apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I just returned from a trip to the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the British Isles recently - our tourguide in the Scottish Highlands showed us the little house that her Granny lived in which of course had no modern amenities. We also stopped by the windmill park of Kinderdyke in the Netherlands where we saw a traditional old windmill that folks lived in - both homes were very small, but appeared very cozy and comfy even without electricity and hot & cold running water. The woodstoves for cooking and heating were in the middle, so even in winter the little homes could stay reasonably warm.

That's the way my grandmother lived for many years. As you say, electricity and air conditioning are choices that aren't necessary for survival. There's also the option of harnessing wind power or using solar to reduce energy consumption.

SteamboatEcobroker

When I bought my current house, I became aware of a mortgage requirement I hadn't known of before: the house had to have a working heat system. Even though the 70s-era oil furnace had blown out, the late owners had been using a wood furnace hooked up to the vents, so our mortgage guy approved that, although he knew we were going to immediately replace it with a heat pump.

A lot of houses where I live have outdoor wood-fueled furnaces that were used for hot water and heat, although not many of them work any longer -- they've rusted out. I'd never seen them before moving to a rural area.

It's easy to not have air conditioning when you live in Ireland. I'm currently working in Arizona and believe me, it's not an option.

In France I have lots of friends who prefer using the fireplace instead of expensive electric heating (which is frequent here). My best friend even used to sleep in her living room convertible sofa during the winter, because the heat was nicer, and the smell too. In 2005 I slept in a very economical hostel in Southern Ireland, and the old fashioned cast iron stove heated everything!
Anyway traditionnal living like in remote counties of Ireland or elsewhere in the north may seem quaint to us, but it would be really hard to get used to it on a lengthy basis.
People like my grandmother were more than happy to discover modern living in the 50s, and I remember how she got mad whenever we spoke of old-fashioned stoves, old houses, and even old farm furniture : she really loathed all of that and felt that her children and grandchildren were almost regressing. It almost ashamed her that my mother bought used furniture. She always said that we thought it seemed nice because we never lived like this "for real". I guess its generational, but I completely understand her point of view.

People in San Antonio, Texas die every summer for lack of AC or electric fan. Not an option.

Living off the grid used to be called being poor. Growing up without running water often went along with ringworm, malnutrition and dying from ordinary childhood diseases.

What a sweet little cottage. But as much as I'd love to curl up for tea by the hearth, I don't think I'd want to live without indoor plumbing. Modern life brings with it many complications, but hot showers at the twist of the wrist and flushing toilets are not among them.

You should note that the author didn't say live without ac, electricity, or plumbing, but learn to integrate them into a more sustainable way of life.

I don't think anyone here is going to see this blurb and pick and move to a stone cottage in the middle of the country, but maybe we can look at some of the things that make that way of life simple, sustainable, and attractive and incorporate it into our regular everyday lives.

I'm with palmetto; while I really do see the merits of s less "gridded" lifestyle; My grandfathers farmhouse had well water and a wood stove to heat, I lean towards modern sanitary conveniences. I would suggest Angela's Ashes, or 'Nightingales', or even " The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera "
to remember why our grandparents welcomed "modern" things with open arms.

I was responding more to the Steamboat post, not the author. Sorry for the confusion.

Re: Texas, Arizona and A/C

Amazingly enough, people did live in Texas, Arizona and other temperate parts of the world throughout the summers long before electricity and air conditioning was ever invented - in many places they still do - and amazingly enough everyone didn't/doesn't die from the heat.

However the orientation of their windows capture breezes, wide roof overhangs offer abundant shade, courtyard fountains humidify the air and thick earthen walls keep the interiors cool unlike "modern" 20th/21st century dwellings that rely all too much on elaborate electrical and mechanical systems to make them habitable.

i spent 2 years in France in the early 60's. the village school i attended had ancient outhouses (with magazines i thought were for reading) and a water spigot within six feet of the banging doors. we were warned "don't drink the water", but kids will be kids...

a one room schoolhouse, with a potbelly stove to warm the sizeable classroom...too hot if you were next to it, and never warm if you were near the windows. only the teacher, our family and one other couple had a car...poverty is not romantic. it was culture shock and one of the greatest lessons of my life. ps. i managed to track down the teacher via (who spoke no english) after 40 years, and thank her.

go bepsf!

Older Texans talk of the days of "sleeping porches," but hardly ever with fondness. It's been in and around 100 for two weeks in Dallas, and yes, people lived here before AC and refrigeration, but they were miserably hot for months each year. I'll keep my A/C and fund some windfarms in West Texas, thankyouverymuch.

Go debtex!