[Cob] codes and laws

[Copper Harding]

Ok.  One more.

I've been watching the strawbale, earthbag, cob etc. 
the "natural building" people try their hardest to get
the UBC or local building codes changed to allow
"their" type of building.  Usually the type of
building that they are totally in love with.  That
isn't to say that any of them are bad options - but
sometimes that taints the process of interaction with
building officials.  

Or, on some level, makes many avoid any interaction
with them to avoid having to comply with the code.

So I was wondering, why do we have the UBC in the
first place.  Well, to protect people.  That's a good
thing in my book.  Why do we, as a natural building
community, have a problem with the UBC - in short  -
it's lack of flexibility.  Or even shorter - it denies
us something that seems to be a pretty basic and
intrinsict human drive - the drive for shelter.

So if it's that basic - why are we not talking, as a
community, about changing the law that governs our
rights from the get go?  I would recommend maybe
changing it on a state by state level (easier to
uphold as much of the building regulatory power is at
the state or even the county/city level)

I would think that many states might just be open to
changing their state constitution to protect the right
to provide one's own shelter.

Ok - so there it is - I may have just gone off my
rocker.  If so, please email me and tell me it's the
shortage of blood circulating to my brain due to the
extensive drain of moquito bites

:)

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