[Cob] building sustainably

[howard at earthandstraw.com]

I think that the method of extraction and quantities of those materials also must be factored in before one can say anything is sustainable.


Howard Switzer, Architect
668 Hurricane Creek Road
Linden, TN 37096
931-589-6513
www.earthandstraw.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Damon Howell 
  To: coblist at deatech.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 3:01 PM
  Subject: [Cob] building sustainably


  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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