[Cob] Re. Howard's Rant

[Damon Howell]

Howard,
	What a keen observation you've made about the press. Being the press  
has a lot of power, if they would print more articles on the  
alternative energy/building materials home front they may initiate  
more approval to those willing to research and develop more  
sustainable lifestyles. But as it stands, if someone says they're  
building a cob structure which they intend to live in, the building  
office just simply says "you can't live in that because it's not an  
approved building material." I've been told directly by the director  
of planning and development that if it's not in the code book, I  
can't legally build it. What's sad is research has been done, but  
must get suppressed by the press because... remember the earthquake  
test in Vancouver on a cob building recently? It did extremely well.  
The man doing the test said the chances of a quake of that magnitude  
hitting Vancouver was nearly none. SO WHY HASN'T THOSE TEST RESULTS  
RIPPLED THROUGH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENTS echoing the stability of  
cob? The test results must have been filed away never to be seen  
again. We cobbers want that "proof" in our hands but we can't get it!  
The fact that anyone who wants to build a cob home has to do it under  
the radar is absurd! The results are in, but they're scattered all  
over and need to be compiled and handed out. Unfortunately in this  
case, as of now, I am one of those people wanting someone else (those  
with the authority) to the leg work for me. I have articles and specs  
on other building materials similar to cob, but no cob because it  
can't be found. Yeah, sorry, now I'm ranting too! But it's for the  
best I think.

Damon