[GJM] Discussion Digest, Vol 38, Issue 29

[marguerite hampton]

Dear Martin, 



Excuse me, but I think the goal should go beyond "make much less severe" to

"eliminating the problem".  Make much less severe equates with me to: "there

is no such thing as just a little pregnant". 



While I agree with you re: 



If we adopt the idea that the banking system is the major source of our

money supply, and new money can only be created with an equivalent amount of

debt, we force ourselves into this distorted economy that makes rearmament

and war the way in which we give jobs, and so incomes, to everyone. It

really doesn't have to be so. 

 

creating local economies eliminates the problems as it goes around the
system, 

gets a fair exchange medium into the hands of those who know what to do with
it at 

the community level, and also creates a broader and more equitable means of 

accounting as it does away with interest.  In this manner there is no 
central control

agency" which still exists in the manner in which you suggest.to 



And this is the very reason that the GMS is not about to let local economies
arise

unless forced to do so as they have done in past in times of severe
recession 

or depression.  



IMHO global climate change and other factors will create an extremely severe
economic

depression and local communities will only be able to survive by creating
local currencies

and delinking themselves from the national economy in order to ".not go down
with the ship."

Since it is projected that this next economic depression will be worldwide
and run so deep 

and be so severe, that recovery anytime in the near future will be an
impossiblility, those local

communities that are prepared can enter into this "window of opportunity"
and thus through 

cooperation create a new economy which serves the interests of the people
who want to see

a sustainable living configured culture take place.  While communities can
in this manner, control their own destiny and not be dependent upon "Big
Brother" (government plus organized religion)

they can, when it is desirous to do so, form cooperative endeavors with
other like-minded communities to fund endeavors that a single community
could not take on by itself. But these

coops would be short term committments over the life span of the event
itself and would in no way

bind the communities into committments other than for a specific event. 



As the emergence of human emotional and intellectual intelligence moves us
into a higher level of 

consciousness, and we are able to let go of the flight or fight syndrome,
and through contemplation, exercise the holdynamic (multi-dimensional)
capabilities of our mind so as to make 

"conscious choice", we are becoming uniquely prepared to also be 
self-governing" individuals 

living in cooperative and sustainable communities and no longer need the
guidance and control 

that has been exerted by religious institutions. The chaos provided by
global climate change offers us the opportunity to step outside of the
matrix once and for all as we enter into the stage of universalism as the
human family. 



Let us be ready to set ourselves free.  

 .    



        

 



 







  



 

 

 

 

 

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Message: 2

Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:53:40 -0700

From: Martin Hattersley <hattersleyjm at interbaun.com>

Subject: Re: [GJM] Fw: Redesigning Our Habitats

To: Discussion Forum for Global Justice

<discussion at globaljusticemovement.net>

Message-ID: <00b901c70acd$cdaf7530$ba879444 at martinh4>

Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=iso-8859-1;

reply-type=original

 

Marguerite -

 

Most of the problems you outline could be made much less severe by the kind

of "new deal" issue of money by the state that was successfully used after

World War II to refloat the economies of eg West Germany and Belgium.

 

If we adopt the idea that the banking system is the major source of our

money supply, and new money can only be created with an equivalent amount of

debt, we force ourselves into this distorted economy that makes rearmament

and war the way in which we give jobs, and so incomes, to everyone. It

really doesn't have to be so.

 

Martin Hattersley

5929 - 189 St.,

EDMONTON AB CANADA T6M 2J1

 

jmartinh at shaw.ca

e-mail: hattersleyjm at interbaun.com

----- Original Message -----

From: "marguerite hampton" <ecopilgrim at aabol.com>

To: <discussion at globaljusticemovement.net>; "ConsilienceP"

<ConsilienceP at topica.com>; "GatherTheWomen"

<GatherTheWomen at yahoogroups.com>; "Peace_ERA"

<peace_era at yahoogroups.com.au>; "FixGov" <FixGov at yahoogroups.com>;

"Centre4Change" <Centre4Change at yahoogroups.com.au>

Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 8:45 PM

Subject: [GJM] Fw: Redesigning Our Habitats

 

 

Hi Reinhold and thanks for your input here. My comment is

that while this type of building really sounds good, it is my

observation that it has been mainly in the industrialized

countries which heretofore have had high wages that people

and businesses were able to afford the price tag that goes

along with constructing this type of building you suggest.

