Woman Builds Earthship in Ohio
By Clare Warmke

It’s taken three summers of dirt slinging and heavy sweating in the humidity of her Philo, Ohio farm, but Candy Slaughter’s house of garbage is nearly complete. Constructed of 1,100 recycled automobile tires rammed with earth, and countless used soda cans or bottles, the 1,650 square foot Earthship is coming along exactly according to schedule. And Candy, as the first woman in Ohio to undertake such an endeavor, can now start to celebrate her handiwork; what was once just a trash heap is transforming into a beautiful home.

“I love the idea of reusing things,” Candy says, rubbing her muck-stained fingers on her colorful work shirt, and squinting in the summer sun. “It makes sense when there is only a limited supply of natural resources. Building homes and buildings out of already used materials give the planet new life.”

continue reading