RAIN Journal of Appropriate Technology NOVEMBER 1976 VOL. Ill, NO.2 ONE DOLLAR INSIDE: TOFU and M·ISO MAKING p.4 STOLEN GOODS p.10 WOOD STOVE CONSUMER'S GUIDE p.12
Page 2 RAIN November 1976 RAIN access (!NFORMATION) One of my images of a vital, exciting way to live in a city is the old Italian city, where layer upon layer of homes crowded on a hillside connected by bridges and alleyways- greenspaces and courtyards popping out at you in unexpected places. And the people-mama mia!- they hang out over the balconies carrying on three-way exchanges with the street below or sit in groups in the square; children run up and down the street. Hectic and noisy, but people enjoying each other and knowing who could help them when they need itto repair their sink, sew a graduation dress or teach geometry. Our culture and the structure of our cities and lives have conspired to deaden this sharing and caring aspect of living closely together. We rarely have contact with other people in our building, much less down the street. A movement is afoot to try to change this. One example is the many community and service groups building tot lots, starting food co-ops and doing gardens. Another example is community resource centers and community information exchanges. They are springing up all over the place. Steve]ohnson here at RAIN has been involved in setting up one in our own neighborhood of Portland-APPLE (A People-to-People Living Exchange). He'll cover more of this whole subject in future issues. In the meantime, here are a few examples of some of the more successful information exchange projects in other parts. The Learning Exchange P.O. Box 920 Evanston, IL 60204 312/273-3 383 (LdeM) Chicago area residents can find teachers, tutors, discussion groups, students, speakers and action projects to share their information and talents through The Learning Exchange. There are more than 2,500 listings in topics ranging from applique to Virginia Woolf, and in four years more than 20,000 people of all ages and skill levels have been connected up. About half the people charge for their service, others barter or volunteer. Listing and inquiries are free, but a $15 membership means a helpful catalogue, a special phone line and a newsletter. It sounds almost too good to be true, but it seems to be working and, I'm sure, filling a huge gap in many people's lives. Concilio Campesino Del Sudoeste P.O. Box 62 San Miguel, NM 88058 505/23 3-3153 The 2,000 mostly Mexican-American residents of this 5-town area in the Lower Mesilla Valley speak little English, have no phones or cars and are not reached by a local newspaper. The Concilio, a broadly-based membership organization, engineered $50,000 worth of volunteer labor to build a community center, got a resident elected to the County Commission, and are now setting up a skills bank and a sellertrade directory for the community. Their tack is to use the organic communication network already in the area-priests, bartenders, beauticians, shopkeepers. Everything for Everybody 406 West 13th New York, NY 10014 Here's a newspaper that has a couple of branch community centers and does it for New York City. Memberships cost $1 for a month, $15 for 6 months, $25 for a year, and $1,000 for a lifetime. This entitles one to a copy of the newspaper every two weeks and free listings which, from what I saw, cover the depth and breadth of people's needs and imaginations. There are also display ads sold. It's a nice eclectic collection of things to barter, sell or do, as well as philosophy and fun. Nicely laid out-it even has a page in Spanish. Community Information Centre (CIC) 1946 West Broadway Vancouver, BC, Canada 604/736-3661 CIC is the central hub of a network of very fine neighborhood information centers scattered throughout the city of Vancouver. They provide info on services and events by telephone referral, displaying of public notices and reference materials; they provide free meeting space, phones, office equipment and clerical assistance for community projects; and they help people wend their way through the maze of agencies by helping them fill out forms and giving practical or moral support in making legitimate claims for services. A visit to CIC is a marvel-volunteers busily answering phones, file drawers and card catalogues clicking, and bulletin boards crammed with interesting notices. These people know an amazing amount about their city and have worked out an effective and efficient means of making that information available to people who need it. The Information Place (TIP) Detroit Public Library 5201 Woodward Ave. Detroit, MI 48202 313/833-1000 The Detroit Public Library system decided to use its considerable resources and librarian genius for locating, indexing and arranging information to take on a community information center function. It is conceived of as a live directory to all the services available (governmental and private) in the city or the state to the citizens of Detroit. TIP is available at the Main Library and at each of its branches, although the degree of referral or follow-up and advo- .cacy varies from branch to branch. Some even do house-to-house canvassing in disadvantaged neighborhoods to make new services and programs known. It feels good to have a city library that is · much more than an ivory tower that only the comfortably literate can brave.
