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mercredi, février 28, 2007

George Bush's Ranch

President George H. Bush's Private Home

Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1583 acre (6.4 km²) estate located seven miles (10 km) northwest of Crawford, Texas. It is the home of President George W. Bush. The land includes seven canyons and three miles (5 km) of frontage along Rainey Creek and the Middle Bosque River. It is a part of land settled in the mid-19th century by German immigrant Heinrich Englebrecht, who raised turkeys and hogs there and donated some of it to found the Canaan Baptist Church (the "Prairie Chapel").The Bushes bought the Prairie Chapel Ranch from the Engelbrecht family for a reported $1.3 million in 1999, shortly after earning a $14 million profit from the sale of the Texas Rangers baseball franchise and a year before George W. Bush's first run for president.

Buildings on the land built by the Englebrechts were refurbished for new uses, such as Secret Service quarters and guest houses. Bush and his wife had David Heymann, then an associate professor of architecture at the University of Texas at Austin, design a 10,000 ft² (930 m²) honey-colored native limestone single-level home on the site. Over half of that area is from a 10 foot (3 m) wide limestone porch that encircles the house. The house was built by members of a religious community from nearby Elm Mott, Texas and wasn't completed until after his inauguration.

The passive-solar house is positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the residence. Geothermal heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet (100 m) deep in the ground. A 40,000 US gallon (151 m³) underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home. Bush had the landscaping planted native grasses and flowers. However the ranch only supports four or five cattle at this time.

Sustainable Features Include:

Grey water recycling

Native flora for landscaping

Natural materials

Passive solar designs

Rain water harvesting

Re-use of old structures

Rudimentary Fish farming

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mercredi, février 28, 2007

Post 9/11 Sustainable Pentagon Renovation

Though many organizations stated their support for sustainable design and its precepts, earlier efforts to incorporate sustainable design into Pentagon Renovation projects were sporadic, and lacked a clear focus and direction. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11 the new Integrated Sustainable Design and Constructability (ISDC) Team became an integral part of the organization at the Pentagon Renovation Office in August 2001.

The team must balance sustainable design issues with Force Protection measures necessary to protect the Pentagon.The Pentagon Renovation Program's ISDC Team is also responsible for integrating the principles and practices of sustainable design with a leading-edge acquisition strategy. The Pentagon Building and Management Officials first projected the repair costs of September 11th to be $740 million. With their use of cost-effective and sustainable materials current estimates place the figure around $501 million and is expected to be four years ahead of schedule, finishing by 2010 rather than 2014.

The Pentagon Renovation Team worked from guidelines developed and supported by the EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program in creating its green building initiatives. The environmentally preferable products for the Interior Renovation of Wedge 1 included the use of wood from sustainable managed forests, low water use plumbing fixtures, low VOC paints and sealants, mineral wool insulation, energy efficient lighting, the use of recycled steel, ceiling tile, ceramic tile, concrete masonry units, including recycling construction debris, and using packaging, labeling and instructions made from recycled material. Future applications for incorporating EPP into the Pentagon renovation include the Department of Defense custodial, operations and maintenance, and recycling programs.

State-of-the-art Heating and Refrigeration Plant
The original heating and refrigeration plant was a coal-fired unit, last operable in the mid-1980's. The Plant was not only obsolete, but also expensive--the boiler and chiller's lease cost a total of $200K/month. The new heating and refrigeration plant is Computer-controlled, Uses natural gas as its main fuel source, is 30% more efficient and even maintains the historical architectural features of the Pentagon.

Energy Efficient Material and Design
The extensive improvements in energy efficiency include tighter thermal envelopes, Mineral wool insulation, double pane energy efficient windows, open bay environment for improved air flow and natural day lighting, and low VOCs, which leads to good indoor air quality; and sealants).

Construction Waste Reduction
The renovation team recycled 70% of all construction debris; including, steel, copper wire, aluminum, glass and concrete.

Originally the plan was only to use these sustainable techniques on the renovation of Wedge 1`, but with their current success' and commitment to excellence in sustainable design, the following projects, with over $4 billion in construction and renovation, will be attempting to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) over the next ten years:

1) the Metro Entrance Facility (MEF);
2) the Renovation of Wedges 2-5;
3) the Remote Delivery Facility (RDF);
4) the Intake/Outfall project;
5) the Crash Recovery Site (aka "Phoenix");
6) the new Pentagon Physical Fitness and Readiness Facility (PPFRF).

