The Chatroom

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Concrete Contrarian wrote:

If a concrete building lasts a very long time, couldn’t that offset the extra carbon emissions?

Urgent Earnest replied:

There’s an argument in Kiel Moe’s book Convergence that the initial carbon emmissions from ancient Roman concrete bridges that have lasted thousands of years are now negligible because of how long they’ve lasted. The life span of a comparable modern bridge is much shorter and would be replaced many times over the lifespan of the concrete one, thus emitting more carbon. It’s harder to make the same argument for other concrete things, like house slabs, where the concrete-free options are just as durable. And when you consider carbon-sequestering materials, like straw for walls, the argument doesn’t really transfer. Factor in the urgency of cutting carbon emissions NOW, and there’s no time for a thousand-year carbon “pay-back” period.

Mud Pie wrote:

I love cob buildings, but I live in a mixed-humid climate. Is there a type of cob or something similar that can work in my environment?

Matts Myhrman replied:

People oftentimes at workshops say, “can you only build straw bales in dry climates?” Our friend David Eisenberg would always say, “No, you just have to build a dry place for your bales.” If you’re building in a wet climate you need to have good overhangs and in some cases a rain screen can be used to separate the exterior wall membrane from the bales. It all works like a good rain coat, but it’s being held away from your body so it doesn’t feel clammy. When you build with straw bales, you’re entering into a sacred contract with the bales. And that is if you keep your bales dry, they will keep you warm or cool for hundreds of years, if you maintain that structure. They’ll do their thing if you’ll do your thing: designing the building as a dry place for the bales.I always liked David’s answer and have always used it.