Links about Sustainability

Betty is the 50’s housewife (think "Betty Crocker") reinvented for the 21st century. Instead of working in the kitchen (burning all those nasty fossil fuels with her oven and stovetop running), she is figuring out ways to "green" the American lifestyle. She tends to the Earth, bringing a better world to the table, rather than a big roast turkey. Betty believes big changes begin with small steps and sees the potential in all of us to do better.

Green Programming and Green Channels

Go Green !

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis solonifera L.) is one of the first perennial
wind-pollinated crops being commercially developed for genetic resistance to
the widely used herbicide, RoundUpR. It is a valuable, high-maintenance crop
that if properly watered, mowed, aerated and fertilized forms a perfect
carpet for golf balls. However, unlike most of the transgenic crops that
have been commercialized in the United States, creeping bentgrass can cross
breed with native grasses that grow in areas where the grass will be
commercially produced or where it is likely to be used on golf courses. This
has raised questions about potential ecological risks associated with the
use of genetically engineered crops and highlighted the need for rigorous
methods to use in the regulatory risk-assessment process.

Field and laboratory research by Western Ecology Division (WED) scientists
has found that pollen from genetically modified (GM) bentgrass travels much
farther than previously measured. Results of this research by Dr. Lidia S.
Watrud and colleagues in WED's Risk Characterization Branch were published
in the Oct. 5 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This
paper documents gene flow at the landscape level from a seed company's
experimental fields in Central Oregon to 75 of 138 "sentinel" plants placed
to collect any drifting pollen, and to 29 of 69 genetically compatible
resident grass plants. They found that pollen from the transgenic grass,
estimated to be viable for up to three hours, traveled up to 13 miles from
the experimental fields. However, most of the gene flow occurred within a
mile and a quarter downwind of the experimental fields.

Because creeping bentgrass is an important seed crop in western Oregon's
Willamette Valley, the GM bentgrass in this study was grown east of the
Cascade Mountains in irrigated fields on a plateau above the Deschutes River
to reduce the possibility of accidental cross-pollination with conventional
grass crops. (Location of the experimental fields was more than one hundred
miles east of the fields in the Willamette Valley where non-resistant,
non-GM creeping bentgrass is commercially grown.)

“To what extent are arguments about property rights relevant to our local discussions about managing growth?” That's the question asked by the group Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population at their meeting on September 20th. Three experts took turns answering the question. They include:Jon Cannon (Albemarle County Planning Commissioner; UVA Law School Professor and Director of the UVA Center for Environmental and Land Use Law)

Blake Hurt (President of Capital Real Estate, developer of Republic Plaza; member of Albemarle County Industrial Development Authority; graphic artist)

Rich Collins (Professor Emeritus of Urban and Environmental Planning and founder Institute for Environmental Negotiation, School of Architecture, UVA)

ASAP President Jack Marshall moderated the discussion.

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Thanks to CPN Volunteer Lyle Solla-Yates for recording this event.

On April 11, 2007, the Senior Statesmen of Virginia held their monthly meeting at the Northside Library in Charlottesville, VA. The three invited panelists, among the community's most familiar faces when it comes to discussions of local growth and development issues, shared their views on topics including land use, transportation, population growth, government regulation, and property rights.

The panelists were:

Jack Marshall, Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population
Jeff Werner, Piedmont Environmental Council
Neil Williamson, Free Enterprise Forum

[Read more on Charlottesville Tomorrow’s blog]

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There are some good links on his delicious page... These are a bunch of keywords, that are related to sustainability.

farming, Cascadia, Dave-Pollard, deep-ecology, ecology, energy, engineering, environment, fish, food, frugality, garbage, globalization, green, humor, Joel-Salatin, lifehacks, local, nutrition, Pacific-Northwest, philosophy, Pollard, recycling, salmon, science, Seattle,simplicity, slow, slow-food, slow-life, social, social-justice, systems-engineering, voluntary-simplicity

If Americans could choose to work less and consume less, it could make a dramatic difference in greenhouse gas emissions. Yet most Americans do not have the choice of working shorter hours. Choosing to work less is the biggest environmental issue that no one is talking about.

