and repurposing them it helps stop pollution of this planet. Otherwise these bottles and tires would just go into an land fill or become litter. As you could also notice in the top right corner of the picture there is a solar panel, this will provide sufficient energy to the home minimalizing carbon footprint. one last thing that I will point out is that there is a green house in the background. In other earth ship structures this feature will typically heat the home as well as supply food. you can probably see by now that there is a different solution to how to live. As the numbers of off-grid community's grow over the years you can't help but wonder, is this a proper way to eliminate climate change, pollution, and air born waste ? Could it perhaps save this planet?



citation:

 Jennie Wood, "living off the grid" www.infoplease.com/science/environment/off-the-grid.html Sandbox Network, inc.,publishing as infoplease 2000-2016 web. 15 nov. 2016

Victor Grigas, "unfinished Earthship" commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Unfinished_Earthship_2.JPG en.wikipedia 29 November 2009. web 15 nov. 2016