Comments on: The Economic Potential of Local Building Materials http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:35:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adoke ISMAILA I. http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67615 Adoke ISMAILA I. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:11:41 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67615 Iam one of those that believe in the sustainability of housing development. This should be through the of total local content and earth as material offers unquantifiable potentials. Presently, Iam into the use of Compressed Earth Bricks. Thank you for being there to look up as an inspirator. Iam one of those that believe in the sustainability of housing development. This should be through the of total local content and earth as material offers unquantifiable potentials. Presently, Iam into the use of Compressed Earth Bricks. Thank you for being there to look up as an inspirator.

]]> By: Weekly (weekly) « Southend-on-Sea in Transition http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67162 Weekly (weekly) « Southend-on-Sea in Transition Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:38:09 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67162 [...] The Economic Potential of Local Building Materials » Transition Culture [...] [...] The Economic Potential of Local Building Materials » Transition Culture [...]

]]> By: Andrew MacDonald http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67093 Andrew MacDonald Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:14:46 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67093 Nice site, Charles. You guys are blooming! Nice site, Charles. You guys are blooming!

]]> By: Charles Fourier http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67063 Charles Fourier Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:14:37 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67063 Susan, I appreciate your comments and agree with you wholeheartedly. We do need to "wake" the silent 800 pound gorilla in each community and reconnect with the skill sets that have existed prior to and in present day use. A tap in to social capital through local re-skilling initiatives would be a great place to start. We are beginning this process in our community; especially with respect to local food production and distribution. Susan,
I appreciate your comments and agree with you wholeheartedly. We do need to “wake” the silent 800 pound gorilla in each community and reconnect with the skill sets that have existed prior to and in present day use.

A tap in to social capital through local re-skilling initiatives would be a great place to start. We are beginning this process in our community; especially with respect to local food production and distribution.

]]> By: Harriet Stewart-Jones http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67056 Harriet Stewart-Jones Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:49:29 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67056 Good to realise that among our local resources in Poole (Dorset) we have supplies of something useful - clay. From Roman times to the present day the clay has been used for pottery, pipes and bricks - and could be again. Indeed, I've been told that one of the reasons the nineteenth-century houses round here have cavity walls instead of the more usual solid construction is because there was a plentiful supply of local bricks. Good to realise that among our local resources in Poole (Dorset) we have supplies of something useful – clay. From Roman times to the present day the clay has been used for pottery, pipes and bricks – and could be again. Indeed, I’ve been told that one of the reasons the nineteenth-century houses round here have cavity walls instead of the more usual solid construction is because there was a plentiful supply of local bricks.

]]> By: Susan Butler http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67037 Susan Butler Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:31:42 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67037 Rob's point about the potential for locally sourced material in the retrofitting of existing buildings is well taken, since, as I understand it, Transition envisions a steady-state economy in which new construction would not be a "growth" industry. Rather the upkeep, improvement and replacement of existing housing stock would be what the construction trades would be involved with. So that no new factories, such as those described in the Prince's Foundation paper, would be required, with their need to supply 12,000 new homes per year in order to provide 150 local factory jobs. This idea is nicely green in many ways. However, it's still based on the same continuous growth model which is so clearly unsustainable and fast becoming obsolete. A better way to envision a really sustainable building sector would be based on local, natural materials, yes, but instead of relying on new factories, it would be based on a tradition of local knowledge and skills in the harvesting and use of local materials, just like thatching, stone-dressing, clay-based cobb and brick-work was done before the industrial revolution, with of course more attention paid to insulative properties, siting to harvest microclimate effects, including solar gain, --factors not taken into account in the old days. In the steady-state economic paradigm it is social capital --the knowledge, experience and skill resident in a living community --which is critical, rather than financial capital or hard assets like a factory, generally owned by interests separate from the communities they serve. Rob’s point about the potential for locally sourced material in the retrofitting of existing buildings is well taken, since, as I understand it, Transition envisions a steady-state economy in which new construction would not be a “growth” industry. Rather the upkeep, improvement and replacement of existing housing stock would be what the construction trades would be involved with. So that no new factories, such as those described in the Prince’s Foundation paper, would be required, with their need to supply 12,000 new homes per year in order to provide 150 local factory jobs. This idea is nicely green in many ways. However, it’s still based on the same continuous growth model which is so clearly unsustainable and fast becoming obsolete. A better way to envision a really sustainable building sector would be based on local, natural materials, yes, but instead of relying on new factories, it would be based on a tradition of local knowledge and skills in the harvesting and use of local materials, just like thatching, stone-dressing, clay-based cobb and brick-work was done before the industrial revolution, with of course more attention paid to insulative properties, siting to harvest microclimate effects, including solar gain, –factors not taken into account in the old days.
In the steady-state economic paradigm it is social capital –the knowledge, experience and skill resident in a living community –which is critical, rather than financial capital or hard assets like a factory, generally owned by interests separate from the communities they serve.

]]> By: Flash Optin Personal Use | thedelightfulmerchant.com http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67030 Flash Optin Personal Use | thedelightfulmerchant.com Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:41:51 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67030 [...] The Economic Potential of Local Building Materials » Transition … [...] [...] The Economic Potential of Local Building Materials » Transition … [...]

]]> By: Andrew MacDonald http://transitionculture.org/2010/03/15/the-economic-potential-of-local-building-materials/comment-page-1/#comment-67029 Andrew MacDonald Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:51:17 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/?p=3388#comment-67029 Local materials, YES! What a difference that will make. Like every issue, this one "localizes / localises" uniquely. Here in rural Canada where I live, we have wood . . . and more wood; a unique problem and opportunity. The Ottawa Valley where I live was the source of vast quantities of straight and tall White Pine used in the masts of the British navy. The early settlers, most of them from the British Isles or France, cut down trees and shipped them off for cash as fast they could. Ever since we've cut down the trees for export, largely to an international market. Commercial logging is to forest management very much what agribusiness is to small local farming. Now we have smaller trees that are cut as soon as they become marketable . . . growing in profusion so that none of them has the space or time to come to maturity. (Like raising 10 puppies in a box, with none of them having the space they need.) Incredibly, much of our wood isn't turned into fine wood products here, but is shipped away. Our revolution could involve vast re-employment with people thinning the forest to allow full vigor in the trees, selective cutting, and sale of the products direct to consumers (like farmer's markets). In the process sensitive and nature-loving young people will have a life lived close to the forest and a chance to revitalize their communities in a harmonious way. Trees grow much slower than food so the turnaround is slow. Local materials, YES! What a difference that will make.

Like every issue, this one “localizes / localises” uniquely. Here in rural Canada where I live, we have wood . . . and more wood; a unique problem and opportunity.

The Ottawa Valley where I live was the source of vast quantities of straight and tall White Pine used in the masts of the British navy. The early settlers, most of them from the British Isles or France, cut down trees and shipped them off for cash as fast they could. Ever since we’ve cut down the trees for export, largely to an international market.

Commercial logging is to forest management very much what agribusiness is to small local farming.

Now we have smaller trees that are cut as soon as they become marketable . . . growing in profusion so that none of them has the space or time to come to maturity. (Like raising 10 puppies in a box, with none of them having the space they need.)

Incredibly, much of our wood isn’t turned into fine wood products here, but is shipped away. Our revolution could involve vast re-employment with people thinning the forest to allow full vigor in the trees, selective cutting, and sale of the products direct to consumers (like farmer’s markets). In the process sensitive and nature-loving young people will have a life lived close to the forest and a chance to revitalize their communities in a harmonious way.

Trees grow much slower than food so the turnaround is slow.

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