An off-the-grid community in New Mexico offers insight into sustainable building 

This is beautiful. It's so hard to find something that isn't doom and gloom in the news. I love what you're are doing.

I love that it's nearly impossible to capitalize off the building of these homes! Energy companies must hate this guy. It's why we love him!

Loved the storytelling and especially the concept of living of the grid, living with nature and not against nature. Build more off-the-grid homes!!!

Michael Reynolds is a legend. The systems he developed in his Earthship designs are a great way to move in the direction of sustainable living & reducing one's carbon and resource footprints. I have several of his books and I love the futuristic & artistic look of these remarkable structures. Well done sir!

I used to live in New Mexico. Earthships have been there for a very long time. New Mexico residents have been making classic adobe buildings for a couple of hundred years. I knew people that built their own bath tub with beautiful tiles that they made themselves, adding on rooms as their family grew and the home was beautiful. Some friends of mine built studios on their property. They built a larger home for themselves, reusing a lot of different materials. They had a small house to cover some expenses. One of the studios even had an upstairs apartment. The window in the studio was composed of reused fluorescent tubes! Yes, it seems radical, but think of how other people live? I have been on a Hong Kong junk where families fish and live. Due to flood issues, the dutch build floating homes and they are very popular. Seattle Washington developed wonderful floating homes at many of their lake and harbor areas. I have been in well-appointed small apartments in Europe. The tiny house movement is an excellent idea. All of these kinds of living quarters have pros and cons, of course, however these are just examples of ways to live with the earth! I would so enjoy having my own earthship. The earth ships shown are just beautiful. Thanks very much.

I live in Albuquerque and have driven past this Earthship community many times when visiting Taos. We have some in town that seem to be inspired design-wise by Earthships, but I think city regulations make it difficult to construct a true Earthship within city limits. I would love to live in one of these. The indoor gardens are so awesome.

So great to see Michael still goin strong and that you did such a great report to keep his legacy alive, which keeps us alive. Good work, Michael. Great report ❤

Dude... People have been preaching "Earthships" for over 30 years now... Did a report on them in high school, and I graduated in 1993. Checked one out in Baja California made out of tires in 1997.

I am tingling with inspiration from this broadcast. Just love the work and heart put into this from so many people. I felt the hum of the Earth walking in with Ginger to the home and saw she obviously had a very deep sleep. So beautiful and so responsible. Sending Canadian Northern Comfort. Peace to the World.

Been watching these for years now. Ginger Zee you always have the coolest content!

Always a joy to see Michael keeping us thinking about better ways.

My environmental science class is currently discussing trash, the life cycle of products, and the impact it has on the environment. The coincidence that this video was uploaded today blew my mind. I shared it with my professors and classmates.

I'm willing to be a volunteer beer can drainer. Seriously, thanks for people like this that are out on the edge. Keeping an eye out for the rest of us

Only in New Mexico ! I remember when these started in North Central New Mexico around Taos.

The actor Dennis Weaver had one built out of old tires back in the day. My county in Colorado will not let you do anything out their tiny box. After much legal battles the rain that falls on our roof we can actually use . My dad grew up in Taos so I’m familiar with these earth ships. Thanks!

The home is one of many throughout the cosmos

My family used rain water when l was growing up l was born at home. All my siblings were😊

Amazing!

I love this, keep on inovating✌️

I'm loving earthships and would love to live in one since I'm alone I would love this so if ever get in touch with me

Earthships are awesome and awe inspiring.

ever since i first heard about earthships ive wanted to build a more "modern" one

Beautiful; thank you for taking on this subject. Please keep them coming.

Mike Reynolds is amazing. Such a zest for life, still excited about earth ships and independence; it's all about freedom and being a non-conformist. At the beginning he mentioned he has stage 4 cancer. Old tires are full of chemicals and poisons and will off-gas cancer causing fumes. Some people tried earth ships who had continuous headaches, nausea and fatigue and had to move out of them. The earth ship is a wonderful idea, but someone needs to figure out a substitute for the tires. Get well Mike Reynolds. If anyone can beat stage 4 cancer it's you. 💗

We visited Earthship 15 years ago and was very impressed with what they do using the old recycle cans bottles tires earth… it works!❤❤❤🎉

I love this idea

My main concern was about the leeching!! Thank you for asking that question!!!

I love how Ginger is just casually wearing Louboutins bahah

If we want to help the Earth first limit the number of people on the planet. When we had children or model was replace ourselves and no more.

What he doesn't tell you is that the people who he trains and does the labor for all the builds are paying not being paid for the process. The blueprints are 100 grand for the smallest. All the recycling aspects of the house has to be redone every 15 or 20 years. Not affordable for anyone who makes less then 6 figures. I live just down the street from the earthship community on the Mesa in a more real off grid community.

