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12/14/06

Here it is the last day of class; I am, unfortunately, extremely ill. Getting worse, not better. I went to the doctor last Friday, it appears I will need to go again and soon. I am unable to eat, I can keep down nothing more than a few sips of water.

11/30/06 Forest of Visions....

Little did I expect that there would be a triology before the book began: A forward, a preface, and an introduction, too!

11/14/06 The Fuller Question

Imagine yourself in Fuller's position as described below, but in the present, with your own challenges and insights. How would you proceed if, like Fuller, you became convinced that your life "belonged to the universe"?

Quote from the Wikipedia entry:

When I read about the lives of innovators like Buckminster Fuller and read statements such as his about the "four billion billionaires," it strikes me how much goes to waste. Innovations are going to waste -- ideas that are never even tried for one reason or another. Affordable drugs? How many people don't really have access to them because paying for the required doctor visit before being able to purchase the drugs is not affordable? But then, how many people simply won't prioritize to be able to afford that health insurance because they have to have a few cell phones, televisions, cable, cars, designer jeans, and so on and so on and so on?

The wonder of people like Fuller is that they take action, keep going, see things through, and the cycle continues. Some people have the conceit that they only ought to do something if it is going to be popular, accepted, money-making. Not every innovation that Fuller came up with was ultimately useful, but that did not mean it was time to stop.

Useful, practical, and possible. I think I would start with public school. For example, rather than confounding students with contrived math problems that have no practical application, wouldn't it be better to show them the power they can wield in the real world with even a basic understanding of concepts and applications? I've attended both American and British schools, and American schools are much worse for the problem of students tearing down other students. What a great way to nip independant, creative thinkers in the bud.

11/13/06 The Electric Car and its Funeral

As I waited today to cross at an intersection, a souped-up sedan gargled and roared past, leaving a wake of fumes for me to inhale as I made my way across the street. I realized this: there was nothing wrong with that car, because like many others, its owner had it altered to actually be louder than it normally would be. I've always seen this practice as one of the most stupid, inane, useless things people can do. Then I recalled the happy comments of the electric car consumers, who always noted the silence of their electric vehicles. It doesn't take much to put together what this anti-muffling says about some of today's drivers.

I enjoyed this documentary more than the Peak Oil even though it included some of the same kind of propaganda, for instance the idea of possible conspiracies. This video was more successful for me because it had more straightforward, seamless production (less of the wavery camera and obvious gimmicks), plus it didn't just interview "corporate experts," lawyers, and financial gurus. While it included such "experts," it also included and condemned consumers right along with "The Man" at the top of the oil industry. The issue of the electric car may be a good example of how it takes a collective effort among a variety of forces, such as product producers, government, resource providers, inventors, and more to really make a change.

Solutions were not really provided. After seeing the number of forces that come in to play, the reality seems to be that no single, simple suggestion will solve a problem that bears any similarity to the electric car problem. Perhaps only calamity, such as the loss of a resource such as oil (or even more likely, its outrageous price increase), will drive people to make the changes in this direction.

10/23/06 PSU joins Energy Star's Change A Light campaign

I read about this today in an article in PSU's Daily Collegian online edition. Amy Flashenberg's article, "PSU commits to changing the world with light bulbs," includes basic information about the national campaign, as well as some quotes from Michael Prinkey, energy program engineer at PSU's Office of Physical Plant (OPP). PSU joined the campaign in the middle of last month.

According to the article, the campaign was "created to encourage people to make online pledges to replace at least one incandescent light bulb in their homes with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL)."

The end of the article includes a link where Penn State students, faculty, and so on can go to make their own pledge: http://energy.opp.psu.edu

10/22/06 The same...

(to the tune of the cheers theme song...)

Checking out the TV guide today takes everything you’ve got
Lounging on the couch for awhile, sure would help a lot.
Will something good be on today?
Sometimes you’ll escape to
Where everybody sounds the same
Advertisers glad you came
Vapid smiles, droning voices
The troubles always the same
You want to be where everybody sounds
The same.

