[GSBN] The EU wants 5% strawbuildings by 2020 says the Economist..

Sat Dec 21 04:10:31 UTC 2013

Carol,

Ok, I'm corrected, straw is important as a soil nutrient. Straw is
unquestionably treated as a waste product in large-scale mechanized
agribusiness, and is a by-product of that industry, whether or not that's a
Good Thing. (Perhaps sustainable forestry, in which trees are grown to be
used for construction, is a better alternative to using a valuable
agricultural product, and we shouldn't have dreams of large-scale use of
straw as a building material).

An enormous amount of rice is grown in California, exported into the
international market.  There is easily enough straw produced to build every
new house in the state. The problem with rice straw is that it does not
break down in a single season without plowing under *twice* because of it's
high silica content (it grows in standing water). In the past the straw has
been burned, as it is in many places around the world, but this is a
problem for human habitation.

About 25 years ago, the California Air Quality Control Board put a ban on
straw burning, and the farmers had to look for other ways to deal with
their abundant straw. One was to flood the fields to hasten the breakdown,
but the salmon fishermen and Indian tribes had a problem with that, because
abundant water flow is vital to spawning in the rivers and streams. Bale
builders had an idea, and the original straw bale code in California was
pushed through by an alliance of fishermen, rice farmers and builders, who
normally only ever meet underwater, during abalone season.

There have been difficulties, however. Burning also controlled weeds and
insects, and the varieties grown were not sufficiently resistant to the new
conditions, so the bans on burning were loosened.  From the farmer's point
of view, the straw is an expensive problem to deal with, and they are
politically very powerful. Our friend, client and rice farmer, Greg
Massa<http://massaorganics.com> has
been growing organic rice and has learned that some crop rotation or cover
crops are essential for weed control, but this is new territory--rice
farming around the world is a monoculture. He doesn't see his straw as
waste. He is growing on a small scale, and experimenting with techniques
that other farmers could use, but his rice is expensive because of those
techniques. Meanwhile the large-scale farmers burn it, to the detriment of
humans, flood the fields, to the detriment of the fish and fishermen, or we
can put it into buildings in place of fiberglass, wood, concrete, steel and
a variety of toxic and polluting materials.  We don't use anything close to
even what would be available from a three-year rotation of straw, so I do
think it's legitimate to consider the straw that we use as a "highest and
best use".

I hope I'm not being cranky, like my alter-ego Upside-down John, on the
underside of the globe, but I think it's important to really understand the
web of interdependence we live in. Natural building sometimes makes strange
bedfellows!

John

On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 5:01 PM, <carolatkn at aol.com> wrote:

