Cob: Slideshow tour

[Robert Bolman]

 Hi Everybody,
I must really like giving slideshows.  I'll be taking my acclaimed
talk and slide presentation entitled, "Natural Building & Social Justice" on
the most ambitious tour yet.  In February and March I plan on going
throughout the northwest, through California, Arizona, New Mexico & Texas,
then up into a few of the midwestern states.
I'm looking for contacts that would be interested in setting up
presentations in their communities or through their organizations.  Please
forward the contact information for any environmental groups or individuals
that might be interested.  I can present to an auditorium or a living room.
I'm particularly interested in contacts in Bend, Medford & Ashland, Oregon,
Redding, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Bakersfield, Fresno & Los Angeles,
California and anywere in the southwest and midwest.
I am comfortable sharing my presentation with groups ranging from 20 people
up to large crowds. I bring my own projectors with zoom lenses to
accommodate a variety of room sizes and situations. I'll provide a screen
unless a screen or a white wall is already available in the room.
The money thing:  I obviously like doing this presentation.  But I also
think that it's a worthy presentation that we would all like to be seen by
as many people as possible.  As "vacation-like" as these tours may be for
me, if I'm going to do them as ambitiously as I'd like, I've got to make a
nice little bit of money per slideshow.  Without going into detail about my
finances (you don't want to hear it), what I'm telling people is
that I would like to take in about $100 per slideshow.  More would be fine.
The following paragraph is from a thank you letter sent to me by Youth for
Environmental Sanity (YES):
"Your slide show was fantastic! It was unanimously voted the best guest
presentation at our 2 Week Sustainable Living Skills Retreat July 20-August
2, 1997. It was fast-paced, witty, hilarious, educational, and powerful. To
get across so much information, and yet have it be so entertaining is a rare
gift in a presenter. A gift that you have in abundance."
My slide presentation takes about 80 minutes. I use two projectors placing
images on side by side screens thereby enabling me to compare and juxtapose
images and ideas. This also enables me to "leapfrog" through about 300
slides (hopefully) without putting people to sleep.
I begin by poking fun at the oversized, overpriced, environmentally clueless
houses that have become so common in recent years. I waste no time in
revealing my political agenda. I point out that while every effort is made
to see to it that those that can afford an expensive house have a variety to
chose from, those that are less fortunate (or less functional) are allowed
to sleep on the streets of this very wealthy country (the United States).
I then point to an alternative. I show many examples of Natural Building.
Most notably, I focus on the highly innovative straw bale and earth
structure I'm presently building in Eugene, Oregon.
>From straw bale to cob & adobe to the earthship concept, I try to show a
broad overview including passive solar design, solar hot water, PV, gray
water, catch water and permaculture. I also explore the rich historical
precedent for this type of building with a few examples of Natural Building
from around the world.
I then begin talking with hard numbers about the poor distribution of the
world's wealth. While 90 % of my presentation focuses on Natural Building,
it is at this point that it begins to sound like a political tirade as I
suggest that U.S. foreign policy has served to perpetuate this poor
distribution of resources.
I then talk about a shanty town that I explored in Mexico. I suggest that
from an environmental point of view, it would be better for us to live
closer to their lifestyle than for them to somehow achieve our lifestyle.
I'm suggesting
voluntary simplicity.
I close by talking about human consciousness and the need to learn to see
the world a little more clearly. I end with photos of trees and children to
serve as a reminder of why we must do the best we can to save the world for
future generations.
A somewhat crude video of my presentation is available for those serious
about setting up an event.
Please check out my web site: www.efn.org/~robtb/
Any help would be very much appreciated,
Robert Bolman
541-344-7196 robtb at efn.org
888 Almaden St, Eugene OR 97402