10/19/06 The Birds...

Their dinner performance at the Center:

Amazing Oregon beach house!

Check it out here!
Click on the other numbers in the "image" section on the bottom right of the new window to see additional exterior and interior pictures.

While it is not off the grid, this beach house is an example of "net zero" design in housing, which basically means that throughout the year, the residence gives as much energy to the local utility grid as it takes from it.

Now that I've found a few examples of some really upscale places to show that even the most "I gotta have it" type American doesn't have to sacrifice comfort and luxury for a variety of green practices, I guess it's time to see what a more modest person can aim for.

10/12/06 Greenhouse Classes

10/11/06 Sustainable Students, EcoManor

I created a space for people to brainstorm some ideas for Sustainable Students.

I found an interesting website for the EcoManor, a 6,200-square-foot, $1.2 million house whose contstruction will be finished this month. According to its web site, "EcoManor is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified residence in the Southeast and the first to utilize both solar and geothermal energy to power its daily energy use."

According to owners Laura and Rutherford Seydel, the goal of EcoManor is "to serve as an educational tool to builders, architects, designers, vendors, landscapers, educators and homeowners in an effort to promote green living, conservation options and improved residential building practices."

In other words, we shouldn't just roll our eyes at it because it is a million dollar house, but instead see all of the possibilities easily incorporated in new and existing buildings for people of all incomes.

I especially like that they include a page of Eco-Living Tips. So, while tips like add insulation to your home may not work for the dorm-dwelling college student, a tip like reuse paper bags is one of those things that we simply may have not thought of doing -- while it also saves money.

10/07/06 Grants and Sustainable Workforce

I was checking out the SustainableWorkforce page in our Wiki and reading about the grant possibilities. Looks like we'd have to come up with something rather quickly since the due date is on the 20th of the month. I added some thoughts to the end of that page.

It was mentioned the other day that PSU's Center for Sustainability just received a grant -- I'd love to know more about it. I'd also be interested to see the proposal that was submitted. Something to learn from.

10/05/06 Reactions to "Green" articles by media consumers

I'm going to point out right away that for our class, the most valuable thing about today's New York Times article, The Energy Diet, is the "Share Your Thoughts" section directly related to this article. When I noticed it around 8am this morning, the article had just been published and there were only four reader responses. Twelve hours later, it's generated 159 responses.

(I don't know if these links will work for everyone. I seem to remember having to register or something to be able to read NYT articles... if you can't read it and don't want to register, I can email it to you if you are interested.)

The article is targetted to the "ambivalent American" crowd that wants to do everything quickly, easily, and without sacrificing a lot (but still wants to be able to say, "I'm making a difference!"). We can learn a lot about how to target a particular audience by seeing how they react to an article such as this.

I haven't had a chance to read through more than 20-30 of the responses, but I will try to do a little bit of analysis over the weekend and see if I can come away with any new ideas for angles.

10/01/06 With friends like these...

XMilitary writes, "...yeah, I know I've worked for what are possibly considered the most evil corporations in the country..."

This reminds me of when my husband decided to enlist in the US Army. His friends strongly objected, protesting to him about "working for The Man!"

Well, we're all entitled to our principles, abilities, limits. So why didn't these friends have answers when I asked them, "Isn't it better that someone like us who thinks a little differently is getting involved?"

09/30/06 PSU team plans solar house article in local news

The article was posted in today's Centre Daily Times. The CFS is mentioned in the sixth paragraph.

PSU official site for the project: http://www.solar.psu.edu/

09/27-29/06 Center For Sustainability - Visuals

A very beautiful September day. I visited the Center for Sustainability this afternoon and tried to take a few photos that would give people a sense of what is there. You can see its proximity to Beaver Stadium. Solar Kitchen, Yurt, solar and wind power sources, bees, flowers, and the sign at the entry are pictured. I wish the sign at the entrance were more up to date -- it is one of the first things people see upon arriving, and for the new visitor it can be disconcerting to come upon something new like the center, but find old and out of date material still posted there.