 

And, the only way in which the G-7 countries were able to

keep wages and standard of living high was by participation

in the continued "colonialization" read "industrialization" of

the developing countries

 

I keep reading over and over that the cost of global climate

change is going to run into the trillions of dollars and I cannot

help but believe that forced migration of millions, if not billions

of people will occurr, as both ocean rise and climate change make

vast regions of the earth uninhabitable while new regions will

open up. However, as I pointed out previously, those forced

to leave areas becoming uninhabitable will have no equity

from properties left behind with which to use as down payment

on new properties as these properties will be unsaleable. That

is unless demolition of buildings is carried out en mass and the .

materials used to reconstruct in new locations. However, the

transportation costs associated will be considerable as we

are also facing an energy crisis. The only hope to alleviate

this is the development of Zero Point Energy.

 

And, since wide areas of the earth are already experiencing

climate change, I do not believe that it can be stopped. To

not believe that global climate change is already occurring,

one has to believe that the pictures taken of glacial ice melt

in Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" were all faked.

And that Gore was lying when he remarked that we would see

the 21 to 41 foot ocean rise "in his lifetime". I don't know how

old Gore is, but feel that the next 10 -15 years is realistic.

 

What appears to me is that back at the time of World War I

and Il, the decision was already been made by the "power elite"

(GMS) to develop a war-based economy and consequently

they began to develop the military-industrial complex

concentrating on the production of weapons of destruction --

mass or otherwise. And, it would do no good to build these

weapons without wars to fight and so wars have been fought

to keep this industry in business and to provide the ROI for

investors and as well those who depend upon dividends to

fund their retirement plans.

 

While I am for ending the wars, I am also conscious that this

move will severely impact the economy of the U.S. And, as

well, I have previously pointed out that the job market is so

competitive due to advances in technology reducing the

need for human labor that manufacturers are continually

pressured to hire cheap labor from developing countries in

order to keep dividends high so as to keep investors happy

and the upper-middle class of retired people "in the money".

 

When one looks at this closely we are in a round robin from

which there seems to be no exit as each one turns out to be

a "catch 22" with never an escape route.

 

And, while we have known for a long time that the economy and

lifestyle here in the U.S. and other G-7 countries could not be

duplicated in the developing countries due to lack of resources,

here we are with China now outproducing the U.S. in terms of

automobiles. Automobiles which are the number one most

destructive force for the earth and a significant contributor to

global climate change according to the Union of Concerned

Scientists. As well, the sale of beef has skyrocketed in

countries around the world due to the marketing practices of

McDonalds. Yet beef is also the number 2 most damaging

product sold in terms of environmental impact.

 

While there have been great urgings for many years to begin

replacement of the present destructive economy with viablee

alternatives, this has not happened. Now here we are at

five minutes to the witching hour, totally unprepared with our

bare asses swinging in the breeze, vulnerable as all get-out.

 

As shown previously, the ocean rise will effect the most populated

places in the world and create mass chaos as people try to get

out and relocate to higher elevations inland. If we were to begin

today to plan for this almost certain eventuality, we might be

able to pull it off with little loss of life; however, the odds of being

able to do this are so high as to be almost unattainable.

 

I wish I could write a more positive scenario here, but there are

so many factors pointing to world economic collapse coinciding

with the mega impact of global climate change that realistically

speaking we seem to be looking at jumping out of the frying pan

into the fire. Granted some will survive whatever type of

scenario that awaits us, but already I am reading articles by the

dozens saying that those already in poverty in the developing

countries will bear the brunt of this and be the hardest hit.

