We, the undersigned, demand a rebuild of our city using fire resistant, natural building technologies.

The wildfires that ravaged our communities have exposed the downsides of conventional building materials. These unsustainable materials are highly flammable and release dangerous toxins including formaldehyde, dioxins, and heavy metals into the air, water, and soil. It’s time to rebuild smarter, safer, and more sustainably.

Natural building methods like cob, adobe, superadobe, strawbale, and rammed earth are:

Fire-resistant: Shown to withstand flames better than conventional materials.
Sustainable: Made primarily from locally abundant resources. 
Seismically sound: Can all be built to withstand earthquakes.
Healthy: Free from toxins, improving indoor air quality and reducing health risks to inhabitants and pollution to the local ecosystem in the event of incineration.
Climate-friendly: These methods have a low Carbon output, not relying on extensive deforestation, industrial processing or transportation. 
Ecologically Designed: Natural buildings utilize slope aspect, thermal mass, and other ecological design elements to minimize energy expenditure for heating and cooling while recharging groundwater stores. 

This is our chance to transform Los Angeles into a global leader in sustainable urban design while protecting our families, communities, and planet.

We call for:

1. Update to Building Codes
   Update LA County building codes and adopt the Natural Building Appendixes that are already in the ICC, including:
   1.  IRC Appendix BJ - Strawbale Construction [formerly Appendix AS]
   2. Appendix BI - Light Straw-Clay Construction [formerly Appendix AR]
   3. Appendix BK - Cob Construction (Monolithic Adobe) [formerly Appendix AU],
   4. Appendix BL - Hemp-Lime (Hempcrete) Construction
2. Investment in Research 
   Fund and conduct additional research regarding fire resistance, economic scalability, seismic safety, and environmental impacts and benefits of materials such as cob, adobe, straw bale, and rammed earth. 
3. Incentives for Natural Building
   Create financial incentives for Natural Building projects in LA County, possibly including tax credits, grants, and streamlined permits for sustainable construction.
4. Educational Programs
   Fund and coordinate educational programs regarding Natural Building and ecological design. 
5. Outreach programs to homeowners and citizens to educate them on the advantages of natural building, and the natural building options available to them to rebuild. 
   Training programs for contractors and builders in how to build using Natural Building Techniques.
6. Develop Fire-Resilient Home Designs
   Fund development of architecturally sound, engineer-approved natural building home designs to be made available to LA County homeowners free of charge. 

Sign this petition to demand a sustainable rebuild for Los Angeles.

Together, we can create homes that withstand disasters and build an ecologically resilient future for our Los Angeles communities.