ISSUE 004CASCADIAGBC.ORG

AN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER ON WHAT INSPIRES HIM

THE FOREST CERTIFICATION WARS:

A living building and a learning center for students and the community

A conversation with a true environmental leader on what inspires him

Rejuvenating our relationship with real food

Out of difficulties grow miracles

Jean De La Bruyere

2020 ENGINEERING | Alaska Energy Authority | Alaska Housing Finance Corporation | ArupBrN Engineering, Inc. | CDI Engineers | Clean Water Pipe Council | Control Contractors, Inc.

DA Architects + Planners | DLR Group | gBL Architects, Inc. | Gerding Edlen Development | GlumacGLY Construction | King County GreenTools | kpb architects | LMN Architects | Lutron Electronics, Inc.

McKinstry | MCW Consultants Ltd. | Northwest Construction | Opsis Architecture | Oregon Electric Group Otak | PAE Consulting Engineers, Inc. | PBS Engineering + Environmental

Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability | Read Jones Christoffersen | ReNu Recycling / Nuprecon Sellen Construction Company | ShoreBank Pacific | THA Architecture, Inc. | The Miller|Hull Partnership LLP

Unico Properties, LLC | Univercity on Burnaby Mountain

SILVER

AHBL, Inc. | Allsteel, Inc. | ARC Architects | Ashforth Pacific | BLRB Architects | BOMA Portland | Boora ArchitectsCoughlin Porter Lundeen, Inc. | Dull Olson Weekes Architects | Fletcher Farr Ayotte | Forensic Building Consultants

Fortis Construction, Inc. | Group Mackenzie | Hargis Engineers, Inc. | Ideate, Inc. | Integrus ArchitectureIredale Group Architecture | J. H. Heerwagen & Associates, Inc. | KMD Architects | KPFF Consulting Engineers

Lorig Associates, LLC | McCool Carlson Green | Natural Systems International | O’Brien & CompanyOptimization Technologies, Inc. | Oregon BEST | PACE Engineers, Inc. | Portland Trail Blazers | R&H Construction Co.

RIM Architects | schemata workshop, inc. | Studio 9 | Swensen Say Faget | United Fund Advisors | USKH, Inc.Willamette Print and Blueprint | Zeck Butler Architects PS

CERTIFIED

Cascadia is dedicated to the transformation of

the built environment toward true

sustainability.

PLATINUM

GOLD

LIVING

www.cascadiagbc.org

WE THANK THE FRIENDS OF CASCADIA FOR THEIR STEADFAST SUPPORT

OntheislandofHawaii,TheHawaiiPreparatoryAcademy(HPA)is locatedinthefoothillsoftheKohalaMountainsinWaimea. The school is known for its unique coursesthatrangefromseaturtleresearchtoscubacertification.TheHPAEnergyLabhopes toelaborateon theiruniquecurriculumby offering a hands‐on learning approach toalternativeenergy.

The lab is intended to serve a hands‐on approach tolearning. Students ingrades6–12willbuild, testandmonitorthelabs’alternativeenergytechnologies.“Datadevelopedbytheenergylabwillaidthenextgeneration.Students will understand the firsthand workings of a

building that relies solely uponwind, rain and sun tomaintainoperation.Educationalaspectsarethreefold:“student participation in the design process, studentparticipationintheoperationofthefacility,andstudentoutreach into the community” states a project teammember.

The HPA Energy Lab contributes to the communtiy aswell as to the curriculum. Weather data will be sharedwiththelocalairportinWaimeaandwithotherBigIslandmeteorologicalinstitutions.“Thefacultywilllikelyendupbeing the best weather data tracking facility in Hawaii”saystheprojectteam.

Aside from the great opportunities to connectsustainability with education, the project team quicklyrealizedthechallengesassociatedwithaLivingBuildingproject.Theremotesitelocationwasthefirstimmediatechallengetheteamfacedduringthedesignphase,whichhindered in budget constraints. Longer lead timesassociatedwithpreferredmaterialsalsodelayedthefasttrackprojectschedule.

While thereweredesign and construction challenges theteammanagedtofinddifferentwaystosolvetheissuesthatarose.Theteamstressedthatthe“LivingBuildingChallengecannothappenwithoutanintegrateddesignprocess.”

Communicationwas key. The team discovered that theopennessofsharingdatabetweenthedesignerandbuilderwas essential. “The LivingBuilding Challenge inspired aspirit of cooperation among these two parties,” states ateammember.

InspirationfordesigningtheEnergyLabcamefromthreemaininfluences.1‐“Harnessingwindandsun,thebuildingisonasouthfacingslopewithnortheastwindarrivingoverone’sleftshoulder.”2‐Campusaestheticsandunity,the

Waimea,Hawaii

January2010

FlansburghAssociates,Inc.

HawaiiPreparatoryAcademy

Pa’ahanaEnterprisesLLC

BuroHappoldConsulting

Engineers

BeltCollins

HakalauEngineeringLLC

WalterVorfeld&Associates

QualityBuildersInc(QBI)

FlansburghAssociates,Inc.Architects(FAI)

andQualityBuilders,Inc.(QBI).

architectureechoesoriginal campusdesignerVladimirOssipoff. 3 ‐ The educational program, “the sciencebasedbuilding is dedicated to the study of alternativeenergy which led to transparency and expression ofbuildingsystemsforeducationalpurposes.”

Theproject teamconcludes, “as a teamwe learnedbydoing…giving students the sameopportunity, ahands‐onapproachtolearning,enrichingtheirexperienceandempoweringthemwithknowledgeandsensitivitytothedelicatebalanceofwhattheresourcesareandhowtheyareused.”

In2010,theEnergyLabwillenterthe12‐monthLivingBuildingChallengeverificationprocessallwhileutilizingthealternativeenergyandgreenbuildingpedagogy.

BobBerkebile:Atruepioneerinthesustainabilitymovement

:FirstIwanttocongratulateyouonwinningtheHeinzAward.Theawardcelebratestheidealthatindividualshavethepowerandresponsibilitytochangetheworldforthebetter.Howdoyoufeelthatyoudothis?

:Certainlymygoalistochangetheworldforthebetter,butIamnotinapositiontoclaimsuccess.EitherthePRsurroundingourworkconfusedtheselectioncommittee,orIwastheoldestbreathingmemberofthegreendesignmovementtheycouldlocate.ImentionedattheawardsceremonythatIwasstandingontheshouldersofthousandswhowereactuallyresponsibleforthework(thetransformationofthedesignandconstructionindustry)theywererecognizing.

:Whatin(luencedyoutogetstartedinarchitectureandresponsibleenvironmentaldesignpractices?

