Local Resilience for the Post-carbon Economy

Another MSLS alum just passed on this great piece by Daniel Lerch, the author of 'Post Carbon cities: Planning for energy and Climate uncertainty' and Program Director at the Post Carbon Institute. It does a great job of tying together systems thinking concepts and the importance of applying them to more consciously and strategically building resilient local communities with resilient local economies.

http://www.postcarbon.org/energy_uncertainty_and_community_resilience

The piece also has a bunch of great links to case studies and role-model stories - in particular, check out the last paragraph that talks about success of applying the framework for strategic sustainabile development to create "eco-communities"... the success of the model in Sweden has led to an organic, grassroots adoption of the concept here. Lots of great, inspirational reading, for these back-to-back great, historic days - happy MLK and inauguration! Stay going.

Thoughts on the Inauguration

There has been so much exciting talk about the inauguration over the past few days – millions descending on Washington, including Obama, retracing part of Lincoln’s train route to the capital, celebrations and concerts, personal stories and elation. It seems like despite the violent ‘perfect storm’ around us – 2 wars, the tragic conflict in Gaza, the ever looming threat of climate disruption crashing over us, while we continue to fuel its growth, the undermining of a functioning (though fundamentally flawed) free-market economy by ideological zealots (who we trained and revered in our finest institutions), inexcusable toxic pollution being sold to and thrust upon all of us (but particularly the poor and marginalized) by our most powerful corporations, misguided policies and ideologies fueling the threat of terrorism – despite all that, and the confusion this complexity brings, there seems to be a surprisingly high level of general consensus emerging amongst us:

• We must get off fossil fuels
• We must create a green economy
• That economy must be inclusive and enable millions to lift themselves out of poverty
• Obama and the change he represents is necessary, but nowhere near sufficient – this will take an incredible amount of hard work and dedication by all of us
• The party’s winding down and that’s ok – actually it’s welcome – it’s time to find more meaning in our lives than the empty, dictated placebo of hyper-consumerism
• All the issues are not the separate, discrete, competing interests we thought they were – they’re all interconnected and influence each other – we can no longer afford to “problem solve” or apply “quick fixes,” we must take a whole-systems perspective and identify the leverage points where the positive can build on the positive, to get us out of the trap we’ve gotten ourselves into where the negative reinforces the negative
• All of this will take a deep reconnection with and re-expression of our core values, and dedication to a more highly evolved global consciousness that starts inside each of us

We’ve been working on getting a Green Education, Schools, and Jobs Program into the stimulus package with the leaders of the ACUPCC, which has led me to follow the process to some degree. The transition team has their framework for the package, and the House released its legislation on Thursday, it’s got to go through the Senate, and will no doubt continue to change along the way. But Obama is serious about getting it done and out quickly – the original target of having it ready for inauguration day has been pushed back a bit, but it will likely go through by early February. By and large, the components of the packager are excellent. A year ago I would have found it very hard to imagine that the language and strategies outlined in the package would be under such serious consideration at such a high level with so much funding so soon. The focus on demand reduction is phenomenal ($6.2 billion to weatherize low-income homes, $2 billion for RE and EE research, $6.9 billion for block grants for EE strategies by local governments (fertile grounds for collaboration between Climate Protection Mayors and ACUPCC Presidents), and much more). $11 billion towards a smart grid is also a smart move to set up a scalable renewable energy system. Some tax credits and the like. I haven’t seen anything addressing pulling back subsidies to fossil fuel industries – but this is a necessary step as well, though one that will certainly meet some serious resistance.

We’ve been pulling for more focus on funding education for sustainability initiatives – in terms of operations, education and research – as (1) the job creation potential is huge (surprisingly so – 23.1 jobs created per $1 million spent, among the highest ratios for employment returns on spending), (2) the money goes to support arguably our most important and indeed institution – education, (3) there is huge deferred maintenance at most schools, colleges, and universities, (4) green retrofits will address that, but also cut GHG emissions, serving as role-models and demonstration projects, (5) those same activities turn campuses into “living labs” with huge educational value, (6) that experiential learning in hand with directed green jobs training and general education for sustainability builds the workforce we need for the green economy.

