Natural Solar Architecture My wife picked up a book for me at a garage sale the other day called "Natural Solar Architecture: a passive primer" by David Wright. The book is a very neat book, with a hand written font and lots of funky drawings on every page. Mr Wright seems to write from the "mother earth" perspective, so there is some chaff to sift through, but not much. I have been looking through the book tonight, and if my agrarian brothers are not already familiar with this book, I would highly recommend it. It is not a "how-to" book, but rather a "principles-of" book. I may just be a little slow, but some of the things he is pointing out are really enlightening. I think this is a great resource for those who are seeking a sustainable life. For me, it's not that important to be "off the grid" in the next few years. But I want to be able to pass on land to my children, (not to mention skills), that is capable of being run independently and efficiently. I don't want to leave them tied to antiquated ways of doing things. That's kind of a funny sentence, but I do believe that man's "progressive" ways will prove to be out-dated and not well thought out as we move back towards a responsible stewardship. Reminds me of this writing by Doug Wilson.

Here's a portion of the introduction to the book:

Prior to the fossil fuel age and the Industrial Revolution, people depended on fire, animals, sun, wind, water and themselves to get work done...and things got done. With the development of petroleum fuels, steam engines, electricity and the like, people used these means to do work for them...much, much more work got done and no end was in sight for these relatively cheap tools. Fossil fuels, originally derived from the sun's energy, were used to heat homes, run automobiles, light cigarettes and even produce suntans! People forgot about the things that they could do and nature could do for them. They concentrated on isolating themselves from nature's forces, allowing the machines and fuels to do as much as possible...many things were forgotten.

And another quote:

The key to long-range survival is to minimize impact by balancing all things in the web of life, while maximizing the potential of the natural elements. We need not go to the extreme of clear cutting a forest for material or fuels; neither is it necessary to treat forests, fields and stream as inviolate. A happy balance is to use just enough to encourage proper regeneration. We should farm carefully, letting nature provide irrigation, fertilization, and insect control. Man's heavy-handed dominance seldom works in the long run.

I have always been a bit weary about solar energy, because it seems so complex and expensive. I am looking forward to finishing this book, and hopefully having a better grasp of being more responsible with the energy and resources that God has given me.

Here's another thought I have been thinking about all week. So simple, yet it has such a great impact on everything you do: cancel the trash service (thanks Wrights). I am simply amazed that Americans exert so much energy and materials to produce packaging that is used for such a brief period and then thrown out. I have been keeping a stash (hidden from my wife at this time) of just such packaging, things that are just too good to be thrown away.

Hmm....some more food for thought! Have a productive Saturday and a restful and joyous Sabbath! 

¶ 11/04/2005 09:25:00 PM