[Strawbale] PEX tubing in floors

[John Swearingen]

On 4/30/07, David Neeley <dbneeley at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Shody,
>
>
> In many places, summer air is both warm and humid. When it is humid,
> less of your own perspiration can evaporate, leaving you uncomfortably
> warm. (This is why desert heat does not seem so oppressive since it is
> hot but dry).
>
> This is why an air conditioner can be quite comfortable, too, as it
> needn't be kept as cold since it also dehumidifies to a more
> comfortable level. That allows your body to work as it was designed
> to--cooling you through evaporation of the sweat we are constantly
> releasing.


 Thank you for your clear explanations of AC's and heating.  I'd like to
swing the discussion back to straw bale, and perhaps muddy the air a bit.
As miraculous and comfortable as air conditioning might be, we humans can
live successfully in a variety of climates without reliance on mechanical
support.  Our modern lifestyles may have made "natural living" less
desirable, or palatable, but we're nevertheless more suited to living in a
natural environment than an artificial one. Straw bale construction can
support this.

One of the things we've discovered is that we can design SB buildings, that
will not require air conditioning, even in California's hot Central Valley.
The buildings might be warmer, and temperature fluctuations wider, then in
an air conditioned building, but I would say that such variation is healthy,
stimulating the body to respond and adapt.  And when the living environment
is not so far removed from the outdoor climate, the outdoors is not
perceived as hostile, difficult or unmanageable.  Lifestyles and perceptions
can change significantly as a result.

Of course there are economic and social implications, as well.  People who
live in naturally responsive environments tend to be more healthy, and so
place less burden on health care systems and have less sick time than those
who are dependant upon artifical support.  In the Central Valley buildings
suck huge amounts of energy from the electric grind each summer, leading to
the eventual, inevitable collapse of the power grid.  Benevolent agencies
such as Enron have risen to make sure that such imbalances continue to
occur. And the Republican administration slightly relaxed the efficiency
requirements on AC's, an act that, although almost unnoticed, could result
in enough inefficencies to cause collapse in, say, a Chicago heat wave, with
resulting deaths...but I ramble.

...and continue. Local communities find themselves sending huge amounts of
money off to strange places that source, or broker, the electricity.  Let's
not even consider the wars we might fight in order to assure our flow of
energy.

In the 19th Century "machine breaking", in this case of textile machines,
was made a capital crime. (The lucky ones got sent to Australia), lest
economic progress be delayed.  Granted, things were getting out of hand:

"Information has just been given that you are the owner of those detestable
shearing frames, and I have been asked by my men to give you a warning to
pull them down. If they are not taken down by the end of next week, i shall
send at least 200 men to destroy them. If you fire at my men, they have
orders to murder you and burn all your houses. Go to your neighbours and
inform them that the same fate awaits them if their frames are not taken
down.Signed by the general of the army,
 Ned Ludd"

We can achieve the same by gentler means.  But I would certainly suggest,
along with shooting your TV, smashing your air conditoner, but only after
you've moved into a passivly cooled building...

John "Luddite?" Swearingen


-- 
John Swearingen
Skillful Means, Inc.
Design and Construction
www.skillful-means.com