The main point though is that we’re a whole lot closer to getting on the right track, and this stimulus package holds huge promise to give us a boost to get started. I expect the inaugural speech will focus on all of the economic stuff, but more so on our role in it. The expectations and hope for Obama are sky high, and I expect him to wisely throw those expectations back on us. A good time for another viewing of the “yes we can” video. And a newer one (below) by Will.i.am, that reinforces that this is our change to create, our better world to create. All that's really changed is that at least now we don't have a president who was perhaps well-intentioned, but guided by inherently misguided and simplistic worldview, too often influenced by and ruling for the self-interested few at the expense of many. So, let’s enjoy the moment, it is historic, and gear up for the real work ahead.

Stay going.

The Science of Leonardo

Fritjof Capra, an amazing systems thinker and writer has taken a slightly different route in his latest – The Science of Leonardo, Inside the Mind of the Great Genius of the Renaissance. It’s not so much about sustainability or theories of life, per se, but it brings a very interesting perspective to a lesser-known aspect of a well-known figure.

That perspective is that of a systemic scientist, and as he looks into the fascinating science of Leonardo, he demonstrates that the great artists view was clearly that of a systems thinker. He worked across a wide variety of fields and ‘disciplines’ – painting, sculpture, engineering, biology, music, anatomy, fluid dynamics, and more. Of course, he came before Descartes, and the Cartesian split – of the mind, the “thinking thing” from matter, the “extended thing.”

This idea that our cognition separates us from the physical world as opposed to binding us into it has been an underlying assumption of our civilization’s development for the past 400 years. That worldview is now breaking down, and looking back to the work of a great genius, hundreds of years ahead of his time in many ways, to see some of the similarities makes for an insightful read in these exciting times.

Stay going.

The Birthday Barrel

So, it's my birthday, and I just had to brag on my present right away - a rain barrel! As you can see, it's pretty much just a big plastic barrel (of which the dog is very skeptical), but it's got a top that serves as a big filter so you can simply place it under the downspout of a gutter and fill 'er up. Looks like that filter-top comes off pretty easily too, which should be good for clearing it out, and cleaning the inside of the bucket now and then, if needed.

It'll stay in the basement for a couple more months, as we're still snowed in here, with more icy rain expected today, but come spring we'll be collecting our roof water for irrigating the back yard permaculture "farm".

Anyone guess which sustainability principle this helps out with? ...primarily SP3, as we use too much water we're essentially degrading the natural system of the water cycle by physical means. Also, as we put stuff (like our waste and chemicals to treat it) in the water and contaminate it we're getting into SP2 territory, and of course, in many areas and instances irresponsible water use can have serious SP4 consequences.

Anyway, anyone with a house or suitable apartment should get one of these and rig it up - helps cut down on run off saves water, pretty cheap and easy to set up. Happy birthday to me! Stay going...

The Green Collar Economy

Van Jones recently became the first African American author to get a book about “the environment” on the NYT best seller list – The Green Collar Economy – How one solution can fix our two biggest problems. But, like sustainability, the book’s not really about the environment – at least not only, or primarily. It’s about us, and sustaining our civilization. He does a masterful job at putting the complex and interrelated issues of sustainability into accessible and compelling language – without sacrificing that complexity or glossing over important considerations. No easy task.

The basic premise of the green collar economy and green collar jobs has been around a little while now, but is really hitting its stride as a confluence of events – awareness of the problems and potential solutions around global warming, volatile energy prices, peak oil, energy security, along with the economic crisis, Obama, and a renewed sense of purpose in America and the world – comes together to create an incredible opportunity.

It’s about creating 5 million (or more) new jobs improving our communities and getting off fossil fuels. It’s about putting people – particularly those marginalized for too long – to work doing the things we desperately need done: insulating buildings, rebuilding the grid, installing solar and wind power systems, manning recycling centers, manufacturing sustainable products, growing local food, installing green roofs and porous pavement, deconstructing and recycling old buildings, etc.

Some perverse economic incentives need to change for this to really take off – internalize the cost of carbon, phase out subsidies to fossil fuels and industrial agriculture, and the like- and some training is needed to develop the knowledge and skills to get this done. Like many others, Jones is talking about a ‘Green New Deal’ and also a “Green Growth Alliance” – properly distinguishing between “good growth” and “bad growth” – the former being the growth of value, the latter the destructive physical growth we currently pursue.

