[Greenbuilding] Calculating Carbon Footprint
Frank Tettemer
frank at livingsol.com
Thu Jan 28 13:27:50 CST 2016
On 28/01/2016 11:47 AM, John Salmen wrote:
>
> /The last few decades have been interesting in that is has both
> globalized our experience and created a demand to share that – which
> is both exciting as it involve both ‘travel’ and ‘appreciation’ which
> is thrilling - but it also dissipates the energy and learning that can
> build in a local environment. It is frustrating though that our
> experience locally sometimes doesn’t get appreciated as much as it
> does globally. /
>
> I hear you on that. My rational, to continue being in business with
> two similar drawbacks (as well as lower, generally lower, wage scale
> for all of us),
> is that my payback, while working for a lower wage, is that I get to
> live _here_.
> 480 Doyle Mountain Road, County of Renfrew, right next to a gazzillion
> hectares of Algonquin Provincial Park.
> Fresh Air, Clean Water, Moments of Tranquility, and, Low Wages.
>
> Another payment that I am emmensely grateful for, is the satisfaction
> that over the decades I have been able to "over-insulate" homes that
> I've built for clients. (many dozen homes!) This is a cold climate,
> and we've been over-insulating each year since the 1970's. I've been
> delighted to champian the use of local logs, beams, trees, rocks and
> mud, presenting it to the owners on the basis of saving material
> costs, and investing instead, in local labour.
>
> Now I look around the area, and I see a small but significant savings
> in carbon emisions each year resulting from all these homes, spread
> out over the county.
> This is payment enough. I've done "something", even if it's small.
>
> /As you grow older you may have a family or an extended family of
> employees and also the people provide your materials and food that are
> based locally. These are the real relationships that are much more
> substantial than any visceral experience in travel. And typically if
> you are true to those needs you really don’t have much time left for
> being much outside your local region./
>
Fantastic statement, John. So true. That which is of true value in my
life is deeply involved in the Quality of these relationships. This I
am also deeply grateful for, and it is an honour to bear witness to that
value. That is also my paycheck.
>
> /Being inside your local region means you know where to buy your
> supplies and for food where to buy your vegetables, where to buy your
> meat and how to make your budget work with those choices – because
> those incomes depend upon your support and ultimately your income
> depends upon those relationships. /
>
> /I am not sure if this is germane to the discussion but thought I
> would throw it in. /
>
I think that you've added quite well to the discussion. Let's not throw
it out.
--
Frank Tettemer
Living Sol ~ Building and Design
www.livingsol.com
613 756 3884
More information about the Greenbuilding
mailing list