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This is the weblog of
Raymond Powers.
Here I will be sharing what I find of import, humor, concern, inspiration and on the transformational edge
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A Quote:
Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.
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Raymond lives in Ojai, where the time now is:
10:47PM
Unique Readers:
Primarily
Public Domain
Everything I've written here, except my copyrighted
essays, poetry, lyrics, and music is hereby placed in the public
domain. The quotes from other people's writings, and the pictures
used might or might not be copyrighted, but are considered fair
use. Thus the license here would best be described as:
Primarily Public
Domain.
Please ask permission if there is any question in
regards to public domain usage.
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| Thursday, May 4, 2006 |  |
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4 May 2006 @ 00:39
T R A N S I T I O N S
by Steve Sprinkel
appearing in ACRES,USA
June 2006
2006 should have been the year when industrial hemp was finally produced commercially again in the United States. Though hemp is produced in forty countries, in the United States unfortunately that is still for the future. However, recent developments in various state governments have opened the way so that a new crop can be added to an organic farmer’s rotation in as few as three and probably no more than five years.
Lobbying government, rational publicity and dialogues in state legislatures help, but the coming explosion in hemp products worldwide and consequential economic forces will make cultivation irresistible. In a few short years there will be so many organic hemp products on the market that further delay in the US will just be bad business. And its business that steers the Washington, DC leviathan more than any appeal to reason.
We may merely wear a bit of cannabis now and nibble on a spoonful of seed, but the inevitable advent of a multitude of viable products, from fuels to packaging and construction materials to a replacement for plastics is upon us. This was the consensus at an impromptu meeting in southern California of five international hemp production experts hosted by John Roulac of Nutiva.
Mr. Roulac, the author of Hemp Horizons ( 1997, Chelsea Green Publishing Co.) manufactures a number of hemp food products made from Canadian-grown hempseeds. This season he is offering Hemp Shakes at retail. He has positioned himself as a realist in the campaign to make industrial hemp cultivation in the US possible.
Mr. Roulac is careful to choose moderate allies, while at the same time serving as an activist litigant to repel ongoing legal challenges launched by the Department of Justice. Mr. Roulac, who lives a few miles from us in a small community surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest, was a key defendant in the landmark 2004 victory against the US Drug Enforcement Agency that renewed importation of processed hemp foods.
US Hemp food sales are growing at a 50% annual clip according to the US industry research group SPINS. Hempseed-based foods are becoming more common in a variety of applications, including bread, cereal, specialty nutritional oils, food bars, nut butters, and protein powders and shakes. The market is always hunting up the new, and hemp delivers good values like omega three in the nutraceutical category filled by flax and fish oils.
John Roulac is certain that hemp oil is primed for significance: “ …the product tastes as good ( many say better), provides a wider array of beneficial nutriments ( omega three, plus steridonic and gamma linoleic acids) and is competitively priced. The high-end market for the specialty oils has been built by flax and fish, so we are optimistic.”
READ More >
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| Thursday, April 27, 2006 | |
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27 Apr 2006 @ 16:53
I’m excited to share that I have been given the honor to steward the Matilija Sanctuary in Ojai,CA. I will be in residence there, as well as managing the property and vacation retreat rentals. It’s 9 acres of secluded private land, tucked in a canyon on the Matilija River just north of Ojai, with year round natural hot and cold springs and accommodations for 40+ guests
I have been in conversations with the new owners for several months developing our vision and intention for the land and resources there. We want to invite workshop and seminar facilitators to come and utilize the space for education, training and community. For many years it has been a hub of new thought, spiritual exploration, permaculture, and conscious gatherings. We will be continuing this legacy and plan to have it available by June.
Though a private residence, and not available for unscheduled public use, we do want to continue renting it for single and multiple person retreats and vacations, as the previous stewards had. If you have interest in having retreat here or visiting the property, please contact me.
It’s a nourishing, potent, inspirational location where I will have the opportunity to host and nurture our visitors, share the healing power of nature, provide live music for our guests and offer private coaching and mentoring sessions upon request.