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http://p2library.nfesc.navy.mil/P2_Opportunity_Handbook/16_3.html

mercredi, février 28, 2007

Government Statutes Regarding Sustainability

You can visit the following web links to learn more about current government statutes and policies designed to promote sustainable construction by the US Government. All of these listed below are guidelines (and in some cases mandates) for the Federal government, but are not law or building code for the country in general.

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) - 40 CFR 247

10 CFR 435 - Energy Performance Standards for New Buildings - Mandatory for Federal Buildings: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_99/10cfr435_99.html

Executive Order 13123 http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:11yXpLFBj0kJ:www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/eo13123.pdf+Executive+Order+13123&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

Executive Order 13101

http://www.ofee.gov/eo/13101.htm

EPA Environmentall Preferred Purchasing Standard

http://www.epa.gov/epp/

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http://www.ecoversity.org/

jeudi, février 08, 2007

Places Teaching Sustainable and Ecological Design

Places Teaching Sustainable and Ecological Design

Arcosanti Workshops

www.arcosanti.org

The Arcosanti workshop is a must have experience for anyone interested in sustainable and ecological living. Though there are many other programs which teach more detailed skills in sustainable and ecological design, the Arcosanti project has inspired, and continues to inspire ecological thinkers to this day. The workshop experience provides a glimpse into the possibilities of what an life in an eco-city could be. Since 1970 the Arcosanti Workshops have combined academic and experiential learning as participants study Paolo Soleri's concepts and designs while contributing to the building of the arcology (architecture+ecology).

During the first week of the five week workshop, participants have two informal seminars with Soleri, and attend presentations by other Arcosanti staff on Arcosanti design development, construction history and future plans, and arcology theory as well as tours of the site and surrounding landscape. During the second week of the Four-week Workshop, participants get an in-depth look at the work of various departments at Arcosanti, participate in collective work projects and take a field trip to Cosanti, Soleri's Paradise Valley Studios. Partecipants assist with on-going projects there and visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West and other architectural points of interests in the area. During the last two weeks of the Workshop, participants work in one of the following departments: construction, facilities maintenance, agriculture, archives, or landscaping.

The Ecosa Institute

www.ecosainstitute.org

"To educate students who can integrate human aspirations and nature's systems...."
- Tony Brown, Founder and Director of the Ecosa Institute

The Ecosa Institute, located in Prescott, Arizona, teaches year round courses in Sustainable and Ecological Design. The American Institute of Architects cited the Ecosa program as an example of a school "outside the traditional universities" that offers "a host of known experts and intensive coursework for young students". Students participating in the four month long Semester Program will gain a view of sustainable design, from architecture to Permaculture, product design to urban and community planning. Client based, real world design projects serve to teach holistic thinking 'in action' and how to bring all the concepts of sustainability together into practical solutions. The programs are open to students and professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines, all are encouraged to apply.

The Ecosa Institute also offers two four week summer workshop. Students of the first summer workshop will design and build a structure for the Spider Rock Campground, a Navajo business at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. The first part of the workshop will be in Prescott designing the building and then travel to Canyon de Chelly to construct the design. There are no pre-requisites. Participants in the second summer workshop will design and install permaculture landscaping features as well as water systems such as rain water harvesting cisterns, branching grey water systems and a small biological machine based on the concepts of John Todd, author of " From Eco-cities to Living Machines ". The workshop will also spend time in the cities of Prescott and Tucson learning to integrate permaculture into the urban environment.

Eco-Versity

The Eco-Versity specializes in hands-on earth based vocational training. The core of their program is the permaculture certification design course. All students from the Eco-Versity receive their certificate in permaculture design. Classes continue on to explore hands on instruction in various sustainable design topics. Their current classes include: Alternative Energies and Fuels, Animal Husbandry, Land & Garden, Natural Building, Strategies for an Alternative Nation, and Water Management. EcoVersity's classes and workshops are taught by local artisans, farmers, beekeepers, architects, gardeners, solar builders, permaculture designers and many other professionals in the fields of earth-based vocations.

EcoVersity's 11-acre campus is located in Santa Fe, NM, close to the downtown area. Students have designed and built the campus structures and gardens, as part of the hands on education. The main compound is an adobe Pueblo style building centered around a traditional courtyard. It is surrounded by gardens, ramada shade structures, orchards and open lands. The scale of the main compound is home-like and non-institutional. Our facilities include a library, a lecture hall, a studio/lounge, administrative offices, summer kitchen, composting toilets, solar showers, two student yurts and classrooms. Every indoor space has access to the outdoors where a lot of learning, nature observation and knowledge sharing take place.

The campus is located at 2639 Agua Fria Street, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Reach EcoVersity at 505.424.9797, info@ecoversity.org, or visit www.ecoversity.org. Classes are enrolling daily.

