September 2010

Getting ready. The countdown is on for Habitat for Humanity Nepal's Everest Build. Home partners are preparing the foundations of their houses and will be working side-by-side with the volunters during the Build Week beginning October 2nd.

The New Jersey contingent of Nancy (Paterson Habitat) and Christy (Morris County Habitat) will be joined by a dozen other Americans, including James who had worked with Nancy in Chaing Mai, Thailand on the Carter Build in 2009.

Sustainability is a by-word for today's times. This means environmentally friendly construction practices and use of natural materials available locally such as Nepal's bamboo. With a plentiful supply of strong fast-growing bamboo from forests in eastern Nepal, it will be used in the construction of the Habitat homes. What a learning experience for us. Interesting too!

BAMBOO FACTS:  Bamboo has been around for millions of years, and is the fastest growing plant on earth. In construction, it is typically considered to be a 'green' material because it is a rapidly renewable plant material. In fact, some bamboo can grow 18 inches per day, reaching a height of 100 feet, and generating more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees.

Bamboo is twice as stable as oak, and harder than walnut and teak. In China, I have seen it used for scaffolding outside 7-story buildings. Bamboo’s tensile strength of 28,000 per square inch vs. 23,000 for steel makes it one of the strongest materials in the world.