 

However, I cannot help but feel that these are the people who

are most prepared to survive the coming crises as they do not

need the style of living of the developed world and can survive

in grass huts, so my money is on people like Dr. Alam and his

vision to get as many as possible through this.

 

My hope is that I can be proven wrong. However, while my heart

goes out to humanity, in the long run it is the planet itself that

must be of the utmost consideration -- it is the only life support

system we have and without it there will be no human family at all.

 

I am holding the field for the fullest potential to unfold in this event

in the best interests of all concerned.

 

marguerite aka eco

 

 

-------Original Message-------

From: Reinhold Ziegler

Date: 11/16/06 10:23:13

To: marguerite hampton

Subject: Redesigning Our Habitats

 

Hello Marguerite,

 

Here is a counter to your message about high-rises becoming obsolete. It

is suburbia that has eaten all the farmland. High density is the answer

along with a vibrant agricultural countryside.

 

Reinhold Ziegler, Director

Synergy International www.synergyii.com

 

Tower of tomorrow

Buildings give life to the landscape, but they are not normally considered

alive. This one is: it breathes, it sleeps, it wakes up in the morning - and

it is not impossible.

By William McDonough, Fortune

November 9 2006: 10:21 AM EST

 

 

(Fortune Magazine) -- When Fortune invited my design firm, which specializes

in sustainable architecture, to share our vision of a building of the

future, we decided not to guess about conditions decades or centuries away.

Instead, we looked at the possibilities that exist now.

 

Buildings consume 40 percent of our energy and can have life spans longer

than humans. Because we live, work and associate with others in buildings,

they form part of the fabric of human life - and thus have an enormous

effect not only on the quality of individual lives but also on the state of

the earth.

 

More from FORTUNE

Portraits of power: 30 leaders who shaped business

 

Greatest money manager of our time

 

CA: America's most dysfunctional company

 

 

FORTUNE 500

Current Issue

Subscribe to Fortune

 

In the photographs that that follow, we have configured a structure that is

not just kind to nature; it actually imitates nature. Imagine a building

that makes oxygen, distills water, produces energy, changes with the

seasons - and is beautiful. In effect, that building is like a tree,

standing in a city that is like a forest.

 

William McDonough, founder and principal of William McDonough & Partners,

built the first solar-powered house in Ireland in 1977 and designed the

first "green office" in the U.S. in 1985.

 

The building of the future will not just sit on a lot. It will be

productive. From solar panels that produce power to tree-filled terraces

that recycle water, the building will work, quite literally, from the inside

out. How distant is this prospect? Hard to say. All the technologies

mentioned are "state of the shelf": That is, they already exist, although

not all are economically practical. But architecture and design are crafts

for the long term. This tower shows the way urban centers can get closer to

nature - and in the process keep neighborhoods and cities vibrant and

healthy.

 

Form and function

Curved forms increase structural stability and maximize enclosed space; this

reduces the amount of materials needed for construction. The shape is also

aerodynamic, diffusing the impact of wind.

 

Treetops

Traditional rooftops, covered in asphalt and tar, create heat-absorbing

surfaces that contribute to the "urban heat island" effect - higher

temperatures that can alter weather patterns and intensify smog. A layer of

ground cover on this building's roof helps to regulate temperature, protects

waterproof coatings, and absorbs and cleans storm water.

 

Soil and green

The western side of the building is a series of three-story atrium gardens.

The greenery brings the outdoors inside, providing a breath of nature.

Plants clean the interior air, and as leaf colors change, the building

reacts in step with natural cycles. The north fa?ade (unseen) is clear glass

covered with positively-charged mosses that absorb particulates of the air.

 

Water, water

Water is recycled in the building several times over. Greenhouses treat

wastewater from sinks and bathtubs for reuse as irrigation in the building's

gardens, a process made possible when nontoxic cleaning products are used.

Cleansed by the gardens, the water can be used again as non-drinking water -

for example, in toilets.

 

Street smarts

After a close study of the sun and shadows, the shape and orientation of the

building are tailored to the site. This building faces south toward a park,

so it can capture maximum sunlight, and its irregular form allows more

daylight to reach the street. Gardens circle the base, contributing to the

quality of life at street level.