:MyplanasIenteredcollegewastobecomethefourthgenerationcraftsmancontractorinmyfamily.ButmyimaginationwascapturedalmostimmediatelybythecreativeenergyIdiscoveredforartandarchitectureandmylifeplanwasadjustedtopursuethisnewfocus,whichfedmysoulevenmorethanbeautifulcraftsmanship.Myinterestintheenvironmentwasbornoutofmy

parents’interestandmentoring,butthebreadthanddepthofmyinterestwasexpandedwhenIencounteredBuckminsterFullerasaprofessor.Buckytaughtmethateverydesigndecisioneitherenhancesthevitalityofspaceshipearthandherpassengers,ornot.Fromthatperspectiveitbecameobviousthatacomprehensiveunderstandingofnaturalsystemswascriticaltoinforminggooddesigndecisions.Approximately20yearslaterIhadanepiphanyfollowingamajorbuildingfailure.Itraisednewquestionsforme,includingpossibleunintendedimpactsofourbuildingdesignsonthepeopleweintendtoserve,andonthevitalityoftheirneighborhood,city,regionandplanet.ThesearchforanswersleddirectlytothecreationofAIA’sCommitteeontheEnvironment,andlatertothe(irstconversationsaboutUSGBCandtheLEEDratingsystem.

:Howdoyourdesignsincorporateasenseofplace,climateandculture?

:Ithinkofourdesignprocessasacollaborativedialogueofdiscovery.Itbeginswithseekingadeepunderstandingoftheplaceandtheculturethatevolvedfromthehumandancewithnatureovertimeinaspeci(icplace.Wearediscoveringthatusually(butnotalways)(irstnationsculturesmaintainedasynergetic

relationshipwithnature.Oftentheirpresenceandbehaviorincreasedthevitalityofthe(loraandfauna,includingthedepthoftopsoilanditscapacitytoabsorbrainandsupportlife.Thissymbioticrelationshipwascelebratedintheirart,architectureandrituals.Thisrelationshiphaschangedsincetheindustrialrevolutionwhichwasbasedontheassumptionthatearth’sresourcesandcarryingcapacitywereunlimited.Wearelearningthatourassumptionwasnaïveandthatourtake,make,wastedoctrineisdestructiveandnotsustainable.Thegoodnewsisthatthescience,technologyandtoolswehavedevelopedcanmeasureourimpactandassistwithrestoringthedamagewehavedone.Thebadnewsisthatifwecareaboutourchildren’sfuture,timeisnotourfriend.Place‐baseddesigninthe21stcenturymustbeadaptive(toanticipatetheimpactofclimatechange)andbreathtakinglybeautifultoinspirenewbehavior.Ibelievethisisthede(iningissueofourgeneration.

:Canyouexplaintoourreaderswhatrestorativedesignmeanstoyou?

:Restorativedesignbeginswiththerealitythatourcurrentdesigndoctrineisdiminishingthevitalityoftheplanetanditscapacitytosupporthumanlife.Untilrecently,eventhemostforwardthinkingarchitectsandenvironmentaldesignerssoughtonlytodiminishthenegativeimpactofbuildingsandcommunitiesontheenvironment.Infact,thatisthegoaloftheLEEDratingsystem.APlatinumratingisthirdpartycerti(icationthatabuildingordevelopmentiscreatinglessdamagetotheenvironmentthanothers,buttheearth’scarryingcapacityisstillbeingdiminished;evenPlatinumbuildingsconsumenon‐renewableresources,andcontributetoclimatechange.Restorative(orwhatsomerefertoasregenerative)designistheconceptofmovingbeyonddoinglessdamagetorestoringtheearth’scapacitytosupporthumanlifeandtheresilienceofhumanandnaturalsystems.

:Your(irmisknowntopracticesomethingcalledPlusUltra.Whatisthisandhowcanthisapproachhelpchangethebuiltenvironmenttowardsasustainablefuture?

:In1993webeganthedesignoftheEpiCenterinBozeman,Montana.ItwasanambitiousprojectfundedbyagrantfromtheNationalInstituteforStandardsandTechnology;theirgoalwastosetanewbenchmarkforenergyef(iciencyinresearchlaboratories.Earlyinour

dialoguewediscoveredtheimportanceofthebeautifulsiteintheGallatinValley,whichhadbeencelebratedanddocumentedbyNativeAmericansandtheLewisandClarkjournals.Wediscoveredinourresearchthateventhoughwefoundthesitetobebeautiful,itsrealbeauty(biodiversityandresilience)hadbeendramaticallydiminishedbyfarminganddevelopment.Weenlargedourprogramtoincluderestoringbiodiversity,humanhealthandproductivity,andtostudytheeconomicimpactofthisprojectontheGallatinValley.AsIwaslookingforawaytocharacterizethisexpandeddesignprogramandsellittoNISTandMontanaStateUniversity,Idiscoveredthephrase“PlusUltra”whichisLatinfor“morebeyond.”ThisprojectbecamemoreofabenchmarkthanNISToranyofusimaginedwhenwebegan.ItbecameoneofthepilotprojectsforLEEDV1(including,forexample,theproximityofmaterials).Itcreatedabroadvarietyofnewapproaches,tools,materialsandsystemsincludingahybridintegratedsolarcollector,superef(icientfumehoods,highstrength‐lowcarbonconcreteutilizingminetailingsand(lyash.Manyofourteammemberswentontoplaykeyrolesinthegreenbuildingmovement,especiallytheUSGBC(KathWilliams,DavidGottfried,RickFedrizzi,JasonMcLennan,JanineBenyus,JohnTodd,GailVittori,PlinyFisk,JimGoldman,GregFranta,NancyClanton,ColinFranklin,PeterRumsey,JudithHeerwagenandothers).JasonMcLennanjoinedour(irmduringtheprojectanditwasthroughdialoguewithJason,JanineandtherestoftheteamthattheconceptofPlusUltraevolvedtobecometheLivingBuilding.

:You’vebeenahugesupporteroftheLivingBuildingChallenge–whatdoestheprogrammeantoyou?

:I’vebeenworkingonthisconceptformorethan(ifteenyearsandwasdelightedwhenJasonandCascadiatookontheevolutionoftheideathatwasborninMontanaandre(inedinourworkwiththeDavidandLucilePackardFoundation.LaterIwashonoredtohelphimintroducetheLivingBuildingChallengeatGreenbuild.ThankstoCascadia’sinvestmentandleadershipithasbecomeoneofthemostpowerfultoolsavailablegloballytotransformourthinking,lifestylesandbuiltenvironmenttocreatearestorative21stCenturyglobalcommunity.

:BNIMplayedabigpartinthedesignofthenewOmegaCenterthatisaimingfortheLivingBuildingChallenge.

Whataspectofthatprojectareyoumostexcitedabout?