November 1976 RAIN Page 3 RAIN is a monthly information access journal and referen.<:e service for people developing more satisfying patterns that increase local self-reliance and press less heavily on our limited resources. We try to give access to: * Solid.technical support for evaluating and implementing new ideas. *Ecological and philosophical perceptions that can help create more satisfying options for living, working and playing. * Up-to-date information on people, events and publications. National Self-Help Resource Cehter 1800 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20007 ' 202/338-5704 If you want to know more about community resource centers and community information projects, get in touch with ' Susan Davis at this project. They are keeping track of what's happening all over the country and have put together ' a how-to notebook with a very complete bibliography and resource secdon. Write for information about its availability and watch RAIN. APPROPR.IATE TECHNOLOGY' Conserver Society News 512 Blvd. Wilfred Lavigne Aylmer, Quebec }94 3W3 Canada Bi-monthly, $5/yr. for individuals, $15 for institutions. Not to be confused (but why not?-they sound alike) with Conserver Society Notes put out by the Science Council of Canada, CS News is a grassroots newsletter for Canadians developing a society in harmony with the biosphere. It's edited by Bruce McCallum, author of Environmentally Appropriate Technology (RAIN, May 1975). It has inputs froin reporters in almost every province and is beginning to provide a good coverage of events, projects and goings on in Canada. The same group has set up a nonprofit cooperative company, Conserver Society Products, to distribute environmentally·appropriate technologies. Initial function is as a buyers' co-op, with emphasis on wood-burning technologies. Contact: Conserver Society . Products, P.O. Box 43 77, Station' E, · Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (TB) First Steps in Village Mechanization, by G. A. Macpherson, 1975, from: Tanzania Publishing House P.O. B.ox 2138 Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania A handbook prepar:ed for cooperative development villages in Tanzania. How to start from nothing except people ·and the things around them and finish in 4 to 5 years with village workshops producing equipment for agriculture and other rural activities. Selection of trainers, starting and managing a cooperative workshop, producing workshop equipment and tools, making furniture, village transport, agricultural equipment·and training donkeys and oxen. A fine, clearly illustrated, stepby-step gu.ide with good design drawings, especially notf!.ble for its commonsense advice on things like how a tractor may harm a village and Warnings about the effects of free aid mon·ey. Of value to overdeveloped countries for its simple and straightforward advice on doing things: don't start with a workshop building-build a bench under a tree; don't build a jig for holding wheelbarrows during construction-dig a hole. for the wheel and work on the ground; don't cut the tread off an old tire to make a wagon wheel-stuff planks into the tire and build the wheel inside it! (TB) ~ational Centre for Alte~native Technology Llwyngwern Quarry Pantperthog Machynlleth Powys Wales I had to mention these folks because my tongue had a spasm trying to pronounce their address and I wanted to see if our typesetter would go berserk typing it (she didn'~t Alphabet soup addresses aside, what these folks have been doing in Great Britain is an important element in developing any new patterns. They've set up a demonstration center for alternative technologies ·where people can come see, kick, shake, try out and get a feeling for the reality of things like compost toilets, windmills and solar heaters. Very few people can visualize that sort of thing without seeing it, and seeing it puts it into a category of reality right along with the traditional options they're familiar with. This British center has had more than 50,000 visitors this year, Farallones Urban House has 150 visitors every ~aturday, and new understandings of what's happening are spreading like wildfire. Inquire about the Center's series of Do-lt-Yourself (DIY) plans for windmills, waterpumps, ~tc. (TB) NATIONAL CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY (U.K.)
Page 4 'RAIN November 1976 Sometimes all the pieces of a puzzle come together in a very fine way, de.lighting our minds' search for wholistic patterns. It happened the other day when Bill Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi walked into the RAIN House bearing copies of their Book of Tofu and Book ofMiso arid a vision that links together world food utilization, good eating, cottage industry, local self-reliance ·and a Zen way of thinking. They are a fine example of what a couple of people can do with a strong pur- . pose and lots of well-directed energy and generosity. An initial love of tofu and curiosity about its making led to research in Japan, the writing of tWo very fine and thorough books on tofu and miso (see below), and to a resulting mushrooming of interest in these protein-rich food products. Bill and Akiko have set up the New-Age Foods Study Center to help carry out their work and now divide their time between networking here to help development of tofu and miso-making and s~udying and writing in Japan about food processihg techniques. · Bill is learning the new art of sea far,ming-the cultivation of a wealth of vegetables common to the Japanese diet-nori, wakame, kombu, agar, kelp and more. They have also discovered that kuzu, a valuable delicacy in Japan, grows wild all over the Southern part of the USA, where it is presently considered an uncontrollable pest. They are planning a book on the.full story of using kuzu in cookery and natural medicine, aswell as employing the plant for fodder, fertilizer and erosion control. (LdeM) TOFU and MISO Tofu-also known in the West as bean curd or soybean cakehas been the low-cost protein backbone of the East Asian diet · for more than 2,000 years. Discovered. by a Chinese prince in · 164 B.C., tofu is·presently the single most important soybean food for more than one billion people and is prepared fresh each morning at 38,000 shops in Japan alone. Now widely available across America, tofu is the answer that millions of nutrition- and cost-conscious people have been searching for. Natural and inexpensive, it makes fullest use of the earth's nutritional resources-and offers a resolutionary yet simple approach to meeting the world's critical food requirements. - A Family of Distinctively Varied Foods For many of us in the West, the word "tofu" refers to the most popular variety, known for its firm custard-like texture, delicate flavor and cream-white