I am grateful to be in service and entrusted with the care of this amazing land and create a sanctuary for those that will be visiting. More >
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| Thursday, March 30, 2006 | |
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30 Mar 2006 @ 02:41
Toshiba Offers USB Flash Drives for Laptops, LCDs, PDAs
Everyone knows that electronic equipment will cause the downfall of humanity. Luckily we have people like Toshiba trying to do something about it. Their latest project, TERRE — Toshiba’s Environmental Recovery and Recycling Effort — is offering an incentive for turning over electronic equipment to them for safe and proper recycling. They will send a free courier service to your pad to pick up the busted equipment, and then in four to six weeks, they will send you a new USB flash drive in the mail. The strangest thing about TERRE, it seems to be Canada only. What do they have that we don’t? Looks? Bacon?
Here’s the link to Toshiba to find out more: Toshiba TERRE
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| Saturday, March 25, 2006 | |
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25 Mar 2006 @ 00:16
Lime Planet, New York, New York
Of the many rising stars in the field of green architecture, Richard Cook is arguably the brightest. He has a theoretical rigor and passion for sustainability on par with William McDonough. He has the design ingenuity of Frank Gehry. So it’s not surprising that Cook is quickly making his name known among the vanguard of 21st century architects.
In 2003, Cook joined forces with Bob Fox, one of the original pioneers of green architecture who designed the ultra-glamorous Conde Nast building in Manhattan’s 4 Times Square – the first skyscraper in the country to incorporate green-design elements and rooftop solar panels. Known as Cook + Fox, their firm is now constructing one of the world’s most ambitious sustainable building projects: A 54-story tower of glass and steel at One Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. It will include high-performance green elements ranging from copious natural lighting and waterless urinals to on-site electricity generation and laser sensors that turn off lights and appliances when not in use.
Cook spoke to LIME about his green conversion experience, his heroes, and his vision for an urban utopia, and offered an intimate glimpse of his own family and home.
Read the interview at: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/lime_meet_rick.php
or click MORE More >
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| Thursday, March 23, 2006 | |
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23 Mar 2006 @ 03:53
The January - February print issue of WorldWatch Magazine intimated that China was considering a nationwide 5% tax on disposable chopsticks. It would seem they were on the money, as the chopstick tax is now due to implemented next month, according to a news report. The news story notes the Chinese government as saying “it is a terrible waste of timber that is depleting the country's forests.” The WorldWatch piece would agree with this, indicating that China produces some 450 billion pairs a year — just for domestic use alone, downing the equivalent of 25 million trees. This new tax is part of round of consumption taxes to help China cut “energy use by a fifth over the next five years and improve the environment.” Should we now look to the West to impose a consumption tax on ice cream sticks and coffee stirrers? Now, there’s thought
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23 Mar 2006 @ 03:49
Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany
Since 1965, as part of an international design competition, the city of Berlin has awarded the Peter Joseph Lenné Prize in three categories: garden and landscape architecture, urban green space planning, and landscape planning incorporating nature conservation. The hunt is on for 2006, and a committee of experts from Berlin's universities and colleges, the Academy of the Arts, the Karl Foerster Foundation, and the municipal administration for green space planning are seeking entries, due June 26, from individuals—or groups of individuals—under 35 years old. Named after the man behind several of Germany's green landmarks, including the parks at Sanssouci in Potsdam and the Tiergarten in Berlin, the competition is a an example of what a proactive endeavor can do to local, and international plots of green. Submissions must be received by June 26. For more information, visit the city’s Senate Department of Urban Development online More >
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| Tuesday, March 21, 2006 | |
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 21 Mar 2006 @ 19:19
Imported Organic vs Local Conventional at Whole Foods
Slate Magazine points out in a recent article on Whole Foods that "Let's say you live in New York City and want to buy a pound of tomatoes in season. Say you can choose between conventionally grown New Jersey tomatoes or organic ones grown in Chile. Of course, the New Jersey tomatoes will be cheaper. They will also almost certainly be fresher, having traveled a fraction of the distance. But which is the more eco-conscious choice? In terms of energy savings, there's no contest: Just think of the fossil fuels expended getting those organic tomatoes from Chile. Which brings us to the question: [given the variables of] freshness, price, and energy conservation, should a New Yorker just instinctively choose organic, even if the produce comes from Chile?"
