Eco Design: Industrial Ecology

What is Industrial Ecology, Wikipedia defines it as "the shifting of industrial process from linear (open loop) systems, in which resource and capital investments move through the system to become waste, to a closed loop system where wastes become inputs for new processes...The name comes from the idea that we should use the analogy of natural systems as an aid in understanding how to design sustainable industrial system."

Basically, it is trying to design our industry to act like ecological systems.  Kalundborg,Denmark is a great example of this.  Here industries of varied products relay on each others product and waste to run their facility's.  Some of them are power plants, pharmaceuticals plant, oil refinery, and plasterboard manufacturer. They have made  use of the waste streams and energy resources, and turned the by-products into products.  For example,the reuse of fly ash for asphalt and gypsum, also the surplus heat from the power plant is used for the local fish farm.  These are but few examples to what can be done by starting to think and design this way.

Now taking this concept and adding it to the other ones I discussed already; Cradle to Cradle philosophy  - product design, Living buildings and Eco cities - redesigning our built environment and industrial ecology - how the manufacturing and other plants need to function more like nature.  As designers, architects and others we need to take these concepts, understand them and start using them as tools and guidelines in our creations.  When we start thinking this way, we will be able to create environments that can coexist with nature.


Source: www.pollutionissues.com, www.bsdglobal.com, The Designers Atlas

Thinking Green: Creating Educational Programs

Educational programs are critical in all environments of any organization.  Educating others on the topic you are passionate about is the first step to change their perception, previous actions and behavior on that subject.
 
How do you create one?

The first step is to analyze the need for an environmental educational program or any other kind of educational program you want to create.  My blog is geared to environmental issues but these simple steps can be used for all educational programs.  It is good to have a champion at the top of the organization and somebody in the trenches to help pass the message to the masses.  So you will need to get the head of the organization on board with the concept of creating this program.  When that is done, start researching organizations that offer these services.  A lot of them also offer free educational programs in your area or offer workshops to help educate your people. There are also organizations that offer free educational lunch presentations on environmental issues and also will educate your staff on their products. In NYC some of these organizations are:

1. NYERDA - New York State Energy Research and Power Authority - www.nyserda.org
2. Solar One - Green Energy, Arts and Education Center - www.solar1.org
3. Lower East Side Ecology Center - www.lesecologycenter.org
4. GrowNYC - www.grownyc.org
5. New York City Soil and Water Conservation District -www.nycswcd.net
6. NYC Department of Environmental Protection - nyc.gov/html/dep/html/environmental_education/index.shtml
7. Green Schools Alliance - www.greenschoolsalliance.org
8. Urban Green Council -(USGBC chapter NYC) www.urbangreencouncil.org
9. Mohawk Group - www.themohawkgroup.com/sitefiles/index.html

These are but a few that are available and can help start to establish the program you desire. Research your neighborhoods to see local organizations. From here start organizing in-house workshops or lunch presentations.

Educating people is the first step to any change...

Thinking Green: EcoCities and Nature

Ecodesign is the next step of our design thinking. LEED helps us establish and understand the preliminary processes of green design. Creating living buildings is pushing past LEED and developing our thinking to the next level. Ultimately ecodesign should be second nature to our design process. Wikipedia defines Ecodesign as "an approach to design of a product with special consideration for the environmental impacts of the product during its whole life cycle. In a life cycle assessment the life cycle of a product is usually divided into procurement, manufacture, use and disposal." What this means to the built environment is that we need to not only use products that have cradle to cradle philosophy but also consider the Eco system as we build. For example, start incorporating natural or man made rivers into the urban environment. This will develop eco systems from plants, insects and wildlife.

The book by Richard Register "Eco Cities: Rebuilding Cities in Balance with Nature" talks about this subject and how we as designers can help bring about this change. I met the author last week and talked about his contributions to this effort; His work is concentrated in San Francisco, California. He has dedicated his life to educating and fighting for more eco elements to the urban environment. It has not been an easy road but it never is to bring on change to our way of thinking.

Now is the time for all of us to strive for these changes, for our future and the future of our children. Mr. Register believes it will take a hundred years for these changes to happen. I want to prove him wrong!! In my 35 years, I have seen the evolution of computers, the internet, cellphones to 3D television and more. The technology is here, the ability to live side by side with our natural environment is at our fingertips, all we need is the will to find a way.

As designers, architects, engineers, contractors, real estate brokers, property owners and more, we have the power to create these environments. Make the choice to educate others and yourselves on how to achieve these goals, so we can make these changes in our life time.

Thinking Green: International Living building Institute (ILBI)

As we move forward in our industry to reshape the way we design and build we look for stepping stones to help us find our way. LEED Certified buildings are the first step. LEED is helping us understand the areas we need to concentrate on and helps with the hows. But as I stated in previous postings we need to be able to move past LEED requirements and create more sustainable building environments to reshape our surroundings.

