SB: eco cost of materials

[gary dorn <garydorn@eepo.com.au>]

With all the chat about embodied energy of materials, I've taken note 
of a couple of things (rather simplified)
If we take into account all the processes, equipement required, 
transport, use of water, pollution, embodied energy, ability to be 
fixed/erected, finishing, durability, we can probably get a more 
realistic measurable viewpoint.
Here in Western Australia, it hasn't seriously rained since 
September, so we have water shortage, which has highlighted an 
important element which is over abused.

Evidently to produce 1 ton of steel the process consumes 135 tons of 
water, plus other chemicals plus arsenic or cyanide - end result lots 
of polluted water, acid rain etc.
  Here in WA, our iron ore is mined, shipped out of Port Headland (NW 
coast)  to Japan, processed and shipped back to Australia, some is 
also processed on the east coast.

To produce straw requires a good season say 350mm rain, probably some 
"super"  WE have a vast ar aof land set aside to cereal rops , mostly 
wheat-the  end result of 40 years  of cropping this land is salt, 
acid soils and desertification, but we also get good wheat for 
cereals, noodles, flour

To produce structural timber - either a good monoculture plantation 
or God created native forest,  machinery to harvest and cut it. ( any 
one seen those 20m wide  highways in forests they use!)
generally not much water is required or consumed, apart from that 
which falls from the sky onto the ground,
when cut, loss of habitat, exposure of soil to erosion create vast 
eco problems.

Each material has its pro and cons.

Me, I am a Greenie, and earn my livelihood by being green, designing 
Straw bale, earth or timber buildings. Hopefully I am a good enough 
example for my kids  ( .3, 1.7 & 5) to want to follow in a similar 
conservationist path.
Hopefully we can have enough influence.
 
Gary Dorn
Permaculture architect
<gary.dorn@eepo.com.au>
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
integrating Permaculture , Organic Solar architecture,
Straw bale construction & Solar and wind power systems

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