Gaia University

http://www.gaiauniversity.org

Gaia University offers international students, called Associates, accredited Bachelors and Master degrees as well as Graduate Diplomas through a pioneering educational concept. The self-directed, action learning methodology allows you to combine short residential courses with home-based project work while being supported by a professional network of advisors, tutors, mentors and workshop providers. You combine your ideals with practical experience to promote local and global sustainability, regeneration, justice and peace.

2007-8 Bachelors and Masters programs in Brazil, Germany, Oregon and Tennessee USA in Integrative Ecosocial Design, Open Topic (Independent Study) and Organizing Learning for Ecosocial Regeneration (Regional Development of Gaia University). Unfold your passions in any areas of Sustainabilty/Regeneration from Permaculture to Bioregionalism to Ecovillage Design, Post Petroleum Energy Descent Planning, Climate Change, Holistic Health, Facilitation and Communication, Ancient Wisdom and more.

The International Institute for Bau-biologie™, and Ecology

http://www.bau-biologieusa.com/

The International Institute for Bau-biologie™ and Ecology, Inc. (IBE), established in Clearwater, Florida in 1987, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to bringing together the technical expertise, biological understanding and ecological sensitivity to create healthy homes and workplaces.

IBE's main objective is to educate - specifically, to help people realize that homes and workplaces can be created to bring the benefits of both health and aesthetics into their living environments. Bringing awareness to the health hazards that may exist in our living spaces not only improves health and provides a sense of well being, it also has an impact on the survival of this planet.

IBE offers home study courses, Online Study, and Seminars to both professionals and lay people. The education program incorporate practical application of the building biology principles as an integral part of its activities. To address the needs of those wanting to evaluate their homes and offices for levels of electromagnetic radiation, indoor air quality, etc. IBE has a program of courses and seminars to train Environmental Inspectors and Consultants. The over 90 graduates in North America, Canada and Australia include architects, electricians, builders, medical practitioners, home inspectors, engineers and many other environmentally concerned people.

Yestermorrow

http://www.yestermorrow.org/

The Yestermorrow Design/Build School offers over 100 hands-on courses per year in design, construction, woodworking, and architectural craft and offers a variety of course concentrating in sustainable design.

Now in its 27th year, Yestermorrow is one of the only design/build schools in the country, teaching both design and construction skills. Our 1-day to 2-week hands-on courses are taught by top architects, builders and craftspeople from across the country. For people of all ages and experience levels, from novice to professional

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http://www.arts4all.com/elca/page2.html

mercredi, février 07, 2007

Sustainable Container Gardens

SUSTAINABLE CONTAINER GARDENS

Container Gardens are plants grown inside of containers rather then being planted in the ground. This method of growing has many benefits when used appropriately. Creating Container Gardens is a relatively simple technique that can be used to add sustainable gardening to any existing place or structure, even when land for growing is not available or unhealthy for plants. With the proper use of container gardens you can produce more yield on a small plot, or produce yield from a plot that other wise would not be usable for agriculture. You can produce specialty crops to augment your food supply and beautify existing places. All in all container gardening is an excellent technique for those who wish to use some elbow grease to add meaningful agriculture production into their home or local area.

Types of Containers:

Really anything that can hold soil and water can be used as the container for a garden. The containers can range from old tubs, buckets, old sinks, old refrigerators (tipped on their backs), fountains, metal or wood troughs. Conventional flower and plant pots can be used as containers as well. They can be simple or as ornate as you wish, they can be as small or as large as you wish. Large containers can even house small trees.

The technique for creating a container garden is relatively the same, regardless of the container. The main issue is drainage! If you do not allow water to drain from your container your plants may likely die of root rot caused by soaking in the water. If your container does not already have drainage holes in it, you may need to create some. You then fill the container with good soil then plant your plants.

I advise to never forget the aesthetics of your container garden. Yes, I completely endorse and encourage the re-use of old materials such as old tubs, metal troughs or other 'refuse' for containers, but you don't want your container garden to look like Fat Albert and the Gang decided to grow some tomatoes. You can scape the immediate surroundings of the container, and even pay aesthetic detail to the structure of the container itself. The container garden made from re-used materials can be ecologically efficient, agriculturally productive as well as aesthetically beautiful!

The Wading Pool Garden:

The most brilliant system for container gardens and roof top gardening I have ever seen is the idea of the "Kiddie Pool Garden". That's right a kiddie pool, the small plastic pools you buy at Meijer's, or K-Mart or Wal-Mart (or whatever your local source for cheap mass produced plastic crap is). At this point I have not myself made a kiddie pool garden but I am chomping at the bit to experiment with this.

