Any comments on global models and how we have arrived?

[Bob VonMoss]

Obviously there were give and takes to arrive at the global model. I'm
trying to build in Mongolia (hopefully next spring/summer), and we
don't need to show anybody any plans or anything, not to mention
following code (a pocket of freedom 3 times the size of France), so a
lot of the reasons for having universal plans don't apply here. I'm a
cyclist and cyclists tend to be very independent thinkers. Even a very
narrow subculture of cycling like winter cyclists ("icebikers"), is
very diverse. There are people who ride off-road with 4" wide tires on
MTBs. Other people like me ride a road bike possibly with studded
tires in winter. Another guy uses $5 thrift store bikes. One guy rides
through the woods in Alaska on pleasure rides. Other people commute in
downtown Minneapolis. Mike Curiak rode the Iditabike. They all have
different needs, budgets and desires. I was amazed at the creativity
and renewed thinking, which developed earthships. When I saw the push
that everyone should be living in the exact same model, it was frankly
weird. Then according to vol. 1, MR's earthship in 1990 dollars cost
$32k, while the global model could cost $320k.

I think Earthship people are in some ways like cyclists, often with
their own preferences and needs and budgets. I can see that maybe MR
may have lost patience with peoples' own demands and idiosyncrasies. I
saw that some hardcore cyclists couldn't fix a flat tire. Others do
their own wheel truing. Likewise different earthship sailors bring
their different skill sets and knowledge to earthship. Some have
artistic talent and patience, etc..

I'm willing to draw up my own in Google SketchUp, even if it takes a
while. We need the maximum amount of thermal mass, so in my opinion
it's hard to beat multiple U's. I browsed all the videos and books,
and couldn't find why they abandoned multiple U's for the 1st
greenhouse frame wall started with the packaged earthship. "We've
evolved out of that." Why? Are the sidewalls likely to collapse? I saw
in Garbage Warrior that MR had a big beam up to the viga. Are the U
sidewalls unstable? The Phoenix has multiple U's.

Also, I want a thermal mass refrigerator. THAT WILL BE GREAT HERE.
We'll just open it up in October and close it around early April,
although the beer cans would explode. Also, I would rather do the
solar toilet on the front face and not deal with a septic system. Even
with multiple U's, I'm just going to make the joist flush with the
main roof. The cistern situation with the north facing roof will work
for me, though admittedly some snow will evaporate.

What else? The thermal wrap with insulation is a great idea. Also, I'm
not doing the whole botanical cell thing. It makes the whole thing too
expensive IMO. Right now open planters will do fine with overflow
pipes. I could go on. Also, I want to maximize greenhouse space. In
all the global models I've seen, the plants just look like house
plants, not something you might grow vegetables in.

Keep spreading the virus.