Low Cost Refrigeration

The Cool Box

How to Make a Pot in Pot Cooler

Much of the content here on our Earthbag Building Blog is based on reader input and reader interest. We’ve already responded to thousands of comments and suggestions. I got an email the other day asking for advice about low cost refrigeration for off grid homes. They said they have the earthbag housing part figured out. And they have a small solar panel for LED lighting and charging their cell phones and laptops. But they’re looking for alternative energy sources and methods for keeping food cool. I’ve already covered Cool Pantries that keep food cool without electricity in fairly good detail, so now I would like to list some interesting YouTube videos. There are many more videos on this and related topics. This list of some of the better videos will help get you started. Use the keywords below to search for more videos on each type: pot in pot, Peltier, etc.

A Fridge Run Without Electricity Creates Waves Amongst Villagers
Refrigeration Without Electricity
Solar Powered Evaporative Cooler
How to Make a Fridge Root Cellar
No Power Fridge
Zeer Pot Fridge
Emily Cummins
Adam Grosser: A New Vision for Refrigeration
Free Energy Fridge
Peltier Effect Fridge
Peltier Cooler Fun
Solar Fridge Test
Solar Hydrogen Home
Solar Chilling and Cooling
Solar Venti Earth Cooling Kit
Solar Evaporative Cooler
DIY Refrigeration System

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Big Ideas that are Changing the World

Would you like to take an active roll in helping the world become a better place? Many people get overwhelmed with all the problems facing humanity and sort of give up or tune things out. But many others jump in and do what they can to turn things around before it’s too late. The ideas below are just a few major ideas that are already having a positive impact in a big way.

Permaculture
Food forests/forest gardening
Water purification
Natural building
Smokeless, fuel efficient stoves
Solar ovens
Passive solar building design
Biochar
LENR
Geopolymer
Composting toilets
Vetiver for flood control
Bamboo building
Earth Building
Permaculture credit unions
Microfinance
State owned banks

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Out Buildings as Dwellings

This post continues the discussion about Counties with Few or No Building Codes, which has become our number one most popular blog post. Obviously this is something a lot of people want to know more about.

As mentioned before, one approach to building alternative housing is to buy rural property with an existing structure, septic, power and water supply already in place. To keep costs to a minimum, you could buy an old run-down farmhouse or trailer that’s technically livable, but undesirable by most potential buyers. I can only speak for the Western states, where I lived and traveled extensively. There are countless thousands of run-down buildings that fit this description. Many are inhabited, many are for sale. It shouldn’t be hard at all to find dozens to choose from if you’re willing to live in a remote area.

Okay, now you have a legal residence that’s below the radar, so to speak. Now you can start planning some ‘out buildings’ – accessory structures such as sheds, stables and chicken coops – that are not enforced by codes and do not draw attention to themselves in rural areas where literally everyone has tool sheds, chickens and other livestock. Some people choose to build small structures for dwelling. This may include one building or multiple small structures, each with a specific purpose – kitchen, bedroom, main living area and so on. While it’s not legal to live in out buildings, people do what they have to do to provide a roof over their heads. Proceed with caution and keep a low profile.

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Earthbag is Another Disruptive Technology

From Wiki: “A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that disrupts an existing market. The term is used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically by lowering price or designing for a different set of consumers.”

In some ways earthbag building can be considered a disruptive technology, because it offers a dirt cheap alternative housing solution that runs contrary to mass market solutions. The titans of industry (bankers, steel and concrete industries, etc.) are cut out of the loop when people build their own low cost homes for cash using simple building methods. This process essentially “starves the beast” that’s currently so many problems in our world. Earthbag is still a niche market, but it promises to join a long line of other disruptive technologies such as personal computers, desktop publishing, Internet, mobile telephones and so on.

Imagine a new world where mass numbers of people:
– pull their money out of banks in favor of Ithaca dollars, Bitcoin and other alternative currencies and/or turn to bartering on a large scale from local businesses
– start home-based businesses
– switch to solar, wind, microhydro and possibly Andrea Rossi’s Energy Catalyzer (let’s hope it really works)
– grow their own fresh, healthy food with heirloom seeds
– switch to alternative news sites on a massive scale
– homeschool their children
– start grassroot political movements to create positive change for average folks

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