VISIT projects in progress, TOUR finished homes, and LEARN new approaches from experienced builders and designers. Plus, an introduction to vegetable oil cars and biodiesel! ///
DVD CONTENTS ///
"EARTH WALLS: COB AND STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION IN WISCONSIN" - Natural builders in Madison and rural Wisconsin build a cob wall (made with clay, sand, and straw) and insulate a home with straw bales. Participants celebrate the fun of natural building and talk about how to change conventional construction so that similar projects can catch on in cities. Includes demonstrations of foundations, cob mixing and wall-building, and lime plastering.
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"LIVING SCUPLTURE: THE TAOS EARTHSHIPS" - Explore the functionality and artistic flair of homes called Earthships in New Mexico. Visits to completed and in-progress structures illustrate how tires, bottles, cans, and earth can create exceptional dwellings. Solar panels, passive solar heating, wind turbines, biodiesel, and rainwater collection also show life "off the grid."
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"REFLECTIONS ON NATURAL BUILDING: A CONVERSATION" - Includes discussion of choosing what kind of house to build, new ideas for walls, foundation and roofing options, utilizing insulation and thermal mass, embodied energy, permaculture, approaching a design, and building codes.
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"ONE YEAR LATER: TOUCHING UP THE COB WALL PLASTER"
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"THE HYBRID STRAW BALE HOME REVISITED"
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"PAY DIRT: HOW TO RUN A CAR ON VEGETABLE OIL" - Ryan DeWald explains the process of converting a diesel engine to run on vegetable oil, and takes us on a tour around town to collect waste vegetable oil from several restaurants.
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"TAOS PUEBLO ADOBE VILLAGE" - The Tewa Indians and their ancestors have lived in this adobe village for over 1000 years. This montage documents its beauty and functionality, living proof of the long-term practicality of earthen construction. ///