> Sorry John, but straw is ABSOLUTELY NOT a waste product - its greatest
> value is as a soil improver - I can't stress how important that is - even
> if many "modern" farmers don't seem to agree these days. Farm soils have
> lost so much organic matter over the last 50 years that it is very a scary
> situation indeed. Of course, locking up carbon in a super insulated straw
> wall is the second best thing - and it would be sustainable to use straw
> for this wonderful purpose every third year or so - in an ideal world!
>
> best wishes
> Carol Atkinson
> www.strawcottage.co.uk
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: John Swearingen <jswearingen at skillful-means.com>
> To: Global Straw Building Network <GSBN at sustainablesources.com>
> Sent: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 19:50
> Subject: Re: [GSBN] The EU wants 5% strawbuildings by 2020 says the
> Economist..
>
>  Jacob's points about supporting local and sustainable business are well
> taken, but these are choices that we can make, with our pocketbooks, in
> order to bring about better communities.
>
> That said,  I think the bottom line is that straw is a* waste product*.
> Unlike wood, it's not grown for construction, and it has limited use--for
> erosion control (composting) or to spread over muddy paddocks for
> livestock.  Extra straw, and there is a lot, would likely be burned.
>
>  Following the very sound sustainability principle of "highest and best
> use", *any* use of bales for construction involves taking garbage and
> putting it to good use and that's worthy of support. When you consider that
> bales sequester carbon, that's an extra benefit.
>
>  John (Trash Talk) Swearingen
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 6:37 PM, Jacob Deva Racusin <
> buildnatural at googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>>  Valentina,
>>
>> I appreciate your perspective.  This is a conversation that has come up a
>> number of times in our courses and conversations with our colleagues -
>> namely, the roll of agribusiness in providing feedstock for our
>> construction.  I think 'greenwashing' may be a bit strong, when I compare
>> to the claims of the concrete and foam industries as being 'green'.  That
>> said, the impacts must be considered, and the benefits of using straw in
>> regards to deep ecological and social impact should not be overstated if
>> the source of straw is not being considered.  We have access to straw that
>> is grown from medium- and small-scale farms, which come closer to the
>> higher potential of working with this material.  It is very analogous to
>> working with wood -the same framing member can come from a local sawyer
>> practicing sustainable silviculture, or from a genetically-engineered
>> clear-cut plantation pine shipped across the world.
>>
>> From data I've seen, even industrial straw is a fraction of the embodied
>> carbon of other common forms of insulation, so context is relevant when
>> evaluating materials for deep impact. You make an especially good point
>> about the danger of introducing this material to industrial scale, and
>> losing more of the benefits/exacerbating the liabilities in favor of
>> snapping the technology into the mold of industrial housing/building
>> development.  We would do well as a community not to lose sight of the
>> importance of scale, and as you mention the relevance of the social
>> benefits of working with straw.  At the same time, access to a much larger
>> market and making the technology available to many more people is an
>> arguable net gain, even if there is a sacrifice for environmental and
>> social impact in production - again, compared to the alternatives.  I think
>> there is room for both, and as long as we continue to engage in the debate,
>> I have confidence that we'll continue to move the ball further down the
>> field.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Jacob
>>
>> --
>> Jacob Deva Racusin
>> Co-Owner
>> New Frameworks Natural Design/Build
>>
>> Author, The Natural Building Companion
>> Chelsea Green Press, 2012
>>
>> (802) 782-7783
>> jacob at newframeworks.com
>> http://www.newframeworks.com
>>
>>
>> On 12/18/13, 12:43 PM, valentina maini wrote:
>>
>> Martin, John, Caroline, and all
>> as Herbert Gruber recently suggested on Leonardo group,  this article
>> maybe very well connected with the EU funded
>> ( eco-innovation) investigation on @Modcell ....based in the UK and with
>> BathUniversity support
>>
>>  I personally got in touch with the founder of this panels in 2011 and
>> met with professionals here in spain that are collaborating in this EU
>> funded program of analysis and implementation of this "patent" strawbale
>> panels....i've seen fantastic software and marketing tools they were
>> presenting at Eco event in London 2011
>>
>>  From my point of view and with very recent experiences on professional
>> development of strawbale in Spain i think and see this article as a call
>> for action to present the real value of strawbale and strawbale
>> network..that goes, in my view, very much beyond the "simple" energy
>> efficiency issue...
>> and i very important reminder for all that straw is not at all a really
>> safe for the environment product...since is a byproduct of one of the most
>> contaminated  human "fabric"...as industrial agriculture ...as very well
>> reminds Luc Foissac in is great book on strawbale...
>>
>>  from my point of view...The very big risk/reality at the moment is that
>> straw is used very much as a "simple" greenwash.....
>>  and even if  i really celebrate the greenwash for what it means in terms
>> of getting rid of toxic materials...i think and personally value much more
>> the social innovation related to strawbale... the ability of people and
>> networks to create opportunity and solutions....
>>
>>  what is happening is just "business as usual" with a more
>> eco-material... what the strawbale network gave me  me is much much more
>> than simple "strawbale tech"... i learned.... thank to you all.... the
>> value and the tools to innovate and collaborate and manage uncertainty....
>> and adapt and always look for the best solution for people, planet...and
>> even profit...
>>
>>  and personally i'm really convinced that the risk for environment and
>> quality (equality) in our society is so big.....,  that is not enough
>> anymore to "change" material... and hope that the strawbale network (that i
>> value for itself) can make a huge step and show the world that strawbalers
>> are bringing much more to community and economy that a "simple" prefab
>> panel for passive house... a huge step to defend as the real value the
>> mission and vision of all the pioneers in strawbale .... at least this is
>> how i see you all ...
>>
>>  hope my english is good enough...and...my mind is getting clear on this
>> issue just in this lasts months... so hope this comments are of some
>> interest for you ;-)
>>
>>  best regards to you all, valentina
>>
>>   Valentina Maini
>> italy-spain
>>
>>
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>
>
>  --
> John Swearingen
> Skillful Means Design & Construction
> 2550 9th Street   Suite 209A
> Berkeley, CA   94710
> 510.849.1800 phone
> 510.849.1900 fax
>
> Web Site:  http://www.skillful-means.com
> Blog:         https://skillfulmeansdesign.wordpress.com
>
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-- 
John Swearingen
Skillful Means Design & Construction
2550 9th Street   Suite 209A
Berkeley, CA   94710
510.849.1800 phone
510.849.1900 fax

Web Site:  http://www.skillful-means.com
Blog:         https://skillfulmeansdesign.wordpress.com
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