Building An Ecologically Sensible Home

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Peak Moment 103: Wanting to live a "reasonable, comfortable life" in tune with nature, Ann and Gord Baird are building a near "net zero energy" home on Vancouver Island. Their plans: the first load bearing, seismically engineered, two story, insulated, cob residence in North America. Solar PV panels for electricity with grid tie. (Wind power will come later.) Passive solar design with solar thermal for hydronic heating and domestic hot water. Composting toilets to enrich the earth for gardens along with grey water recovery for orchard irrigation. Rainwater catchment from a living roof tops off this sustainable, affordable, natural home for their three-generation family of six. Follow their progress at www.eco-sense.ca.

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Channel: Howto & Style
Uploaded: March 30, 2008 at 12:09 am
Author: peakmoment

Length: 00:27:38
Rating: 4.90
Views: 7286

Tags: sustainability simple living humanure off grid cob natural building

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Video Comments:
odin422 (November 10, 2008 at 2:43 am)
This is a great talk, living with the rythums of nature allows me to truly dream.
11KmPerSec (November 2, 2008 at 5:30 am)
Self reliance is a profound concept, and I have to disagree with the previous poster. People are voluntarily learning about what is truly best for them, including food, energy, and health. Monopolies are dented a little more every day in this country, only due to what freedom is left to people like the Bairds.

This is the opposite of govt. force. It is intelligence. It's about self-reliance and that is the last thing the govt wants. Keep them away from this. Many thanks to the Bairds.
dabigez357 (September 14, 2008 at 2:32 pm)
it's very simple...make your goverments make laws requiring all homes and businesses to use and change how we build and use energy, the things we buy must be renewable! we already have most if not all available technicologys to make this transition! we can start now with a ten yr. goal that all are require to do so under the law, and it would happen easily! aswell as bring people together for a good cause, insuring "our" survival on this little blue planet...if not we won't be here soon!
21stCenturyPolitix (September 14, 2008 at 7:09 am)
This is a fantastic lifestyle.

Great video. ;)
flatestcat (September 8, 2008 at 7:23 am)
Terrific video. I mean it. I especially liked the PLASTIC petrolium based chairs you sat on in the interview. Very ecological. :)
21stCenturyPolitix (September 14, 2008 at 7:08 am)
You totally miss the point, friend.
NoirMusic (July 28, 2008 at 2:52 pm)
The whole building is a mud room....a beautiful one...:D
papermason (May 27, 2008 at 1:50 pm)
Your house looks like a beautiful piece of pottery! Is that the scaffolding, that pile of strawbales and the board? We have beautiful properties available here in central Ontario, I want to buy some acreage and build a cob house. We have a lot of exposed granite, would that be good to build on? How did you manage building codes? Is this more expensive than traditional construction? Is this the same as rammed earth or strawbale construction? Wonderful video, thank you for posting this!
desertblbuesman (May 9, 2008 at 1:50 am)
The cob builders handbook
The omnivore's dilemma
cavemanboborj (April 28, 2008 at 11:31 pm)
Working on the design of a net Zero for my parents over here.... It's a daunting task, especially here in cold Edmonton. But it can be done. And to think that everyone here is complaining about huge natural gas bills, when it isn't strictly necessary.

I commend your effort!