:TheOmegaInstituteisalearningcenterinupstateNewYorkthatfocusesonspiritualrenewalandincreasinghumanpotential.Theirclientsoftenspeakoftransformativeexperiences.Thisnewfacility,theOmegaCenterforSustainableLiving,(whichwehopewillbecerti(iedaLivingBuildingnextspringafterits(irstyearofoperation)hasexpandedtheirpotentialtoreconnecttheirclientswithnaturalsystems,andtodemonstratethattreatinghumanwastecanbebeautiful,carbon‐freeandregenerative.

Butmyexcitementcentersmostlyonthevisionandcollaborationattheheartofthisproject.Ihavealwayslovedapioneers’spiritofadventure,willingnesstoexploreandembracetheunknownforagoodcause.SkipBackusandhiscolleaguesattheOmegaInstitutehavedemonstratedallofthoseattributesandmore.TheyenteredintoacollaborationwithBNIMArchitects(ledbyLauraLesniewski)andCascadiathatinvolvedmoretime,costandriskfortheirorganization.It’sthekindofbehaviorthatcanchangetheoutcomeofthehumanstory.Wewereprivilegedtobetheirarchitectandtoworkwiththem,JonathanTodd,ourteamofconsultantsandCascadiatocreatetherightdesignandtoexplorestrategiestore(inetheLivingBuildingChallenge,butSkipandhisteamatOmegaaremyheroes!

:Doyouthinkweareontherightpathtomakingnecessarychangesinthebuildingindustryandhowweaffectthenaturalenvironment?Givenwhatweknowofclimatechange–weseemtobefallingbehindthetimeframeofchangerequired.Howdoyoufeelaboutthis?

:Ithinkweareontherightpath,butbecausetherearetoofewembracingthelevelofchangethatisrequired,climatechangecontinuestoacceleratecausingconfusionandmakingthepathtoasustainablefuturemoredif(icultandexpensive.Ifwethinkofthislikeclimbingamountain,wehavenowestablishedagoodbasecamp,butthemountainlooksdifferentfromhere,andthedelaysresultingfromourdebateaboutwhichroutetotakeandhowwe(inanceithasbeencostly.Theweatherisnowchangingandbecomingmoreseverethanwasforecast;someareconsideringnotventuringbeyondthebasecamp,andsomeareretreatingtotheoldvillageinspiteoftheriskofavalanche.

IhopeChurchillwasrightwhenhesaid,“YoucanalwayscountonAmericanstodotherightthing,afterthey

havetriedeverythingelseandfailed.”Surelywehaveexhaustedmostofthewrongoptionsandstandonthethresholdofdoingtherightthing,butIhaveneverfeltmoreurgency.Sciencehascon(irmedthatNatureisscreamingatustotakedecisive,restorativeactionnow!

:Whatcriticalsocietalchangesneedtohappenforthebuiltenvironmenttobetrulytransformed?

:Einsteinsaid,“Weshallrequiresubstantiallyanewmannerofthinkingifmankindistosurvive.”Hewastalkingaboutthebomb,butIamconvincedthathewascorrectatanevenlargerscale.ItseemsthatWesternscienti(icthoughtledustoseeourselvesasseparatefromnature,andfromoneanother;unlesswecanengageourheartsandspirits,inadditiontoourheads,andseeourselvesasanintegralpartofalllifetodayandtomorrowwewillnotbeabletoembracethelevelofchangethatwillberequiredtoofferourchildrenreasonstobeoptimisticabouttheirfuture.

:Finally,whatinspiresyou?Whatgivesyouhope?

:IamencouragedbywhatPaulHawkendescribedasBlessedUnrest(thephenomenalgrowthofthismovementincludingUSGBCandtheWorldGBC)andbythoughtleadingorganizationslikeCascadiaandtheLivingBuildingChallenge,OnePlanetCommunities,TheClintonClimateInitiative’sClimatePositivePartners,GreensburgKansas,OberlinOhio’splantobecomethe(irstpost‐carboneconomyinAmerica,andagrowingbodyofimportantinitiativesthatcontinuetoraisethelevelofexplorationandacceleratechange.

Iammostinspiredbytherapidlyexpandingcommunityofclear,youngvoicesthatarebringingpassion,brillianceandurgencytothisgrowingconversation,andIamhopefulthatourimpressivecommunicationtechnologieswillconnectnearlyeveryonewiththisbrightfuturisticthinkingaswellasgivethemrealtimeaccesstothebestideasanddevelopmentsnomatterwheretheyhappentobeontheplanet.

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Forthousandsofyearstherelationshipbetween

communityandagriculturewassimple.Whereveryouhadhumansettlement–ingreat

numbersthatis,youfoundagriculture.Beyondthosethatmovedtotheirfoodsource(migratoryhunter

gatherers)–humanityhadtoliveclosetotheircultivation.Thedistancesbetweencityandcountry–betweenfieldsandfarmsandtenementsandfactorieswasrelateddirectlytotherapidityofourtransportationsystems–afterallfoodspoils.Soitishasonlybeenveryrecentinhumanhistory–lessthan200yearsforthemoreindustrializedsocieties–andreallyonlyinthelast80‐100yearsforthemajorityofhumanity,thatourfoodsourcescouldbecompletelyseparatedfromthecivicandculturallifeofpeople.Imaginethat?Forthousandsofyearsourfood–domesticatedanimals,vegetables,fruit,fishwasinterwovenintotheconstantfabricofhumanity–beingacentraldeterminentofourregionalpersonalities,ourtaboo’s,stories,ritualsandbeliefs–nottomentionservingasourmostconstantandpowerfulreminderofourplace

increationandourroleincaringforthelandsthatfedus.

And then suddenly, over the course of just a fewgenerations, timedwith the riseof the steam train, theinternal combustionengine and then the jet engine (inconcertwithrefrigeration),webegantoquicklyseparateourselvesfromallmanneroffoodproduction.Eachdecadeover the last two hundred years has seen significantlyfewerpeople(asanoverallpercentage)responsible forfeeding the rest of us as the urban/rural divide grows.Agreatdisconnectnowexistsbetweenwhat it takestosustainourselves andwhat the environment can safelyandsustainablyproduce.Leftintheunfortunatepositionto suddenly provide for oneself, most global citizens –andcertainly themajorityofAmericansandCanadianswouldquicklystarve.Theculturalknowledgeofhowtosustainourlifeasaspecieshasbeenoutsourced. Foodisglobal–grownoftenbyfacelessandnamelesspeopleandcorporationsfromsomewhereelse.Asaresult,foodhas changed from the very basis and fabric of societyto merely something we merely eat. Beef and chickensimplysomethingthatwebuyatthegrocerystore.Fishsomethingthatcomesdeep‐friedintheshapeofastick.Afarmer‐aquaintandsomewhatembarrassingoccupationforthosethatdon’thaveotheroptions.

In shortwehave engaged in a rapid social, cultural andecological experiment thatwe now know is responsibleforasignificantportionofourglobalenvironmentalandsocialproblems.

