原文: Earth Homes

In an era where going “green” is of expanding interest and necessity, society is embracing more methods of preserving the earth. One of these ways is through green building, a method of construction that uses energy-conserving techniques. These structures can consist of components, such as solar panels, for the conservation of electricity and heat, or they may be earth homes, also known as underground or earth-sheltered homes.

Earth homes are typically built with steel and concrete, and covered with earth on the top, back, and sides. This type of construction is an enormous electricity saver, and in fact, many require no heat or air conditioning, since the earth maintains a nearly unwavering temperature in the home year round. An added benefit is that earth homes are virtually disaster proof in tornadoes, hurricanes, and even structural fires.

A popular misconception is that earth homes are dark inside, due to the reduced number of windows; however, structures that face the southern direction tend to allow more sunlight in, making the interior nearly as bright as a traditionally built home's interior, especially if the windows are larger in size.

Another fear is that these homes are leaky or damp inside, but this, also, is not the case. The structures are heavily waterproofed, many times with bituthene, a rubberized type of waterproofing, which expands with water, fully protecting the structure's interior from dampness.

Though some earth homes are built with flat roofs, many are dome shaped and can even be two story homes. They are environmentally friendly, insect free, virtually maintenance free, and they have up to 90% less pollutants and allergens inside than a traditional home. Many are constructed in such a traditional manner that they are difficult to distinguish as an earth home, and the cost of construction is usually about the same as a traditional home.

Though building permits are easily obtained, financing can sometimes be tricky, as appraisers in some areas are still unfamiliar with earth homes. Additionally, some insurance companies remain cautious; however, those who do provide coverage on the structures say that the energy-efficiency and safety aspects of earth homes are a money saver when it comes to insurance.

Companies like Formworks Building, Davis Caves, and Earth Sheltered Technology, Inc. are providers of earth home construction systems and detail the home types and process, complete with photos, on their websites.

译文: 地球家园

      在追求“绿色”逐渐变得有趣且必要的年代，社会不断地采取更多的方式去保护地球。各种方式的其中之一就是通过建造绿色环保建筑，那是一种运用节能技术的建筑方法。这些建筑物含有比如用来保存电和热的太阳能电池板那样的组成部分，或者他们也可能是地球房屋，也被称为地下房屋或者掩土房屋。
      地球房屋典型的由钢筋和混凝土建造而成，而且它们的顶部、背部和四周会根据地球而转变。这种类型的建筑是一个强大的节能者。事实上，自从地球一年四季保持了一个几近恒温的室内温度后，很多人不再需要热气和空调。地球房屋在龙卷风、飓风，甚至是毁灭性的火灾里最终验证了它的抗灾能力，这也成为了有一个优势。
      一个很普遍的误解就是地球房屋因为没有很多窗户，所以室内是黑暗的。然而，面朝南的建筑能让更多的阳光进入室内，尤其如果窗户的尺寸比较大的话，地球房屋的内部会同传统房屋的室内一样明亮。
      另一个担心是这些房屋的室内会漏水或者潮湿，但事实上也并非如此。这些建筑有很强的防水性，通常是由防水的橡胶材料制成，遇水膨胀，能够很好得保护建筑物内部以防潮湿。
      虽然一些地球房屋是平屋顶，很多是圆屋顶形，甚至是两层房屋，但他们环保、无虫害，几乎免维修，而且较传统房屋而言，地球房屋室内减少了高达90%的污染物和过敏。一些房屋用传统的方式建造以至于作为地球房屋，它们很难被区分，而且从造价来看，也常常与传统房屋不相上下。
      尽管建筑许可很容易获得，但融资有时就会很棘手，部分地区的一些评估人员对地球房屋仍很陌生。此外，一些保险公司持谨慎态度；然而，那些在建筑物上考虑覆盖率的人说当谈到保险的时候，地球房屋的能源高效和安全方面是一个金钱程序。
      诸如Formworks大厦，Davis Caves和地球庇护科技公司这样的公司提供地球房屋建筑系统，并在他们的网站上详细地提供了房屋类型以及建造中和完成后的照片。