Responding to Catastrophe

The internet has been vibrating along with the earth since the great quake in Haiti, and I have received quite  a few emails responding to this catastrophe, often with suggestions about ways to assist the Haitians. I’ll quote from one particularly thoughtful response: “I would like for you and your colleagues together to present our … Read more

Grand Plans for Earthbag Building in Mexico

According to an article in the Spanish language newspaper El Heraldo of Chihuahua, Mexico on January 11, 2010, a Mexican affiliate of the CalEarth Institute has just started construction of a demonstration “Superadobe” structure. This will become the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center for the Municipality of Guachochi, Chihuahua,  the first  prototype in the state of Chihuahua. … Read more

Earthquake-resistant Earthbag Houses

It deeply saddens me to see one disaster after another occurring around the world, especially since much of the tragedy could be prevented by building earthquake-resistant earthbag houses. The recent earthquake in Haiti is but one more example of this. Theo (Father Marc Boisvert) runs a project for the poor in Haiti. Their earthbag Sun … Read more

How Long Will Earthbags Hold Up in Sunlight?

It’s difficult to know for sure how long earthbags will hold up in sunlight. Some brands fall apart pretty fast, as soon as a few weeks. Equatorial and high elevation areas may experience slightly more rapid deterioration due to increased UV levels. From my experience and what I have heard and read most bags hold … Read more

Call for Greater Earthbag Sharing/Testing

We can all learn a lot from each other, and so I’m encouraging everyone to send us their earthbag building experiences (favorable or unfavorable) so we can share the information with other readers. Earthbag builders are regularly experimenting with new ideas and techniques. If you have learned something interesting and think it can benefit others, … Read more