color. However, in its broader sense, "tofu" refers to a family of more than fourteen different high-p.rotein soybean foods, .each with its own unique flavor, texture and appearance; each suited to distinctively different types of cookery. The various forms include deep-fried, grilled, wine-fermented and silken-smooth tofu, plus a host of others, as shown in figure 1. Each is available in the West at natural food stores, co-ops, supermarkets, Japanese and Chinese food markets, or, at reduced rates, directly from the more than ~5 tofu shops now in operation throughout Amedca. These tasty and highly nutritious tofu products are versatile enough to become indispensable -ingredients in many of your favorite Western-style dishes, including dressings, spreads, dips and hors d'oeuvres; salads, sandwiches, soups and sauces; egg, vegetable and grain preparations; barbecued and deepfried specialties, casseroles, and even desserts. A traditional favorite in vegetarian cuisine, tofu can serve as the key to planning delicious.meatless meals. A Storehouse of High-Ouality Protein Nutritionally, tofu is perhaps the finest known source of lowcost, high-quality protein, free of choiesterol and low in . saturated fats and calo~ies. The protein value of any food depends on two basic factors: the quantity of protein in the EATING HIGH AND LIGHTLY food and the quality of that protein. Quantity is usually expressed as a simple percentage of weight. By comparing the following figures, it can be seen that tofu and other soybean products rank at the top of the l(st-ahead of_meats and dairy products. Food · Dried-frozen tofu Soy flour (defatted) Dry soybeans Cheeses Fish Chicken Beef (steak) Tofu pouches (agel %Protein By Weight 53 51 3.5 30 . 22 ' 21 20 19 Food Tofu burger (ganmo) Hamburger Eggs %Protein By Weight 15 13 13 Chinese-style tofu (doufu) Tofu cutlets (thick agel Tofu 11 10 Brown rice (uncooked) Milk (whole) Due to the principle of protein complementarity-explained in detail in Frances Moore Lappe's best-selling Diet for a Small Planet-tofu's unique amino acid composition makes it not only a basic protein source, but also a truly remarkable protein booster. Since tofu contains an abundance of lysine, an essential amino acid that is deficient in many grain products, the use of even small amounts of tofu together with these cereal foods can produce large increases in usable protein. For example, by serving only 2% ounces of tofu together with 1 cup of brown rice, we obtain 32 percent more protein than if we served these foods separately. A rich source of calcium, tofu provides about 3.8 percent of the daily requirement per 8-ounce serving and has therefore served as a key calcium source in countries and diets where dairy products are not 'widely used. It is also rich in iron and contains a healthy balance of vitamins and other minerals. Unlike so many other high-protein foods, tofu has an alkaline composition which promotes long life and good health. Low ·in chemical toxins, tofu and soybeans have only about onetwentiety the pesticide levels found on the average in meats, fish and poultry. For the rapidly increasing number of Westerners who find that a meatless or vegetarian diet makes good sense-whether
from an economical, ecological, religious, health or humanitarian point of view-tofu can serve as the basic source of pro- . tein just as it has since ancient times for the millions of vegetarians throughout East Asia where it has come to be known as the "meat of the fields" and ''m~at without a bone." from "What Is Tofu?" WHAT IS MISO? Miso, or "fermented soybean paste," is one of East Asia's most important soybean foods. An all-purpose, high-protein seasoning and basic staple, it is used in many of the same ways that we in the West use salt. Delightfully Varied; Highly Versatile Miso has no equivalent among Western foods or seasonings. Its smooth or chunky texture resembles that of a very soft peanut butter, or a firm cottage cheese. The most widely available and traditional of the many natural varieties come in warm, earthy colors ranging from tans and russets through deep ambers and rusty reds to rich chocolate .browns and loamy blacks. More modern varie'ties come in sunlight yellows and creamy beiges. Each miso has its own distinctive flavor and aroma, which, for the darker, more traditional varieties, is savory and sometimes almost meaty, while for the lightercolored types it is subtly sweet and de(icately refreshing. To the sensitive palate, no two varieties of miso taste the same; the range of flavors and colors, textures and aromas is at least as varied as that of the wor.ld's finest wi~es ~r cheeses. ' November 1976 RAIN Page 5 Miso is prized by cooks for its almost unlimited versatility. It can be used like bouillion or a rich meat stock in soups and stews; like Worcestershire, soy sauce or ketchup in sauces, dips and dressings; like cheese in casseroles and spreads; like ' chutney or relish as a topping for grains or fresh vegetabl,e slices; as a gravy base with sauteed or steamed vegetables; or even like vinegar as a pickling medium. Used in many of these ways for centuries in Japanese kitchens, it has set its distinctive mark of deep, rich flavor on the entire'panorama of Japanese cuisine and added zest and variety to a diet which has long consisted primarily of grains, land-and-sea vegetables and the many varieties of tofu. · · A Nutritional Treasure Trove Miso is a remarkable source of essential nutr·ients, especially high-quality protein; the average amount of protein in all , varieties is about 13 percent, and the maximum approaches 20 percent. These figures compare very favorably with chicken (21%), beef i:>r cottage cheese (20%), hamburger or eggs (13%), and whole dairy milk (3%). Miso is also a powerful protein booster due to its abundance of the very amino acids lacking I NEIGHBORHOOD INDUSTRY: a semi-traditional tofu shop 1.1 Curding Barrel Settling Containers I Cauldron Deep-frying Area
