This is a rational approach to the coming crisis. But if past or present behavior are any indication of future activity, there is little likelihood of anything rational being pursued in time to avert the crisis.
These are decisions that are made locally. The Raven talks a lot about building local power and agendas. This kind of thinking can inform them. We are beyond averting the crisis. We are well into it, as cities from Asheville to LA demonstrate. We will be pushed in these directions by necessity.
With all due respect, sir, I admire your continuing optimism. But as I see it, we are too far into the extinction process, and have too little ability to work together to do the right thing, to be able to reverse it. The only remaining questions are, will humanity disappear or will there be a few survivors? And if there are survivors, who will they be and how will they live?
Such thinking makes that outcome a self-fulfilling prophecy. One wonders why give a shit about anything if this is inevitable. I have no doubt we are in a critical situation. My own read is that action is still possible, both to slow down the momentum, and as this article covers, build a better world in doing so.
I am a born pessimist, but I hope you are right. I am 86, so what happens isn't going to affect my life. If you can build that better world for my grandson (in the picture), I will be much obliged.
One of the most challenging changes is how to deal with human “waste”. There are excellent books by Joseph Jenkins about his experience all over the world with waterless systems. And cities like Albaquerque and Tucson, for example, use literally billions of clean water to flush toilets while becoming short of clean water. What is called waste needs to become compost, and the challenge of developing, mandating, and servicing a more intelligent system is necessary. Yes, it will take a concerted educational campaign, public health oversight, and investment to do it, including providing containers and pickup for all buildings. The result will be a gigantic saving of clean water and a usable end product after about a year’s compost.
I've been considering the problem of designing a system that could handle human waste on site in an urban environment ,including multistory buildings, for about 20 years. I think it is a very manageable problem. But there is one major hurdle—human behavior. Even suggesting such an idea invites such a disgust reaction that few people can get past it and into facts. But thanks for bringing it up.
The Bullitt Center in Seattle, which is a model green building, operates a human waste composting system. One of the building’s many leading edge ecological innovations. https://bullittcenter.org/2012/06/14/composting-toilets-at-the-bullitt-center/ The building also treats wastewater with natural systems and captures rainwater. As well as generating more solar electricity than the building uses. Denis Hayes, who led the project, is one of my subscribers.
Denis was the original organizer of Earth Day 1970, which planted the green seed in my 16-year-old mind. Later he served as Jimmy Carter’s solar lead, forming the Solar Energy Research Institute, now known as the National Renewable Energy Lab. Denis has a lot to do with why we have cheap solar today. I got to know him when he was President of Bullitt Foundation, which funded a couple of climate groups with which I worked. He’s toured me through Bullitt Center, which indeed was his vision. A true environmental pioneer.
The Living Buildings Challenge, headquartered at the center, is doing just that. https://living-future.org/lbc/. Maybe you can see why, even though we have so many wrong way trends, being familiar with such efforts gives me some hope we can turn this around.
This all sounds great - I get the gist of it. BUT, all his info. needs to be distilled down to clearer, simpler language. A kind of 1 2 3 step sort of thing would be useful for supporting change, at least for my wee mind.
I just tracked to your new substack. I’d be happy to republish your new piece and Jan. 26 post at The Raven if you’d like. Looks like you’ve had some interesting interactions with Mother Ocean in your Santa Cruz neck of the woods.
This is a rational approach to the coming crisis. But if past or present behavior are any indication of future activity, there is little likelihood of anything rational being pursued in time to avert the crisis.
These are decisions that are made locally. The Raven talks a lot about building local power and agendas. This kind of thinking can inform them. We are beyond averting the crisis. We are well into it, as cities from Asheville to LA demonstrate. We will be pushed in these directions by necessity.
With all due respect, sir, I admire your continuing optimism. But as I see it, we are too far into the extinction process, and have too little ability to work together to do the right thing, to be able to reverse it. The only remaining questions are, will humanity disappear or will there be a few survivors? And if there are survivors, who will they be and how will they live?
Such thinking makes that outcome a self-fulfilling prophecy. One wonders why give a shit about anything if this is inevitable. I have no doubt we are in a critical situation. My own read is that action is still possible, both to slow down the momentum, and as this article covers, build a better world in doing so.
I am a born pessimist, but I hope you are right. I am 86, so what happens isn't going to affect my life. If you can build that better world for my grandson (in the picture), I will be much obliged.
I’m 72, but my daughter is 28. For all the generations. That’s why I feel I can’t give up.
One of the most challenging changes is how to deal with human “waste”. There are excellent books by Joseph Jenkins about his experience all over the world with waterless systems. And cities like Albaquerque and Tucson, for example, use literally billions of clean water to flush toilets while becoming short of clean water. What is called waste needs to become compost, and the challenge of developing, mandating, and servicing a more intelligent system is necessary. Yes, it will take a concerted educational campaign, public health oversight, and investment to do it, including providing containers and pickup for all buildings. The result will be a gigantic saving of clean water and a usable end product after about a year’s compost.
‘
I've been considering the problem of designing a system that could handle human waste on site in an urban environment ,including multistory buildings, for about 20 years. I think it is a very manageable problem. But there is one major hurdle—human behavior. Even suggesting such an idea invites such a disgust reaction that few people can get past it and into facts. But thanks for bringing it up.
The Bullitt Center in Seattle, which is a model green building, operates a human waste composting system. One of the building’s many leading edge ecological innovations. https://bullittcenter.org/2012/06/14/composting-toilets-at-the-bullitt-center/ The building also treats wastewater with natural systems and captures rainwater. As well as generating more solar electricity than the building uses. Denis Hayes, who led the project, is one of my subscribers.
p.s. The Bullitt Center is 6 stories tall. If you want to dig in, case study here. May be the greenest office building in the world. https://bullittcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/living-proof-bullitt-center-case-study.pdf
A very impressive vision and the ability to make it real.
Denis was the original organizer of Earth Day 1970, which planted the green seed in my 16-year-old mind. Later he served as Jimmy Carter’s solar lead, forming the Solar Energy Research Institute, now known as the National Renewable Energy Lab. Denis has a lot to do with why we have cheap solar today. I got to know him when he was President of Bullitt Foundation, which funded a couple of climate groups with which I worked. He’s toured me through Bullitt Center, which indeed was his vision. A true environmental pioneer.
I hope he or others from his group are helping a lot of others copy/further his work.
The Living Buildings Challenge, headquartered at the center, is doing just that. https://living-future.org/lbc/. Maybe you can see why, even though we have so many wrong way trends, being familiar with such efforts gives me some hope we can turn this around.
This all sounds great - I get the gist of it. BUT, all his info. needs to be distilled down to clearer, simpler language. A kind of 1 2 3 step sort of thing would be useful for supporting change, at least for my wee mind.
I am always looking for the best thinkers and practitioners of this. Seems like a big event along those lines is coming to my bioregion at some point. https://globalearthrepairfoundation.org/about-gerc-2/
I just tracked to your new substack. I’d be happy to republish your new piece and Jan. 26 post at The Raven if you’d like. Looks like you’ve had some interesting interactions with Mother Ocean in your Santa Cruz neck of the woods.
And put you on my recommended list.