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I think that Carol makes a crucial point - straw is actually getting
more difficult to find here, and there are a lot of competing
industries both within ag and in landscaping. Heck, there's a
pretty big farm west of us that grows a straw crop specifically for
horse stables (big horse racing country over there) - it's the
primary crop. Straw may be a secondary crop, but it is definitely
not a waste product - and if we are considering the goal that folks
in this thread have stated of dramatically increasing straw
construction by adoption into the mainstream by prefab applications
and other means, then we are talking about a future in which there
is a lot more straw being grown for buildings (primary or secondary
crop). <br>
<br>
By removing all that carbon from the soil and not tilling in to
restore soil nutrients and tilth, we are having a net-negative
impact on soil health and ecology - inherently unsustainable. If we
till back in and/or cover crop, we reduce net yield, requiring more
farmland or production somehow. There is already a growing concern
in this part of the world about the competition for farmland between
food and energy production (i.e. corn-based ethanol); if we add a
surge in straw construction to that, coupled with reduction in
yields due to diminishing soil productivity, and throw in some
climate change-induced natural disasters...whoa, ok, not trying to
get too down here, I honestly don't think that straw is in scarcity
danger right now - far from it. But I do believe that source is an
issue we should be taking very seriously, if we are planning for the
long haul - around here, the sources of our straw are not stable for
the long term (I'm not even sure how much longer I can get long
straws, with all the farms switching over to chop-straw combines),
and there is certainly none of it going to waste. If we truly want
to scale up in production, we need to be able to ensure availability
of our raw materials, and I don't feel too secure in that right
now. Of course, this involves major paradigm shift in industrial
agriculture production...good thing we're all such a bunch of
fired-up change-makers. Maybe we'll be using the PAKSBAB-style bale
press and go back to gathering field grasses, old-school
Nebraska-style, after the revolution...<br>
<br>
So, are farms in CA/out west still burning straw? I thought that
was banned years ago...is there really such a glut of straw out
there that it's still considered waste? Regionalism is
fascinating...<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Jacob<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/20/13, 8:01 PM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:carolatkn@aol.com">carolatkn@aol.com</a>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:8D0CBFF54C8D36A-19FC-2FD4A@webmail-m299.sysops.aol.com"
type="cite"><font color="black" face="arial" size="2">
<div>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!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>best wishes</div>
<div>Carol Atkinson</div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.strawcottage.co.uk">www.strawcottage.co.uk</a>
</div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica;
font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: John Swearingen <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jswearingen@skillful-means.com"><jswearingen@skillful-means.com></a><br>
To: Global Straw Building Network
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:GSBN@sustainablesources.com"><GSBN@sustainablesources.com></a><br>
Sent: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 19:50<br>
Subject: Re: [GSBN] The EU wants 5% strawbuildings by 2020
says the Economist..<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_2_ca0e0ba0-94ec-4f3c-bca0-b5e6694e18a4">
<div dir="ltr">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.
<div>
<div>That said, I think the bottom line is that straw
is a<i> waste product</i>. 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. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Following the very sound sustainability principle
of "highest and best use", <b>any</b> 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. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>John (Trash Talk) Swearingen</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 6:37 PM,
Jacob Deva Racusin <span dir="ltr"><<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:buildnatural@googlemail.com">buildnatural@googlemail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px
0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex; border-left-color:
rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-width: 1px;
border-left-style: solid;">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Valentina,<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Jacob<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>
-- <br>
Jacob Deva Racusin <br>
Co-Owner<br>
New Frameworks Natural Design/Build<br>
<br>
Author, The Natural Building Companion<br>
Chelsea Green Press, 2012<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" value="+18027827783">(802)
782-7783</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:jacob@newframeworks.com">jacob@newframeworks.com</a><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
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<div class="im"><br>
<br>
<div>On 12/18/13, 12:43 PM, valentina maini wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">Martin, John, Caroline,
and all
<div>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 </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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...</div>
<div>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...</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>from my point of view...The very big
risk/reality at the moment is that straw is
used very much as a "simple" greenwash.....</div>
<div> 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.... </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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... </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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 ...</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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 ;-)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>best regards to you all, valentina</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<div> <span style="font:/normal Helvetica;
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<div style="-ms-word-wrap:
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Maini</span><br>
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-- <br>
<font face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span
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Skillful Means Design & Construction<br>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Jacob Deva Racusin <br>
Co-Owner<br>
New Frameworks Natural Design/Build<br>
<br>
Author, The Natural Building Companion<br>
Chelsea Green Press, 2012<br>
<br>
(802) 782-7783<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jacob@newframeworks.com">jacob@newframeworks.com</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.newframeworks.com">http://www.newframeworks.com</a></div>
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