Americans work longer hours than the people in any other developed country. The average American works 1817 hours a year, and the average west European (in the EU-15 nations) works 1562 hours a year.

A recent study by Harvard economics professor Mark Weisbrot found that:

If Americans worked as few hours as western Europeans, it would lower our energy consumption by 20%. With this change alone, the United States would have produced 3% less greenhouse gas emissions in 2002 than in 1990, almost bringing us to the Kyoto goal for cutting emissions.
If Europeans worked as many hours as Americans, it would raise their energy consumption by 25%, making it impossible for them to reach their Kyoto goals.

If the developing nations imitate the American model (all else being equal), world emissions of CO2 in 2050 would be 14Gt, raising world temperatures by 4.5 degrees. But if the developing nations imitate the European model, world emissions of CO2 in 2050 would be 10Gt, raising world temperatures by 2.5 degrees - a very substantial difference caused by work-time alone, apart from other policies to reduce emissions

Published by the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, this webpage has some great links and information for the Virginia local food movement. Find a list of farmer's markets, food festivals and community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) in your area.

Why Go Local ?

Buying and eating locally grown foods – foods that are produced near you or in Virginia – offer numerous benefits for you and your community.

* Locally produced foods often taste better since they are fresh.

* Some studies suggest that fresh produce has higher levels of anti-oxidants, so they may offer more protection against disease than produce that has been stored longer.

* Locally produced food does not have to travel as far to get to your plate. So, it typically costs less because there are fewer transportation costs. This also can minimize environmental impacts, like pollution.

* Buying locally produced or processed food can help to boost your local economy. Local, small farmers and producers can directly profit from your purchases rather than businesses that may have owners living far away.

* Helping support small farmers can help safeguard green areas – and, in some cases, prevent the urbanization of rural areas. Many farms around the country are being sold and converted into housing developments because farmers cannot afford to stay on the land.

* Many small farmers also help preserve and produce heirloom or old-fashioned varieties of produce – like tomatoes or potatoes – that are often not produced by large farmers or sold by big food chains.

The Virgin Earth Challenge is a prize of $25m for whoever can demonstrate to the judges' satisfaction a commercially viable design which results in the removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases so as to contribute materially to the stability of Earth’s climate.

I just attended one of the meetings for E.A.T Local in Charlottesville. There was a diverse crowd of foodies, farmers, supporters, and policy influencers. The link above is a link to where you can sign up for the E.A.T. Local listserv.

Get Involved !

On Jan. 22 the Lula administration announced it will increase federal funding for Brazil's sugar-based ethanol industry by almost US$6 billion over the next four years. One day later, U.S. President George W. Bush declared in the State of the Union address his goal to reduce U.S. use of gasoline 20% by the year 2017.

The general response in Brazil to Bush's announcement was overwhelmingly positive. Luis Fernando Furlan, Minister of Industry, Development, and Commerce, was quoted in the Gazeta Mercantil as saying he received Bush's announcement "with applause."

"It is a fantastic business opportunity," Luis Carlos Correa Carvalho, an industry consultant, told Reuters. "We have never had such a great opportunity for the substitution of petroleum."

The United States is currently the largest importer of Brazilian ethanol. Last year it imported 1.74 billion liters, or 58% of the total three billion liters that Brazil exported. For the United States to reach Bush's target reduction of gasoline use, the country will need an additional 135 billion liters of ethanol annually. Because it will not be able to produce the entire amount, no doubt a large portion will come from Brazil.

Brazil is the global leader in ethanol exports. In 2006, the country exported about 19% of the total 16 billion liters it produced, providing 70% of the world's supply.

This amount will soon increase. A partnership between the Ministry of Science and Technology and the University of Campinas in São Paulo is currently conducting a study to plan Brazil's ethanol exports as a substitute for 10% of the global use of gasoline in 20 years.