The technique is simple:

Buy a plastic kids wading pool of whatever size you desire.
About four to six inches up from the bottom, make holes about every two feet around the perimeter.
Fill the pool with gravel or sand up to the holes.
Fill the rest with soil.
Plant your plants.

When you water the plants, water them until water begins to 'pee' out of the holes and then stop.

One of the features of this system that makes it a more efficient growing environment is that drainage water is collected in the bottom of the pool, becoming something of an aquifer. This water supply then wicks back up into the soil. In essence you are catching and re-using your drainage water.

The creator of this technique claims that the plastic wading pool is the most cost-efficient container available. An average wading pool provides approximately 28 square feet of growing area for under $10, and is capable of producing up to 40 pounds of produce per growing season. Over a ten year period, if you accrue the total cost of everything you need ($30 for the pool, soil, transplants and seeds) it comes to 8¢ per pound of food grown!

Because of the larger surface area of the kiddie pool container you can grow a decent sized yield (especially if you have multiple pool gardens), using the container garden as a viable supply of food.

Some Tips for a more efficient Container Garden:

Community

In nature no system stands alone, and neither should you. You can get together with friends and neighbors and all coordinate your container garden efforts. There is strength in numbers, and just as in companion planting diversity of individuals produces a healthier and more beautiful yield, so to will your Container Gardens if you are part of a community of people working together. Together you can all share knowledge and ideas. You can all get together to help each other out with physically building and installing projects. By coordinating your 'plant palettes' you can each grow certain crops and then come together to share and swap.

Connect the over flows

All Container Gardens need drainage. If you can, design your whole system so that the over flow from the Contain drains into another container. The easiest way to achieve this is to stack and cluster your containers together, or to build the container garden on shelves. The clustered container garden will more efficiently use water, as well as make more an aesthetic impact. If you wish to get really fancy you can incorporate flow forms into the design of your Container Garden cluster.

The Container Gardens can also be placed in existing ground gardens, so that the overflow drainage will then water the ground based crops below.

Ease of transplant

Use burlap sacks if you plan on removing and transplanting the crop. If for example your using the container garden as a starter garden, and you will want to transplant the crop, soil and all place a burlap sack in the container so that you can easily remove the entire thing and easily place it somewhere else. Open the sack and place the rim of the sack around the rim of the container. Place all of your soil and growing medium in the sack inside of the container, then plant your crop. When it comes time to transplant the crop, dig your crops new home in the Earth, you just lift the entire sack out of the container and place it in the new hole. The burlap will eventually degrade away, this method reduces the shock on your plant, increasing its chances of living through the transplant.

Companion Planting and Plant Guilds

Companion Planting is the usage of different types of plants in close proximity, these groupings are often referred to as Plant Guilds. There are many benefits from companion planting, also called poly-cropping. Some Plants, especially herbs, can subtly enhance the flavor of other edible plants in their guild. Multiple plants in one space increases the odds that some yield can survive harsh growth seasons or catastrophic conditions. Plants which grow at different heights can help benefit each other by providing things such as shade, wind breaks or trellis for another plant. Companions can provide good nitrogen fixation for their companions. Some plants naturally repel pests and insects, protecting the entire guild. Some plants attract or are inhabited by beneficially insects or animals, such as ladybugs or some good nematodes. You must research the exact plants suitable for your local environment to produce effective Plant Guilds.

Grow Food!

Most examples of container gardens show them being used for pretty flowers and other adornments. One of the major principles of permaculture is to always produce yield! If you desire a container garden to 'pretty up' your area be aware of the fact that many useful plants are very pretty AND produce useful products. Container gardens can be used to grow herbs, teas, salad ingredients, medicinal plants or sweets such as strawberries or grapes.

Rain Water Harvesting

The Container can be places so that it can catch the rain water run off from a roof or other structure. You DO NOT want the rain water to rest in the Container Garden, but rather to pass through the container garden and then move on, perhaps ending up in a reservoir or water container of some sort or going directly into the ground. See "Connect the over flows".

Systems Thinking and Innovation

Nothing in nature stands alone and neither should your container garden. When thinking about this concept of the Container Garden think about the other systems at work in your environment, to identify their strengths and weaknesses and discover how these systems can be tied together to benefit each other. The Container Garden system has strengths and benefits that can be tied in with the rest of your local environment, be that environment natural or artificial, outdoors or indoors. Observe your local area and try to discover new and innovative ways to tie all of the systems together with the container garden. Also try to think of new uses of the container garden itself that are appropriate for your uses and your local environment. Innovate and experiment!

