Dan Becker wrote:

>
>         /Each building within our inventory represents a significant
>         amount of “embodied energy”—the amount of energy invested in
>         the [construction] and improvements to the facility. The shell
>         of a two-story brick residential structure contains over 1
>         billion Btu’s of energy in construction materials alone. This
>         is equivalent to about 8,000 gallons of gasoline. The
>         replacement of a building results in the loss of that
>         “embodied energy,” plus the added energy cost to demolish the
>         building, remove and dispose of the debris, and manufacture,
>         deliver, and place materials for a new building. DoD, the
>         Services and the nation benefit when we conserve our energy
>         investment by reusing historic structures. The process of
>         rehabilitating a historic facility consumes less energy than
>         new construction. And, the energy costs of operating a
>         rehabilitated structure vs. a new structure are effectively equal.
>         /
>
>
>         / Also, the process of rehabilitating a historic facility to
>         meet current operational standards consumes less energy than
>         new construction. Even when major repairs, additions, or
>         alterations are needed to achieve use and energy conservation
>         goals, they generally require less energy than demolition and
>         replacement of a historic structure.
>         /
>
>     /The Benefits of Cultural Resource Conservation/, U.S. Department
>     of Defense
>
>
Dan,

This is excellent information on embodied energy and I thank you for
providing it.
I will use it as an argument for conservation of resources.
Connect in this point of connection with environmental politics and
histo presto/maintenance of built environment quickly can be seen as a
viable political movement.
So in here somewhere is there a connection of Secretary of Interior
Standards to the practice of conservation of energy in the process of
conservation?
Along with, Do no harm... might we have, and don't waste a lot of
energy/resources in the least intervention?
Not quite yet the Green Party, but a political action nevertheless.
And further, Where in the mix comes the conservation of the resource of
traditional trade skills?
Need to know.

][<en (chair PTN education committee)

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