The Straw Bale Solution

One of the things the video format lends itself to in surpassing style is the how-to genre, especially the how-to on a massive scale, such as, say, building a house out of bales of straw. Having nothing to do with any of the Three Little Pigs, this entry in the Home on Earth Series makes the case for straw bale construction, an environmentally friendly, efficient and--with a little practice--easy way to construct the home of one's dreams. The message here is clear and valuable: namely, if one cuts a field (or several) for the straw in the bales, the straw supply will replenish itself much faster than a house's worth of trees will replenish the wood supply (and as a bonus, insulation-wise, straw bale construction is incredibly efficient). The producers advocate rediscovery of a quintessential American frontier custom, the community house raising, a process made feasible by the fact that, in large part, building with bales is like playing with blocks on a bigger scale--with a modicum of training, one's friends can become a viable construction crew. On the technical side, the sound quality is a little uneven, and the copy I watched had tracking difficulties on some VCRs, though not all. An optional purchase, though perhaps a bit more imperative in areas with a lot of straw, few trees and a shortage of houses. Aud: P. (M. Tribby)