Garbage+Warrior+-+JPH

**Director:** Oliver Hodge **Year:** 2007 **What is the central argument or narrative of the film?** This film examines the work of architect Michael Reynolds and his mission to develop completely sustainable, off-the-grid housing. He sees the failure of cities and the current state of western society and has developed a sustainable alternative that can take people away from the sustainability problems of current society and build a lifestyle that gives back to the earth rather then takes away from it. This film takes you through Mike’s process of trial and error and his run in’s with the authorities and politicians as he tried to get legislation passed that would allow the experiments in building design. It follows the story of how Mike learned to control the forces of nature to develop better methods of building and how he had to fight the established building hierarchy to promote his policies. **What sustainability problems does the film draw out?** //Old Laws// Most laws do not evolve to meet the changing needs of the environment and of people. The laws that were established to provide electricity, running water, and sewage treatment from a central location all had the good intention of ensuring equal opportunity for all Americans, but we are approaching a time where not all Americans need to be connected to such supplies and our laws are making it impossible to try alternative styles of living and building. //Unwillingness to Change// Most of the resistance to the construction of the Earthships came from regulators and politicians unwillingness to change. Buildings in America may be deemed some of the safest in the world but they are terribly inefficient and poorly designed for longevity. There is a need to change, but the leaders of our society are too slow to enact meaning change in the necessary timeframe to slow global warming or climate change. //Perceptions of Problems// It is true that someone can always benefit from disaster. New Mexico experienced a boom in revenue to due to their exports of oil after Hurricane Katrina therefore when Mike went to introduce his bill for a second time he was warned not to talk about oil or global warming because at that time it was fueling the growth of the New Mexico economy. The global problems that we all face are superseded by temporary, local booms to our lifestyles and the economy. **What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why?** I was most persuaded by the argument that it is possible to live a happy healthy lifestyle not connected to the grid. Many people see sustainability and sustainable living as a less fulfilling lifestyle with a lower standard of living. This documentary showed me that you can be happier by trying different methods of living and building a tighter sense of community. The earthships faced tremendous climate troubles including large temperature fluctuations and little annual rainfall and yet the people still appeared to be living comfortably. It was also very interesting to see how the poor in other countries responded to the earthship design and how they embraced them for their practicality, simplicity, and cost effectiveness while in America it took several years to get the proper approvals to event conduct experimental building design. **What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why?** The part of the film that I was not convinced by was that these types of practices could really save the world. Would it be possible to house the earth’s population in such a manner? I think that there should have been some practical ways to use these practices in the average everyday home that are already built. To an extent I agree with the regulators in that there needed to be some safety protocol enacted in the buildings to prevent injury or death. I also agreed with the construction of roads to the homes for social concerns. Although Mike’s compound is benign there are many fundamentalist organizations in the south west that should be monitored by officials for public safety and wellbeing concerns. We need regulation to keep the public safe and there needs to be certain constraints over designs and how new designs are tested albeit I do agree that many of the current regulations and building practices need to evolve to meet the needs of building practices and allow for experimentation in building designs. **What audiences does the film best address? Why?** This film best addresses audiences that are curious about really “out-there” ideas on how to save the world. They don’t have to want to live an alternative lifestyle like those in the earthships, but seeing that it is possible to live happily and comfortably in such a way can act as an inspiration to views to make small changes in their life styles to improve their quality of life and their impact on the environment. **What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value?** It would have been good to see data that compared the energy usage, daily expenditure, and greenhouse gas emissions of a family living in an earthship compared to a family living in a conventional urban or suburban home. This would help to connect people back to their lifestyles and begin looking for ways to reduce their negative environmental impact. **What kinds of actions and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective.** The greatest point of intervention suggested by the film is to try new things and new ideas. Experiment with what you think might hold promise. You will always learn from your mistakes and you may stumble upon a great idea that can change the world. If you are seeking to make change through legislative action then it is imperative that you make a friend with someone on the inside who knows the system inside and out. There is certain type of people person that is required to smooze with politicians and those are the people who can help to get support for your bill and get it passed into law. On a smaller level it would be smart to look into ways of enacting some positive feedback systems into your personal lifestyle. The best practice would be rainwater collection for water plants. This is a simple and cheap way to save water and money. **What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out?** I looked up different methods of rainwater collection that could easily be implemented in a home setting and I found a do-it-yourself wiki that guided you through the process of collecting your own rainwater. [] I also stumbled upon a propane run refrigerator that does not require electricity or the use of refrigerant liquid. It would be interesting to know the difference in energy usage between this fridge and a conventional one. []
 * Film:** Garbage Warrior