Page 6 RAIN November 1976 in most grains; the use of only small amounts of miso together with rice, bread, noodles or other grain preparations can boost the available protein by as much as 30 to 40 percent. One of the few vegetarian sources of essential vitamin 812. miso is also rich in enzymes and lactic acid bacteria-the same as found in yogurt-which play a vital role in aiding digestion. And it can serve as the key to low-fat cookery, replacing the need in Western cookery for oils and fats which are generally employed to soften salt's sharpness-as in dressings and meat. dishes. Low in calories and cost, miso is a traditional, natural food considered by many Japanese to promote long life and good health. Easy to use, it can be stored almost indefinitely at room temperature without refrigeratiqn. Perhaps more important, the use of miso allows each of us to do our small part in making better use of the earth's limited food reso1Jrces by enjoying soy and grain proteins directly, thereby avoiding the colossal and tragic waste involved in the Western pattern of feeding these proteins to livestock. from "What Is Miso?" MAKING IT Traditional tofu shops in Japan-like so many operations there-are a perfect example of small-scale, neighborhoodbased cottage industry. The process is relatively simple, requiring a minimum capital investment, and, as the new tofu shops·springing up in American communities will attest, the market is growing daily as we switch from our meat-centered diet to "eating high and lightly" (see RAIN, January 1976). Bill and Akiko have been amazed and pleased at the increasing level of interest in miso and tofu-making. At the New Ages Foods Study Center, they have a list of existing shops and can send you to orre near your area for ad':'ice and ideas. They, have also prepared technical manuals for setting up facilities and sell materials such as the pressing boxes, tofu solidifier, miso starter and other equipment for home or commercial use. Write them for a complete price list. Want to make your own? Here's a simplified recipe. Read The Book of Tofu for mote detailed directions as well as ideas . for using it. The Learning Tree, Box 620, Occidental, CA 95465, makes a nice little kit with' a pine pressing box which they sell for $11.95 ($7.77 wholesale). Homemade Tofu 1-1/2 cups dry soybeans, washed, soaked in 6 cups water for 10 hours, rinsed and drained 16 cups water, approximately 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 teaspoons granular nigari (bittern) or Epsom salts; or 1/4 cup lemon juice or vinegar. Prepare in advance: Set a colander into a large pot and line colander with a moistened coarse-weave dis~cloth or sack. Line a 2-quart strainer or perforated box with a moistened fine-weave cotton cloth. ' Begin heating 7-112 cups water in a large pot. Combine onehalf the soaked soybeans with 2 cups water in a blender and . puree for 3 minutes; add puree to heating water. Puree and and aqd remaining beans in same way. Stirring constantly, bring contents of pot just to a boil, then pour into cloth-lined colander or sack. Gather corners of cloth, twist closed, and press firmly with the base of a jar to extract soymilk. Now mix the pulp (okara or unohana) in sack with 3 cups water, re-press 'and set aside pulp in sack for use in other recipes. Return both pressings of soymilk to cooking pot and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil; simmer for 5 minute.s. Dissolve nigari or other solidifier in 1 cup water, then stir mixture very slowly into hot soymilk. Cover and allow to stand for 3 minutes, or until milk has separated into soft white curds and pale yellow liquid whey. Gently press a small fine-mesh strainer into pot and allow several cups whey to collect in it. Ladle out all of this whey and reserve for use in soup stocks. Ladle curds into cloth~lined 2-quart strainer or perforated box and press beneath a lid with a 1-pound weight for 15 minutes. Place finished tofu in a container of cold water for 3 minutes, cut into portions and chill. Serve toppeq with a sprinkling of shoyu and, if desired, grated gingerroot, crushed garlic or minced leeks. Illustrated det~ils of this process are given in The Book of Tofu. Firm, Chinese-style tofu is made by simply increasing the pressing weight to 4 pounds. Deep-fried, frozen or grilled tofu are prepared using thi's firm tofu as the basic ingredient.
- Publications by Shurtleff & Aoyagi available from: New Age Foods Study Center 790 Los Palos Manor Lafayette, CA 94549 The Book of Tofu: 500 recipes, 300 illustrations, 336 pages, 8-1/2 by 11-inch large format. Contains instructions for preparing each of the seven basic types of tofu as well as soym1lk, tempeh, yuba and other soy products. (Autumn Press, $6.95). November 1976 RAIN Page 7 The Book ofMiso: 400 recipes, 300 illustrations, 256 pages, 8-112 by 11-inch large format. Contains instructions for preparing many types of miso. (Autumn Press, $6.95). The Book of Tofu, Vol. II: A technical manual for starting a commercial tofu shop. 122 pages, typewritten, unedited, 8-1/2 by 11-inch large format, staple-bound, basic chapters only. Offset printed; $12.95 eKh. · The Bo9k of Miso, Vol. II: A technical manual for starting a commercial miso shop. 45 pages, typewritten, unedited, offset printed, legal size, staple-bound. $3.50 each. Bill and Akiko are presently traveling around the country talking to a wide variety ofgroups about miso and tofu and explaining some of the basics of setting up small-scale, local production of these foo~s. If you want to see them, here are a couple of key contact places on the East Cost. (Sorry, Pacific NW! We caught them at the very end of their trip in this neck of the woods): . November 11-21: Erewhon Natural Foods, 33 Farnsworth Pamphlets: Ten pages, accordion-folded, packed with information, illustrations and favorite Western-style recipes. Special prices for quantity orders. What is Tofu? What is Miso? What is Shoyu? (coming soon), 15¢ each. St., Boston, MA 02218, 617/542-13 58." · December 1-5: Annamarie Colbin, East West Center, 365 West End Ave., New York, NY 10024, 212/244-4270. Tempeh: A 1-page brochure taken from The Book of Tofu describing how to prepare this savory fermented bean food. 25¢ each, 10 for $1.50. , December 15: Michael Rosoff, East West Center, P.O. Box 40012, Wash_ington, DC 20016, 202/920-2083. Tapes : Recorded live at lecture-demonstrations in America. Audio cassettes, 120 min., Tofu, Miso, $5 each. Color Video, 30 min., Tofu, Food for Mankind, $10 rental plus $30 deposit. For a complete copy of their schedule thro'ugh January, including the rest of the Northeast, South, Colorado, New Mexico and ·california, write: New Age Foods Study Center, 790 Los Palos Manor, Lafayette, CA 94549, 415/283-3161. , €GRICULTURE · FOO~ Underexploited Tropical Plants with Promising Economic Value, by the National Academy of Sciences, 1975,' free from: Board on S~ience and Technology for Industrial Development National Science Foundation 2101 Constitution Ave., JH 215 Washington, DC 20418 This belongs on your bookshelf next to Forest Farming (RAIN, July 1976), Good and Wild, and Butterflies in Your Stomach (RAIN, October 1976). Underexploited is probably a good category to be in if the other options are Extinct, Exploited and Over-Exploited, but it's definitely our loss that we have tried to feed the world's people with only abopt 20 plants. We have an incredible range pf soils and climates, and these 20 plants form a pretty small bulwark between us and starvation. Diversity has benefits, and this study lays out some astounding