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"We swim and play in the pond for hours... Much to the discontent of some of the neighbours!,â said Malia Becker, 13, in between laughs. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Ecovillage at Ithaca, located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, is an intentional community of 160 people striving for greater sustainability and a higher quality of life. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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All the streets are pedestrian. “This village is developed for people instead of for their cars,” Liz Walker, one of the co-founder, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Bikes are the main means of transportation in the ecovillage. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Carts that belong to the community can be used to carry heavy weights. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“This is what the village was supposed to look like. 90% of housing and 10% of land. The “American dream”...,” Walker told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“...And this is what we’ve made of it. 10% of housing and 90% of land,” she added. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Houses are passive solar: they use as much solar heat as possible thanks to big south-facing windows. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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A big common house hosts meetings, parties and community meals. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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The biweekly community meal is taking place today, and the cooking team is getting prepared to feed about 60 people. Every resident is expected to put two hours of work in the community every week. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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All the vegetables used for the community meal are organic and come from the nearby farm. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“If you had a house, you would have to do that (the chores) anyway, so why not do it for the broader community and make friends at the same time?,” Ashley Click, new resident, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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The community meal brings together residents of all ages. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“In my first two weeks of living here I’ve made more friends than in my entire life,” Malia Becker, 13, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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The pond allows the ecovillage’s residents to swim in the summer and skate in the winter. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“Here, the hard part with kids is about finding them!,” Steve Gaarder, one of the founding residents, told IPS, laughing. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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A 50kw solar panel is also providing thirty homes with 66% of their energy needs. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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The common house’s roof is also equipped with solar panels. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Instead of each owning a washing machine, the residents share them in the common house. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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The meters are measuring the use of hot water for each house. “Here, someone is probably washing their dishes,” Walker said while looking at the numbers. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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The brand new smart-meters allow residents to see their electrical use. “I can see that our computer is on,” Walker noted. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“And there are all these berries that you can pick and eat to your heart’s content!,” Ana Malina Ramanjuan, 13, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“We’re very excited to become a part of this community,” Ashley Click and Mark Walsh, parents and new residents, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“My favourite thing about living here is the beauty of everything,” Ana Malina Ramanjuan, 13, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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"Our houses don't look that different, but we share a lot of amenities as a community. This is only a few steps beyond a typical way of living and yet it's so much more satisfying," Walker told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Every Tuesday, 250 families come to West Haven Farm – located on the ecovillage’s land -, to pick vegetables and flowers as part of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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Each week has a different harvest depending on different factors. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“We have to figure out how to make ecovillages more available for the masses, their time has come,” Margot Schoeps, who is purchasing a housing unit in EVI’s third neighbourhood, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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“We are on ecovillage land and a lot of our customers are from here,” Aviv Hilbig-Bokaer, who works on the farm, told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS
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"With some persistence we can change the way weâre currently developing housing to a much more satisfying way of life. It would be healthier for people and for the planet," Walker told IPS. Credit: Coralie Tripier /IPS