So pretend you live in the Big Apple. What would your choice be? More >
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| Monday, March 20, 2006 | |
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20 Mar 2006 @ 21:34
Burgerville Turns Waste Oil Into Biodiesel
March 20, 2006 12:56 PM - Collin Dunn, Durham, North Carolina
We recently reported on a McDonalds franchise owner running his cars on the leftover vegetable oil from his restaurants; now another burger chain has upped the ante. Burgerville, a Vancouver, WA-based "fast casual" restaurant chain, has begun converting its used cooking oil into biodiesel. Through an agreement with Portland company MRP Services, the used oil is picked up and transported to a processing plant where it is converted to biodiesel. Before the current arrangement, the oil was shipped to Asia and typically used in the creation of cosmetics and soap. For Burgerville, whose menu includes regional ingredients like Oregon Country beef and Tillamook cheese, this isn't their first foray into sustainable business practices. Last August, the company announced it would pay for its electricity by purchasing wind power, a move that avoided adding 17.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide to the region annually
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| Sunday, March 19, 2006 | |
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19 Mar 2006 @ 18:54
“Theres no business to be done on a dead planet” - David Brower
1% For The Planet is an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. Members recognize their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment and donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. The alliance aims to prove that taking environmental responsibility is good for business.
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| Friday, March 17, 2006 | |
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17 Mar 2006 @ 08:39
Natural Design: Core to Sustainability
This is from one of my favorite environmental websites www.treehugger.com
Tony Brown and the Ecosa Institute
March 16, 2006 10:50 AM - Collin Dunn, Durham, North Carolina
Tony Brown is the founder and director of the Ecosa Institute, the only design program in the US devoted entirely to sustainability. The Ecosa Institute was founded in the belief that design based on nature is critical to the search for a new design philosophy; the mission of the Institute is to restore health to the natural environment, and thus the human environment, through education in design. Mr. Brown’s dedication to issues of sustainability and ecological design developed after joining Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti Foundation where he worked for thirteen years on conceptual designs for a new vision of urban settlements. In 1996 Brown formally founded Ecosa ; in 2000, the Institute offered its first semester in sustainable design.
TreeHugger: How does Ecosa address what you see as lacking in today’s conventional design education?
Tony Brown: There are many ways in which the conventional model of the college and university are failing to meet the future. The traditional institutions are risk averse; few people are fired for saying no to a new idea. One would imagine that our institutions of higher learning were hot beds of innovation, unfortunately the opposite is true. The dis-economy of scale inherent in many of the now gigantic organizations of our universities and colleges make change a difficult, lengthy, bureaucratic process. As a consequence we are teaching to an outmoded model. A beaux-arts student from the 1890s would not feel out of place in many of today’s architecture schools. Architecture is a powerful skill yet it is not harnessed to grapple with environmental, ecological or ethical issues. While sustainability is a word being used in colleges of architecture it is an adjunct skill and doesn’t permeate the curricula.
Multi-disciplinary education is also difficult in a traditional setting. The administrative structure of the university tends to divide rather than integrate. The psychology department rarely, if ever, interacts with the architecture department. Even engineering departments have a difficult time collaborating with, never mind integrating with, architecture or planning or graphic design. All the new ideas and synergy created by cross-cultural activity is rarely possible. Departmental budgets, turf battles and tradition are a few of the hurdles. Our semesters often contain wide-ranging skills. Semesters have had engineers, architects, landscape architects, marine biologists and computer programmers working together. In terms of sustainability, I am amazed at how many of our students have no concept of passive solar design parameters. Many of the sustainable ad-ons to courses are electives and lead to the plug in attitude “I’ll just add photovoltaic panels here�? with little understanding of integration or stacking functions. What design schools are excellent at is teaching design from an aesthetic, technological, historical and intellectual perspective and, while I believe that these are vital and important functions we must broaden the scope of architectural education. It is more than a decorative art. It is fundamental to our survival.
