Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
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Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#2> The cabins are handmade by Treesign, a local builder of tiny homes. Each house had to be hauled into position by a truck along several miles of dirt roads.
This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#3> The cabins are handmade by Treesign, a local builder of tiny homes. Each house had to be hauled into position by a truck along several miles of dirt roads. This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product.
> This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product.
I agree, this article is a mis-characterization of what 'off-grid' should mean: not only do these sorts of cabins have all modern utilities, they're also constantly serviced by the owners, who themselves need to drive around to each of them, probably destroying any 'ecological' benefit they might otherwise have.
In nordic countries cabins similar to this have existed for centuries - the only change here is that they've become a commodity for middle-class city-dwellers.
Also by placing them in the middle of forests instead of (mostly) near the edges or alongside some water, these cabins simply give affluent vacationers the chance to experience the illusion of 'returning to nature' or living in some idealized 'primitive' state, at the cost of someone else needing to (literally) clear up their shit afterwards, and also transport water and other essentials deep into the woods, which would otherwise be free of traffic and disturbance to the animals and flora that have been there for millennia.
As for the suggestion in the article that they could extend the season through the winter with some sort of battery top-up (because of the lack of natural light), anyone who has experienced trying to get to a place out in the countryside (and even near to a road, let alone in the middle of a forest), after a meter of wet snow has fallen would never even dream of suggesting this as a vacation option.
Not only would the experience turn into one of raw survival (which might even be doubtful if the heating failed), but living in an isolated spot with barely 3 or 4 hours daylight each day would be stretching most people's endurance.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#4> The cabins are handmade by Treesign, a local builder of tiny homes. Each house had to be hauled into position by a truck along several miles of dirt roads. This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product.
We’ve had these for decades, and they’re called trailers. But slap some shingles on it and call it sustainable, and you can charge middle class people $200 a night for the privilege of it.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#5Interesting what "off the grid" means today.
- full internet access - a pletora of internet capable devices
Not exactly my definition.
Plus, spending 600€ + 125€ a month for internet isn't exactly something everyone can afford.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#6> The cabins are handmade by Treesign, a local builder of tiny homes. Each house had to be hauled into position by a truck along several miles of dirt roads. This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product.
> This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product. I agree, this article is a mis-characterization of what 'off-grid' should mean: not only do these sorts of cabins have all modern utilities, they're also constantly serviced by the owners, who themselves need to drive around to each of them, probably destroying any 'ecological' benefit they might otherwise have. In nordic countries cabins similar to this h…
The ultimate sustainable living is a commie-block in a reasonable small, walkable city with a good public transport and services mixed with residential areas. If you do that - it doesn't matter what the source of heating, energy etc. is, and what kind of a car (if any) you drive. Even if it's all coal and fossil-fuel powered - you are order of magnitude more sustainable than people living in suburbs with solar panels, heat pumps and Teslas simply because you waste so much less energy on building and transporting stuff to make living there possible.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#7Interesting what "off the grid" means today. - full internet access - a pletora of internet capable devices Not exactly my definition. Plus, spending 600€ + 125€ a month for internet isn't exactly something everyone can afford.
I don't agree, I'd say Kris Harbour lives "off grid" and he has an internet connection.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#8Interesting what "off the grid" means today. - full internet access - a pletora of internet capable devices Not exactly my definition. Plus, spending 600€ + 125€ a month for internet isn't exactly something everyone can afford.
Off grid simply means no grid connection. These days that indeed can mean very few compromises with respect to modern comforts like working internet, hot showers, heating, electricity, etc.
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
> This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product. I agree, this article is a mis-characterization of what 'off-grid' should mean: not only do these sorts of cabins have all modern utilities, they're also constantly serviced by the owners, who themselves need to drive around to each of them, probably destroying any 'ecological' benefit they might otherwise have. In nordic countries cabins similar to this h…
The ultimate sustainable living is a commie-block in a reasonable small, walkable city with a good public transport and services mixed with residential areas. If you do that - it doesn't matter what the source of heating, energy etc. is, and what kind of a car (if any) you drive. Even if it's all coal and fossil-fuel powered - you are order of magnitude more sustainable than people living in suburbs with solar panels…
No doubt it's greener, but not by an order of magnitude. Looking at the car: A large part of emissions are produced during manufacturing, especially for electrical cars. Driving less helps, but not an order of magnitude. Same with heating. A heat pump just needs (generally speaking around) 1/3 of the energy, so you really need a large size differential to get to an order of magnitude.
People living in a large city also have better access to an airport, which generally leads to more flights and more emissions (in total still less, but not great).
Re: Lessons learned after living in an off-grid rental
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
> This isn't sustainable living, it's a niche luxury product. I agree, this article is a mis-characterization of what 'off-grid' should mean: not only do these sorts of cabins have all modern utilities, they're also constantly serviced by the owners, who themselves need to drive around to each of them, probably destroying any 'ecological' benefit they might otherwise have. In nordic countries cabins similar to this h…
The ultimate sustainable living is a commie-block in a reasonable small, walkable city with a good public transport and services mixed with residential areas. If you do that - it doesn't matter what the source of heating, energy etc. is, and what kind of a car (if any) you drive. Even if it's all coal and fossil-fuel powered - you are order of magnitude more sustainable than people living in suburbs with solar panels…
I guess you watch Adam Something, this line is something he repeats a lot and I agree with most of it but as someone who grew up in maisonette block housing (like this https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/44549465930/in/faves-c...), it is not nearly as nice as living in your own house (even a terraced house).
You are at the mercy of your neighbours, shit neighbours, shit time.
It's not a bad thing to make compromises. Yes flats are more energy efficient than detached houses, it's also a less pleasant experience unless you get lucky.
living in a miserable shithole (which is what commie block housing was for me) isn't the future I want