[GSBN] TLS Content

[Joyce Coppinger]

Hello all,

One of the things I have been hearing for quite some time is the need for
more information and sharing of thoughts on the issues and concerns of
professionals. I am trying to feature more articles and content that will be
of interest and benefit to the growing number of professionals working on
projects that incorporate or are primarily using strawbale and natural
building methods and materials. I'd like to start including a column or
section of the journal that talks about various issues and concerns as well
as ways to help professionals in developing, planning, designing and
building successful projects, and thereby successful businesses.

One area I am trying to find people to write articles about is how green
building is or may be impacting strawbale and natural building and vice
versa. 

I've been reading quite a few articles lately commenting on the rising
concerns about how the complexity of buildings because of new standards
may/will increase building failures (lack of knowledge, lack of experience,
etc.). Or how today's standards will become the "minimum standard of care",
increasing the "risk profile" of many projects and possibly triggering some
exclusion clauses in current insurance policies. Or the impact of mandates
eliminating the option of constructing anything less that green building
standards.

Also concerns that codes and building mandates rarely taking into
consideration the unique requirements of differing regions around the
country (e.g., hot and humid, very cold, very rainy climates).

There seems also to be growing concern about liability related to use of new
"green" products and materials as there is no track record as yet for these.

Any comments, content suggestions, offers of articles or columns?


Joyce
--------------- 
Joyce Coppinger
Managing Editor/Publisher
The Last Straw, the international journal
of strawbale and natural building
PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706
Phone 402.483.5135
<thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org>
web site: www.thelaststraw.org
and our new blog at http://thelaststrawblog.org