If this plan is successful, the country's ethanol exports will total 200 billion liters by 2025—an increase of almost 67%. The geographic area planted with sugarcane will increase from 6 million to 30 million hectares.

Who killed the electric car is fantastic. I rented it from netflicks and watched it 6 times before I returned it. It is a true crime the story of energy in the United States. I highly suggest doing a little homework and asking the teacher some tuff questions.

History: 30 Years of Dreams

built the first version of the Pedal Generator in 1976. As an improvement over similar bicycle generator designs, I went all-out for efficiency and versatility. While a bike generator is an alternative to my design, pedaling will be uncomfortable and inefficient, and powering non-electric equipment may be difficult. A key feature in my design is a 36" particle board disk with a groove routed in the edge that serves as the flywheel and crankshaft for the permanent magnet 36 volt DC motor ( 1 2 ) seen at the upper right edge of the device. A small-pitch chain provides the power transfer system. The groove around the outer edge is lined with "rim strips" - thin rubber straps that prevented the chain from slipping and digging into the particle board. They are standard bicycle parts. The motor was obtained around 1985 from Northern Hydraulic, now known as Northern Tool and Equipment Company. It is a General Electric Permanent Magnet Motor, model 5BPA34NAA44, a very nice heavy-duty, ball bearing unit. I paid USD $29 for it if I remember correctly.

The bottom frame of the Pedal Generator is welded steel plate and channel, the crankset is an American Schwinn ball bearing set, a cotterless crank conversion spindle, alloy cranks and cheap pedals with toe clips.

The crankset has a steel chainwheel on it. I drilled some larger holes in the chainwheel and bolted the particle board disk to it. It was strong enough (fine Schwinn steel!) to hold the weight of the particle board disk and run true. I routed an oblong hole through the particle board disk for the "arm" of the crankset.

The seatpost and handlebar tube are standard galvanized water pipe. The generator/motor is mounted on a piece of 3/4 plywood visible in the motor pictures seen above, which is then bolted to the water-pipe frame.

The particle board disk is a key feature of this unit. The weight of the disk serves as an excellent flywheel. Human legs and pedals create an extremely "peaky" torque curve, resulting in jerky motion and lots of stress on parts. The flywheel smoothes this all out by absorbing part of the energy on the power stroke, lowering peak torque, and releasing it on the "dead" part of the stroke, creating torque where Human legs/pedals cannot generate any. Another thing to remember is that Human legs do not like extreme stress. The flywheel allows the Human to avoid having to generate extreme pressure during the power stroke just to make it past the "dead" spots. Many "bicycle converters" lack the flywheel characteristic because tires/rims are designed to be so light.

We are a group of alternative energy enthusiasts who want to spread the message that It's EASY to make your own power FROM SCRATCH! Otherpower.com's headquarters is located in a remote part of the Northern Colorado mountains, 15 miles past the nearest power pole or phone line. All of our houses and shops run on only solar, wind, water and generator power...not because we are trying to make some sort of political or environmental statement, but because these are the only options available. And we refuse to move to town.

Today, with the heavy use of automobiles combined with the burning of fossil fuels, increasing problems are affecting human health and climate change as a result of air pollution. Pedal power energy has been in use since the nineteenth century. Aside from transportation, pedal-power energy can be applied to a tremendous variety of jobs that contribute to less pollution and conserve energy in the home. Pedal power uses the most powerful muscles in the body: the quads, hamstrings, and calves, converting ninety-five percent of exertion into energy.

Many tools and appliances can be run directly with mechanical energy. With an old exercise bike, a generator, and a fan belt, human energy can be converted into Direct Current (DC) electricity. Some examples of tools that can be operated by pedal power are the table saw, band saw, meat grinder, wood carver, water pump, thresher and winnower, stone polisher, lathes, and pottery wheels. Appliances such as a juicer, grain mill, butter churn, and washing machine can also be used with pedal power. Here at CCAT, pedal power is used to run a blender, coffee grinder, TV/VCR, drill press, grinding wheel, and a multi-bicycle generator. You can exercise, save energy, and make a smoothie all at the same time!