Appropriate Usage for Container Gardens

The concept of "Appropriate Usage" is a necessary component in any sustainable and ecological design. Whatever the technique or technology one must determine its appropriate uses and then apply the technique or technology where it is best suited and avoid it where other techniques/technologies better fit the circumstances. What are the appropriate uses for a Container Garden?

Places where the earth is not suitable for planting

As starter beds for plants that are very delicate when in their adolescence

On no-earth surfaces, such as flat roof tops, parking lots, or decks

For growing in interior spaces

When growing specialty plants that may not be well suited to the weather of your local environment, the container can be used as the structural basis for cold frames (small greenhouse like structures), or other environment tempering structures

When growing specialty crops that may have specific soil requirements you can easily control the soil content of the container

a mobile garden for a person who primarily rents and may move every year or so, making it difficult to start and maintain a garden. By creating Container Gardens you can literally pick your garden up and move it with you when your lease is up.

The website below is an excellent resource for more information on creating and maintaining container gardens (though I felt it did not address agricultural container gardens enough).

http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/containerindoor/eightrules.asp

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http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/popup/hhtoronto/frame.html

mercredi, février 07, 2007

The Toronto Healthy House

The Toronto Healthy House

Visit the website below to see an in-depth look at an excellent project in sustainable design!

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mardi, février 06, 2007

BedZed Sustainable Housing Development

BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development)

submitted by eco-community friend Dialias

Helios Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6.
(London Borough of Sutton).

Completed: 2002.
Developer: Peabody Trust.
Architect: Bill Dunster Architects.
Environmental Consultant: BioRegional Development Group.

Introduction
Sustainability, both environmental and social, is fundamental to the Peabody Trust mission to fight poverty in London. The Trust works to develop desirable homes and build thriving communities with a long-term future.

The Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) is the UK's largest carbon-neutral eco-community – the first of its kind in this country. BedZED was developed by the Peabody Trust in partnership with Bill Dunster Architects and BioRegional Development Group, environmental consultants.

BedZED is a mixed-use, mixed-tenure development that incorporates innovative approaches to energy conservation and environmental sustainability. It is built on reclaimed land owned by the London Borough of Sutton, sold to Peabody at below market value due to the planned environmental initiatives.

Peabody Trust manages the housing at BedZED and BioRegional Development Group and Bill Dunster Architects are based close by.

Background
The BedZED design concept was driven by the desire to create a net 'zero fossil energy development', one that will produce at least as much energy from renewable sources as it consumes. Only energy from renewable sources is used to meet the energy needs of the development. BedZED is therefore a carbon neutral development - resulting in no net addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

What are the features of BedZED?
The design is to a very high standard and is used to enhance the environmental dimensions, with strong emphasis on roof gardens, sunlight, solar energy, reduction of energy consumption and waste water recycling.

BedZED provides 82 residential homes with a mixture of tenures, 34 for outright sale, 23 for shared ownership, 10 for key workers and 15 at affordable rent for social housing – with a further 14 galleried apartments for outright sale.

The homes are a mixture of sizes and the project also includes buildings for commercial use, an exhibition centre, a children's nursery and a show flat so that visitors may see what it is like to live at BedZED.

The buildings
Buildings are constructed from thermally massive materials that store heat during warm conditions and release heat at cooler times. In addition, all buildings are enclosed in a 300mm insulation jacket.

BedZED houses are arranged in south facing terraces to maximise heat gain from the sun, known as passive solar gain. Each terrace is backed by north facing offices, where minimal solar gain reduces the tendency to overheat and the need for energy hungry air conditioning.

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BedZED's architecture
BedZED has been designed to address environmental, social and economic needs. It brings together a number of proven methods - none of them particularly high tech - of reducing energy, water and car use. Crucially, it produces affordable, attractive and environmentally responsible housing and workspace.

Key features include:

Using renewable materials
Where possible, BedZED is built from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials. All the wood used has been approved by the Forest Stewardship Council or comparable internationally recognised environmental organisations, to ensure that it comes from a sustainable source.

Space heating
Through the innovative design and construction, heat from the sun and heat generated by occupants and every day activities such as cooking is sufficient to heat BedZED homes to a comfortable temperature. The need for space heating, which accounts for a significant part of the energy demand in conventional buildings, is therefore reduced or completely eliminated.

BedZED homes and offices are fitted with low energy lighting and energy efficient appliances to reduce electricity requirements.

To enable residents and workers to keep track of their heat and electricity use, meters are mounted in each home and office kitchen.