potentials we've overlooked in the rest of the plant kingdom-in tropical areas alone! Cultural colonialization and balloon bread may be good for some but not for all. Try these for a sampling: a wild Australian grass that yiel_ds nutritious grain on just one deep watering; amaranthis-a 'Central American grain with high yields and extremely high levels and quality of protein; zostera-a grain-producing grass-like plant that grows in sea water; arracacha-a Peruvian "parsnip" often grown instead of potatoes, at half the ' cost; mangosteen-probably the world's best-tasting fruit; plants that grow through salt crusts on the ground; and gourds that produce more oil, protein and starch on the desert than most crops do with plentiful rainfall. This list goes on·and O!l· An important pathfinder for futur~. agricultural directions. (TB) Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) 51 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 212/566-09.90 CENYC is a privately-funded citizens organization affiliated with the Office of the Mayor. They have what look to be a whole lot of interesting projects which we are in the process of-finding more about. The information on them we do have is about their Green Project, directed by Liz Christy, which is providing planning and horticultural assis- ' tance to community-sponsored projects in the city. They give workshops, distribute handy information sheets and have a Mobile Greening Unit, complete with tools, that gives on-site advice .and instruction on soil preparation, planting, garden maintenance, tree and plant selection, design and neighborhood organization. They also have a Garden Tool and Book Lending Library. (LdeM) Farms ofPuget Sound, 1976, free from: Preserve Land for Agriculture Now P.O. Box 5501 Seattle, WA 98105 ·This is the niftiest thing we've seen.yet to make good fresh produce available and h~lp out the small farmer. One side is a listing of farms in the Puget Sound area, along with 'the address, phone, listing of products, dates and times. Each listing has a number. The other side is a map locating the farms. There's also an alphabetical listing of produce with farms' numbers next to each vegetable. Simple and effective. First printing of 35,000 was gone in a month. (LdeM-thanks to Mark ~usick)
Page 8, RAIN November 1976 (REBUILDING ) Things usually change so gradually that we have to keep our eyes open if we want to know when we're suddenly into. a new ballgame. Everyone who has been angered by the demolition _of beautiful historical buildings to make way for parking lots and fast food chains will be happy to know that we seem to have passed from conditions that encourage such waste to conditions that encourage restoration, renovation, preservation, caring and adapting. Even small buildings are now being disassembled rather than demolished, old neighbo'rhood buildings and homes are being fixed up and.upper_stories reoccupi~d. And suddenly a rash of new resources appears for renovation and reuse of old buildings. (TB) Economic Benefits ofPreserving Old Buildings, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1976, $5.50 from: The Preservation Press 1729 H Street, N.W., Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Escalating construction costs have made the rehabilitating of old buildings economically advantageous. The U.S. General Services Administration has testified to Congress that saving an old building employs five times as many people as building a new one of the same size-a figure verified by labor organizations. Preservation results in economic use of energy and materials, and many old buildings were designed qcpressly for natural daylighting, ventilatiO'n and thermal control that are again becoming desirable. These conference proceedings detail the experiences of many architects and developers spearheading rehabilitation practiceseconomics, financing problems, structural and architectural restoration, and adaptation to new uses. Their successes offer handsome evidence of the -value of preservation, though warning notes are sounded against the transitory value of chic "formula" antiquing and commercial/nostalgic restorations. Reusing Railroad Stations, by Educational Facilities Laboratories and the National Endowment for the Arts, 1974, $4 from: EFL 850 Third Ave. New York, NY 10022 Over 40,000 railroad stations have been built in this country since 1830. 20,000 still stand, but few will see another passenger-train unless massive increases in ridership and financial support for rail travel again develop. Many fine and useful buildings have already been lost to the wrecker's ball because of an inability to assemble new occupancy, financing and interest in rehabilitation.. This study documents the availability of fine and usable structures, the apathy and antagonism of JV.any railroad companies, and, more heartening, a wide range of successful conversions to other uses-art colleges, shopping centers, homes, offices, nursery schools and even a bank. . The Restoration Manual, by Orin Bullock, Jr., 1966, $12.95 from: Silvermine Publishers, Inc. Norwalk, CT 06850 The sleuthing involved in analyzing and restoring old buildings is almost as esoteric as collecting Nepalese snuff jars, but it is frequently necessary and .useful for restoring the beauty of fine old buildings buried under a patina of misuse, vandalism and destructive "modernization." A whole new world of beauty can open up·when you see a 17th century Persian garden pavilion emerge from beneath the French Rococo plaster· that had covered its exquisite poly- ' chrome and gold vaulting and faceted. mirrored domes for 200 years. This manual outlines the basic procedure for historical, archeological and architectural research, execution of a restoration, climate control in restored buildings, use of photogrammi~ng and other sneaky techniques. / The Old House journal 188 Berkeley Place Brooklyn, NY 11217 212/636-4514 $12/year (monthly). Subtitled "Renovation and Maintenance Ideas for the Antique House," here's the journal that will keep you up to date on how to do it. Preserving exterior woodwork, Gothic decoration in the American house, patching up your old piping, refinishing old floors, and more. There's also a yearly Buyer's Guide ($5.50) with sources for hard-to-find products and services. Encouraging to see that it's still possible to find handmade bricks, exterior cornices, Victorian door handles and gingerbread trim, and that people are putting loving care into preserving and enhancing the legacy given us by past generations. (wATER ) Water Conservation in California, Bulletin 198, May 1976, free from: State of California Dept. of Water Resources P.O. Box 388 Sacramento, CA 95802 Water may seem too plentiful to be concerned about, but it is getting scarce in many places as population density, industrial and irrigation demands increase. Massive shortages may be seen in the near future in some areas. It also costs a lot of money to drain, purify and distribute and to process again as sewage. We often feel hesitant to implement residential water use reduction because some people feel it just makes more available for wasteful industrial or agricultural practices. California has had an early taste of these conditions in the last few years and this report has some hard figures on how water is used, what savings can be obtained and what measures were possible to obtain them. 85% of all state water use is agricultural, 0.1% is for power plant cooling, 2% for fish and wildlife and 13% urban. 68% of the urban use is residential, 14% commercial and governmental anq 18% indus-
