Firstly people...enough crying about the lack of safety. They are not employees of an organization. They are not being forced to work unsafely...They make their own choices. Just like you may smoke, drink, eat fast food, skydive, etc. I've done union electrical work and sometimes shake my head at the idiocy of people, but who cares? Should the show insist they wear safety gear and follow OSHA requirements? Come on. If it was a How-to program, then I'd say yes - they should set an example. But this is just people doing it for themselves.
They usually DO usually mention the use of composting toilets when they don't build septic systems. They also mention rain-water capture systems if they don't drill a well. Obviously they touch on solar power and sources of heat (propane, geo-thermal, etc.). They even mention budget.
MY GRIPE is not mentioning how much the land cost (you often are introduced to people with common, middle class jobs buying 25, 50 acres or more. I'd imagine in the middle of nowhere you're not paying top dollar, but the cost would be interesting and informative to know. My REAL GRIPE is not discussing how the still-working people do their jobs when you're 50, 100 miles or more from the nearest town. Those miles are not highway miles, either - you're not getting anywhere quick. I've seen many mention they're builders by trade. How and where are you building when you're so far from anything? I've seen a nurse and a salesperson. Same question? Are these getaway homes or is it their primary residence, as you're led to believe. Because each subject always mentions something to the effect of "we decided to live off-grid" or "wake up and have coffee looking at the mountains". Um...when do you leave for work? Tell us the real-life logistics.... Do you go to Costco once a month and stock up on supplies? Very interesting show to me, but I really want some details on how they can do this if not retired.