Formostofhumanity,food–realfood–hasslippedfromour grasp, falling into the clutches of industrial systems

that create geographic, physical and emotional barriersbetweenus andwhatwe eat. Most food is grownand/orpackagedsofarfromwhereitiseventuallyconsumedthat people have very little connection to the processof food production. The effects of such a disconnectdamageourspeciesjustasprofoundlyastheydamagetheenvironment. Aswe reexamine howwe build our citiesandneighborhoodsofthefuture–tobe‘livingcitiesfilledwithlivingbuildings,sitesandinfrastructure’itiscriticalthatwesimultaneouslyaddressthequestionofhowandwherewegrow foodand reconnect civilizationwith theverythingthatstartedit–agriculture.

We need to return food and the art of farming towherethey belong: our own backyards, neighborhoods andcommunities,whetherweliveinamegacityorasmalltown.Bydoingso,wewillrejuvenateourrelationshipwithwhatweput inourbodieswhilereconnectingusmentallyandspirituallywiththiswonderfulworldthatsustainsus.

Let’s take a veryquick, cursery look at just someof thecatastrophicproblemsassociatedwithourcurrentglobalsystemoffoodproduction.

An energy nightmare and an imbalance of calories.Theamountof‘calories’1weinputinordertogeneratean

ediblecaloriehasgonefromapositivetoanegativeratioinonlythislastcentury.AccordingtoMichaelPollan,theratio of food energy to expended fossil fuel energy hasplummetedintheyearssinceindustrializedfoodemergedontheAmericanlandscape.Inotherwords,forthousandsofyearsweextractedmoreediblecalories fromoursoilthanwespenttofarmourfood,butwenowdevotemanytimes more calories than we ever harvest. This inverseratioisclearlynotsustainableandisasignificantpartofourclimatechangedilemma.

Soil depletion and future starvation. Large‐scaleindustrialized farming operations are destroying thenatural, cyclical productivity of the soil that nurturesour harvests. University ofWashingtonGeologistDavidMontgomerystatesthatapproximatelyonepercentofourtopsoilislosteveryyeartoerosion,mostofwhich,henotes,is causedby agriculture.3Thismostproductive segmentofthesoilhasbeensubjecttorepeateddisturbancesoverthe years, to the point where itsmost fertile layers areliterally blowing or draining away. This approach, usedby so many factory farms, minimizes the usefulness ofthe land. Fields are abandoned after just a few years ofproductivity, and crops are moved to the next location.America has lost 75 percent4 of its most productive

topsoilinthelasttwocenturiesandmanycountrieshaveliterallystrippedthefertilityoftheirsoilsinthenameofshorttermgainandbygrowinginappropriatecropsusinginappropriatemethodsinordertosatisfyglobalappetitesforparticularfoodtrends.5Ifthiscyclecontinues,wewillliterallyendupstarvingthelandofthesoilweneedtofeedourselves.Risingpopulationwithdroppingsoilfertilityisaworrisometrendtosaytheleast.

A toxic legacy and gambling on our future. Ourlandandwatershavenowendureddecadesofchemicalassault from fertilizers and pesticides whose long‐term combined effects are often still not fully known.What we do know is scary – all of humanity (not tomention nearly all other species) now ingest foodsprayed with carcingens, mutagens and endocrinedisrupters–dangerousneurotoxinsandsubstancesthatbioaccumulateandconcentrateinthefoodchain.Despitetherisingtrendinorganicfood6,ourglobalfoodsuppliesareincreasinglytainted,ifnotbydirectapplication,thenindirectlysuchasmercury fromcoalgeneratingplants.Generationsofhumanshaveconsumedfoodgrowninsoiltreatedwithtoxicsubstancesandincreasinglyseafoodisnolongersafetoeat.It isaharshrealitythatifcurrenttrends persist that all seafoodwill be unfit for humanconsumptionwithinthenextfewdecades.

“The 20th-century industrialization of agriculture has increased the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the food system by an order of magnitude; chemical fertilizers (made from natural gas), pesticides (made from petroleum), farm machinery, modern food processing and packaging and transportation have together transformed a system that in 1940 produced 2.3 calories of food energy for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy it used into one that now takes 10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern supermarket food.”

— Michael Pollan2

these practices every day when we visit the grocerystoreandpatronrestaurantssellingfoodfromthesefoodsuppliers.

When corporations control and manipulate crops oranimals to the point where they patent life forms andclaimownershipofgeneticheritage,Iconsideritnothinglessthanacrimeagainstfuturegenerationsandtheheightofhumanarrogance. Geneticallymodified food isbeingpushed tomarket oftenwith little testing and a limitedunderstanding of the potential long term ecological andhealthimpacts.Food(evenifmodified)should‐likecleanairandcleanwater–belongtoallofhumanity,notmerelywealthyshareholders.

A Global Game of Resource Allocation.Theglobalagribusinessparadigmistodowhatcanbedoneandgrowwhatcanbegrown,wherever thecost is lowestand thepotential profit is greatest. So crops are plantedwheretheywouldnotnormallysurvive,andresources(suchaswaterand labor)arebrought inoften fromhundredsofmiles away tomeet the short‐term goals. Growing riceand cotton in a desert is insane for example – but thatis in factwhat is oftendone andundergroundaquifersand rivers are sucked dry. Raising cattle by slashingandburning tropical forest for rangeland is short term

The rise of giant agribusiness and the loss of local control.While foodproductionandstoragehasalwaysbeenusedasapointofcontrolbetweenpeople,wenowhavethesituationwhereafewcorporationscontrolandmanipulatecropsandanimalproductsonaglobalscale–oftenwithlittleaccountabilityandoversight.Whenwepushedfoodproductionoutofourlives,wepushedthemintothehandsoforganizationsmorethanhappytohaveamonopolyover‘products’thateverypersonneededtopurchaseeveryday.

Wenowhavethesituationwheresignificantpercentagesof the foodwe eat is controlled by a handful ofmega‐corporations sopowerful that theyoftenswaynationalpolitics in third world countries in order to maximizeprofitsattheexpenseofthemasses.Goingevenfurther,manyofthesecorporationspurchaseandcontrolwaterin ways that is at best highly unethical and at worstcriminal.Oneneedonlylookattheexampleofasoftwarecompany in rural India, accused by locals of siphoningbadly needed ground water used by 30,000 residentsand farmers in surrounding communities.7We support

thinking of the highest order – yet it too is standardoperatingprocedure.8ShippinggrapesandasparagustoNewYorkandVancouverinJanuaryisabsolutelyinsanefromacarbonstandpoint–andyeteverygrocerystoreineverycommunityinNorthAmericaisproudtosellyousuchbountyout of seasonandoutof sanity.AsEricA.Davisondescribed, “You can’t eatGNP,” and in thenextfew decades we will learn some harsh lessons frommisguided economists and corporate and governmentleaderswhosoldusontheideathatwecaneatwhateverwewant,wheneverwewant,whereverwewant.

