Re: SB: Re: SB and a Better Mouse Trap

[Athena and Bill Steen <absteen@dakotacom.net>]

Since we were mentioned further down in this commentary of the Asthmatic
Wolf, I thought I ought to reply, especially since it included mention to
Fukuoka who I have long admired.  Anyhow, John G's comments made me think a
little.  I think experimentation is a big part of what straw bale is about,
however, I really liked Habib's post where he threw in the comments from Bob
Platts that said something like we don't charge our clients for our
experiments.  But going back to Fukuoka, the thing that I think so many
people have missed over the years is that his solution was truly local.  The
few people who tried to replicate it over the years often tried to export
his model without realizing that they had to do the same thing in a way that
it was appropriate to where they lived.

I think it is the same with building, especially straw bales.  In our
efforts to evolve different ways of building, I think the methods we use
really have to be locally based (materials and skills) to be ultimately
credible and viable in the long term.  For example, with all the effort
going into wood reduction these days, I always have to ask myself whether or
not it is the use of wood that needs to be cut back or the export and
selling of it to all sorts of places that don't have any or little.  I
realize these comments are stepping on the toes of practicality, but what
the h*(&.  I mean when I am sitting here in the early morning thinking of
all those Canadians up there surrounded by trees (except those out there in
the freezing plains), it seems that the sensible thing ought to be for them
to use a little more wood than us down here in Arizona.  Perhaps a little
wood clapboard use instead of relying on cement and wire.  Don't know, but
they are interesting questions.  And since I don't live there I don't know
if I can even begin thinking about it intelligently.

And yes I think we ought to be involved in a constant effort to simplify the
way we do things.  Things get faster, more efficient, but when one stops to
look around at the results, one obviously has to ask just where is it that
we are going.  I had a great conversation with a commercial painter the
other day that most enjoyable and insightful.  He lamented how all sense of
craft was gone from his work and how in general the whole industry did
crappy work.  He went on to mention that the only way he could profit these
days was to grab the brief window between those applying the stucco and
those taking down the scaffolding.  I'll leave the implications alone for
now.

So I think that is enough philosophy for the moment, but I will let John G
know that Fukuoka worked his butt off compared to tractor driven methods and
that in the end, his farm stands abandoned and no one that I know of really
was able to emulate his methods successfully.

B...

> From: "Huff 'n' Puff Constructions" <huffnpuff@shoal.net.au>
> Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 22:02:25 +1100
> To: strawbale@crest.org
> Subject: SB: Re: SB and a Better Mouse Trap
> 
> G ' day Balers
> 
> Just wanted to share some thoughts with you all.
> 
> "The usual way to go about developing a method is to ask
> 'How about trying this?' or 'How about trying that?'
> bringing in a variety of techniques one upon the other.
> This is modern agriculture and it only results in making the
> 
> farmer busier."  {Replace agriculture with building and
> farmer with builder.}
> 
> "My way was opposite.  I was aiming at a pleasant, natural
> way of farming {Building} which results in making the work
> easier instead of harder."  'How about not doing this?  How
> about not doing that?- that was my way of thinking.  I
> ultimately reached the conclusion that there was no need to
> plow, no need to apply fertilizer, no need to make compost,
> no need to use insecticide.  When you get right down to it,
> there are few agricultural practices that are really
> necessary."
> 
> Masanobu Fukuoka - The One-Straw Revolution - Rodal Press.
> 
> Just received my copy of One Straw Revolution and I have not
> 
> been able to put it down and the above observations by
> Masanobu Fukuoka really struck a cord with me.  Having woken
> 
> up at 4 am this morning and reading my email, as one does,
> (could not sleep), and then reading the posts re a better
> mouse trap and decided not to respond.  Then our post
> mistress, it is Sunday, told me that I had forgotten to pick
> 
> up my mail on Friday.  Charmaine Taylor had sent me my order
> 
> of books which included One Straw and some stunning bamboo
> books. {Great service and fast delivery, from the USA to
> Ganmain.  Thanks Charmaine.}
> 
> Once I had read the above passage I decided to respond to
> the better mouse trap post.  I am not knocking the
> methodology of the Big Heart Balecage just wondering why we
> have to make such a simple method of building (straw bale)
> so complex.  Just a question regarding recycled steel come
> to mind, without upsetting anyone I hope.
> 
> How sustainable is recycling steel?  How much energy is used
> 
> in the recycling process apart from the energy used to melt
> it all down and turn it into angle iron etc.  Is there much
> energy used to crush and transport the old steel, say a
> Holden Ute or a Cadilac?  Also is there any pollution
> created by the burning of the old steel and the other bits
> and pieces that are in the vehicle etc.?
> 
> Also the method described by Mike Rubey brings up another
> question does this amount of steel used in the building
> create a Farady Cage and emissions of EMF forces?  If so how
> 
> can the EMF forces be negated in a building with a cage of
> steel?
> 
> Just curious as I do not know the answers and it may be a
> good way to go for professional builders but I have my
> reservations.  I have always encouraged experimentation and
> maybe this method that Mike used makes sense, for me, and
> this is my personal view, I will stick to the methods that I
> 
> learned from Beeel and Athena:
> 
> No need to use steel, No need for pins, No need for steel
> netting, Load Bearing small buildings, lots of Earth and a
> little Lime, No need for cement and soon Bamboo Roof
> Framing.  Just simplicity, as Masanobu says, "a pleasant way
> 
> to farm (build)."
> 
> A better mouse trap?  Not in my opinion but then again
> someday someone will build a better mouse trap.
> 
> Kind regards The Straw Wolf
> http://strawbale.archinet.com.au
> 61 2 6927 6027
> 
> 
> 
> 
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