Some of us are disabled bro. I cant even clean my house or shower regularly anymore, cant do all this. If money wasnt an issue, maybe. But it always will be.

I've been obsessed with earthships for at least a decade. I've asked a hundred people or more if they are interested in earthships and almost all of them have never even herd of the concept, blows my mind. So I've been out hear in advocating, but I'm tired of the message falling on def ears. I think I've got enough courage to make the journey to Taos in my repurposed short school bus and help where and how I can and learn as much as possible!

I remember the first time my mom took us to the New Mexico earthships when I was a boy in the 60s I've stayed in the Phoenix house I've studied it I've designed new modern earthships I think it's just a wonderful way to go thank you for having this.

I wish I can get hold of this guy I just bought the land in new Mexico, and I just want to get away from city and start off grit living so I bought a 1 acre of land and deming New Mexico I hope I get so accomplished this beautiful work that he has accomplished

Absolutely Brilliant.... Thank you

Dennis weaver

We stayed in the Phoenix for 2 nights in 2013. It was amazing! My only regret was that we were out somewhere when Michael Reynolds stopped by. My sister-in-law got to meet him, but I missed out. 😢 I would love to live in an earthship, but at just a few months from 70 years old and living in Western NY, I don't see it ever happening.

It would be great if they could release the plans for the simple house at some point, so that people can try building their own (if regulations anywhere else would allow).

This is awesome and beautiful.. I can live there.. 😁

Earthships, which are sustainable homes built from recycled materials like tires, have gained popularity for their eco-friendly approach. It’s interesting to hear that an Earthship builder in New Mexico claims that tires with over 10,000 miles don’t off-gas. This claim might reflect observations from the builder’s experience with tires in construction, but it might require further scientific study for general validation. Factors Influencing Tire Off-Gassing Several factors can influence the off-gassing process in tires, such as: • Use and Mileage: Regular use may lead to quicker dissipation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to wear and exposure to the elements. Tires that have undergone significant mileage might have fewer VOCs left to release. • Age: As tires age and are exposed to environmental factors (like UV light, heat, and oxygen), the compounds that cause off-gassing might degrade or become inert. • Storage Conditions: Tires that have been exposed to air, heat, and sunlight during usage may off-gas at a faster rate than those kept in cooler, darker conditions. Observations and Practical Insights The claim that tires with over 10,000 miles don’t off-gas might reflect the following insights: • Initial Off-Gassing: New tires often have a noticeable odor, indicating initial off-gassing. This effect tends to diminish with use and time. • Mileage Impact: After a certain mileage, tires may reach a state where most VOCs have been released. The 10,000-mile threshold could be based on experience or observation, indicating a point where off-gassing becomes negligible. Limitations and Considerations It’s important to consider that this claim is based on observation and might not represent a universal rule. Variables like tire composition, driving conditions, and storage can affect off-gassing. Further scientific studies or empirical data would be needed to validate such a claim broadly. Conclusion While the idea that tires with over 10,000 miles don’t off-gas may align with practical observations, the actual off-gassing process can vary based on multiple factors. If you’re interested in Earthship building or sustainable construction using recycled tires, it’s advisable to consider a range of perspectives and consult environmental studies on tire off-gassing to understand any potential risks or best practices.

Awesome. I would definitely live in one.

Plenty of people in streets all over citys,,towns,,...give them all safe passage to these communities,....help them all out.now

Bro is a hippy to the end.

Love that mainstream media is FINALLY getting it! Let's actually SAVE the planet!

WOW!!!❤❤❤i want one❣️

What a great idea 💡💡💡 pay attention people we need to help mother earth she helps us 😊😊😊

news stories about this community since the 80's... glad your bathing up ABC news.

I could have built several homes from beer cans in my time! Floated a battleship or 2 as well!

I have to wonder if the reporter began to at least question her chosen lifestyle after experiencing this. We're never going to make the changes we need until a lot of us can let go of our traditional ways of living from the top down. The concentration of resources it takes to live our traditional materialistic and energy sucking lives isn't going to last forever.

Very impressive! I hope they start showing up all over.

Love this! Thanks ❤for sharing

Property in new mexico.small lot.so can build house.nice earth ship.keep up the work.dont let know one tell u different.god bless u all

I love this! Having said that...this will only be accessible to *everyone*, when it is _affordable_ for everyone. Land cost too much money. Solar panels cost too much money. Labor can be untenable for a large portion of people. It's the same story as what access to healthy organic food has proven to be...something that can only be afforded by relative few.