trial. 44% of the residential use is for landscaping and 55% for interior use, of which 42% is used by the toilet and 32% by the bath. rhe report projects 50% water savings in new cpnstruction, 38% in existing buildings, 5-10% in agriculture. Case studies of water conservation in industry are presented but no projections of statewide effects. (TB) Residential Water Conservation, by Murray Milne, 1976, $7.50 from: California Water Resources Center University of California Davis, CA 95616 Best available source on water conserving hardware for the home- diagrams of equipment available, description of operation and economic analysis of News from TILTH The last month has seen a flurry of activity, trying to get as much work done as possible before the rains set in again. Cover crops have been planted on all the open fields to get them ready for winter, I'm in the midst of repairing the water system for the main cabin, and we're getting ready to build another living cabin with hopes of having it completed by Christmas. Cabbage harvest has been going on for several weeks, with a truckload going in to Community Produce in Seattle every Monday. Unfortunately, we over-planted on the early varieties of cabbage, so we are hustling around for alternative buyers for our excess and taking whatever prices we can g~t. It's sure a good way to learn the business. There have been a lot of people changes on the farm. We've had lots of visitors and people eoming and going. Davis spends most of his time in the city working on Ecotope projects these days. Woody decided awhile back that savings and costs involved. Directory of manufacturers for toilets, bathing, drinking, washing, outdoor uses. Dry and low flush toilets, code changes and hot water use reduction are not covered well, but it is comprehensive and extremely useful in other areas. (TB) Clean and Decent, Lawrence Wright, 1960, $2.95, from: University of Toronto Press 3 3 E. Tupper St. Buffalo, NY 14203 A fascinating history of the bathroom and the water closet, through which flow 75% of our home water use. Our phoqias, fantasies and dalliances make interesting reading once we're free enough from them to view them with humor. They provide useful insights for rethinking good and enjoyable ways to accommodate our various bodily needs and desires. Lots of interesting and peculiar data here: Roman hot water heaters, Queen Elizabeth I's valve water closet, Louis XIV's cushions in his bath, washbasins in pianos and baths concealed in sofas, and the sex life of sponges. But also absorbing insights into how different our sense of what is clean, decent and e~joyable has been at difhe wanted to return to school to get his teacher's certificate in agricultural education. He left for Pullman a week ago. About the time that he was getting ready to leave, ~y younger brother, Murphy, moved to the farm to spend a few months helping us build the new cabin. So far, at least, we've been getNovember 1976 RAIN Page 9 ferent times. Our attitudes towards toilets and sewers and bathing are going. through some big changes-and hopefully some satisfying and resourceful new patterns are emerging. (TB) NO ROYAL FLUSH ting the help when we need it and, although there is an impossible amount yet to be done, a great deal has been accomplished. The big fancy greenhouse with the experimental fishes that was supposed to have been built in 3-1/2 weeks still isn't completed yet. It looks real pretty, though. And the smaller system is full of fish and working beautifully. We had the first official "open house" to show off the systems two weeks ago. It was a perfect day. We erected ~ Japanese fish kite with streamers flying off a twentyfoot pole next to the parabolic greenhouse. All the flowers were brilliant in the bright, bright sunlight, and the fifty or so people who showed up had a wonderful time. It really went well. Although it's a real struggle, we are all doing well. I hope it's the same with all of you. Give my love to everyone. Mark Musick Pragtree Farm Rt. 2, Box 190-A Arlington, WA 98223
STOLEN GO_ODS We often complain about having to pay too much for things, but do we ever complain because we have to pay too little for something? Can things cost too little? When someone stops us on the street and offers us a TV or watch or stereo at a really low price, the first thing that pops into our heads is: "Is it HOT?" Our intuition always warns us that when something costs a lot less than it's supposed to, there is probably something funny going on. We think about stolen goods when someone offers us a "deal" on the street. But do we think about stolen goods when we find a "bargain" at a supermarket, a discount plaza o.r an import store? Do we think about stealing from our children when we go to the gas station? Yet we 'buy gasoline that is cheap because we're pumping out the energy savings ,of millions of years so rapidly that none will be left for our own future or for our children. ' When we buy fresh produce from California in the supermarket, do we realize we are likely buying goods that are produced illegally? Is it less wrong to buy illegal goods from a · ·"Safeway" than on the street? Much of California's produce coines from the Central Valley, where vast corporate farms operate with flagrant disregard of federal and state laws limiting use of irrigation water to 160-acre family farms. And much of the produce is picked by illegal immigrants in violation of immigration, tax and employme~t laws. Is it stealing by Tom Bender when a company that monopolizes food processing sets impossible quality criteria for produce of small independent ,farmers, then buys their crop cheap because there are no other buyers to whom they can sell? How do we know if prices for things are low because they are being dumped? It's not uncommon for lhge producers to sell some 'items below cost to drive out their small competitors who produce more efficiently but can't afford large losses. And how can small farmers compete with corporate farming that wants to operate at a loss for tax writeoffs? . Imports also can be too cheap when our-trade arrangements and energy sources exploit the workers of other countries (RAIN, May 1976). How would we feel if our country had no'source of cheap fossil fuels and another country started to sell fossil-fuel-produced goods in our country so cheaply that we were all put out of work? We would end·up having to work for starvation wages to compete with such cheap energy sources and stay alive. Is it right to purchase goods that support such an exploitative relationship? · So what ifwe do buy stolen goods, or illegally-produced products, or goods that are produced by exploitation? The major problem, it seemsf is that when someone loses, someone else gains. Someone gets rich off of "stolen goods"- either the buyer or an_intermediary or both. When wealth accumulates, power accumulates-whether w~ speak of large corporations vs. individual Americans or U.S. citizens vs. the