The inhumane abuse and misuse of animals.Eatingless meat is a powerful way to lower one’s personalenvironmental impact. Raising most animals as fooddemands an enormous amount of land and water andcalorieforcalorietheprocessdemandsfarmoreenergyinputthanwhatityieldsinedibleform.Thisislessofaproblemwhenmeatwasasmallpercentageofourdiets–buteveryyearpeoplearoundtheworldareincreasingtheir meat consumption and view it as an importantindicator of success. Small increases in national meat

consumption result in exponential increases in carbonemissions and water use. Worse, meat is becomingincreasingly processed and packaged – to look likenuggetsorstripsorboundinfastfoodformsthatfurthertipthecalorieandresourceimbalance.

Furthermore, the drive to increase meat productionandthesubsequentindustrializationofanimalscreateshealth risks and pollution problems: unsanitary,oversized feed lots are breeding grounds for disease,for example, given the unnaturally cramped quartersandthewaytheyaretreatedandhousedthatleavestheanimalsinaconstantstateofstress.Thewaterpollutionandmethanefromfactoryfarmscanbehorrificandcandevastatelocallandscapes.

Worst of all I believe, is how we have desicrated anddishonoredourdomesticatedpartners.Whenallweseeistheporkchoporthechickenbreastweforgetthewonderfulanimal that it came from. Humanity at itsworst can befoundinthefactoryfarmwherewecreateconditionssobarbaricandinhumanethat if themajorityofamericanswere to visit them they would give upmeat altogether.There is no excuse to treat animalswith such contemptand lackofrespect thatdosomuch tosustainour lives,especiallywhenitispossibletoraiseanimalswithdignity.

Theindustrializedandinhumanefeedlotsforchickens,pigsandcattleneedstoend,tobereplacedonlywithfreerange,organicallyfedandhumanely‐keptanimals.

Obesity trends and the health crisis of diet. Industrializedfoodstandardsisoneoftheleadingcausesofobesityandahostofemergingmedicalconditions.Itisironicthatmanyofthepoorinourcountryarenotstarving–butinfactareobeseandgettoomanycalories‐yetfromthewrongplaces.Thecenteraislesofthegrocerystorearejammedwithproductsthatofferminimalnutritionalvalue and whose packaging and transport requireenormousamountsofenergy.Andthey’readvertisedas“easiertoprepare”or“moreappealingtopickykids.”

Worstofall, they’reusually lessexpensivethannaturalgoods.Chipscostlessthanbroccoli;sodacostslessthanmilk. So someoneona tightbudget shopping for theirfamily can get several times more calories per dollarfromtheunhealthypackagedfoodthanbysimplybuyingvegetables and fruit. Guess what they choose? Again,our disconnect from how food is grown and where itcomesfromhaveterriblemanifestationsthataffectallofusincludingrisinghealthcarecostsandhigherratesofdiabetesandheartdiseaseandpossiblycancer.

Thesetrendswouldbesimpletoreversebyappropriatelytaxingorsubsidizingfoodsdependingontheirnutritionalcontent.

Alright,let’sleavethisbadnewsfornow.Therearesomeincrediblebooksonthesesubjectsaswellasdocumentariesthatcanprovideyouwithmoreinformationthanyoucouldeverprocess.

8The good news is that awareness of these issues hasbegun to grow, and the idea of localizing food is takingroot throughout the country. A counter‐revolution toindustrialized food isemerging,withpeople takingbackcontrolofwhatandhowtheyeat:

Farmers’ markets have risen in popularity. AccordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,therewere4,685farmers’marketsoperatingacrossAmericainmid‐2008,upfrom4,385in2006.9

“Locavores” promote the ideaof consuming food thatis grown or produced within a certain number ofmiles(50‐250,dependingonthelocation). Moreandmore individuals are now describing themselves aslocovores.

TheSlowFoodorganizationwasformedto“counteractfast foodand fast life, thedisappearanceof local foodtraditions andpeople’sdwindling interest in the foodtheyeat,where it comes from,how it tastesandhowourfoodchoicesaffecttherestoftheworld.”10

Similarly, there are more associations forming withthe goal of preserving heirloom vegetables and ‘non‐industrialized’domesticanimalsthatoncesawdifferenttypesofchickens,cows,pigsineveryregion.

Vegetarianismislosingitsradicalimageandbecomingmore mainstream, with an increasing number ofAmericans embracing a meat‐free lifestyle. Vegans –

“We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?”

—Wendell Berry

whotakeitonestepfurtherarealsoslowlyincreasinginnumbers.

Community‐supportedagriculture(CSA)farmsareontherise,enablingpeopletoinvestwiththefarmer‐takingtheriskoutofsmallermorediversefarmsandreconnectingpeoplewithwhogrowstheirfoodandhow.

While thismaysoundradical,moreradical is thehubristhat we can simply grow cities without concern forcarryingcapacity–atsomepointinthiscenturythisrudeawakeningiscominganditsconceivablethatwholecitieswillbeabandonedasquicklyastheywerecreated.

I might suggest for example that at least half of everyconsumed calorie in a given community comes fromwithin 200 miles of its core. Achieving this milestonewould have huge environmental benefits. In that samevein,acommunityshouldalsoseektoget80%ofitsfoodsupply fromwithina500‐mile radius. With thismodel,onlyasmallpercentageofhigh‐valueorclimatespecificproducts(likebananas,coffee,chocolate)wouldmakeuppart of our diets.Wewould eat seasonally and learn toappreciatefoodagreatdealmore.

“Butsurelythiswouldmakeuspoorer?”someoneschooledinthecurrentparadigmmightsay.

Buttheanswerisemphatically–no!

Thereisareasonwhywelikeregionalcuisines–French,Italian, Indian, Thai, Mexican, Chinese etc. that arosebasedon locallyavailable inputs. It is in fact ‘limits’ thatmakeus creative anddrive culinary innovation – accessto everything at any time makes us lazy and our foodbland.Transformingfromaglobalfoodparadigmbackto

aregionalandlocalonealsocomeswithmanypotentialeconomic opportunities as new industries evolve tosupportthisnewparadigm.

Our society would in fact be much richer if we ate seasonally and regionally

The idea is to return food to its local and sustainableroots,ensuringthatwecanfeedhumanityforthousandsofmoreyearstocomeratherthanhijackingthefuturesothatwecanhavetomatoes in Januaryandfish flowninfromSouthAmerica. Eachregionof thecountrywouldhave its own set of specialties that get shipped out oftheareaonalimitedbasiswithpricingthatreflecteditsuniqueness.Butthemajorityofourfoodproductswouldstay close to home so that our regions would be self‐sufficientandself‐sustaining.

Afuturefoodsystemthatistrulysustainablemustbe:

Organic: Thereissimplynoplaceforchemicalsinthefoodchain.None,zip,zero.