Pioneer ! Mike Reynolds helped break the ice for a lot of us here in New Mexico as far a forward thinking home design , unfortunately regulations and code is still far behind the curve , still a lot of what Mike and others like Scott Pitman cracked the ice .

This isn’t for everyone.

nicer then most modern houses

There is a documentary called Garbage Warrior about this. Absolutely inspiring!

Can you put a basement under one of these. Ive heard that only in the desert does this housing work.

Mike Reynolds rocks.

❤ amazing!

People like these are the ones who will survive what's coming.

if anyone is interested there are also homes you can build underground that lead up the service of the land and they are sooo cool there is a man in tx who has an underground home and he shows it off in an interview on RU-vid but these types of homes tiny homes Earthships underground homes houses on a buss these types of homes are always sooo cool

My school took us on a tour there as part of our experiential education curriculum.

There are so many regulations that prevent anyone even from even trying this in most states. It’s cool that it’s hit the mainstream media in this clip though. My state (which has very little rainfall) does not allow the use of gray water, and requires permits for rain water collection. Even small houses, that you could potentially build yourself, are not legal because of all the city/county/state building codes (that exist in nearly every area). New Mexico is probably the only place where they were able to try this. I would love to go see one someday.

The bureaucrats will never listen, it would put them out of the job...

Wow this is amazing!

Here's a fun question. Does the guy who invented that reside in one?

Earthship huh 🤔

Totally awesome!

At $400,000.00 what’s the point..

love it keep up the good work

I love the concept of this. How well does it work in the more northern and southern latitudes? I live in the Norfolk VA area. It has moderate rainfall year round. Could I live in this earthship design all year.

You could just ask the Amish. They have been doing it for decades.

Where in New Mexico? I live in Rio Rancho…I would love to visit this earth ships…

10,000 miles is a magic number

It seems that the emergence if videos on earthships is a result of RU-vid, not innovation, as these have been around for half a century. It is just as now “off grid” is such a catchy topic. We used to call it back to nature or self-sufficiency (which is a misnomer) and things like that.

Amazing

Good Night!ABC News!

Great story. Im ready to live.

Two words... Building Codes

I love the idea, and this is beautiful, but what are the people in Nevada supposed to do. Rainwater catchment is illegal there.

"...without fossil fuels..." He does know that fossil fuels are required to produce solar panels, right?

EARTH HERO

Can i just move there and build a mini earth ship

This series is like documenting the "Mad Max" train wreck that's coming while standing idle waiting for our popcorn in the microwave to be ready.

Nice

how do they get the water ?

The way to go 🎉😊

Centrifugal Force is not suspended on any grander scale. Science 🧪

Love it❤

With a little effort and a few extra dollars every new home being built today could easily cut its energy demand by 75%. In my town the nations largest builder has a 230 home project. There’s no consideration to take advantage of the suns free heating passively. Minimal effort is being done to stop air leakage, and ducts are being installed in the attic which wastes a tremendous amount of energy throughout the life of the building. The New Mexico climate is ideal for the earth ships but even in areas that aren’t ideal energy use could be reduced greatly, all that’s lacking is the will to do better. The nations largest builder is all about making money, if spending 20K more for each home would cut energy use in 1/2 they would only do it if they if they could sell the home for 40K more.

While I was never a fan of the wonky hand made walls and the hippy aesthetic in general the philosophy behind it makes more sense every year, if I had the oppertunity without restrictions I would build an earthship in a heart beat over any other, I would just apply a more clean mimimal aesthetic which Im sure would make the whole idea more accessible to people.

that's chard, not kale ;-) oh and keep in mind living there might bring a different reality then watching a video and idealizing/romanticizing a system like this. Yes, I indeed did live in that community for 3 years (2008-2011) and it is not all rainbows and unicorns.

We need alternative septic

$400,000, for two bedrooms, with how many acres? These have gotten quite expensive over time. I have been out to the site. It's unique to a degree. $400,000, is a bit much for two bedrooms. Do you take Monopoly money? It's sustainable. Only people with a fair amount of money can live such a "sustainable" existence. Great concept, but something tells me, it was still contrived under the same game. 🤔

They need to be fined for putting trash on the land and not in a zoned dump site

Where is this in NM?? Did I miss that?

Amish people are the real and original off- griders living in balance with nature producing sustainable healthy food and real community.

Since when is this news? These have been around for decades.

You don't buy an earthship, you build it! Also, you can buy items from the lumber yards and Homeland Depot etc., or with a little help from your friends you could go underground, cut into the sandstone, build a tree house and many things to express your energy and artistic tendancies. Two heads are better than one living completely off grid but that is the big problem. Few want to work or give any effort and want to be cared for.