The Pedal-a-Watt bike was designed to keep the user aerobically fit while creating some extra power that may be sent to a bank of batteries. These batteries may then be tapped at a later time, after dark for example, when the energy is needed to power lights or appliances. The Pedal-a-Watt bicycle is an excellent addition to an existing battery system that may already be charged from the photovoltaic panels, 120 VAC grid power or wind power. The concept behind the Pedal-a-Watt bicycle is that electricity can be created from human effort and then stored in batteries.

The average rider will produce between 150 and 200 watts using the Pedal-a-Watt. While this may not seem like much power, solid state equipment draws very little power and can be powered for long spans of time with small amounts of power. VHF/UHF Ham Radios, laptops, and DC stereos all draw small amounts of current at 12 volts DC. In addition, LED lighting and high efficiency fluorescent lighting now allow 200 watts to go a long way. A typical 25 watt fluorescent light bulb, which replaces a 100 watt incandescent bulb, will last 8 hours on 200 watts worth of power. LEDs (light emitting diodes) are even more efficient and will last days on 200 watts worth of power.

Any bicycle that is in good shape will suffice for mating to the Pedal-a-Watt platform. However, bicycles with wheels of larger diameters, such as 27 inches as opposed to 16 inches, create more mechanical advantage. Both street bikes, with very narrow, smooth tires, and mountain bikes, with wide, knobby tires, have been used with equal success. The bicycle is placed upon the stand, which is an Advent Mag-Trainer. It comes assembled and folds up easily for transport - even after the alternator is added.

The parts cost a total of about $115 and are available via mail order. Our plans include all suppliers and part numbers needed to order each component.

A PIONEER banana farmer, revered by alternative lifestylers, is to be posthumously honoured while his "followers" are prosecuted.

The late Bryce Young has been hailed on the Internet as a virtual guru of austere, non-material and peaceful lifestyle by a controversial Tweed group which has set up a teepee village on his old farm at Chillingham.

Tweed Shire Councillors decided on Wednesday to prosecute the group for allegedly erecting the teepees illegally.

But at the same meeting they voted to honour Mr Young, who died in October 1995, by naming a public reserve after him.

The decision followed a request to Mayor Max Boyd in October from Mr Young's nephew, the author of a report on the Internet and now the owner of the teepee village property.

Brian Jefferies of Newtown, Sydney, asked that 1.35 hectares transferred to the Council as part of a subdivision of his uncle's estate in 1996 be named after Mr Young who was "a widely respected member of the local community for nearly 50 years".

On a Web page set up to promote Dead Gum Revival's proposed ecologically sustainable village on Mr Young's former property, Mr Jefferies has published an address given at his uncle's wake which lightheartedly suggests: "In these isolated valleys of the Tweed, it might even be possible to start off a Bryce Young cult."

Mr Jefferies said Mr Young had "an inner peace, a calmness and a contempt for the material world that Hindus and Buddhists aspire to."

"There probably aren't many people who would intentionally live in Bryce's austere fashion. Our lives have become cluttered with the needs and desires fostered by modern society's endless cycle of consumption and waste."

"By example, Bryce shows us that we needn't live that way; that the pursuit of wealth, prestige, even rudimentary comfort, is ultimately without value."

"He lived the life he wanted to without much interference from authorities".

Those following in his path however now have to contend with legal action from Tweed Shire Council over their erection of the controversial teepees.

A member of Dead Gum Revival, Kiri Sta, said the group was amazed at the prosecution move but would continue to develop the land for an ecologically sustainable village providing work, food and housing for low income and unemployed people.

"It is beyond comprehension that an environmentally sustainable development providing jobs and homes for people can be opposed by councillors," Ms Sta said.

"Dead Gum Revival remains confident of resolving this issue because no one, regardless of political persuasion, wants to see unemployment queues grow and people made homeless."