Less processed:When our food comes fromnearbysources,itsjourneyfromfieldtotableisrefreshinglybrief.Ingredientsarepure;additivesareunnecessary.Chickenshouldlooklikechickenandtastelikechicken–notlikecardboardandsalt.

Mindfully packaged: When food packaging isrequired,itmustbedonesothattheshelflifeoftheproductandtheshelflifeofthepackageisinrelativesync.Anitemthatwillspoilwithintendaysshouldbewrapped in a vessel thatperhapshas a lifespanof two months– not a petroleum package thatlasts ten thousand years. Containers should eitherbiodegradeorbereusable,withevenrecyclingalastorderresort.

Primarily Vegetable or Fruit: While I am notsuggesting an exclusively vegetarian future, I believethatour society shoulddramatically reduce it’smeatconsumption by 50‐75% and the majority of ourcaloriesshouldcomefromvegetables,fruitsandgrains.Animals that are raised for slaughter should be keptin free‐range, non‐industrial settings appropriate toregionandsoldonlytolocalconsumers.Meatandfishshould almost exclusively be localwith the potentialexceptions of cured meats like salami. Shippingrefrigerated animal products around the world isinsanity.

Regional: The great foods of the world emergedfrom the unique climatic realities of those regions,where food was grown and eaten locally. In recentgenerations,globalizationhasmadevirtuallyallfoodsavailableinallcornersoftheworldatanytimeoftheyear. While recipes, like ideas, should travel aroundtheworld,ingredientsshouldbelocal–uniquefusioncuisines are created through local substitutions forexoticingredients.

Here’s the thing, the changesoutlined in this article arenot philosophical, they are inevitable. How long we

think we can live with a food production system thatwouldtakeseveralplanetearths’tosustainitisaneasyquestiontoanswer–notlong.Ourcurrentparadigmhasashelflifeoflikelytwo‐to‐fourdecadesatmost.Peakoil,peakwater,thegrowingtoxicityofouroceansandsoilsand increased population, combined with the globallydisruptive impactsofclimatechangearegoingtobringchange to us. Food in 2030 will be radically differentthanin2010‐getoverit.Risingfuelpricesalonewillbeenoughtotriggerashrinkingofourfoodfootprint.

When the price of energy and water reach a certainthreshold,thecostofshippingfoodandingredientsaroundthe world will become prohibitive. We will then see amarketcontractionatthatpoint,andregionalfoodwillre‐emergeonitsown. Itssimpleeconomics.Left tothepathwearecurrentlyonwearegoingtobeforcedintoradicalsystemicmodifications.

Muchbettertoplanahead.

Just as it was considered patriotic to plant crops andharvest food for family andneighbors during the post‐World War II Victory Garden movement (in which anestimated 20 million Americans participated), thecomingtrendwillfollowsimilarpatterns.Peoplewillre‐connectwiththeirlandandre‐acquaintthemselveswithwhat they eat, ultimately nurturing the health of theircommunities. Market forces will drive individuals andfamilies in urban, suburban and rural settings towardthe soil. Sections of the landscape previously reservedforsuburbansprawldevelopmentwillgraduallyconvertto local food production zones. Homeowners will turnuselesslawnintousefulgardenplots.

Whentheprimarygoalistruesustainability,thenwemustalwaysassessdensityandcarryingcapacityasaspeciesforagivenplace–beginningwithourbroaderregionsanddrilling down to our cities, neighborhoods, multifamilybuildingsandsingle‐familyhomes.

AsdiscussedinpreviousTrimTabissues,sustainabilityhinges on density. Our current cities are not denseenough and rely almost exclusively on the automobileat the expense of public transportation, biking orwalking. It is ourbelief that citieswill continue to getmore dense in the coming years which will greatlylowertheirenvironmentalfootprint,andyetwehavetorecognizethat there isa tensionbetweengrowing foodincommunitiesandsignificantdensity–afterall–thereisonlysomuchspace.Growtoomuchfoodinacityandyou reduce density, potentially causing even greaterenvironmentalproblems.Moreover,alivingcityshouldbeenergyindependentwithrooftopsandstructurescoveredwithphotovoltaic’s. When food and energy‐generationcollideinadensecommunity,energygenerationshoulddominate. Itwouldbeextremelycounter‐productivetoreplacearooftopsolarsystemwitharooftopgardeninordertogrowfoodforthebuilding’sresidentsasfoodcanbebroughtintothecenterofthecitymoreefficiently.

Addressingthetensionbetweendensityandsustainability,andconsideringhowfoodcomesintoproperplay,involveslookingatthebiggerpictureofeachcommunity’sneeds.Projectsintheurbancorethatsatisfydensityrequirementsand function in self‐sustainingways should be releasedfrom aggressive food production duties. Urban farmingshould definitely play a role; but areas with greaterpercentagesoflandandlowerdensitylevelsshouldbearmoreoftheagriculturalburden.

Suburbs, as it turns out, offer ideal farming landscapes.Land is more plentiful, and is in close proximity to thedense city populations that require the crops. Lowerdensity neighborhoods can serve both residential andagricultural purposes or simply repurposed as newagriculturalzones.

Food production systems are such a critical part ofsustainability that they have earned a required spot intheLivingBuildingChallenge2.0(LBC).TheLBC’sUrbanfood Imperative establishes specific guidelines for foodanditsplacealongthedensity‐sustainabilitycontinuum.

ThestandardspellsoutsitedensityrequirementsbasedonaFloorAreaRatio(F.A.R.)calculation.Higherdensityurbanbuildingsthatcovertheirentiresitesandclimbabovethreestories,forexample,carryF.A.R.ratiosof3.0ormore,whilesuburban‐based structures surrounded by large areas oflandhaveF.A.R.ratiosthatdropbelow1.0.Simplyput–thelessdensethegreaterfoodproductionrequired.

TheLBCUrbanAgriculturalStandard(whichappliestoanybuilding, regardless of its location) calls for responsiblelanduse.(seediagramonpage23)AtypicalAmericanfamilywouldneedtodevoteahalf‐toa fullacretoagriculture if itweretobeself‐sufficient interms of its food calories. Clearly, this is not a realisticscenariowithin themoredense landscapesof our citiesrequired for humanity to live sustainably on the planetin the numbers we currently have. Even a city’s outerneighborhoods, where density levels are slightly lower

but land is still limited, would have difficulty reachingagriculturalindependence,soitisthroughacombinationof growing a small but visible percentage of our foodwithinacity,agreaterpercentageyetinoursuburbsandthebulkthenwithinafewhundredmiles.

As urban and suburban agriculture gains momentum,itwillneedoversight. Onepossiblesolutionwouldbe toestablish ‘Municipal Farmers’ or Urban Farm Czars ineverycommunityjustliketherearecityplannersorpolicecommissioners. These officials would rank high in localgovernment,reportingstraighttothemayororcitymanager,andhavedirectaccesstoallkeymunicipaldepartments.

