RE: Building with Nature in Mind | Musing on Natural Building
Meeting our basic needs of water, food, water, shelter and medicine are given over to the experts or professionals.
Or worse yet the government! don't get me started on that rant.
Typo 1994 should be 1944 in victory garden discussion.
You have discussed previously but building codes make it virtually impossible to build your own shelter in most cities. We built a house when I was in high school (so thats like 30 + years ago for reference) and my dad acted as the general contractor. We did what we could and sub'd some of the big jobs like framing and pouring the foundation. Even then it was difficult dealing with the city and the various inspectors. And this was in a small town of about 5,000 population.
The change starts with people starting to go off the grid but there has to be some societal changes. Governments have to be receptive to these changes or get out of the way.
Ya, the USA was definitely NOT growing that much food in 94, thanks.
What you bring up is super real and a big hurdle. Codes are there to create safety standards and they can be like a death grip. I'm sure it hasn't gotten ANY easier since you were building...
Ya, you nailed it here "Governments have to be receptive to these changes or get out of the way". Also there's the element of sneaking around the codes by doing different things like small out-building, composting toilets and interior earthen plasters. Still we have a lot way to go and in the event of any catastrophes (heaven forbid) we will be SOL without the grid to make all the material to rebuild....
It's time we remembered how to work with the elements again. Luckily theres a large culture growing around natural building and it's much easier to learn than it was before.
Amen. I'm all in on this. Great post!