Combined heat and power plant
BedZED receives power from a small-scale combined heat and power plant (CHP). In conventional energy generation, the heat that is produced as a by-product of generating electricity is lost. With CHP technology, this heat can be harnessed and put to use.

At BedZED, the heat from the CHP provides hot water, which is distributed around the site via a district heating system of super-insulated pipes. Should residents or workers require a heating boost, each home or office has a domestic hot water tank that doubles as a radiator.

The CHP plant at BedZED is powered by off-cuts from tree surgery waste that would otherwise go to landfill. Wood is a carbon neutral fuel because the CO2 released when the wood is burned is equal to that absorbed by the tree as it grew.

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Green transport plan
Transport energy accounts for a large proportion of the energy consumption of any development.

A green transport plan promotes walking, cycling and use of public transport. A car pool for residents has been established, and all these initiatives have helped to provide a strategic and integrated approach to transport issues.

The BedZED project shows that it is possible to reduce reliance on cars and introduced the first legally binding Green Transport Plan as a condition of planning permission.

BedZED's target is a 50% reduction in fossil-fuel consumption by private car use over the next ten years compared with a conventional development.

BedZED has been designed to encourage alternatives to car use.

BedZED has good public transport links, including two railway stations, two bus routes and a tramlink.

An onsite Car Club called 'ZEDcars'. BedZED was the first low car development in the UK to incorporate a car club.

A 'pedestrian first' policy with good lighting, drop kerbs for prams and wheelchairs and a road layout that keeps vehicles to walking speed.

BedZED is designed along 'homezone' principles that have benefited communities in continental Europe for many years

On-site charging points for electric cars and a free public electric vehicle charging point is already available in Sutton town centre. BedZED's 10-year target is to produce enough electricity from photovoltaic panels (which convert sunlight into energy) to power 40 electric vehicles. It is hoped that a mixture of private cars and vehicles available through the car club will minimise fossil fuel use as the community settles. For owners of electric vehicles energy and parking will be free of charge.

Reducing 'embodied' energy
Embodied energy is a measure of the energy required to manufacture a product. A product that requires large amounts of energy to obtain and process the necessary raw materials, or a product that is transported long distances during processing or to market, will have a high-embodied energy level.

To reduce the embodied energy of BedZED, construction materials were selected for their low embodied energy and sourced within a 35-mile radius of the site where possible. The energy expended in transporting materials to the site was therefore minimised.

Education and employment
BedZED has become an excellent learning centre for sustainable development, attracting considerable local, national and international media coverage and interest.

The project also demonstrates imaginative ways of creating employment and funding the provision of affordable homes, with grants from the Housing Corporation supporting the development of the homes for shared ownership. Peabody also worked hard with Sutton Council to ensure that the properties available for shared ownership were as affordable as possible.

Results
Numerous lessons were learnt during the construction of BedZED and in the years since residents first moved in during March 2002.

The surrounding community was consulted during the development process and the new community has integrated well. The new residents are proud of where they live and consider that they are living somewhere special.

Thanks to the commitment of residents, design innovation and social initiatives, a strong community at BedZED was established quickly. Reductions in energy and water consumption during construction have been supported by consumption figures during occupation that are way below UK averages.

The scheme has enabled residents to live a sustainable lifestyle without making severe demands on routines. Peabody Trust has produced a residents' handbook and a green lifestyles officer at BioRegional offers advice to residents. A car club has been established that reduces car ownership and improves accessibility for those who are unable to afford a car.

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BedZED and beyond
Peabody and BioRegional are monitoring the performance of BedZED's features as well as resident satisfaction. The long-term success of the community can therefore be assessed alongside the short-term success of delivering a unique and truly innovative new development. BedZED has also received widespread acclaim in the media and has won industry awards.

Although it has no plans to develop further eco-schemes on the same scale as BedZED, Peabody Trust remains committed to sustainability in its social housing.

Schemes do not need to be as pioneering as the BedZED project to be innovative. Other Peabody housing developments, both old and new, incorporate key features that promote sustainability and support the environment.

In order to reverse the trend for increasing carbon dioxide emissions from housing an imaginative reappraisal is needed of the way homes are built. BedZED demonstrates that comfortable, attractive, affordable and energy efficient buildings are the homes and workplaces of the future.

http://www.peabody.org.uk/pages/GetPage.asp

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mardi, février 06, 2007

The Sustainability Forum

The Sustainability Forum

From: "Fabian"

Hello everyone,

I am Fabian and I working in the Corporate Social Responsibility Field (CSR) in the UK.

I also run a forum called sustainabilityforum.com.

And this is what this post is about today. I would like to have feedback how you like this forum so I can improve it and make it more interesting for the members.

