http://malcolmwells.com    Page(s) The thing about Solar/ Earth Architecture is NOT simply that its a GOOD IDEA. ITS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH OF THE ENTIRE PLANET AND ALL ITS PEOPLE--WE HAVE ONLY A FEW DECADES LEFT. OUR AIM NEEDS TO BE--TO LEARN TO COEXIST WITH OUR WONDERFUL PLANET--SO IT CAN LAST FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS. Today--in 2025--many of us ALL have considered Solar/ Earth Architecture--and how it needs NO EXTERNAL INPUTS OF ENERGY--while sky scrapers could consume a WHOLE PLANET OF RESOURCES--WHILE ACCOMPLISHING NOTHING ELSE.   Many of us ALL have considered the possibility that we have built almost everything entirely wrong. When our World Trade Center Towers disappeared 11 sep 2001--did something direct our attention to the Brooklyn Bridge--a few blocks away--which--when it was completed in 1883--was the ONLY sky scraper. Designers, Architects and Fire Science Engineers / Fighters--said THEN--in the 1880's--don't build more than 3 stories high. A century later--350 NYC firefighters died on 9-11 trying to save LIVES--along with 2500 other people. These lives should have been saved more than a century ago--by architects, planners, bankers and politicians. Anyhow--the above (Right) post card is of an archeological site in Northern Scotland. Some Egyptians sailed there and built this SOLAR/ EARTH ARCHITECTURE LONG BEFORE THEY EVER BUILT THE BIGGEST (USELESS) PYRAMIDS.   When Readers' Digest mentioned how Frank Lloyd Wright never designed any sky scrapers-- Readers' Digest soon disappeared from the (mafia afilliated) supermarkets. Many of us have considered carefully dismantling ALL the useless sky scrapers--and carefully recycling ALL the materials into Solar/ Earth Architecture--no more blasting sky scrapers and crunching houses --WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO CAREFULLY DISMANTLE BUILDINGS AND HOUSES--AND USE ONLY RECYCLED BUILDING MATERIALS FROM NOW ON.			In the South--when we turn on the air conditioning--we are often burning MORE COAL. WE CAN'T BURN COAL--WE CAN'T BURN ALL THE FORESTS ON EARTH FOR FIREWOOD. OUR PLANET WILL--OVER THE NEXT FEW DECADES--BE OUT OF PETROL AND NATURAL GAS, URANIUM--Heaven forbid--we only have enough for one century at current rates of Demand.   The following are the main elements of Solar/ Earth: (1) Solar/ Earth is more than super- insulation--its tapping directly into the temperature of the Earth--below the frost line--where the temperature is a constant 50 to 60 degrees F. This gives us a very small heating OR cooling requirement. In the North--the South side of a structure is double-glazed glass-- minimal depth South to North--a lot of length East to West. (2) This is for direct Solar Input-- the Structure itself incorporating as much Thermal Mass as possible--to absorb the rays and store the Heat--or in the South--the glass side faces North--and you're storing the Cool. For Cooling--a draft can be created with Solar Chimneys which pull in air thru underground tubes. (3) While many have built Solar/ Earth which includes a massive reinforced concrete super- structure overhead--this is an unnecessary expense--the overhead part can simply be super- insulated. (4) We often don't need to pipe water in from far away--or tap into the groundwater-- causing a great ecological disturbance to IT. We can store water in huge tanks from roof runoff. Then we can heat it with Solar Hot Water systems--and finally--we can recycle water several times.   The thing about Solar/ Earth Architecture is not about building something that simply LOOKS impressive--its a by-product of being the best Stewards--not Passengers of the Planet we can be. Looking good is desirable and possible--but its secondary.   Maybe the fools who planned and designed all these sky scrapers--can volunteer to help dis- mantle and recycle them. Maybe we can build partnerships between BUSINESS and LABOR-- where--if the workers / organized labor will invent ways which are infinitely GREENER--AS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THEIR JOBS--the business people will reverse  price the hyper- inflated Mortgages, Rents, Tuitions, Utilities and Groceries by 3-4-5 decades--making it necessary that they learn to WORK for a living--of course many (not ALL) of them WORK already.