TH: Part of the reason you founded Ecosa was so you wouldn’t have to bend to the mainstream university system. Can Ecosa bring sustainability to the mainstream without going mainstream?
TB: For the reasons I have noted before I don’t believe real innovation is a product of the current system. Education is a monopoly and monopolies tend not to encourage innovation. I do not believe we have all the answers nor do traditional schools, but we have the opportunity to try new things and new ways of teaching. The value of things like mixing disciplines, skill levels, working on real projects, would be far more difficult in a traditional setting. We do work with other educational institutions that see our program as an enhancement of the regular design curricula. They are excited to be able to offer their students a different kind of experience that they understand is important.
The other concept for making these ideas mainstream? Through leverage. In founding Ecosa I knew that we would have a limited number of students so the concept is to create design “viruses�? in our students. We bring them to Ecosa to “infect�? them with a real sense of the power they have to impliment change, we give them skills to be smarter about energy strategies, how to design high performance bio climatic designs. Then we send them out into their schools or workplaces to become emissaries of change. In that way one student can affect many other people amplifying the impact of our program. Many of the new sustainable initiatives in universities have been pushed by students.
TH: You designed Ecosa for students and professionals studying or practicing built design. How do you sell the environment as a cause to designers, rather than the other way around?
TB: Ultimately the solution is not to rely on just designers or just environmentalists but to have many disciplines work together in interactive ways each informing the others knowledge. I believe very strongly that we have specialized ourselves into a corner where we no long see the big picture and so we solve problems in isolation from each other. A dangerous approach with unintended consequences.
For several years I taught sustainable design at Prescott College. The students were liberal arts students with a passionate concern about the environment. While the solutions they proposed were valid, they lacked a broad worldview and the aesthetic quality that designers bring to projects. Designers on the other hand are looking for an aesthetic approach that has very little to do with solving social or environmental problems, so the challenge is which of these groups can have the most impact in solving problems? Design at its most basic level is a problem solving skill, and that is a vital skill for the 21st century. So by training designers to address today’s most critical issues we are extending the reach of that skill.
Many people enter the design professions as a way of making a difference; improving the world. They are often disillusioned by what they find. However, there is a growing understanding among young designers, that the future holds some alarming challenges. Just one issue; the impacts of climate change will stress food supplies, raise sea levels, displace coastal communities, cause mass migrations and threaten our ability to maintain social order. It is clear that the magnitude of the challenges we will face are unprecedented. What is important about design is that it is, above all, a problem solving skill.
From a purely self-interested professional position sustainability is being driven by market forces. Government and businesses are demanding energy efficiency and high performance from their buildings. Therefore it is becoming more desirable skill among architectural firms. As the environment deteriorates and regulation becomes more necessary, those with a sustainable background who can innovate will be in demand. So, rather than having to sell designers on becoming environmentally concerned I believe our future needs will demand that they are.
TH: If all your students could take one thing away from Ecosa, what would it be?
That design is a powerful tool for change and they have that power. Buildings in the US according to Edward Mazria consume more than 45% of our energy. Just imagine the impact of cutting that in half. The reduction in greenhouse gases would be major. Architects specify about $1 trillion per year in materials for their projects. Other designers; product designers, landscape architects also specify materials. This gives them an enormous leverage for change. Understanding what really constitutes sustainable materials and demanding recycled content, non-toxic materials and manufacture, low energy use products, can literally change the world.
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| Tuesday, March 7, 2006 | |
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7 Mar 2006 @ 06:53
GREENHAND FIELD SCHOOL
Lamsujin Village, Aceh Besar, Indonesia
Seeking Expressions of Interest for Trainers in Permaculture
& sustainable small enterprises
Greenhand Field School is a newly-established training centre in Aceh which provides training in sustainable agriculture and sustainable small enterprises to local communities. The school was established in the post- 2004 tsunami period as a recovery program to support tsunami victims. Its teachings and philosophy are based on permaculture principles coupled with locally-appropriate techniques.