Here’showitwouldwork:

Managing urban agriculture. Larger cities wouldrequire entire Urban Farm departments, while a smalltownmightonlyneedonepersontomanageitsprocesses.The individual or team would be responsible forcomprehensivefoodproductionprogramswithinacity’sboundaries.TheUrbanFarmCzarwouldhelpassessandre‐purpose appropriate public land for agricultural use.Vegetable plots would appear in municipal parks, fruittreeswouldgrowalongcitysidewalks,availablerooftopsof public buildings and participating private buildingswouldgrowrooftopgardens.

Turning property into profits.Mostcitiesandtownsownvasttracksof landthatendupbeingfiscalburdensdue to the costs of cutting park grass and cleaning up

trash‐filledstreets. Byallocatingaportionof its landtoagriculture,amunicipalitycouldgrowsomeofitscitizens’own food, charging enough to meet its expenses andemploy its workers. The low‐hanging fruit in sidewalkorchardswouldbe freely available topedestrians,whilethemajorityofcropswouldbepickedandprocessedbydepartment crews or private companies on contract.Produce would be sold directly to citizens or to localprivateenterprise.Evencity‐ownedfarmequipmentcouldberentedtolocals.

Satisfying all levels of density. Residents of lowerdensityareascouldrentoutportionsoftheirlandsothatcitizensfromdenserurbanneighborhoodscouldalsofarm–playingoffofthecurrent“peapatch”model.Ofcourse,certain sections of industrialized cities are ill‐suited tofarming,giventheproximitytoharmfulchemicalsandtheriskofcropcontamination.Similarly,landadjacenttobusyroadwaysandfreewaysabsorbsfartoomanytoxinsfromvehicleexhaust.(However,inanidealfuture,automobileswillproducezeroemissions.)

Paid for by taxes on undesirable products. Theposition and/or department would be funded by localtaxesonprocessedfoods(perhapsonepercentofsalesfrom a certain class of products). Expenses would becovered and food incentives realigned. Broccoliwouldgountaxed,butDoritos®wouldhelpunderwriteurbanfarming. Families on a budgetwould be rewarded forfeeding healthy food to their children. Taxes mighteven be assessed based on the distance food productsmust travel. Economic realities would lead to greaterentrepreneurialagriculturalefforts.

Tying in to other urban processes. Oncewestartfixingsystems as broken as our foodproductionprocess, otherimprovements tend to fall intoplace. Waterrun‐off fromgreenbuildings,monitoredbytheUrbanFarmCzar,couldhelpirrigateurbancrops.Safewaterpracticeswouldneedtobeobserved,so theUrbanFarmingDepartmentwouldcoordinatewith citywatermanagement and state publichealthagenciesandlocalizedwastemanagementsystems,perhapsincorporatingmunicipalcompostingprogramstoincrease soil fertility within city boundaries and turningstormwater runoff from a burden to an amenity. Suchsynergisticlinksamongindustrieswouldcontributetotheoverallhealthofthecommunityandenableanintegratedfoodeconomy.

Enhancing the strength of the local food industry.TheFarmCzarwould see to it that local farmingeffortsworkintandemwiththelocalfoodindustry,particularlywhenitcomestodistributionofby‐products.Forexample,abrewerymightofferitsspentgraintodairyfarmers,whocouldfeedittotheircows.Byevaluatingthemanypointsalong the local farming chain, the Farm Czar would letnothingusefulgotowaste.

Nurturing entire communities. Localharvestswillput fresh, organic foods on family tables throughoutcities and the surrounding communities throughactive farmers markets that become centerpieces ofeach neighborhood. Eating habits will improve withan increase in healthy ingredients and a decrease inprocessed products. Cities could create centralizedfoodbanks,suppliedbytheharvestsoftheirownlocalfields.Healthcarecostswoulddeclineasthepopulationembraceshealthiereatinghabits.

Establishing grants and financial incentives. Citizens could apply to the Farm Czar for city grants tohelpfundnewfoodventuresthatwouldcapitalizeonlocalharvestsandcreatejobsforlocalresidents.Farmingandvalue‐addedfooddevelopmentwouldbecome,onceagain,aviablewaytomakealivingandsupportafamily.

Introducing Food and Animals back into culture:how will our attitudes and values change if everyneighborhoodhadtheirownflockofchickensorgoats?What if children in the next generation began to trulyunderstandtheconnectionsbetweenfood,consumption,waste and environmental health? The Urban FarmCzar could coordinate new educational opportunities,internships and outreach to local schools at all levels.Retired individuals often possessing invaluableknowledge of local agriculture aswell as recipes couldformanewcorpofvolunteerfoodstewardstrainingandoverseeingprojects.

Aswe examine our foodprocesses and explore the long‐termpossibilitiesofurbanagriculture,itallcomesbacktowhatismostsaneandmostsustainable.

As much as I admire the notion of “vertical farming” –urbanskyscrapersdevotedtoyear‐roundfruit,vegetableandalgaeharvests–Istillcontendthatcropsbelonginthesoilontheground. Theearthiswhereitisforareason,andIbelievethat itmakesthemostecologicalandevenspiritual sense to get ourhandsdirty aswe tend toourgardensandfarms.Iapplaudthevisionarieswhowantto

buildgreenfarminghigh‐rises,butIrespectfullysuggestthattheyshifttheirfocustowhatfood‐relatedproblemscanbetackledonlandratherthaninthesky.

Ourfoodsystemisunquestionablybroken.Butitisfixable.Ifenoughofusrejectoverlypackagedgoods,purchasemorelocal food products, commit to environmentally‐friendlyprocesses andmakebetteruseof the land that surroundsus,wecanplanttheseedsofprofoundfood‐orientedchangethatwillsproutasinevitablepressuresdrivefoodlocalonceagain.

ThisnextdecadeisthebeginningofarevolutioninUrbanAgriculture.

ARCADEARCHITECTURE / DESIGN IN THE NORTHWEST

Duwamish “Superfund” River Boat TourWednesday, February 3rd12pm-2pm

Guided by:Cari Simson Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition

Explore 5.5 miles of the Duwamish River’s natural and human history aboard the Admiral Pete power boat. DRCC guides and guests will share information about the Superfund cleanup process and environmental justice concerns for the Duwamish Valley.

“The New Green is Blue”Wednesday, January 20th4pm, Henrybuilt’s Seattle Showroom

Speakers: Jason F. McLennan, Cascadia Green Building Council Scott Wolfe, The Miller | Hull Partnership

Often overlooked, water resource issues are quickly moving into the center of the environmental and social justice debate worldwide, with huge implications related to climate change, toxic releases and human equity. This session will explore why Blue is the New Green.