The Living Building Challenge is a program initially launched and continues to be operated by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council www.cascadiagbc.org (a chapter of both the US Green Building Council and Canada Green Building Council) and has quickly become the most advanced green building rating system in the world.
Started by the Cascadia Building Counsel in 2006, it is comprised of 16 prerequisites and six areas of concentration. It takes LEED and pushes it to the next level. There are no points to be achieved just prerequisites. Check out my previous blog about all the details of this challenge.

The International Living Building Institute is where you can find educational forums and support on the hows of this movement. Check out their website www.ilbi.org.

Thinking Green: Green Building Policies and Programs

You don't have to have a PHD in policy to understand the importance of regulations in Green Buildings. You only need to know that there is need to develop Green Building initiatives; there is need to make changes and innovations in markets and organizations; there is need to create green building program services and more. How can change be made? Where do I start? Can I make a difference? These are some questions we ask ourselves. The answer is yes. We all can make a difference, we just have to have the dedication and passion to make these changes and understanding the need for action.

Having the drive to be a leader in initiating these changes is one thing but also having some guidance of those who came before us is another. The book by Lucia Athens is one of the first books published on this subject that I have found. I met the Author last month and her actions in the community and strive in this field have given her a large knowledge base that she has shared with us in this book.

I recommend this book to all that have a passion of sustainable living.

Eco Products: Greener Product LLC

Looking for a great green search engine for green products, that are also LEED approved from the start.

Look no further than Greener Product LLC.

This company is a web-based platform that supports the manufacturer by cataloging their qualified green products and providing the ability to quickly search for building products, evaluate each product against the United States Green Building Council’s LEED standards (LEED) and then save or print the evaluation report, which can be easily inserted into your project file.

This free service platform allows the building specifiers to quickly search for green building products and then once identified evaluate those product against the LEED standards they are to be applied to. A simple 4 step search engine helps you narrow down your search. Here is how it works:

1st step – you choose the product type you are looking for and what LEED credit attribute you are looking for. Example, within 500 miles, certified woods, rapidly renewable, etc.

2nd step – you are given a list of products with a check on the attributes they carry. Here you can choose one or more of the products you want and add it to your project list. You also have manufacture information and contact number, if you need more information, samples, etc.

3rd step – you will be asked to what LEED rating system you are looking to achieve. Example, LEED New Construction 2009, LEED for Schools or even for projects registered under LEED v2.0

4th step – is the documentation summary, where all the information on the product is listed as well as how many LEED points can be achieved by choosing it.

This website cuts down on the time needed to research the products for a LEED project. Getting the right documentation is very time consuming, with this site you can concentrate on the more important parts of the project.

For more information check out the website @ www.greenerproduct.com

Thinking Green: 6 easy steps to greening your home further then just recycling:

Greening your home should not be a stressful endeavor. Here are 6 easy ways to do it:

1. Install a rain barrel:
Rain barrels typically hold about 40 to 60 gallons each ― enough to irrigate houseplants or pots on the deck. The best type is made of recycled food-grade plastic or use a recycled wine barrel, with an intake line, spigot, overflow attachment, screen cover to keep out leaves, and removable solid cover. Position the barrel beneath a downspout. To keep the rainwater pure, remove the solid cover an hour or two after rainfall has washed pollen and other pollutants off the roof.

2. Reduce water use:
• Time your showers - take max 10 min. showers, do not keep water running when you are doing something else, use the dishwasher as much as possible, if you don’t have a dishwasher rinse the dishes in a bowl of water and soap down then rinse them off.
• Installing Low-Flow shower heads and faucet aerators is the single most effective water conservation savings you can do for your home. Inexpensive and simple to install, low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your home water consumption as much as 50%, and reduce your energy cost of heating the water also by as much as 50%.

3. Watch the temp:
Almost half a home's energy consumption is due to heating and cooling.
• Turn down the thermostat in cold weather and keep it higher in warm weather. Each degree below 68°F (20°C) during colder weather saves 3%-5% more heating energy, while keeping your thermostat at 78°F in warmer weather will save you energy and money. A programmable thermostat will make these temperature changes for you automatically.
• Clean your furnace's air filter monthly during heavy usage.
• To keep your cool in warmer weather, shade your east and west windows and delay heat-generating activities such as dishwashing until evening.
• Use ceiling fans instead of air conditioners.

4. Green Cleaning products:
Use cleaning products that have eco-friendly ingredients and perform effectively. These include grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve, commonly found in carpet cleaner and some window cleaners as a solvent; coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum in detergents; and plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary or sage rather than triclosan, an antifungal agent found in soaps and deodorant. Check out www.naturessourcecleaners.com for some products.

5. Energy savers:
• As you need new appliances make sure you are buying them with Energy Star rating
• Change all bulbs to LED bulbs
• Buying outdoor lights and Christmas lights that have the Energy Star label and LED lights are also available

6. Compost wastes:
Composting is when you combine food wastes and yard waste and let them decompose to be used as a natural fertilizer for your yard, garden or potted plants. This not only helps plans grow and provides food for the eco system it also diverts these items from landfills. Composting has become much easier to accomplish with all the products available to purchase on line; from barrels made from recycled plastics to guides on how to.