“Earthbag is an affordable and earthquake safe building method for Nepal, says Animal Nepal. The animal welfare agency was pleasantly surprised when its earthbag/adobe shelter did not sustain a single crack during the earthquakes that hit Nepal in April and May.
The concept behind the eco-friendly shelter was to offer an alternative to using ‘blood bricks’ (the number one polluters of the Kathmandu Valley), because of the inhumane situations in the brick industry. Coordinated by programme manager Suraj Thapa, overseer Norbu Kalden and engineering student Stefan Klaseboer, the building was constructed using the earthbag and adobe technique. Read a detailed report on the construction of this unique shelter by Stefan Klaseboer here.
The building has lived up to all expectations. Animal Nepal promotes earthbags as a safe and sustainable building method in Nepal.”
Sickening re brick company. Fabulous affirmation of earth bag buildings
We drove past the brick factories where blood bricks are made. One really bad aspect of their process is the destruction of excellent farmland in and near Kathmandu — right in the suburbs! The best farmland is at the bottom of valleys where topsoil accumulates. Houses are built around the farmland so people have a source of local food. And then a giant brick company buys the farmland and builds a big smoking factory right in the middle of everything.