[Greenbuilding] Solutions (to the ecological problem)

[JOHN SALMEN]

There was a pretty serious social framework (pun intended) for that activity
and a lot of rules and complexity (think potlatch for complexity of a social
economic structure that is beyond figuring out). There have also been
similar (non-building) related cooperative efforts in communities - mostly
immigrant communities to NA.  Compensation takes many forms and much of what
we still do in a community is not directly related to payment. Nobody pays
me to drive safely or give up my seat on a bus.

 

As 2nd generation in my early fifties I've had the pleasure of being able to
talk to the generation that settled farms in Canada - though we are now 4
generations from that time. I've also been able to talk to people that
participated in the first garment industry strike in NYC and the subsequent
development of labour laws and unions.

 

In the Canadian prairies for example the communities that formed around
farming were pretty impoverished by today's standards and a 'single family
unit' had little chance to survive. The only time for building was in the
winter after the fields were put to rest and it was a limited timeframe and
more than one person or family could accomplish (though many did try). The
communities were primarily European with village origins and well used to
working within a community framework. Farms needed markets for livestock and
grain which required everyone to have the capability to produce to create
enough resource to elicit a market for transportation and supply. Given the
limited timeframe for building it required planning and community effort
that everyone profited from. This extended to the construction of community
stock pens, graineries, etc. as well as co-operative financing. For Canada
this was the birth of the co-operative movement which continues in the form
of financial banking, gasoline and even grocery stores. As communities
became marginally wealthier barn raising evolved into co-operative financing
(as farm communities still did not have the wealth to attract other forms of
financing) and people hired each other and paid fairly. 

 

I have volunteered time for many things and have donated a lot of design and
physical work time to social housing projects. There are always needs in a
community for which there is inadequate funding. An example from me is
creating a house (group home) working with a parent group of children with
special needs.  That was a form of barn raising.

 

I think what worries me is the types of sentiment that can be used to
exploit. Even the concept of 'home' or 'green home' can sentimentally
inspire people to create a building that has no relationship to their needs
just to fill some empty hole. As I mentioned before we occupy a house on
average for 11 hours (8.5 of which are spent sleeping). Our homes are
equally (and predominantly for our conscious time) the workplaces and
schools we occupy, the transportation we use. 

 

Individual homes are not an 'old' or 'timeless' concept - even in western
culture it is relatively new. It wasn't that long ago that people of
European origin we were all sleeping in some big room together (and most
other cultures). Isolating a few people in a green building and then
inviting each other over to paint the place is not community building in my
mind though it can be a nice shared activity - I would prefer making dinner.
Spending time together working on social co-operative or cohousing solutions
gets a little better.

 

My thoughts - but like I said too many issues

 

JOHN SALMEN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

4465 UPHILL RD,. DUNCAN, B.C.  CANADA, V9L 6M7

PH 250 748 7672 FAX 250 748 7612 CELL 250 246 8541

terrain at shaw.ca

 

  _____  

From: greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of natural
building
Sent: January 23, 2011 11:55 AM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Solutions (to the ecological problem)

 

On 23-Jan-11, at 11:40 AM, JOHN SALMEN wrote:





Similarly if I hire or train people for a building project that labour is
part of the cost of that project and if the project cannot afford it then
that project has no value in the community.

 

John, what are your thoughts on the very old and very community-oriented
practice of barn-raising, where every able-bodied member of the community
helped out without expectation of any compensation other that refreshments
and, perhaps, reciprocal help when it came time to build their own barn?

 

Regards,

Steve Satow

 

www.naturalbuildingsite.net

naturalbuilding at shaw.ca

 

 

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