[Greenbuilding] Calculating Carbon Footprint

[Frank Tettemer]

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