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Write Ups
Below About, Earth Ball Abodes,
Greenhouses... Blogs, T.V., News Papers, Webs, U Tube etc,
by
Michelle Giguere
Staff Writer
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DOZENS
OF PAINTINGS, some dating back over 30 years, line the walls of artist
Roger Drowne's garage. They show influences from his three teachers, a
meticulous draftsman, an abstract artist and a colorist, as well as
Drowne's own personal beliefs about politics and the state of the world.
(Photo by Michelle Giguere) (click
for larger version)
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*
Granite
State News - 3 - 15 - 2007
Earth
Ball Abodes, Greenhouses
and
16 small support E.Bs.
4
Earth Citizens Around OUR Planet ( Now Has Gone Global )
TUFTONBORO — Imagine
a 14-foot sphere that floats, is transportable and serves as a home. Tuftonboro
resident Roger Drowne has models in his house, on his Web site and in his head
of these so-called Earth Balls, which he hopes will soon take hold of the world
and become the next form of affordable housing.
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ROGER
DROWNE of Tuftonboro displays one of his 15 political paintings he
created in 2001. He calls for an end to war, a change in government and
a unification of all Earth's citizens. (Photo by Michelle Giguere) (click
for larger version)
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Through
the Internet, Drowne, a long-time artist, is the coordinator of a group of Earth
Ball believers who have helped develop the concept. Drowne explained it as a
sphere, 14 feet in diameter and made of fiberglass. The top half of the sphere
could "open up like a flower" if it is nice outside, according to
Drowne. Screens can be attached or an insulating blanket could be used to keep
out the heat or cold, depending on the season. All the way around the inside of
the Earth Ball abode is a counter. Also inside are a foldout bed, a compost
toilet, a shower and other living necessities. Below the countertop would be
cabinets and storage space.
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A
DEFLATED CANVAS EARTH BALL sits in Roger Drowne's Tuftonboro house as
inspiration for his Earth Ball abode idea. The ball, which is six-feet
in diameter when inflated, was made by a man in California. Drowne's
Earth Ball abode concept, which he believes is the next form of
affordable housing, is a way he hopes to bring all of the Earth's
citizens together as one global community. (Photo by Michelle Giguere) (click
for larger version)
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"They
make the [Earth Ball] very, very strong," said Drowne, likening it to a
"superstructure."
Underneath the counter would be 16 smaller basic survival
balls. Drowne explained that one would be a fire-starter kit with tools like a
magnifying glass, a lighter, flint, etc.
"It's a fire-starter kit for if
you don't have anything," he said.
The largest of these 16 balls would be a solar power ball,
which would open up and have solar panels for energy power.
Another ball would be a water maker so that no matter where
a person is, s/he will always have access to fresh water.
On the outside of the Earth Ball there would be four
stabilizing legs with flotation devices at the ends to keep the abode upright on
the ground and water.
Drowne explained that one of the greatest parts of the Earth
Ball idea is its efficiency. The abode uses little energy, is easy to maintain
and produces minimal waste.
"These units do not
pollute," he said.
They are also better suited as affordable housing for
low-income and homeless people, according to Drowne, because stacked homes do
not work well. Building up is not the way to go, he said.
Drowne believes Earth Ball abodes could be mass-produced for
about $10,000 each in communities all over the world. Even if it costs $50,000
per Earth Ball, the long-term benefits would outweigh the costs, he added. He
envisions teenagers getting an Earth Ball when they are about 16 and living in
the yard of their parents' home. This way, the family can oversee the teenager's
transition to independence. Then, when that child goes off to college or work,
s/he can bring the Earth Ball along for housing.
"It would cut your tuition in
half," Drowne said. "The reason I'm doing this is for the kids, my
granddaughter, my daughter."
How it began
People often ask Drowne how he knows the Earth Ball idea
will work. He knows from personal experience, as he spent two years on a boat
that he built for about $6,000. He lived on the boat and traveled all the way
down to the Caribbean. This was the start of the Earth Ball concept.
Another aspect of his life that inspired the Earth Ball
stemmed from his high school days. Drowne grew up summering in Tuftonboro with
his family and worked at the Yum Yum Shop in Wolfeboro. He used to drive a
motorcycle and hotrod cars with his friends. Drowne, who called himself a
"wild child," explained that teenagers would turn the "hotrodders"
into homes where they would eat, sleep and practically live. However, being
cars, they were also transportable.
"So this is just a progression," he said of the
Earth Ball.
More than just a home
Besides the abode, Drowne has formulated a design for an
Earth Ball greenhouse, which was an idea from one of his online correspondents.
The greenhouse would be the same basic idea structure-wise; however, inside
would be designed for growing and producing food.
On the counter that wraps around the inside of the sphere, a
person could grow flowers, vegetables and herbs. Underneath the counter where
the temperature is lower, other types of food, like mushrooms, could grow.
A greenhouse attachment to an Earth Ball abode would create
a self-sustaining environment, according to Drowne.
All over the globe
While some may be skeptical, Drowne, for one, "can't
wait" to live in an Earth Ball. It will be like living outside, he said,
when the top is down, and the abode will take only 15 minutes to clean. There
will be "minimal pollution" to the environment, it will be easy to
heat or cool because of the small size and inexpensive to maintain.
Drowne wants communities, like Tuftonboro, to come together
and start creating more ideas for the Earth Ball. He would love to see retired
engineers, children, the elderly and the working class all combine ideas.
"Let's figure out how to build
these for the next generation," said Drowne.
He wants the U.S. government to start mass-producing the
Earth Balls and begin "Henry Fording them" to other countries.
However, everyone should be able to modify the Earth Ball so it suits different
lifestyles.
For other communities around the world, like war-torn
countries in Africa, he sees the Earth Ball as a salvation from poverty and
homelessness.
Since they can float, Earth Ball abodes would also be an
escape from floods. The sphere can be secured to a tree and will rise with the
water without floating away. A dock, Drowne explained, will be located at the
outside of the door so that a small dinghy with an outboard motor can be
attached for transportation.
In fact, Drowne hopes to be going to New Orleans soon to
work with officials on the Earth Ball idea. He and his fellow Earth Ball
creators are searching for engineers to help bring the concept to fruition.
For Drowne, the main idea of the Earth
Ball is to bring everyone together as "one global community" without
war, which is "obsolete" now, he emphasized.
"We are all human beings on this
Earth," he said.
To Drowne this idea seems so basic, he added, and he hopes
others will soon see it too.
"This is real, this is not pie in
the sky," he said. "It's time to change the world."
For more information visit the Web sites www.EarthBall.org
, www.OneGlobalCommunity.com
and www.RogerArt.com .
Michelle Giguere can be reached at
603- 569-3126 or mgiguere@salmonpress.com.
"
Roger, calls
for an end to all war, a change in governments,
and
a unification of all Earth's citizens. "
(
Photo by Michelle Giguere
Granite
State News - 3 - 15 - 2007 )
Click here back 2 www.EarthBall.org
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