[GSBN] Sharing thoughts on pros and cons of using straw as a building material.

[Lars Keller]

*Hi GSBNers*
As I am soon expecting to be questioned about the reasoning behind using
straw for buildings, I am eager to hear arguments pro and con.
Last year in Denmark we had an unusually low yield of straw due to rain.
This year in Denmark we are having an unusually low yield of straw due to
drought. This is intensified by poor hay yields causing farmers to use
straw also for fodder.

My thoughts:

*First, *ecologically speaking, after the cereal has been harvested, the
straw belongs in the earth. If straw is not returned, nutrients such as
Phosphorous and Potassium are removed, and the soil structure is negatively
influenced due to the removal of Carbon.
In reality we are probably far from this situation being acted seriously
upon almost anywhere. The main reason as always being money: the cost of
replenishing the nutrients and the negative impacts of less carbon is
estimated to be balanced out by the savings from not having to chop and
plough in the chopped straw.

*Second, *you could argue that we are after all only delaying the return of
the straw to the earth.

*Third*, you could argue that there are even bigger pressing problems at
the moment for which straw is a very big step forward, such as substituting
CO2 producing building materials with a CO2 sequestering material.

*Fourth, *straw is not a waste product from a commercial point of view. At
least not in Denmark. It sells for app €90/ton straw ab farmer at 15% water
content.

Best, Lars

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