Here's the re-worked shiny little photo-tour I created. Click on "see it big" to see more detail and captions.

It wasn't too difficult to do, and you can create your own if you have a (free) Photobucket or Flickr account. Actually, I don't know if you even have to have Photobucket or Flickr to do it, but that is how I learned about this toy. You can get the free "FilmLoop" software by clicking on "create your own!" in the scrolly thing above, or Photobucket offers some very basic film loop creation tools. The only down side is that there are ads.

09/23/06 Peak Oil

For some reason, when I did a google-search just now for "peak oil" and turned up the ASPO's web site, the first thing I noticed was a headline, "Making Sweden an OIL-FREE Society." I thought of all the Norwegian oil-harvesting-devices featured in the Peak Oil movie, and I thought about how much better off crack-dealers are when they don't use it themselves.

Anyway! Back to the film, Peak Oil, which many of us (along with two cats) watched on Thursday. What is Peak Oil?

The term Peak Oil refers the maximum rate of the production of oil in any area under consideration, recognising that it is a finite natural resource, subject to depletion. -Colin Campbell

The use of fossil fuels such as oil is controversial, and the film seeks to highlight some of the problems people face with using our oil resources. Not many people argue about the finite nature of these resources -- so why are topics concerning them under so much contention? Peak Oil brings forward many good reasons to think about the finite nature of these resources long before they run out. Financial risk analysts explain to us why even a small change in oil production levels have a big effect on our economies and lives, which is why the moment of maximum oil production in the world is much more significant than its actual ending.

The film is a convincing beginning that this topic needs to be investigated. However, its style is a bit over the top when it comes to its tactics. The flashing of the words "peak oil," and the focus on the gear shifting in a luxury vehicle were enough to cause this audience to giggle and laugh out loud. Unfortunately, these moments were probably not intended to be humorous by the producers of the film.

Although there were quite a few different people interviewed for the film, including investigative reporters, economists, bank CEOs, petrolium periodical publishers, and politicians, I still felt that the film had an aspect of fantasy to it. The tale of the man approached by the secret government investigator who told him they were "on to him," while it very well may have occurred exactly as he described, only lends to the fantastic aspact. The camera which interviews Campbell is rarely held steady, in fact, as he speaks it moves ever so slightly towards and away from him--it's spooky. There are a lot of very "close up" shots in the film, and I am not sure what the intent is with that, but it filled me with a sense of claustrophobic worry.

Visually, the film could benefit from more varying views. Close up shots have their place, while panoramic views can lend a sense of coming to "the bigger picture." Staying away from too many gimmicky things like flashing words and seemingly random "artsy" shots could also help. The focus on the gear-shift seemed pretty random at first, until later as the driver continued to talk about the problems of oil, it seemed to connect ironically that he was discussing this while consuming it at such expense.

I think the only female in the piece was a painting of Margaret Thatcher. When you deal only with male CEOs, politicians, and other such leading figures, it's easy to get the false sense that the problems being discussed are far away from the typical citizen of an oil-consuming country in the world. While representatives of authority are always useful as part of a complete breakfast, I mean documentary, without a presentation of useful solutions for bettering our own homes and gardens, it doesn't matter whether viewers agree with the ideas Peak Oil expresses or not.

09/18-19/06 Video Blues

I guess video as a medium is not the best thing for me to focus on as a means and method for discourse on sustainability. I realize that much of the world watches a large amount of television and video from other sources.

I don't, I never have, and trying to wade through the hodge-podge of video on YouTube and so forth leaves me feeling dull and vexed. Although I appreciate some longer-length films and documentaries, when it comes to the ubiquitous television show "short" formats, commercials (video advertising), and so forth, I don't even feel competent to comment or compare the value of these things with each other or different types of media.

The problem with these "short" formats is, though they are quick and strobelike, they rarely are "to the point." So much time is spent on posturing that I am forced to delay to a point where I feel like my time is wasted. I don't care how nice the software is, I don't want a full display of the special effects it allows an ordinary person to create. I suppose others feel distracted or entertained....

