Introduction

Hello, world! Welcome to my first ever blog post. I've started this blog to chronicle my progress while I build and live in an off-grid yurt. The yurt is a portable dwelling consisting of a circular wooden structure typically covered in felt. Here's a picture of a traditional Mongolian design:



My yurt will be made with more readily available materials(I don't have an entire flock of sheep on hand to make a yurt cover, for example), but I'll get into that later.

I hope, over the course of the next several years, to provide a viable alternative to the traditional Western idea of a home. One that is as comfortable and convenient as tradition dictates, yet places less strain on its surrounding environment, and is much less dependent on fossil fuels.

I believe that we as human beings possess the intelligence and ability to either destroy or preserve the earth we live on. I also believe that, as creatures with a limited life span, we cannot own the earth. Sure, we may stake our claim and hold it close, but the simple fact is that when we're long gone that piece of earth will still be there. We're all just stewards, when it comes down to it. And for my part, I think that it is our solemn responsibility to be good stewards.

Part of that is planning for those who will take over when we're gone. It is irresponsible and an example of bad stewardship to base an entire civilization upon a finite fuel source(fossil fuels). Whether we're running out now, or will in a couple hundred years, it does not matter. The simple fact is that we will run out, and when we do, we need to be prepared as a matter of necessity. I understand that the technology simply does not exist to fully transition today. Or tomorrow. Or in a decade. That's why(in part) I am doing this.

It is possible to live sustainably in today's culture without being wealthy. It is possible to greatly reduce your need on fossil fuels without being a hermit, or crazy. These are the things that I intend to demonstrate over the next few years. I hope that you, dear reader, will follow along and share in my triumphs(and failures) over the next several years.