[Cob] RE: Sustainability

[Mary Lou McFarland]

I hadn't checked my e-mail for several days  and was surprised at the course 
of events on the sustainability issue.  No matter how we feel about a topic, 
I think it is important that we remember there is a human being on the other 
end of that posting.  Everybody has bad days or haven't been exposed to 
another side of an issue, but that is no cause for blasting them.  This 
should be a safe place to set forth ideas, projects and ponderings....no 
egos allowed.  If it were such a place than I think we would have a much 
more lively interaction than we do.  So, with that in mind, here's my 
thought for the day...  Things haven't improved much around here and I have 
given up hope on ever making it to any cob workshops as they are usually on 
the coasts or Mayne island.   I also think that in the current political 
climate, survival skills are of the utmost importance, especially 
considering that at last count there were over 11,000 dead in New Orleans.  
In the event of a tragedy, I know it will be up to me to take care of 
myself.  I am one of the dregs of society and no one is going to save me.  
With that in mind, I try to suck up as much knowledge as I possibly can.  It 
doesn't matter if it is cob, cordwood or strawbale, etc. because I will have 
to use what means are at hand.  I also think that it is important for other 
people to have this knowledge, even if they don't use it.  for this 
information to be widespread, we will have to get away from the seminar as 
the principal method of hands on training.  What I would like to see happen 
is for everyone who knows how to build cob to go 50-100 miles from home and 
teach a few people how to build and then those few students go 50-100 miles 
from their home and each one of them teach a few people and on and on until 
we have networked the country with people who have this rudimentary  
survival skill.  And it isn't enough that we know how to build.  It should 
be common knowledge how to save seed, grow food and preserve it as well as 
some animal husbandry and how to distill water.  I took a business workshop 
once and one of the big themes was that in order to survive as a business, 
then you must plan for failure as well as success.  I apply it to every 
facet of my life and it has saved me more than once.
There it is , I'm done. and anyone who wants to tear me apart may do so.