> Protect our natural resources.
> Create healthier communities.
> For our future.
Sustainable or Green Building Practices
A green building is a building that uses resources efficiently and helps promote a safe and healthy living environment. What's in it for you? And why should you build a green building?
Our homes are created from the resources and beauty of nature, we need to preserve this beauty for future generations. It is our responsibility when we add to the built environment that we do it with the lowest impact possible, for the health of the earth and ourselves.
What Is Green Building? Buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment--both during construction and through their operation. "Green building" is a loosely defined collection of land-use, building design, and construction strategies that reduces these environmental impacts. Benefits of building green include reduced energy consumption, protection of ecosystems, and occupant health.
From the beginning it is important to consider careful site planning; where and how the building is placed to take advantages of the sites environmental concerns and amenities. The location of the rooms inside the home can benefit from their directional location to the sun, shade and prevailing breeze.
In developing the the building program, we carfully consider the layout of rooms. We try to find just the right size and shape to accomadate the needs, both current and future, trying not to get to big or to small. By not over-building, we minimize the resourses used not only during construction, but also in the long term operation of the building.
The timber-frame is the focus of the building, so where that wood comes from is very important. We strive to use stainable / blowdown harvested wood or recycled (resawn timbers from old buildings) to preserve the forest and keep the tradition alive.
In houses, most of the energy used is for heating and cooling. The exterior shell of the building is very important for energy efficiency and occupant comfort. We work hard to get lots of insulation and lowing the infiltration rates in the walls and roof, keeping in mind you're building and future energy budget. Insulating the foundation and installing high-performance windows and doors is also important in having a system to lower the heat and cooling consumption. Using an energy efficient heating system like an efficient furnace or geothermal systems is very important. With a tight building envelope the indoor air quality must be addressed. We can discuss passive systems, such as vents and windows, to mechanical energy recovery ventilators to get fresh air into the home. Most states have an energy code that your home must meet.
The interior finishes offer many choices in the range of green building, from low toxicity / recycled paint to renewable products like bamboo and cork flooring.
When it comes to furnishing the home it is important to consider energy efficient appliances and lighting. Water is one of our most precious natural resources. Some water saving ideas are; reusing "gray-water" to water gardens, installing low-capacity toilets, insulation of hot water piping, low-flow showerheads and faucets, dishwashers and clothing washers that have a "water-miser" feature. We can cut down on our water use by landscaping with native plants and drought resistance plants (zeroscaping) and use a rainwater catchment system.
Some other
area of ideas that can be incorporated in your home are:
· Solar: Passive Heat, Photovoltaics, shading, daylighting.
· Heating / air quality Systems: radiant heat, zoned spaces, allergy
and mold reduction.
· Waste handling; Construction waste reduction and disposal, and
long term waste / recycling handling.
We would be excited to work with you on your project and discuss these and other issues on how they may impact your new environment.
HANOVER PRINCIPLES
The Hanover Principles were commissioned by the city of Hanover Germany as the general principles of sustainability for the 2000 World’s Fair. The principles were written for consideration by designers, planners, governmental officials and all involved in setting design priorities for humanity, nature and technology. For the development and improvement of human kind, it is imperative we renew our commitment to living as part of the earth. It is imperative we understand development and growth, as processes that can be sustained, not exploited to impractical limits. We believe that they principles should be an integral part of any planning effort. We believe these general principles should be adopted by planners, designers and governmental officials all over the world that are involved in any planning efforts.
1. Insist on the right of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable condition.
2. Recognize interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend upon the natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. Expand design considerations to recognizing even distant effects.
3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter. Consider all aspects of human settlement including community, dwelling, industry and trade in terms of existing and evolving connections between spiritual and material consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems, and their right to co-exist.
5. Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance of vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless creation of products, processes or standards.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes, to approach the state of natural systems, in which there is no waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative force from perpetual solar income. Incorporate the energy efficiently and safely for responsible use.
8. Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve all problems. Those who create and plan should practice humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a model and mentor, not an inconvenience to be evaded or controlled.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers and users to link long term sustainable consideration with ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between natural processes and human activity.
****************************
An expanded concept :
The Earth Charter
PREAMBLE
We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.
Earth, Our
Home
Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive
with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a
demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions
essential to life's evolution. The resilience of the community of life
and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere
with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals,
fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with
its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection
of Earth's vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust.
The Global
Situation
The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental
devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species.
Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not
shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Injustice,
poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are widespread and the cause
of great suffering. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened
ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are
threatened. These trends are perilous-but not inevitable.
The Challenges
Ahead
The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one
another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life.
Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of
living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development
is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge
and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment.
The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities
to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political,
social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can
forge inclusive solutions.
Universal
Responsibility
To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal
responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as
well as our local communities. We are at once citizens of different nations
and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares
responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family
and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship
with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery
of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human
place in nature.
We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. Therefore, together in hope we affirm the following interdependent principles for a sustainable way of life as a common standard by which the conduct of all individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnational institutions is to be guided and assessed.
PRINCIPLES
I. RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE
1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
a. Recognize
that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless
of its worth to human beings.
b. Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the
intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity.
2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love.
a. Accept
that with the right to own, manage, and use natural resources comes the
duty to prevent environmental harm and to protect the rights of people.
b. Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge, and power comes increased
responsibility to promote the common good.
3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful.
a. Ensure
that communities at all levels guarantee human rights and fundamental
freedoms and provide everyone an opportunity to realize his or her full
potential.
b. Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure
and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible.
4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.
a. Recognize
that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs
of future generations.
b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions
that support the long-term flourishing of Earth's human and ecological
communities.