A unique opportunity exists for local, national and international experts in related fields to contribute to the development of the Greenhand program. IDEP, the program s NGO sponsor organisation, is seeking committed individuals to participate as trainers in permaculture, sustainable small enterprise and associated skills. Those with the following attributes will be considered:
at least 5 years in permaculture training and practice OR
other associated specialised skills in sustainable small enterprise and associated skills
a commitment to the environment, sustainable development and community resilience
cultural sensitivity
Bahasa Indonesia is a plus
For our 2006 schedule we are seeking people to participate as trainers in our three part program including:
Village development Course (VDC)
A two week introduction to permaculture course
GreenHand ToT
A ten week Training of Trainer Permaculture course for local trainees
Sustainable Livelihoods Training
Specialist relevant sustainable small enterprise and associated skills within a permaculture framework of development including:
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Carpentry
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Bamboo Treatment and Earthquake Resistant Construction
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Neem Cultivation & By-product Production
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Animal Husbandry
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Bee Keeping
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Cold Oil Pressing
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Essential Oil Distillation
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Soap Making
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Bio-diesel production
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Small Enterprise Development
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Communications and Marketing
Please send a letter of introduction addressing the above criteria, a proposed course outline as well as a recent copy of your resume to:
Attn: GFS Program recruitment
hr@idepfoundation.org
For more info please visit: [link] More >
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| Sunday, February 19, 2006 | |
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19 Feb 2006 @ 00:19
Medite - Recycled MDF
February 12, 2006 07:15 AM - Lloyd Alter, Toronto
Medite looks,feels and works like MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) , but is made from 100% post-industrial recycled wood fibre combined with wax and resin and absolutely no formaldehyde binders and no outgassing. Not the most exciting material in the world, but MDF is the workhorse of the millwork industry and it is great to be able to source a recycled formaldehyde free one. More >
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19 Feb 2006 @ 00:12
TH Eco-Action: Bridging Cultures Through Design - RISD Students continue Guatemalan Sustainable Design Adventure.
February 11, 2006 05:39 AM - Leonora Oppenheim, Barcelona
After reading about the RISD’s Bridging Cultures Through Design module and hearing about the students’ first impressions of Guatemala we are now interested to know what they’ve been learning from their collaboration with local artisans. Their time in Guatemala has been intensive, inspiring and action packed as they travel to the towns around Lake Atitlan to work with and learn from as many artisans as possible. Three students Chelsea Green, James Minola and Kathryn Maresca have been keeping track of their progress with a daily diary:
READ MORE HERE More >
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 19 Feb 2006 @ 00:01
Tiger Droppings To Help Control Ferals
February 18, 2006 01:30 AM - Warren McLaren, Sydney
Finally a story about tiger bits being highly coveted for unusual activities, that doesn't harm the poor harried creatures. Seems feral goats, which are a national pest in Australia, are spooked by aromas in tiger scat. Obviously a response deepily embedded in the goats genes ‘coz Tigers are bit few and far between down here. Anyhow, a PhD student, at the University of Queensland, has been extracting the essence from tiger poo, and creating pellets that can be sprinkled around to form a fenceless boundary that goats apparently won’t cross. A boon for farmers, this novel form of biological control could also mean a heap less wire and timber consumed to make fencing. Investigations will begin to see if it has the same effect on feral pigs and rabbits. Strangely they are going to try it on kangaroos too. Wonder when a kangaroo was last threatened by a tiger? More >
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| Wednesday, February 1, 2006 | |
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1 Feb 2006 @ 07:50
These are excerpts from this informative article. Click below to read more.
Large companies are often able to sell one organic product at a low price by subsidizing it with a line-up of non-organic products, undercutting the small producer.