The link is: www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum

This forum is really the result of my continuous passion of and around Sustainability. I am working in the CSR field for a while now and really love my work and try to make a difference every day.

But I am always thinking about what I personally can do to promote sustainability in general and through my actions. This is my latest result and I am so happy that I managed to set the software up and get it started (not being a computer expert!)

This forum could also be an opportunity for everyone to have a more permanent place to exchange views and news.

So please feel free to join, it is free of charge and I am looking forward to meet you there,

2) The second thing is that I would love to hear from you what you think of the categories I have chosen so far.

I have included categories like:

Climate Change discussion & news
CSR discussion & news
jobs in the Sustainability/CSR field, and
events/conferences so far

But most important am I interested in what you would want to see as possible categories. I am more then happy to add them if the demand is there.

Thank you for your time everyone.

Fabian

www.sustainabilityforum.com/forum

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http://www.naturenode.com/articles/a_fungi_permaculture.html

jeudi, janvier 25, 2007

Use of Mushrooms in Permaculture Systems

Mushrooms in Permaculture Systems

From the web article: Permaculture with a Mycological Twist:

The Stametsian Model for a Synergistic Mycosphere.

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When gourmet and medicinal mushrooms are involved as key organisms in the recycling agricultural and forest by-products, the bio dynamics of permaculture soar to extraordinary levels of productivity. Not only are mushrooms a protein-rich food source for humans, but the by-products of mushrooms cultivation unlock nutrients for other members of the ecological community. The rapid return of nutrients back into the ecosystem boosts the life cycles of plants, animals, insects (bees), and soil microflora.

What follows is a short list of the ways mushrooms can participate in permaculture.

1. Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms can be grown indoors on pasteurized corn stalks, wheat, rice, & rye straw and a wide range of other materials including paper and pulp by-products. Soaking bulk substrates in cold water creates a residual "tea" that is a nutritious fertilizer and potent insecticide. Submerging the bulk substrate in hot water produces a different brew of "tea": a naturally potent herbicide. Oyster mushrooms can also be grown on hardwood stumps and logs. (Some varieties of

Oyster mushrooms in P. pulmonarius species complex naturally grow on conifer wood.) Pleurotus thrive in complex compost piles, and are easy to grow outside with minimum care. The waste substrate from Oyster production is useful as fodder for cows, chickens, & pigs. Since half of the mass of dry straw is liberated as gaseous carbon dioxide, pumping this CO2 from mushroom growing rooms into greenhouses to enhance plant production ma kes good sense. (Cultivators filter the airstream from the mushroom growing rooms so spores are eliminated.) Furthermore, the waste straw can be mulched into garden soils, not only to provide structure and nutrition, but also to reduce the populations of nematodes which are costly to gardeners and farmers.

2. King Stropharia:

This mushroom is an ideal player in the recycling of complex wood debris and garden wastes, and thrives in complex environments. Vigorously attacking wood (sawdust, chips, twigs, branches), the King Stropharia also grows in wood-free substrates, particularly soils supplemented with chopped straw. I have seen this mushroom flourish in gardens devoid of wood debris, benefiting the growth of neighboring plants. Acclimated to northern latitudes, this mushroom fruits when air temperatures range between 60-90 F. (15-32 C.) which usually translates to ground temperatures of 55-65 F. (13-18 C.).

For 6 weeks one summer our bees attacked a King Stropharia bed, exposing the mycelium to the air, and suckled the sugar-rich cytoplasm from the wounds. A continuous convoy of bees could be traced, from morning to evening, from our beehives to the mushroom patch, unti the bed of King Stropharia literally collapsed. When a report of this phenomenon was published in Harrowsmith Magazine (Ingle, 1988), North America wrote me to explain that they had been long mystified by bees' attraction to sawdust piles. Now it is clear the bees were seeking the underlying sweet mushroom mycelium.

King Stropharia is an excellent edible mushroom when young. However, its edibility quickly declines as the mushrooms mature. Fly larvae proliferate inside the developing mushrooms. In raising silver salmon, I found that when I threw mature mushrooms into the fish-holding tank, they would float. Fly larvae soon emerged from the mushrooms, struggling for air. Soon the fish were striking the large mushrooms to dislodge the swollen larvae into the water where they were eagerly consumed. After several days of feeding mushrooms to the fish, the salmon would excitedly strike at the King Stropharia in anticipation of the succulent, squirming larvae as the mushrooms hit the water. Inadvertently, I had discovered that King Stropharia is a good base medium for generating fish food.

