[GJM] Fw: Builders: No signs of housing recovery, but more importantly Earth's recovery.

[mary rose]

While we bemoan the end of the housing bubble, holodynamically
speaking, we ignore the other ramifications of this.

Mainly, that we can no longer afford to build homes
or other structures from wood. For years, we have been
destroying our old growth and rain forests to build homes,
furniture, and to manufacture.paper to the extend that here
in the U.S., only 4% of the forest  is left.

Since the forests act as the lungs of the earth, recycling the
carbon dioxide and cleaning the air, this has severely damaged
Gaia's health and compromised her immune system.

Here is an article from Wikipedia that discusses the seriousness
of this situation.  Not only must we declare a moratorium on
human births, we must also declare a moratorium on the damage
being done to our Earth's systems in order to sustain the present
population.

We can no longer afford an economy based on the idea of "job
creation" in order to make money with which to purchase the
necessities of life.  A concept which has disconnected us all
from our true life support system and attempted to substitute
an artificial one instead, but money is no substitute for food. .

Since civilization was built on topsoil, as we destroy the topsoil,
of which forests are an important element in creating, we destroy
civilization.itself.

This present downturn in housing is perhaps signaling that we
need to change the way we think about things. Perhaps instead
of continuing on the same old path, we need to learn how to view
the whole dynamic of an given situation and then to "potentialize"
a new solution.

By potentializing, is meant finding the solution that has the best chance
for solving the problem in the best interests of all concerned, and from a
universal standpoint. And this means not just from the standpoint of
Americans, or as Britians, or Australians, but from a worldview.

In "Transforming Human Culture," Dr. Jay Earley writes to the effect
that the most difficult part of transformation will be to get Americans
to realize that we are just like everyone else.  But, I would include, 
possibly
more addicted to consumption than the rest of the world.

mary rose

We must be the change we wish to see in our lives.  M. Gandhi

  .

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GlobalCirclenet" <webmaster at globalcircle.net>
To: <globalnetnews-summary at lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 3:01 PM
Subject: [globalnetnews-summary] Builders: No signs of housing recovery



Builders: No signs of housing recovery
The latest survey of homebuilders' confidence shows that the market remains 
in rough shape and will remain in a funk six months from now.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/15/news/economy/builders_confidence/index.htm

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Homebuilders' confidence fell once again in May 
and their view of the state of the battered market hit a record low.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo monthly index fell to 
its second lowest reading on record, ahead of only last December's reading.

Builders were asked for their view of the current market, the amount of the 
buyers looking at homes and expectations for six months from now.

Only 6% of the builders surveyed believe the current market is good while 
69% view it as poor. Builders also reported a lower level of people looking 
to buy new homes.

And 51% of the builders said they now expect conditions to remain poor six 
months from now, up from 47% who were expecting a poor outlook in the 
previous reading.

"The message is very clear: The single-family housing market is still 
deteriorating and Congress and the Administration must move immediately to 
enact legislation that will help reverse the trend," said NAHB President 
Sandy Dunn, a homebuilder from Point Pleasant, W.Va.

The group is backing a proposed homebuyer tax credit of up to $7,500 for 
qualified buyers as a way to try to jump start the market.

The report comes a day ahead of the government's latest report on housing 
starts and building permits. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com forecast 
that starts fell to an annual rate of 940,000 April, which would mark a 
17-year low. Permits, also viewed as a reading on builder's confidence in 
the market, are forecast to slip to 912,000, which would also be a 17-year 
low.

Earlier this week, luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers (TOL, Fortune 500) 
reported sharp drops in both revenue and new orders when it released 
preliminary results, saying that even many buyers who put down a deposit 
aren't taking the next step of signing a contract due to lack of confidence 
in the market. To top of page