Howard describes why supermarket chains (like Whole Foods in the U.S.) rarely stock local organic produce. "Whole Foods has centralized their distribution of produce, and it's easier for them to buy from a large-scale grower in Mexico than a small-scale farmer next door," he explains. "The price premiums that small-scale farmers once relied on to stay in business have been declining as they are forced to compete with massive farms that grow only a single crop. These mega-farms have economies of scale but externalize more costs to society and to ecosystems in comparison."
According to Johnston, most consumers do not distinguish between local and corporate organic foods. Johnston describes the frustrating attitudes of many shoppers, "If it's organic, it's good, even if it is shipped from Mexico or Europe. The lowest possible price is important."
For the bewildered conscientious food shopper, Kneen's advice is unequivocal: "Buy local! Ignore corporate organic, and buy locally produced food directly from the farmer or through a food co-op."
READ MORE More >
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| Saturday, January 28, 2006 | |
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28 Jan 2006 @ 23:41
Assembly OKs Bill Letting Farmers Grow Hemp
SACRAMENTO - A bill approved by the state Assembly Thursday would add California to the growing number of states seeking to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp - a biological relative of marijuana.
Supporters claim that despite its family links, hemp is a completely safe product that could become a cash crop for California farmers because of its use in a long list of products from soap and cosmetics to rope, jewelry and even luggage.
But even if the measure eventually becomes law, farmers would still face hurdles to actually cultivate the plant because hemp contains trace amounts of a banned substance and may still fall under federal anti-drug rules.
The bill's author, Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said the Assembly's passage of the measure marks an important milestone.
"This makes sense," said Leno. "It could provide an opportunity of great value to family farmers. This could be a bonanza of job growth."
The bill passed on a vote of 41-30. If senators approve it, it would need the governor's signature. A spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he has not taken a position on the proposal.
Some critics complained that allowing hemp to be grown puts the state on a slippery slope.
"You pass industrial hemp today and then something else and then something else," said Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia. "And then at some point you will get legalized marijuana."
The Drug Enforcement Administration had classified hemp as a controlled substance because an average plant contains small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinols, or THC, the same drug that gives marijuana its intoxicating effect.
Analysts from the Office of National Drug Control Policy said there are also concerns that hemp farms could be used to hide marijuana plants.
But the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2004 that the DEA did not have authority to regulate hemp. Still, Leno said it remains unclear if states have the authority to let farmers cultivate the plants.
Processed hemp imported from other countries is sold throughout the U.S. for manufacturing products. A hemp trade group estimated the annual retail market in the U.S. at $270 million.
A number of states have already passed laws aimed at allowing hemp farming, including Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia.
Although the vote Thursday in the Assembly was largely along party lines, Republican Chuck DeVore of Irvine joined Leno as a co-author.
"This measure does not allow the cultivation of marijuana," DeVore said. "All we are doing is legalizing in the United States what is already being done in 30 different nations."
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| Thursday, January 26, 2006 | |
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 26 Jan 2006 @ 22:30
UNCHAIN YOUR HEART THIS VALENTINES DAY
Seeking expert advice on how to woo your loved one this Valentines Day? Look no further. The Organic Consumers Association has assembled some handy-dandy materials to help you evade one of the biggest romance-making "no-no's"... giving a bad gift. The sweets you were thinking about buying your sweetie may not be so sweet after all. Over 40 percent of the world's chocolate comes from Côte d'Ivoire, where the International Labor Organization and US State Department have reported widespread instances of child slavery. Before your sweetheart takes a deep whiff of those roses you bought at the chain store down the street, you should know that the majority of cut flowers in the U.S. are imported from Colombia and Ecuador and have been sprayed with up to two dozen different toxic pesticides. This Valentine's Day show your loved one that you truly care.