rest of the world. And the more that power is concentrated, the less possible it is to sustain the principles of democracy and equality that our country was founded upon and which are necessary to the kind of society we wish to live in. Buying stolen goods contradicts those principles we claim to believe in and follow, and either we must change or they must. Whether or not we eventually buy a "hot" TV hinges not only on whether we will get caught, but also-on some levelon a realization that supporting a market for stolen goods increases the odds that sometime we may become the source for such stolen goods. Chickens always come home to roost one way or another. Exploitation of others eventually comes full circle-if not through rebellion, then through disease-if not through disease, then from atrophy. Wealth insulates and isolates, and, removed from the continual probing and testing of real forces of life, our information and judgment fail to keep us within the limits of the game. (Our Drain America First energy policy is a good , example of this kind of failure.) While we become wealthy off of other countries, we are in turn exploited and controlled by the power and wealth of our large institutions. Though we claim and often act otherwise, our purchasing decisions are never based on economics alone. Our so-called economic decisions always occur within limits set by ethics, morals and other social values. We require things to be Union Made. We don't allow child labor. We set the rules on corporate taxes, patents and monopoly that become the rules of the game within which economic trade, survival and success occur. Such ethical frameworks are essential and are more basic than profit or economics because they enable the continued survival and health of the resources, environment, social fabric and personal judgment necessary for our survival and well-being. The separation of our ethics and our actions has occurred in part because our production and exchange processes are so complex and large that we are isolated and distant from where goods may have been "stolen." Without knowing what occurs or sensing the effects, we have less and less reason to trust our ethical judgment. We're also so wealthy ourselves, as a country, and so unused to doing things ourselves that we often have little sense of value and costs. "Marked" prices, standardized goods, changing prices, takeit-or-leave-it buying, and prices totally determined by someone else are so universal that we have very little sense of what we're getting for what we pay or what is fair exchange. We don't know what we're getting (poly-epoxyl who?), if profit on it is excessive, if taxes were paid, if someone was unfairly paid for making it, if externalized costs were accounted for in its price. And things really have been changing so rapidly it's difficult to judge prices. New technical processes produce things more cheaply, but inflation and exhaustion of resources cause prices to swing erratically upwards. Not only do our economics become confused as a result of all this, but our relationships with other people are harmed. Because we don't know what a fair deal would be, we can only assume that the less we can get something for, the better deal we got. But even then we're uncertain that the other person knows something we don't and we might get taken. And someone, it seems, is supposed to get the best deal out of an exchange. Our exchanges rarely give us good feelings towards the people we exchange with. We never end up thankful to other people or wishing to do something nice for them in the future in exchange for what they did or gave us. November 1976 RAIN Page 11 All these things tie back to our not knowing what's happening, and so do ways of changing the situation. There are lots of things we can do: • Reduce the scale of organizations. A small and knowable scale of production is the best insurance against not knowing what's happening. Present regulations discriminate heavily against small but efficient producers. • Open financial records. Seeing how much a merchant or producer pays and gets for their products pinpoints avoidable expense and profit. More businesses are feeling more comfortable with people knowing rather than wondering. People act differently, too, when they know! .-Encourage local auctions, exchanges, flea markets, used goods sales. They will be more and more valuable in the future, are fun, and are good places to learn what things are worth. They have been regulated away in many communities. • Exchange with friends and people you know-and give more than required. It will usually come back with interest. Remember the baker's dozen. • Make and do things ourselves instead of purchasing them. Do real and varied work. We can save money, taxes and reduce the GNP while learning the worth of things. • Get poor- live simply-and avoid the rush later. Reducing desires instead of satisfying them helps get us closer to reality and to the worth of things. • Learn and share the energetics and economics of our foreign trade and our national economy. • Regulate foreign trade of items not produced at equal wage rates or with careful energetics. The only trade that is socially affordable is trade of surpluses, not necessities. • Prevent passing the buck, the costs and the damages caused by our activities on to people who don't profit from those activities. • Give legal standing to trees, future generations and our shared surroundings so that passin·g on of costs to them and exploiting them can be controlled. The more people know about something, the less chance there is of monkey business. There are ethical dimensions to exchange. Their importance to society is greater than the economic dimensions of exchange, and it is up to us to ensure their observance.
