This is a quote from Earthship: Vol III:

“Imagine hundreds of people in a certain area building their own earth friendly homes out of pocket. If these people all end up with an independent home that grows food year round with no mortgage payment of utility bill, they are going to experience a richer existence because much stress has been removed from their lives… Absence of survival stress would result in more time.”

In Tijuana’s Colonias people are already building homes out of pocket. They attempt to hold the hills up and prevent erosion with tire retaining walls, and build homes out of garage doors, tin, etc. on top. What if we build INTO the hill, funneling the water around the structure and into cisterns. The tires are already there.

“A typical development requires not only a land purchase but thousands and thousands of dollars up front to install sewer lines, power lines and water lines. This is called an infrastructure. Since an Earthship makes its own power and water and deals with its own sewage, an Earthsip community requires no infrastructure. This immediately lowers the physical cost and stress to both humans and planet of “planting” a community. We encourage people to build their own Earthships.”

In the Colonias, there is no infrastructure. This is why people go to the bathroom on the ground (it eventually makes it’s way to the US side of the border) there are massive erosion problems, and no running water. Check out this video. “Ayi, no hay nada.” Again, the tires are already there.

A final quote from the Earthship book:

“the actual physical development of a community of Earthships that needs no infrastructure could happen ‘by the people.”

This is what 4Walls is all about! Empowerment of the people.

1) Tires, everywhere.

2) People build homes out of pocket with no ligitimate claim to the land

3) Poverty

It’s all right there, in our backyard. And we can fix it.

from 4walls International