Valentines Day Ethical Buying Guide
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| Saturday, January 21, 2006 | |
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21 Jan 2006 @ 08:04
RainTrust — Another Initiative to Save the Amazon
January 21, 2006 02:26 AM - Warren McLaren, Sydney
Billed as “one of the most comprehensive efforts in history to preserve the Amazon region while building a sustainable rainforest economy” the RainTrust asks for $100 USD for its ‘Protect an Acre’ project. For each $100, sponsors receive a certificate, but also the unique GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates for their acre (0.4 hectares) and an aerial grid photograph of the location. And in the fullness of time ecotours are planned, so you can go visit your sponsored acre. Your financial support is used to “reclaim deforested lands, and support the growth of environmentally-friendly businesses to create a thriving economy in the Amazon, as an alternative to massive deforestation.” RainTrust (nice word-play of name) is a for-profit company organised to facilitate business development and international marketing for forest-based businesses that spring from the program. They work closely with the Brazilian NGO, Amazonas Verde, who is dedicated to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. Thanks to Rachel B. who gave us the tip. Heaps more info - including a long list of endorsements from high profile folk who reckon it is a very sound concept - can be found on their extensive website at ::RainTrust More >
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| Friday, January 20, 2006 | |
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20 Jan 2006 @ 10:04
Another great Hemp story from John Roulac of Nutiva Hemp Foods.
Experimental hemp house created in north Bohemia
Prague Daily Monitor
January 15, 2006
PRAGUE, Jan 13 (CTK) - Petr Zacek is trying to fulfill his dream - to build a house of technical hemp that he has grown himself, though authorities mar his efforts, the daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) writes in its latest weekend supplement.
Zacek, 38, a gardener by profession, has been working on the construction of a two-storey house completely made of natural material in Trnovany, north Bohemia, for five years.
He recalls in the paper that after he divorced a couple of years ago, he bought a garden with a little wooden cabin as his provisional dwelling. Then he started to dream about his own house. As traditional materials such as concrete, brick or stone were too expensive for him, it crossed his mind that he could use technical hemp.
"I wanted to prove that alternative houses can be built for low costs," he told the HD supplement.
Zacek then bought seeds of the legally permitted hemp (cannabis) containing up to 0.2 percent of the narcotic substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and planted it in his small garden. He used his first hemp harvest to build first a doghouse the walls of which were reinforced with a mixture of lime and clay.
Next year, he leased a small field from the local authority where he succeeded in growing 6-metre tall hemp plants. Instead of crushing the dried plants and then manufacturing hemp bricks, he invented an easy construction method - he tied hemp sheaves which he lined up closely side by side as surrounding walls.
Zacek said he considers his construction "an experimental work of art" as he needs no documentation or budget outline, but he only follows up his imagination. If he succeeded, he plans to offer his project to young families with children, he added.
However, local authorities have not expressed understanding for his experiment. The building office in Litomerice, north Bohemia, refused to issue a permit for the construction of hemp and demanded project documentation, which Zacek refused to submit.
He insisted on his right to creative work and experimental research, referring to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. Despite the obstacles, he threw himself into the work on his house without the official consent.
First he dag out elliptical foundations where he laid small and bigger stones like cubes of child's construction kit without any binding material such as concrete. He raised a wooden structure above it, made of old piles for hops growing. Then he started to insert hemp sheaves into the wooden structure and covered them with a mixture of lime and clay instead of common sand-based plaster.
His house's shape resembles a pyramid or Eskimo igloo. The whole ground floor is a 35-square-metre large multifunctional room with heating in the middle, while the second floor offers two bedrooms and a studio, the paper writes.
It says that experts have appreciated Zacek's project.
"To build a house of renewable sources is a brilliantly simple idea," said Marie Siroka, head of the Czech Hemp Association, adding that hemp can also be used as fuel the quality of which is comparable to brown coal.
"Moreover, a house made of natural material radiates a positive energy," she stressed.
Architect Oldrich Hozman, renowned expert in experimental structures, has highly praised Zacek's "pioneer project."
"This is an example worth consideration how to build both simply and efficiently and at the same time without burdening the environment," Hozman told the paper.
However, Zacek's neighbours do not share experts' enthusiasm. They filed a complaint against the illegal building. Zacek again defended himself, pointing to his right to free creation and the highly environment-friendly character of his house, but in vain.