Page 12 RAIN November 1976 Bill Day's So much of what we buy is new that we forget that even the most honest salesperson can't know how long a product will last, whether repair parts will be available in 30 years, or how often repair will be needed. It's useful to talk to a mechanic or repairperson-their experience can tell a lot about something you're thinking of buying. WOODSTO~ Bill Day has been repairing wood stoves in Oregon for two generations. Here's his advice covering stoves commonly available on the West Coast. The energy panic has lifted. It's no longer necessary to accept shoddy, ill-conceived wood heating equipment. Most manufacturers are slightly exceeding consumer demand with their current production, so a few improved models recently arrived in dealers' showrooms. However, as we have come to expect, the general quality of our available wood stoves is still in a gradual decline. "Public demand" still allows manufacturers to produce inefficient, poor quality wood burners. Until you and I, together with our friends and neighbors, improve our criteria for spending money, we can expect to see sleezy junk on retailers' shelves. Possibly more important than the choice of stove is the choice of retailer. The price of a wood stove should include competent advice about installation and necessary safety precautions. A salesperson's familiarity with a wide range of products will help him advise you in making your selection. Knowledgeable salespeople are notoriously lacking in chain stores, decorative fireplace shops and retailers selling one brand of stove. Parts and service is as necessary for wood stoves as for other home appliances. You wouldn't consider buying a television or a new automobile from a dealer who didn't service his product. Even though a dealer may not stock parts, he should be able to exhibit parts lists for five- to twenty-yearold models in the lines he sells. To begin a discussion about wood burning stoves, one must understand the terminology used in referring to the construction materials and finishes employed by manufacturers: Cast iron is the oldest, most acceptable material used in wood stoves. It is used for firebox liners, grates and stove bodies. Cast iron transmits heat and does not warp or disintegrate easily. Sheet steel can be combined with cast iron to produce a serviceable stove. Quite often the sheet steel portion of a wood stove can be easily replaced. This material shows heat fatigue.. sooner than cast iron and when welded together produces a short-lived stove. Firebrick is used to line fireboxes. It lasts well, does not transmit heat and is generally a useful tool in constructing a wood stove. Cast aluminum is being used for doors and handles. This material transmits heat so rapidly that it may be unsafe. Dangerous burns easily result from an accidental touch. Nickel plating is used as decorative trim on many older stoves. Recently, I've seen some shops attempting to sell chrome-trimmed stoves. Chrome discolors when it gets hot, and its sales are limited to the unknowledgeable by the unscrupulous. Better quality stoves often have a porcelain (glass) finish. Porcelain eliminates a great deal of maintenance as it lasts for many years. Baked Enamel Paint is used on some new stoves. This finish deteriorates rapidly and is almost impossible to maintain. Normally, the lowest-priced wood stoves are the expedient "throwaways." They will provide a short term solution to your heating needs. Usually, these stoves are oval drums of lightweight sheet metal. One improvement in this low-priced group is the barrel stove which can be built for $50 to $65 on a do-it-yourself basis. (Barrel stove kits from Locke Stove Company retail at $45.00). The highest priced "throwaways" are the welded box (Earth, Frontier, Fisher, Schrader, etc.), heaters spawned during the '7 3 heating panic. Many of these stoves were built by franchises who no longer exist. Upgrading a bit, we fifia the traditional cast iron box heater. These stoves derive their names from the shape their assume. Box heaters are rectangular in shape and usually can be fed from the front or top. These stoves are the most versatile and utilitarian designs ever to exist. They come in a variety of sizes and are manufactured by many foundries. MARTIN King Box CAST BOX HEATERS Brand Usable Parts Name Wood Availability and No. Manufacturer Length History Price Comments Arctic 20 Washington 19" $105 Overall, this line is the finest available on the West coast. Washington Stove Works is 25 Stove Works 23" Very Good $140 assembling some units in South Korea and some in Everett, Washington. The import 30 28" $175 units do not show an appreciable quality loss. King 624 Martin 23" Good $125 Medium quality, lack of workmanship shows in rough, grainy castings. 628 Industries 26" $140 Atlanta 27 Atlanta 24" Dubious $110 Medium quality, rough, grainy castings, poor, slipshod assembly. Stove Works Sears Poor $ 90 The poorest quality on today's market. These stoves exhibit every bad feature I've ever encountered in a cast box heater. Wards 26" Poor $ 90 These poor quality stoves appear to have been copied from the King 628. I found microscopic casting cracks, strip.ped threads on the tension rods and sloppy stove Hearth craft 26" Poor $ 90 assembly. j
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