The movement back to community is an important step toward sustainability in the western world. When we know our neighbors, feel like we belong, care and are cared for, we are acting locally.

Whether you call it an ecovillage, cohousing, or an intentional community, many of the characteristics are the same.

Cohousing started in Denmark in the late 1960s when a group of professionals looking for better child care and easier meal preparation started an intentional community. Almost 300 projects have been completed in Denmark since that time. The intergenerational communities include singles, single parents, couples with children, and retirees.

In the United States our romantic notion of living in the woods combined with a veneration for independence and privacy plus our reliance upon the personal automobile have produced an isolated society. Cohousing is a concept our society can embrace to be whole again.

Although residents can share a living structure, most ecovillages or intentional communities have the following characteristics:

1. Privacy--all residents have their own private homes, including kitchens. They participate in community activities by choice. Common areas supplement rather than replace private homes.

2. Intentional Community--residents share central walkways or a village green, community gardens, community activities, community buildings, community meals. Cars are banished to the edge of the community. Residents do not drive up to a garage, enter their home, and remain there.

3. Participation--the group is responsible for most or all of the final design with varied levels of responsibility, depending upon the group.

4. Nonhierarchical Structures and Decision Making--decisions are made as a community, often with consensus. One ecovillage had rotating presidents, one year to a term. In this community of 40 families, the presidency came around every 40 years. This made building up a power base almost impossible.

In 2001, the citizens of Yellow Springs raised 1 million dollars to aid in the purchase of a 1000 acre farm just to the north of the village. The area of the farm itself was approximately the same as the area of the village. The owner of the land had announced an intention to subdivide the land into many parcels and offer the land at auction. Many developers had begun designing subdivisions for various parcels. In response to what the Yellow Sprints citizens viewed as a threat to the character and values of the village, money was raised and, in conjunction with the Tecumseh Land Trust, the farm was purchased and placed in a land trust.

Dedicated to the increase and diffusion of information about how the nation's lands are apportioned, utilized, and perceived.

The Center for Land Use Interpretation is a research organization interested in understanding the nature and extent of human interaction with the earth's surface. The Center embraces a multidisciplinary approach to fulfilling the stated mission, employing conventional research and information processing methodology as well as nontraditional interpretive tools.

The organization was founded in 1994, and since that time it has produced over 30 exhibits on land use themes and regions, for public institutions all over the United States, as well as overseas. Public tours have been conducted in several states, and over ten books have been published by the CLUI. CLUI Archive photographs illustrate journals, popular magazines, and books by other publishers, and have been used in non-CLUI exhibitions, and acquired by art collectors.

The CLUI exists to stimulate discussion, thought, and general interest in the contemporary landscape. Neither an environmental group nor an industry affiliated organization, the work of the Center integrates the many approaches to land use - the many perspectives of the landscape - into a single vision that illustrates the common ground in "land use" debates. At the very least, the Center attempts to emphasize the multiplicity of points of view regarding the utilization of terrestrial and geographic resources.

Founded in 1983, The Buckminster Fuller Institute serves a global network of design science innovators working at the leading edge to "make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone".

We offer educational programs, publications, initiatives and tools to help further the design science revolution Fuller inspired. Our constituency crosses disciplinary boundaries and includes people working in the fields of the art, architecture, design, education, engineering, information technology, economics, mathematics, science, and systems theory.

This is an introduction, overview and directory of links to a wide variety of ideas and projects that help create stronger, healthier community. We start by looking at a number of alternative and experimental forms of community, including ecovillages, cohousing, intentional community, cooperatives, related topics and links. We then look at a variety of creative ways that you can find or create stronger community where you live today (without moving or joining an alternative community). We include resources on how to go about this, and the interpersonal issues and group process that can be involved. We also look at the "Healthy Community" approach, and how it can lead to a better lifestyle and a more sustainable world. This page includes definitions & examples; related events; organizations; publications; listings; links; how to find or create a community, more. www.planetfriendly.net/community.html (see also our directory of Learning Centres & Places across North America