The local authorities strictly demanded a project documentation that would cost some 30,000 crowns which Zacek with a 8,000-crown monthly wage could not afford. If he does not meet the legal conditions, his experimental house will be threatened with demolition.
"The system is wrong as instead of supporting the creation of an environment-friendly house, it puts obstacles in its way," the paper quotes Zacek as saying.
Moreover, his growing of technical hemp was complicated by occasional thieves and by policemen who from time to time checked his field. Once criminal police arrived and took samples of his hemp plants. The laboratory analysis then found out that their THC content exceeded the permitted level by 0.05 percent.
Zacek was charged with the production and possession of narcotic substances and in the end given a one-year suspended sentence with a two-year probation, the paper writes.
Nevertheless, this experience did dot discourage him from his intention to complete the hemp house. He has already made the rough structure and he must yet lay wooden floors inside, cover the roof with thick hemp-made canvas and then connect the house to the water and sewage system. So far, he has consumed ten tonnes of hemp he has grown alone in a small field.
The paper recalls that hemp is now applied as construction material in many EU countries and its popularity has been rising. The highest number of hemp-made house is in France, followed by Austria, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries.
In the Czech Republic, the ban on technical hemp was lifted in 1999. Now hemp fields cover some 160 hectares only, but according to the Czech Hemp Association, hemp growing and processing will expand in the future as home-made hemp fibres will be also less expensive than the imported ones.
Apart from Zacek's house, hemp has been used in the construction of three modern houses in the Czech Republic.
Zacek told the paper he plans to fully complete his house this autumn. If the project proves viable, he would like to set up a company building similar low-budget hemp houses for young people who are short of money.
"Isn't it marvellous that material for the construction of a family house can grow in your field in a year?" Zacek concluded in HN supplement. More >
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19 Jan 2006 @ 00:36
The Sioux Turn Hemp into Homes
from [link] Nutiva Hemp Foods
The Oglala Sioux Tribe, from South Dakota, have been making use of a revolutionary, new building material made from hemp. Hempcrete is much lighter, tougher and more weatherproof than traditional concrete and it offers those who live on the Reservation the long-awaited return to a self-sustainable and independent life. After much legal campaigning, the Slim Butte Land Use Association, or LUA, were recently granted their secured treaty right to cultivate and harvest ‘industrial hemp’, even though it has been growing wild on the Prairies since the 1800s
"It is very important to us that we’re able to grow a crop that allows us to live in balance with Mother Earth," says Loretta Afraid Of Bear Cook, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Chair of the LUA. "Hemp does not require any chemicals and it allows us to start taking care of our people ourselves." Joe American Horse, LUA Programme Manager and former President of the Sioux Council added: "Our people used to have buffalo for food, clothing and shelter, now hemp can do all that for us." In addition to providing them an economic base, the cultivation of hemp will also reduce reliance on diminishing natural resources and contribute to a global ecological health. "This is a way we can help our people and also our environment," he said.
The provision of solid and durable housing is vital on the Reservation as the tornadoes and violent wind storms often destroy their homes. Former US President, Bill Clinton, visited the area and acknowledged: "There is no more crucial a building block for a strong community and a promising future than a solid home." LUA members have now completed the building of their first hemp house using entirely their own resourses. The dwelling was for Ernest Afraid of Bear, a 71 year old, Sioux elder and spiritual leader. His age prevented him from obtaining a mortgage to build or buy a conventional home so the tribe decided to build it themselves using the hempcrete. The project was two-fold in that it also provided construction jobs for community members.
Forty acres of reservation have now been designated for the hemp crops. Wheat and cattle prices have declined sharply and are no longer profitable, however, the Tribe has several other plans for sustainable agriculture and husbandry, such as: the reestablishment of buffalo herds, wind generated electricity, the recultivation of the blue herb Echinacea, traditionally grown and used by the Native Americans long before its Western use, and tourism, with new (hemp built) bed and breakfast homes. Many hemp product companies have expressed a desire to buy the oil seed products from the Reservation to be used in everything from the manufacture of cosmetics to tortilla chips. More >
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Sounding Circle - Category: Permaculture
