[Cob] building sustainably

[pop.mat.org.za]

I agree.I have built my house using materials harvested from within 5km 
from my house almost no manufacturing process, except in piping and 
cables. I use a compost toilet and am not connected to the grid generate 
all my own energy needs through solar and wind. My house is small but 
warm in winter and cool in summer and the best thing I ever did in my 
life. I also planned it to suit my life style. We have also used as much 
recyclled material as possible. Hooray for cob building it is the most 
wonderful experience.
Jill


Damon Howell wrote:
>     The word sustainable means using a resource so that the resource 
> is not depleted or permanently damaged. By definition all building 
> techniques are sustainable because it is unlikely we would ever use 
> all of any particular resource. There's always new trees, steel, sand, 
> and rock being made, but turning those raw materials into a bedroom 
> requires hard work and is usually very wasteful. It makes sense to use 
> a round log. Is it actually easier to use a square board when you 
> factor in how much effort it takes to make it square? Build smaller, 
> longer-lasting buildings from locally harvested materials with as few 
> tools as possible so they have less embodied energy, that's the 
> answer. If the economy doesn't turn around people may do just that 
> instead of building 3,000 sqft. gaud (they're not homes). Really, 
> who's to stop them when there are so many people doing it?
>
>
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