In order to fulfill these four broad commitments, it is necessary to:
II. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY
5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with
special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that
sustain life.
a. Adopt
at all levels sustainable development plans and regulations that make
environmental conservation and rehabilitation integral to all development
initiatives.
b. Establish and safeguard viable nature and biosphere reserves, including
wild lands and marine areas, to protect Earth's life support systems,
maintain biodiversity, and preserve our natural heritage.
c. Promote the recovery of endangered species and ecosystems.
d. Control and eradicate non-native or genetically modified organisms
harmful to native species and the environment, and prevent introduction
of such harmful organisms.
e. Manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products,
and marine life in ways that do not exceed rates of regeneration and that
protect the health of ecosystems.
f. Manage the extraction and use of non-renewable resources such as minerals
and fossil fuels in ways that minimize depletion and cause no serious
environmental damage.
6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach.
a. Take
action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental
harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive.
b. Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity
will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable
for environmental harm.
c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect,
long distance, and global consequences of human activities.
d. Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up
of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances.
e. Avoid military activities damaging to the environment.
7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.
a. Reduce,
reuse, and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems,
and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems.
b. Act with restraint and efficiency when using energy, and rely increasingly
on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
c. Promote the development, adoption, and equitable transfer of environmentally
sound technologies.
d. Internalize the full environmental and social costs of goods and services
in the selling price, and enable consumers to identify products that meet
the highest social and environmental standards.
e. Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health
and responsible reproduction.
f. Adopt lifestyles that emphasize the quality of life and material sufficiency
in a finite world.
8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired.
a. Support international scientific and technical cooperation on sustainability, with special attention to the needs of developing nations. b. Recognize and preserve the traditional knowledge and spiritual wisdom in all cultures that contribute to environmental protection and human well-being. c. Ensure that information of vital importance to human health and environmental protection, including genetic information, remains available in the public domain.
III. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative.
a. Guarantee
the right to potable water, clean air, food security, uncontaminated soil,
shelter, and safe sanitation, allocating the national and international
resources required.
b. Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure
a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets
for those who are unable to support themselves.
c. Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable, serve those who suffer,
and enable them to develop their capacities and to pursue their aspirations.
10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner.
a. Promote
the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations.
b. Enhance the intellectual, financial, technical, and social resources
of developing nations, and relieve them of onerous international debt.
c. Ensure that all trade supports sustainable resource use, environmental
protection, and progressive labor standards.
d. Require multinational corporations and international financial organizations
to act transparently in the public good, and hold them accountable for
the consequences of their activities.
11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity.
a. Secure
the human rights of women and girls and end all violence against them.
b. Promote the active participation of women in all aspects of economic,
political, civil, social, and cultural life as full and equal partners,
decision makers, leaders, and beneficiaries.
c. Strengthen families and ensure the safety and loving nurture of all
family members.
12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
a. Eliminate discrimination in all its forms, such as that based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, and national, ethnic or social origin. b. Affirm the right of indigenous peoples to their spirituality, knowledge, lands and resources and to their related practice of sustainable livelihoods. c. Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies. d. Protect and restore outstanding places of cultural and spiritual significance.
IV. DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE
13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency
and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision
making, and access to justice.
a. Uphold
the right of everyone to receive clear and timely information on environmental
matters and all development plans and activities which are likely to affect
them or in which they have an interest.
b. Support local, regional and global civil society, and promote the meaningful
participation of all interested individuals and organizations in decision
making.
c. Protect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly,
association, and dissent.
d. Institute effective and efficient access to administrative and independent
judicial procedures, including remedies and redress for environmental
harm and the threat of such harm.
e. Eliminate corruption in all public and private institutions.
f. Strengthen local communities, enabling them to care for their environments,
and assign environmental responsibilities to the levels of government
where they can be carried out most effectively.
14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.
a. Provide
all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that
empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development.
b. Promote the contribution of the arts and humanities as well as the
sciences in sustainability education.
c. Enhance the role of the mass media in raising awareness of ecological
and social challenges.
d. Recognize the importance of moral and spiritual education for sustainable
living.
15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
a. Prevent
cruelty to animals kept in human societies and protect them from suffering.
b. Protect wild animals from methods of hunting, trapping, and fishing
that cause extreme, prolonged, or avoidable suffering.
c. Avoid or eliminate to the full extent possible the taking or destruction
of non-targeted species.
16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace.
a. Encourage
and support mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among all
peoples and within and among nations.
b. Implement comprehensive strategies to prevent violent conflict and
use collaborative problem solving to manage and resolve environmental
conflicts and other disputes.
c. Demilitarize national security systems to the level of a non-provocative
defense posture, and convert military resources to peaceful purposes,
including ecological restoration.
d. Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weapons
of mass destruction.
e. Ensure that the use of orbital and outer space supports environmental
protection and peace.
f. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships
with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the
larger whole of which all are a part.
THE WAY FORWARD
As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning.
Such renewal is the promise of these Earth Charter principles. To fulfill
this promise, we must commit ourselves to adopt and promote the values
and objectives of the Charter.
This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility. We must imaginatively develop and apply the vision of a sustainable way of life locally, nationally, regionally, and globally. Our cultural diversity is a precious heritage and different cultures will find their own distinctive ways to realize the vision. We must deepen and expand the global dialogue that generated the Earth Charter, for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom.
Life often involves tensions between important values. This can mean difficult choices. However, we must find ways to harmonize diversity with unity, the exercise of freedom with the common good, short-term objectives with long-term goals. Every individual, family, organization, and community has a vital role to play. The arts, sciences, religions, educational institutions, media, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and governments are all called to offer creative leadership. The partnership of government, civil society, and business is essential for effective governance.
In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development.
Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.
For more information visit www.earthcharter.org