 

Solar power

The southern fa?ade, made of about 100,000 square feet of photovoltaic

panels that convert sunlight into electricity, collects enough energy to

provide up to 40 percent of the building's needs. Costing at least 20 cents

per kilowatt-hour - several times as much as coal or natural gas - solar PV

is expensive today. But the trends are good: Solar is getting cheaper, and

the relative economics will improve as more states and countries regulate

the production of greenhouse gases.

 

Building skin

The structure is built up in layers of materials that perform different

functions, from weatherproofing to insulation to transparency. These

surfaces are becoming thinner, lighter, and smarter.

 

Productive workspaces

Under-floor air distribution improves air quality. Flexible communal spaces

replace fixed individual stations. Chairs and workstations are ergonomic.

Smart monitors detect the presence of people and adjust temperature, light,

air and sound as needed. This allows individuals to control their

environment. Our motto: "We don't heat or cool ghosts."

 

Waste equals food

In nature, nutrients are cycled and recycled endlessly. "Eco-effective

design" seeks to mimic those cycles. All products, from building materials

to furnishings, are designed to return safely to the earth or to be reused -

like office chairs that can be disassembled into components and sent back to

the manufacturer to become another product.

 

Heating and cooling

They account for almost 30 percent of a building's energy use. By

transferring heat between the building and the earth using a system that

circulates heat-absorbing liquid through underground wells, a building can

reduce energy usage. A combined heat-and-power plant, fueled by natural gas,

operates at up to 90 percent efficiency and supplies the power that the

solar panels cannot.

 

The new city beautiful

What is a tree?

 

Take away the poetry, and it is an exquisitely productive organism. That is

the model we keep in mind when we design. The building on the preceding

pages aspires to this: Not only can it be used for either business or

housing, it also works hard. Among other things, it is purifying the air,

making oxygen, sequestering carbon and drawing energy from the sun. Just as

a tree does, we want our structure to filter light down to the ground while

optimizing its surface area to the sun. This building, planted like a

poplar, reaches up to the sky. It honors the sky and what it means to scrape

it.

 

For a building like this, the context is probably that of a city. There is a

larger truth here: Structures and places need to work together, and

buildings need to be flexible for cities to endure. Look at SoHo in New York

City. The buildings in that neighborhood were designed as warehouses and

factories. Then they became artists' studios and galleries, and finally

offices and sought-after apartments. The transitions worked because the

buildings in SoHo have characteristics - tall windows, high ceilings - that

make them livable.

 

We also need to consider how cities evolve. For example, we're developing a

conceptual design for a new, 120,000-person city outside Liuzhou, in

southern China.

 

At its current rate of urbanization, China will lose 25 percent of its

farmland in the next 15 years. As designers, we want to respond to that

challenge. So we're proposing a 22-square-mile community that uses its roofs

as farmland. Instead of being hot and unsightly, the city's rooftops will

host productive gardens and farms that will also clean its air and water - a

huge plus considering China's dire environmental straits.

 

Looking ahead, we see new materials that will make buildings even more

productive, such as intelligent glass that is self-shading. We're looking at

carpets and fabrics that clean the air, and photovoltaic coatings that can

be applied to steel. We are intrigued by the lotus effect: If you take a

lotus leaf and put axle grease on it, the grease slides off. We are working

on coatings that mimic that, so that none of the dust and grime of urban

life sticks.

 

A self-cleaning building is a beautiful prospect, shimmering and bright.

Every time it rains, it gets washed. Just like a tree.

 

CONTRIBUTORS William McDonough & Partners: William McDonough, Kevin Burke,

Lance Hosey, Matthew Winkelstein, David Johnson, Andres Pacheco, Christopher

James, Emily McGlohn, Neal Harrod, Kyle Copas and FORTUNE: Eugenia Levenson

contributed to this article.

 

 

 

 

 

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End of Discussion Digest, Vol 38, Issue 29

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