In today’s reading in Ecological Design there was some
really interesting stuff covered that I’d like to share my thoughts about.
Thinking about how
Solutions Grow From Place gets the mind rolling and processing
trying to figure out where we are going with this concept.
On page 82, the author provides an important idea, “Imagine
attending to water, energy, waste, and land as carefully as you would attend to
your garden, your children’s education, or your money.” That, to me, is a
groundbreaking idea – yet it is so simple! He continues, “If these skills are a
part of the fabric of everyday life, building sustainable communities is
possible.” I totally agree and I love that this author has such an intellectual
mind to bring up such a fundamental and key piece to building sustainable
communities.
It’s feeding my brain.
“Sustainability begins in modest acts of responsibility.”
Thinking about that quote really makes sense. Why? Because I
am pretty sure it has been irresponsible lives that have created unsustainable
systems in the first place. People just don’t think in-depth about how their
actions affect other pieces of our life or what their product will do to the
environment. It really depends on the everyday actions of ordinary people (his
words, not mine).
I really like this quote as well, “Bringing sustainability
home is about growing a culture of sustainability that is suited to the
particularities of place” (pg. 83 for reference). This brings in the idea of
solutions growing from place.
Furthermore, the author describes some projects and examples
of designing from place. Basically I learned that we need to observe a
particular location in order to create a sustainable place for that place
specifically. There is no cut-and-dry solution for sustainability. That is why
we need to realize that storm water collection systems are not ideal in a
desert versus a place where it rains 80% of the year.
It is amazing how in-depth one can get with the design
components that they might apply to sustainable design that actually takes the
place into consideration. It is very detailed: from water scarcity to cross
winds to how much daylight they have to the temperature and weather conditions,
solutions really do grow from place.
Here is a really good quote from page 92, “Ecological design
begins with the particularities of place—the climate, topography, soils, water,
plants and animals, flows of energy and materials, and other factors. The task is
to integrate the design with these
conditions in a way that respects the health of the place. The design works
when it articulates new relationships within a context that preserves the
relevant ecological structure.” I am going to tie that in with what I write
below, then you can see my comments on why I think this is important. (please
see below)
On that same page, the author describes wetlands and how
their internal processes allow them to absorb nutrients, detoxify substances,
and remove pathogens. He talks about artificial wetlands (or constructed
wetlands) and how they are now being seeded and maintained specifically to
purify wastewater. “When a constructed wetland is carefully matched to the
level and type of wastewater it will received, it can both reclaim nutrients
and provide exceptionally clean water. In this way, some of our own wastes can
be integrated within existing ecological cycles. The constructed wetland
creates a new waste/landscape relationship that keeps nutrients on-site,
prevents downstream water from being polluted, and provides additional
habitat.”
I know that was a handful, but I think it was necessary. I
think that this kind of a sustainable system, as a community really is
essential to create an “ecological city”. We all have special gifts and talents
that can be to our communities that create sustainable, ecological design such
as constructed wetlands, sustainable buildings, utilizing gray water, and other
efficient means of design with intent
and actual care for the local environment which in turn reflects care for the
global environment.