Growing King Stropharia can have other beneficial applications in permaculture. King Stropharia depends upon bacteria for growth. At our farm which included a small herd of Black Angus cows, I established two King Stropharia beds at the heads of ravines which drained onto a saltwater beach where my neighbor commercially cul tivates oysters and clams. Prior to installing these mushroom beds, fecal coliform bacteria seriously threatened the water quality. Once the mycelium fully permeated the sawdust/chip beds, downstream fecal bacteria was largely eliminated. The mycelium in effect became a micro-filtration membrane. I had discovered that by properly locating mushroom beds, "gray water" run-off could be cleaned of bacteria and nitrogen rich effluent. Overall water quality improved. Massive mushrooms formed. After three to four years, chunks of wood are totally reduced into a rich, peat-like soil, ideal for the garden. For nearly 8 years, I have continued to install King Stropharia beds in depressions leading into sensitive watersheds. Government agencies, typically slow to react to good ideas, have finally recognized the potential benefits of mycofiltration. Test plots are currently being implanted and monitored to more precisely determine the effects on water quality. If successful, I envision the widespread installation of King Stropharia beds into basins leading into rivers, lakes, and bodies of saltwater.

3. Shiitake/Nameko/Lion's Manes:

Outdoors, inoculated logs can be partially buried or lined up in fence-like rows. Once the logs have stopped producing, the softened wood can be broken up, sterilized, and re-inoculated. Indoors, these mushrooms can be grown on sterilized substrates or on logs using the methods described in this book. Once the indoor substrates cease production, they can be recycled and re-inoculated with another mushroom, a process I call species sequencing. (See Chapter XXII.) Later, the expired production blocks can be buried in sawdust or soil to to elicit bonus crops outdoors.

4. Maitake/Reishi/Clustered Woodlovers:

Several species can be incorporated into the management of a sustainable multi-stage, complex Medicinal Mushroom Forest. Logs can be inoculated and buried or stumps can be impregnated. The greatest opportunities for stump culture are regions of the world w here hardwoods predominate. Presently, only a few gourmet and medicinal mushrooms grow on coniferous woods. Nevertheless, Enokitake (Flammulina velutipes), Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), Clustered Woodlovers (Hypholoma capnoides), Chicken-of-the-Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus), and Oyster (Pleurotus spp.) are good candidates for both conifer and hardwood stump decomposition.

5. Shaggy Manes:

A cosmopolitan mushroom, Shaggy Manes (Coprinus comatus) grow in rich manured soils, disturbed habitats, in and around compost piles, and in grassy and gravel areas. Shaggy Manes are extremely adaptive and tend to wander. Shaggy Mane patches behave much like King Stropharia and Morels, travelling great distances from their original site of inoculation in their search for fruiting niches.

6. Morels:

Morels grow in a variety of habitats, from abandoned apple orchards and diseased elms to gravelly roads and stream beds. However, the habitat that can be reproduced easily is the burn-site. Burn-sites, although increasingly restricted because of air pollution ordinances, are common among country homesteads. If a burn-site is not possible, there are alternatives. The complex habitat of a garden compost pile also supports Morel growth. When planting cottonwood trees, you can introduce spawn around the root zones in hopes of creating a perennial Morel patch. Cultivators should note that Morels are fickle and elusive by nature compared to more predictable species like King Stropharia, Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms.

7. Mycorrhizal Species:

Mycorrhizal species can be introduced via several techniques. The age-old, proven method of satellite planting is probably the simplest. By planting young seedlings around the bases of trees naturally producing Chanterelles, King Boletes, Matsutake, Truffles or other desirable species, you may establish satellite colonies by replanting the young trees after several years of association. For those landowners who inherit a monoculture woodlot of similarly aged trees, the permaculturally inclined steward could plant a succession of young trees so that, over time, a multi-canopy forest could be re-established.

8. The Sacred Psilocybes:

In the Pacific Northwest of North America, the Psilocybes figure as some of the most frequently found fungi in landscaping bark and wood chips. These mushrooms share a strong affinity towards human activities -from chopping wood, the planting of ornamentals, landscaping around buildings, to the creation of refuse piles. Many spiritually inclined cultivators view the establishment of Sacred Psilocybe Mushroom Patches as another step towards living in harmony within their ecosystem.

These are but a few mushroom species that can be incorporated into the permaculture model. Part of a larger, community-based permaculture strategy should also include Mushroom Response Teams (MRT's) which could react quickly to catastrophic natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, floods in the profitable recycling of the enormous debris fields they generate.

Clearly, the use of mushrooms energizes permaculture to a level otherwise not attainable. I hope readers will develop these concepts further. When fungi are incorporated into these models, the ecological health of the whole planet will benefit enormously.

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