I was really drawn in by Keith Thompson’s compelling story in yesterday’s blog post and thought maybe some readers would like to learn more about the Gila Wilderness where Keith lives. This is a huge area in southwest New Mexico covering 2,710,659 acres (1,100,000 ha) of public land, making it the sixth largest National Forest in the continental United States. Part of the area, the Gila Wilderness, was established in 1924 as the first designated wilderness by the U.S. federal government.
off grid
Keith Thompson: Totally Off the Grid
You might want to visit the original source at YouTube (fun way to blow an hour) and check out some of the comments. Skeeter (Keith Thompson) has become somewhat of an Internet sensation and so I couldn’t resist posting a few sample comments out of hundreds:
– “We are used to a high level of material comfort in our lives. I want that, I just don’t want to pay for it for the rest of my life.”
Spot on.
V3 Solar Cells
“Human subtlety…will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous.” Leonardo da Vinci
Remote Rural Land
Many of our readers long for building a home on their own land, but the high cost of land often makes the dream impossible. One option is to seek out remote rural land. This is not workable for everybody, that’s for sure. The conditions can be harsh, and I’m not going to give anyone the impression that this route will be easy. I’m just saying its one option to look into if you’re serious about going off-grid. There are remote places in NM, for instance, (and other western states) where land is very inexpensive. You might be able to buy a small lot for $2,000-$5,000.
University of Maryland WaterShed
“Instead of focusing only on energy efficiency at this year’s Solar Decathlon, the University of Maryland is also tackling water conservancy with their entry, WaterShed. WaterShed was inspired by the ecosystem of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. WaterShed is an example of how natural water resources can be maintained and protected by homes and buildings, and the house features technology to manage and harvest stormwater, filter and recycle greywater, and minimizing water use in general. In addition, the house also has PV and solar thermal arrays for sustainable energy production.
New Ethanol Process Boosts Recoverable Energy By 2000%
I’m always on the lookout for promising forms of renewable energy. This breakthrough looks encouraging.