Beyond being just about right on in my view with the huge potential for beneficial solutions, he does a masterful job highlighting the importance of the social attributes of what this shift must look like. Not only that “social problems” that need to be “solved” can be eliminated through such a shift, but also that a broad alliance of all segments of society are necessary for success. He puts into very concrete terms the idea that it’s us (humanity) against un-sustainability. These social considerations are not feel-good add-ons to sustainability work, they are the core of it. He lays out some principles for creating the green-collar economy:

1) Equal protection for all – the poor are being hit first and hardest by unsustainability – whether it’s drought in Africa, rising seas in the South Pacific, or Katrina – and we must foster a strong sense of community and equal protection if our civilization is to survive.

2) Equal opportunity for all – we cannot simply replace solar for oil and reinforce a divided society where some are systematically held back from success, it is a great opportunity to lift millions out of poverty and we will need the energy and creativity of everyone to do so.

3) Reverence for all Creation – this is self-explanatory, and sort of a combined step into Deep Ecology and inclusion of the huge segment of our global population made up by people of faith.

All in all, a very well-done, and very readable, accessible book – and as timely as ever given the confluence of events (not that this is surprising as these events are the inevitable result of the old economic system). Stay going.

Clean Coal

Just a quick bit of news that shouldn't get missed in this holiday season, from Grist:

More than a billion gallons of coal ash have spilled from a coal-burning power plant in eastern Tennessee since Dec. 22, when a retention wall at the plant burst. That's billion with a "B," which means the amount of gunk spilled is about 100 times larger than the mess from the Exxon Valdez disaster. Gray sludge has spread across 300 acres, wiped out three homes, oozed into a tributary of the Tennessee River, and made a lot of local residents worried about their health and water supplies. Coal ash contains mercury and traces of heavy metals like arsenic and uranium. In the wake of the spill, high levels of arsenic have been found in some rivers and wells near the spill site, though authorities insist that drinking water is still safe. Enviros are seizing the opportunity to point out that "clean coal" is an oxymoron.

For those of you in Massachusetts interested in eliminating the local impacts of coal pollution (or really those of you anywhere wanting to help eliminate the global impacts of coal pollution) - sign this petition to shut down Dominion's Salem coal plant: http://www.stoptheplantnow.org/petition.htm























Stay going...

The Passive House

At the AASHE 2008 Conference, I met a rep from the Passive House Institute which was very encouraging to see - passive solar design is a key concept to green building and one that unfortunately too often gets overlooked or glossed over. The other day my father sent me this NYT article about passive homes in Germany that have no furnaces are kept warm with great insulation, solar gain, and body heat. Again, very exciting stuff – it helps to show one element of how through good design we can create a climate neutral, sustainable future – but still, it generated some confusion on my part as to why this one (very important) element of green building is being broken out as its own thing, seemingly separate. Maybe it’s because it has been glossed over too often in casual converstaions about green building, or maybe it's because it’s less complex, and more understandable to look at one piece at a time. Of course this one piece in and of itself is quite complex – it integrates he building envelop, insulation, windows, site orientation, ventilation system (with heat exchange), and room layout, and again is a big central part of green building generally. So maybe it’s just that the terminology “passive house” is a better description of “green building” – no confusion with exterior paint colors. Whatever the reason, it’s a great trend – and one we really need to develop here, quickly.

We had a blower door test done recently and found all of our leaks and under-insulated spots. There were a lot of them, and we’ve got a guy coming soon to fill in the parts of the roof with no insulation as an immediate first step. The next steps are to seal up all of the holes and gaps in the floor, get the walls insulated, update the windows, and hopefully put in some new windows on a Southwest wall. Before sealing up that tight though, we need to find a good solution to air quality and moisture – a ventilation system with a heat exchange that can work in our old house. It will be interesting to see how close we can get to a ‘super-insulated’ house that we can heat with the sun and some body heat. Starting from scratch it’s easier – I always think of the Rocky Mountain Institute headquarters that doesn’t need a heating system, and on cold overcast days, they throw tennis ball down the hall for the dog for auxiliary heat.

Stay going…