What I do know is that I find the methods, voices, attitudes, and the force-feeding of ideas, values, humor, etc. to be hopelessly annoying!

I'm afraid I speak some other language altogether, and sometimes I wonder, what's the use?

How do you sort through the bru ha ha to find something interesting and useful?

09/14/06 Conversations on Sustainability

What I find increasingly interesting about sustainability is that there are so many issues. While a multitude of issues is possibly overwhelming to the novice in the subject, I see it as a reason to be optimistic. After all, if you have a lot of issues surrounding a problem or topic, then you have just as many angles from which the topic can be approached!

Speaking of optimisim, unspitefully, the negative feelings people possess need to be addressed. Old Man was "instantly criticized" by friends and disappointed in their lack of interest when he broached the topic of sustainability. When even our friends laugh at, look down upon, or otherwise dismiss our ideas or interests, it's discouraging! ApatheticAvatar expresses doubt that some kinds of change aren't possible, convinced that "We will never get people to consume less." Yet, the Santa Claus Effect is a great way to think about change, and perhaps even convince a few people that change isn't bad. However, rather than focus on the overwhelming task of doing what appears to be impossible, or worrying about plagues of discouraging experiences and thoughts, it's time to check out the large selection of issues available and change our point of view for progress.

If you want to begin a long-term project to demonstrate the desirability of sustainability, is it necessary to always think of it in terms of what do Americans want? What will Americans tolerate? How can we possibly fight against the vast consumerisim of America to enact positive ecological change? Would you like some American with your fries?

As Americans, should we always start with our own country when considering sustainability? Well, yes and no.

Yes, because people want to see change for the better in their own lives. If charity begins at home, then so should sustainability. Also, if you're trying to be convincing on a subject, it's morale-raising and therefore useful to set a good example by demonstrating the advantages of your positions or techniques yourself.

No, because it's self-centered to believe that Americans are the only people capable of creating a positive effect, the only ones who can change the status quo, the only important people involved. While some Americans may view sustainability as something that will cause them pain, deprivation, and suffering, it's also likely that there are others (American and Non-American) who see the same lifestyle changes as an improvement to current conditions or techniques.

So, once again, it appears that collaboration is key.

09/12/06 On the table

09/11/06 What is Sustainability?

In which Nonprophet wrestles with various ideas on how to tackle this course and page; Answers to "What is sustainability?"

Rather than a formal web page design with a sidebar and links, I think it's going to suit me more to write in a less formal journal style. I will include some pictures (what use is a blog without pictures?!) and links that pertain to whatever I'm thinking or writing about. Hopefully, as this blog grows, it will also demonstrate a greater understanding on my part of sustainability--what it is, how best to write about it, and so forth.

When I signed up for the course, I was completely unfamiliar with the term "sustainability." I was unsure about what kind of course I was signing up for, for my senior seminar.

Naturally, as soon as I said to myself, "Sustainability? What's that? I've never heard of it before!" the word began to pop up here and there. As I sat in the bathroom staring at the magazines on the floor, wondering which one to choose, I noticed Scientific American's September 2006 issue printed "energy solutions for a sustainable world" on its front cover. Evidently, Sustainable Developments is a regular column in the magazine.

While I have discovered that sustainability is a subject that involves many different scientific and other fields involving the preservation of the planet, natural resources, the promotion of renewable resources, and other related topics, one thing I know is that none of these topics have escaped the effects of being politicized. What I mean is, words such as ecology, the environment, natural resources, conservation, and so forth, generally cause people to believe that you are a certain type of person politically either if you support these issues or you do not. Do you support something because you are a Libertarian, or are you a Libertarian because you support that thing?

What are the main issues in sustainability today? A single visit to Penn State's Center For Sustainability addresses a few of those issues, for instance how to support a life "off the grid." There must be bigger issues, however, that cannot be demonstrated in a small university setting, for example in the September 2006 issue of Scientific American, author Jeffrey D. Sachs discusses how lowering the fertility rate in poor nations could contribute to long-term gains in sustainability for the world.

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