<p>I've lived a lot in old european homes, some of them over 500 years old, and it makes this modern obsession with btus look pretty silly. </p>
<p>Gennaro<br>
347 244 3016<br>
</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 23, 2011 12:21 PM, "natural building" <<a href="mailto:naturalbuilding@shaw.ca">naturalbuilding@shaw.ca</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution">> Bravo Gennaro, I applaud your championing the 'cultural' aspect of <br>
> green building on this site.<br>> <br>> In North America (as distinct from Europe and many other parts of the <br>> world) we have developed this '5-year resell' culture that, I propose, <br>> is in large part because most home-owners have little or no connection <br>
> to their homes or community. To them a house is just a short-term <br>> investment opportunity.<br>> <br>> Science has its place - of course - but the pursuit of ever-decreasing <br>> Btus must integrate successfully with and, IMO, be subservient to the <br>
> need to create homes that people truly feel 'at home' in. <br>> Sustainability is also about making homes that last (with a little TLC <br>> and maintenance) rather than get torn down and replaced every 50 years <br>
> - which is another catastrophic NA trend.<br>> <br>> Regards.<br>> Steve Satow<br>> <br>> <a href="http://www.naturalbuildingsite.net">www.naturalbuildingsite.net</a><br>> <a href="mailto:naturalbuilding@shaw.ca">naturalbuilding@shaw.ca</a><br>
> <br>>> On Jan 23, 2011, at 9:31 AM, Gennaro Brooks-Church wrote:<br>>><br>>>> Hi,<br>>>> I think the concept of building so that it lasts a very long time <br>>>> is good. But too many cultures use sacrificial materials for me to <br>
>>> overlook that option too. For example in Spain the traditional <br>>>> stone buildings are white washed with lime that doesn't last very <br>>>> long. Once a year the family and a couple friends come together for <br>
>>> a weekend of exercise in the sun with a big meal to paint the house.<br>>>><br>>>> It doesn't pay if you have to hire somebody once a year to do it. <br>>>> So this is where green building becomes cultural. Our western <br>
>>> culture for the most part doesn't paint their own home. It is paid <br>>>> for. But if you turn it into a social event for bonding with the <br>>>> family maybe painting the home isn't actually the main point. Maybe <br>
>>> being together with friends and family is.<br>>>><br>>>> For me green building is more about strengthening our community and <br>>>> our social bonds with nature than any BTU counting. If you have a <br>
>>> strong society that is connected to nature the rest comes naturally.<br>>>><br>>>> This was the point I was trying to make before with my point of <br>>>> there being two ways of looking at green building - techie or <br>
>>> cultural - and my opinion that most people on this list and in <br>>>> green building in general are tackling it with a techie view point.<br>>>><br>>>> The techie approach in my opinion is what got us in our current <br>
>>> ecological problem in the first place. It makes a damn if we have <br>>>> Uber efficient homes if the people in them are dysfunctional and <br>>>> allienated. Green builders for the most part see their job as <br>
>>> building efficient homes. That won't solve our problem in my <br>>>> opinion. Building homes that connect us to our community and nature <br>>>> has a much better chance.<br>>>><br>
>>> For me that means focusing more closely at how the building <br>>>> process, the sourcing, the materials used, the upkeep, and the <br>>>> relationship of buildings to each other strengthen our love of <br>
>>> community and nature. You may counter that it is not either or - <br>>>> either techie or cultural - and that is absolutely true. But right <br>>>> now it is pretty much only techie. If you stream through our <br>
>>> conversations it is mostly about efficient materials and BTUs.<br>>>><br>>>> I think our love of science destroyed our ecology. I conclude this <br>>>> because most older non-scientific cultures have done significantly <br>
>>> better than newer scientific cultures in being custodians of our <br>>>> planet. And if Einstein is right then science should not be the <br>>>> tool we use to get us out of our ecological problems. We need a <br>
>>> different tool.<br>>>><br>>>> I think we need to veer significantly more in the direction of <br>>>> cultural and natural related issues to solve our ecological issues.<br>>>> Gennaro Brooks-Church<br>
>>><br>>>> Cell: 1 347 244 3016 USA<br>>>> <a href="http://www.EcoBrooklyn.com">www.EcoBrooklyn.com</a><br>>>> 22 2nd St; Brooklyn, NY 11231<br>>>><br>>>><br>>>><br>
>>><br>>>> Sender: <a href="mailto:greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding-bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org</a><br>>>> Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:36:32<br>>>> To: 'Green Building'<<a href="mailto:greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>><br>
>>> Reply-to: Green Building <<a href="mailto:greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org">greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org</a>><br>>>> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Nansulate Insulation<br>>>><br>
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