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Steven Sperazza
Brandon Costelloe-Keuhn
Environment and Politics
November 25, 2014
Film Annotation: Garbage Warrior
The 2007 film Garbage Warrior, directed by Oliver Hodge, follows the architect
Michael Reynolds as he attempts to construct sustainable housing from recycled and
renewable materials. The documentary uses the life and actions of Reynolds as a
vehicle for stressing a central argument of creative sustainability, and to highlight the
difficulty that many visionaries face in the form of resistance pushed by the government
and the status quo. The positive message at the end of the film, and the
environmentally stressed message given throughout the documentary in interviews with
Reynolds, implies that the global ecosystem is in danger, but it can still be saved if
something is done quickly. The movie’s intention is not to convince the viewer to begin
living on an “Earth Ship,” but to think, create, and most importantly support new ideas
and innovations that move the world towards a more sustainable future.
In regards to environmental and political problems, the bureaucratic difficulty
activists and ecological innovators face takes a central focus, but Garbage Warrior still
touches upon global warming, recycling, and energy production. A large portion of the
film is spent in a statehouse, where Reynolds is attempting to wade through
bureaucracy and red tape as he attempts to get clearance for the construction of his
“Earth Ship” style of housing that did not conform to Arizona State building standards.
The slow crawl of bureaucracy and government is put on trial in the film, as tension and
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frustration is built throughout the statehouse scenes. Other environmental elements
have undertones and sections throughout the film. Michael Reynolds and his workers
travel overseas after their license is revoked so that they could build houses for the
victims of a recent superstorm, of which global warming is cited as a reason for.
Recyclables and waste are often used in the Garbage Warrior’s architecture rather than
any form of conventional material, and each house and complex produces its own
energy in one way or another. Although a plethora of issues are directly and indirectly
addressed throughout the documentary, the main focus falls upon the inefficiency of
bureaucracy and an adherence to the status quo, as Michael Reynolds spends a
substantial part of the film explaining how and attempting to move through the state
lawmaking system.
I found the description and showcase of some of Michael Reynolds’s older work
to be the most interesting and compelling, due to the massive range, beauty, and scale
of many of the houses. Usually, the mention of an ecologically sustainable household
brings images of futuristic, and often incredibly expensive houses to mind. The houses
were most certainly unique, and arguably aesthetically pleasing, but could potentially
become streamlined and become more efficient, lowering the already moderate price
tag. Solar houses built of sustainable material are currently only for the very devoted
and the very wealthy; the potentially cheaper designs shown in Garbage Warrior
inspired me to think of the future of housing, and how some of the major ideas within the
film could one day become a global reality.
The least compelling section of the film was undoubtedly Michael Reynolds
complaining about the lawmaking process. Some of his direct gripes were worries about
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safety, zoning laws, and general government regulation. While several of his complaints
were justified in one way or another, a large portion of the bylaws and regulations he
condemned are there for good, logical reasons. Requiring connection to a grid and
water lines may be an inconvenience to the architect, but must be there for the
wellbeing of those who reside there. The structural stability and general safety of his
houses would have to be looked into and considered, especially in the unique scenario
of buildings constructed out of recycled garbage in many cases. Even if Reynolds’s
ideas were sound, efficient and successful, those laws need to be there to prevent
others with worse construction from selling houses, and to keep men like the Garbage
Warrior to a safe and realistic standard.
This film focuses almost entirely upon possible solutions to current environmental
and political problems. The different types of recommended corrective action to many
different issues are presented through the chronicles of Michael Reynolds’s trek to get
legal clearance for the construction of his sustainable “Earth Ship” housing. The Earth
Ships themselves are an answer to energy and waste issues, due to their ability to
produce their own electric power and their construction out of recycled materials that
otherwise would be likely thrown away. The film touches on a reformation of the
lawmaking system by showcasing the difficulty and frustration the architect goes
through, only to have his idea that’s sold to the audience as world changing and logical
eventually turned down. The success of the houses in aiding a destroyed village further
supports both these claims, due to the lack of regulation in the hurricane stricken
country and how the houses themselves were loved by the local people and architects
alike.
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Viewing the Garbage Warrior inspired me to look into the viability of sustainable
housing, and what Michael Reynolds, the architect who is the Garbage Warrior, has
done since the 2007 release of the film. Sustainable housing is currently facing lowered
regulation by governments, and is becoming more accepted as a viable option. The
government of the United Kingdom recently changed their laws to be more lenient with
sustainable innovation, and the United States created the Partnership for Sustainable
Communities through the EPA, to help build affordable and green communities in urban
centers. (“Sustainable Communities”) Michael Reynolds has continued with his
Earthship idea, and is currently doing well. His company, called Earthship Biotecture,
has gone global, is financially successful, and even offering internships. (“Earthship
Biotecture”) This documentary taught me how a future with sustainable housing options
is not only possible, but likely.
Works Cited

"Earthship Biotecture - Radically Sustainable Buildings." Earthship Biotecture. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.

"Sustainable Communities." Sustainable Communities. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov.
2014.