LITR 5439 Literary &
Historical Utopias
Research Posting 2009
Mallory Rogers
Research Posting #1
Twin Oaks: The Model Utopia and “Eco-village”
The idea of a utopia is for its members to live in an “experimental” world, separate from those communities in line with Western civilization. Everyone abides by the rules and works cooperatively and in conjunction with one another. Utopias though are separate and quite different than the urban cities in which today’s generation has become accustomed to encounter. Twin Oaks is one of these exceptions; it’s a model utopia that still practices its unique society to this day. Mass media, such as television and movies, set distinct characteristics for us to be able to close our eyes and imagine everyday run-of-the-mill cities. Busy subways, public transportation, sky-scrapers, and thousands of cars speeding down the freeway are probably rotating through your mind. These images are all characteristics we would use to describe a typical American city. Twin Oaks, though paints quite the different picture. While attaining a successful and self-sufficient community, Twin Oaks rejects this stereotype about what a city should looks like and tosses it aside (alongside with television and any relatable mass media) for what works for them. In an effort to be “earth friendly”, Twin Oaks caters to the most efficient and economical practices possible; thereby leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible.
According to their detailed webpage, www.twinoaks.org, Twin Oaks prides itself in what they call their “eco-village”. Their bylaws regarding this further this Earth friendly notion include: to maintain natural resources through ecologically sound production and assumption and self-reliance by producing community goods and services necessary to the group of people. In accordance with these bylaws, Twin Oaks shares 15 automobiles of which only one is used for communal errands each day. Bicycles are available instead, safer for the environment because they don’t use fuel or release harmful emissions. To save money on the fuel costs of transportation for production and acquisition of food, Twin Oaks produces and utilizes its home-grown vegetables, fruit, and beans, all of which are organic, to make up their diets. They even manufacture their own organic meat substitute—tofu—using locally grown soybeans. With these tasks, the manufacturing and processing of their own diet is highly beneficial to the society because it saves money as well as utilizes resources that are both healthy and earth friendly.
In addition to food, Twin Oaks manufactures hammocks and indexes books. This generates additional income to pay for amenities including coffee shops, internet, and books. Twin Oaks offers an array of hammocks for consumers to purchase. In a letter to Communities, Bill Onieda writes that many don’t realize that Twin Oaks manufactures a hammock made from 100 percent recycled fiber, mostly from used plastic soda bottles that can be purchased from their website: wwwtwinoakstore.com. While Twin Oaks works to keep the environment as clean as possible by producing their own food and manufacturing green hammocks, it also works to use renewable energy in multiple productive ways. Solar heating, thermal curtains & shutters, maximum natural lighting and wood siding, high performance windows, energy efficient appliances and heating devices, low-flow shower heads, and compact fluorescent bulbs are just a few methods to cut down on the utopia’s energy uses, per their website. In a piece for Culture-Change Raj Ghoshal sums up Twin Oaks manufacturing and production business status the best by stating that Twin Oaks “continuously striv[es] to use… unique resource-sharing social structure to [ensure] minimal environmental disruption.”
With all of this reducing, recycling, and re-using for their benefit, Twin Oaks seems to be the epitome of what a real “eco-village” should be. Not only does the society take the people’s health into account, it also puts a heavy focus on the overall Earth’s health as well. By producing and manufacturing their own food and products many benefit. By utilizing energy efficient measures such as solar power, they reduce their need and dependence on electricity, even more so with the use of compact fluorescent bulbs. While the idea of sharing a car may be repulsive to some today, Twin Oaks may be on to something; especially as we enter an era where global warming is becoming a greater issue. While Twin Oaks may have flaws, the members have managed to earn its place as a fierce contender as the perfect, model eco-village.
References:
2) Communities; Spring2004 Issue 122, p4-5, 2p
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=12812735&site=ehost-live>
3) Ghoshal, Raj. Twin Oaks Community: History of a Successful Commune. <http://www.culturechange.org/issue20/twinoakscommunity.htm>
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