Editor's note: We're happy to introduce the newest member of the Green Options blogging team, Eldad Granot. Eldad owns a sustainable marketing company in Raanana, Israel, and will cover sustainable business and development in his home country.

You, too, may find it rather intriguing to that the book of Genesis states that the origin of Man is the “dust of the ground” or “clay” (in other translations). Well, science has long shown that, chemically, human body is by far more “water” than “earth”. Nevertheless, there’s no arguing that a special, inherent relationship exists between us and the soil around us.

Ask any child in any sandbox. Ask any one of the near 3 billion mud-house dwellers scattered all over the globe. Imagine – in these modern days of hi-tech industrialized materials, engineered composites and computerized “smart homes”, an estimated 50% of the world’s population live in structures built, primarily and simply, of earth!

A while back I had the enlightening opportunity to –almost literally– stumble upon David Renov, the Israel-based environmental architect at one of our Northern Galilee beaches. Renov was enthusiastically demonstrating what mud (yes, mud) can do to young human’s soul. He had studied building Earthships in New Mexico, and in Israel is involved in the embryonic Green Building movement. The squealing pre-schoolers attending his seaside workshop were filthy and delighted. And I was hooked. I just had to get my hands dirty.

Since I wasn’t ready to build full-scale structures, Renov suggested I start learning by making small-scale mud structures: Mud Ovens.

Turns out that even for a small project there’s lots of technical knowledge to ingest, before one can build with mud. I began reading up on things like micrometer sized dirt particles, clay percentages in soil mixtures, flocculation and structural strengths and weaknesses. But the real learning began when I got my hands dirty! I learned how to make rock-solid dry stone bases, using natural stones with no shaping or cementing. Its amazing how stable structures can be, relaying on forces of gravity alone! I learned how to whip up the ideal clay (~25-30%) and sand (70-75%) and water recipe, mixed with bare feet – my own and those of the neighborhood kids. And I mastered the art of building up layers of damp earth to form the oven cavity. I practiced, making perfect, pregnancy-belly-shaped domes, smooth and sensuous. And after not to long, I was making simple, beautiful mud-n-stone ovens!

Environmental construction is gaining popularity all over the place. Authorities, organizations around the world are creating initiatives, promoting the use of sustainable materials and methods, formalizing standards and regulations. Small and large contractors are increasingly building environmentally friendly structures both for homes and for public uses. In Europe, a huge effort has been put into the “GreenBuilding Programme” (and http://www.eu-greenbuilding.org). In the USA, the EPA’s Green Buildings project provides a wealth of resources.

Meanwhile, if you want to get started today, use your bare hands (and feet): Get some local dirt and begin can having fun making a mud oven…and baking delicious and healthy bread in it!

There are lot's of places on the web where you can read more about making Mud Ovens. Here's a sampling:

Andy & Julia's Gallery :: Building a Cob Oven

City Farmer's Cob Oven

Greg's Earth Oven (also the source of the photo above)