#66 - Sustainable Expansion in Human Habitation
As the human population grows so too will the demands on resources of the community in which it lives, whether that is food or simply housing. So too as natural disasters grow more dangerous the cost of recovering is one that needs to be addressed. Either homes need to be more resilient to the fires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters that an area may be prone to, or else different space will need to be used for habitation. How can humanity become a type two civilization on the Kardashev scale if we cannot even manage a type one? Two options to reduce waste, improve resilience, and even produce resources in a balanced fashion while expanding potential human habitat are seasteading and earthships.
The human population of the planet has been estimated to continue at 1.1% from the present 8.1 billion by the World Population Clock [1]. It also notes the countries with the largest population. The 7 countries which have more than 200 million citizens are Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, the USA, India, and China. As populations increase, so too do the demands on resources, whether that be food, housing, or energy – especially as the society develops economically. This is multiplied when the desire for keeping up with the Jones mentality drives ever increasing home size. In the United States, the square footage has increased by 20% while household size has reduced by 25% since 1990 [2].
Some cultures manage their development and population growth in such a way to be more sustainable. Some ways this can be managed are with food or energy generation. There is some disagreement between the CIA and Our World in Data as to which countries use the most energy per capita. The CIA claims that the 8 countries with more than 300 million btu per person are Saudi Arabia, Canada, Kuwait, Brunei, the UAE, Bahrain, Singapore, and Qatar [3]. The 7 countries that Our World in Data notes as having more than 100 thousand kwh per capita are Norway, Kuwait, Trinidad and Tobago, the UAE, Singapore, Iceland, and Qatar. One can note the parallels with the oil producing nations [4]. Using nuclear, solar, and wind power can be a great way to reduce energy demands. Solar could even be married with the rooftop of preexisting structures. Often Earthships would do so, and Seasteads could generate either hydrogen power on site or use off shore wind farms with less demands on cables to transfer the energy all the way to the shore.
However, the primary drivers of increased energy usage seem to be motorization and urban sprawl [5]. Urban communities as a whole seem to consume approximately 50% more energy than rural communities, which could go along with any of many reasons. For example, a rural farm is more likely to be self-sufficient, producing some food at home, which reduces motorization costs. There also may be less reliance on technology for entertainment, and there are more opportunities to produce energy on site.
Science News reports that hurricanes are not getting more frequent or more violent, even though they may be dropping more water, increasing the danger for flooding [6]. Our World in Data also demonstrates the same generally level pattern for intensity and frequency of fires [7]. In fact, the square footage for fire destruction has been going down by 25% over the last 18 years. Still, there are areas where these dangers are more common. Relying on wood for housing in a fire prone area is a recipe for disaster. Earthships are built with more fire resistant materials and are dug into the ground for increased stability in high winds.
Some people are less interested in hydrogen power, as they think that the water would have to be carefully desalinated prior to splitting the molecule. This isn't the case, as now scientists have found a way to use nickel foam and to charge the anode appropriately to support energy generation [8]. In fact, it is best to use salt water, which would work very well for expansion into the oceans for habitation. Further, with use of seaweed and fish farming in combination (very similar to aquaponics) one can sustainable feed the population as it exponentially increases [9].
Through effective use of natural convection ventilation – the process whereby windows are opened and closed at various heights to assist in temperature regulation – they reduce the need for heating and air conditioning [10]. As a result of grey water management – the use of slightly dirty water from dishwashing or other light use for toilets or other unsanitary use – earthships and seasteads reduce their energy use [11]. Through generating energy with their construction – whether by solar, wind, or hydrogen – they counter act the minimal energy they generate. This could reduce the strain on the environment in such a way to support the growing population, as could wider options for homes and careful planning with their construction.
--SG
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