A Portrait Of An Ecovillage

A group of people living within the same area and sharing common beliefs of sustainability is usually called an ecovillage. The focus of them is to offer a place where individuals and families can live with respect to the earth and others in the community. Usually small, with just a few hundred members, these communities benefit from sharing products and ideas with other villages.

The idea of these communities originally stemmed from the cultural changes of the 1960s, when individuals who were frustrated with social norms, governmental practices, and environmental degradation sought alternative ways of living. They believed that by living communally with others who felt the same they could improve their own health and happiness while protecting the planet. Twenty years later, this idea gained momentum and became more organized. Now ecological villages exist all over the globe.

Sustainable villages aim to use few natural resources and to use them scarcely. The countryside is usually the chosen local for construction of such communities because they allow the residents immediate access to resources, thus inspiring a connection with nature. It has also been said that this natural lifestyle can improve health.

Another focus of such communities is to become partially or completely self sufficient. This means that they produce everything they consume and do not need to rely on any outside source of electricity, water, clothing, housing, or food. Many villages use alternative sources of electricity such as solar energy, get their water from a natural source like a nearby river, and grow their own food.

Agriculture is different in each community because they deal with different soil and weather patterns. In places that experience intense winters, a lot of food that is grown in the summer months is saved and consumed when winter rolls around. Seasonal eating is usually the norm and most fresh produce is consumed in the hotter months and meat when it is cold. Communities trade goods with each other because of the difficulty that production presents.

Ecological villages aim to produce as little waste as possible. They often construct composting toilets that do not require water. A compost system for food scraps and other organic material is also used to produce fertilizer.

While every ecovillage is unique, most share the same ideas of living with respect to the earth and other people. As more sustainable technologies develop, ecovillages will continue to expand and evolve. Concerns continue to be expressed over various environmental problems, so we may be hearing more about ecological communities in the near future.

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