Today, the trusty StumbleUpon button brought me to every Lord of the Rings lover’s dream: a modern-day Hobbit home from Earth Sheltered Technology. The company’s list of an Earth Sheltered building’s benefits scores some green points like potential heating and cooling cost savings of up to 80 percent (vague on price though).

But it’s the more, um, practical concerns that really sell it. Here are a couple of my favorites:

7. Long Lasting
Constructed of concrete, earth sheltered homes will last well over 100 years…

20. Earthquake Resistant
An earth sheltered home is structurally superior to conventional dwellings. As the earth moves, so does the earth sheltered home. Conventional homes crumble.

24. Protection From Nuclear Fallout
Earth and concrete are two of the most efficient radiation shields available to the general public.

Awesome! It’s the kind of thing I would have never have found without social media. And for that, I’m grateful.

Check out the rest of the list here or the gallery for some pretty impressive builds. If you’re more of a traditionalist, click on over to Simon Dale’s low-impact Hobbit house in Wales.

Image Credit: Earth Sheltered Technology