A New Alchemy, Education Series

Using the basic elements of our world — earth, water, air or !re — as starting points, we ask, “How can the design community re-imagine the very basic aspects of our world to create something unexpected, new and valuable?”

A New Alchemy is a series of education events organized by ARCADE, AIA Seattle, and Henrybuilt.

ARCADEVolume 28

Look for email invitations soon. To join our email list or for more information, please contact info@arcadejournal.com or call 206.971.5596.

www.arcadejournal.com

ARCADE provides independent dialogue about design and the built environment.

28.2 Water“The New Green is Blue”Wednesday, January 20th4pm-6pm, Henrybuilt’s Seattle Showroom

Speakers: Jason F. McLennan, Cascadia Green Building Council Scott Wolfe, The Miller | Hull Partnership

Often overlooked, water resource issues are quickly moving into the center of the environmental and social justice debate worldwide, with huge implications related to climate change, toxic releases and human equity. This session will explore why Blue is the New Green.

Duwamish “Superfund” River Boat TourWednesday, February 3rd12pm-2pm

Guided by:Cari Simson Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition

Explore 5.5 miles of the Duwamish River’s natural and human history aboard the Admiral Pete power boat. DRCC guides and guests will share information about the Superfund cleanup process and environmental justice concerns for the Duwamish Valley.

ARCADE

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leading edge of the green

building movement.

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Even as the concept of sustainable design spreads, andtools like the USGBC’s LEED rating system expand inacceptanceandapplication, amovement is taking shapethat isdrivingsustainabledesigntowardamoreholisticandsystemicapproach.

At a conceptual level, we have long been aware of theinterconnectedness of things, and we have understoodindividual buildings to be part of a larger whole – aneighborhood,alargerdistrict,acityandsoforth.Butfora variety of reasons, whether cost, complexity, politicalwillorknowledge,thatwholehasrarelybeenthefocusofsustainabledesignefforts.Instead,abuilding‐by‐buildingapproachhasruled.

Buteyesarenowopeningtothelimitsofthatapproach,due to the emergenceof carbonneutrality as abuildingbenchmarkandbecauseperformancemetricshavemadeclearthatthebuilding‐by‐buildingapproachtosustainabledesignhas thus far fallen short of achieving thedesiredenvironmentalbenefits.

And so an alternative approach is needed; an approachthat views buildings not as individual entities but asinterconnected structures capable of producing andsharingresourceslikewaterandenergy.Indeed,itisonlythrough such interconnectedness that carbon neutraldesignwillbepossibleonaneconomicallyviablescale.

Asissooftenthecase,natureprovidesuswithablueprintforwhataninterconnectedsystemofbuildingsmightlooklike.Forexample, inanecosystemallplants,animalsandmicro‐organisms in an area function togetherwith all ofthenon‐livingphysicalfactorsoftheenvironment,creatinga unit of interdependent organisms that share the samehabitat. As JanineBenyus explains, in the case ofmature

forests this interconnectednessmanifests in canopy treessharingCO2undergroundwiththerootsystemsofshadedundergrowth,orindifferingplantsutilizingrootsofdifferingdepthtostoreandsharewaterasneededseasonally.

Similarly,buildingscanbecoupledtoformanEcoDistrict,creatingasystemwherethewholeisabletooutperformtheindividual.

RobBennett,thefoundingExecutiveDirectorofthePortland+ Oregon Sustainability Institute (POSI), and a formerpolicymanagerfortheClintonClimateInitiative,definesanEcoDistrictas“aneighborhoodthatgeneratesallitsenergyfrom on‐site renewables, collects and recycles rainwaterand waste, and prioritizes pedestrian, bike, and transitaccess.Itcombinesmixeduse,mixedincomedevelopment,neighborhoodscaleparks,schools,communitycentersandservices,andenhancedITinfrastructure.”

Portland’sPearlDistrict,Denver’sLoDo,andSaltLakeCity’sCityCreekall serveasexamplesofneighborhoodswhereurbanrenewaleffortshavespawnedaslewofLEED‐certifiedmixed‐use buildings and other positive developments,includingexpandedretailopportunities,newmass‐transit,and the development of parks and cultural venues. Buttheseneighborhoodsdonotyetproducetheirownpowerortreattheirwaterinaclosedloop.

EcoDistricts,however, seek todo just that, leveragingnotonly new technology and new research but also growingpolitical and economic will to push the boundaries ofsustainabledesign.

To understand how significant this shift is, considerwhatmightbethemostprominentdomesticexampleofasystemicapproach to sustainable design: Greensburg, Kansas, atownthatwasallbutdestroyedbyacategory5tornadoin

1999.There, followingthetornado,thecitycouncilpassedaresolutionstatingthatallcitybuildingswouldbebuilttoLEEDPlatinumstandards,makingitthefirstcityinthenationtodoso,andoneofthefewwheretheideaof“startingover,”howeverunfortunate,becameareality.

Now,forcommunitieswherestartingoverisn’tanoption,EcoDistricts are providing a similar opportunity, usingperformancedata fromexistingLEEDcertifiedbuildingsandthegoalofcarbonneutralitytoexpandthesustainabledesignfrontier.

EcoDistricts arebeing considered in a varietyof locations,fromcollegecampusestodenseurbanneighborhoods,andinmanycasesasinglebuildingprojecthasservedasthecatalystforexploringasystemicapproachtosustainabledesign.

In Portland, Oregon, for example, the development of ahotel adjacent to the city’s convention center recentlysparked the exploration of incorporating an EcoDistrictintothesurroundingLloydDistrict,aneighborhoodthatfeatures a variety of businesses; multi‐family housing;twosportsstadiums;limitedgreenways;andanumberofpublictransportationoptions,includinglightrailandbus,aswellasanewstreetcarline.

Amongthecatalystsforthisbroaderexplorationareboththepoliticalandthephysical.

Politically,thestateofOregonandthecityofPortlandhavecreated entities to help foster both cross‐jurisdictionaldevelopment efforts and broader sustainable initiatives.Forexample,OregonSolutionswasformedtohelpaddresscomplex issues that require collaborative communitygovernance,includingeffortslikeEcoDistrictsthatrequirebuy‐infromgovernments,privatelandowners,developers,andbusiness.

Similarorganizationscanbe foundacrossthecountry,many of them being formed as communities confrontsignificant economic and environmental challenges –andopportunities.

Indeed, it is the opportunity to transform (and to benefiteconomicallyfromthattransformation)thatisdrivingmuchofthepoliticalwill.Thus,justascitieslikePortland,Denver,andSaltLakeCityhaveseentheirinnercitiesspringtolifeviaexistingurbanrenewalprojects,sotoothereishopethatEcoDistrictswillfuelfurthereconomicandphysicalrenewal,coupledwithtrueenvironmentalbenefit,including;

Reducinglandfillvolumesandminimizingwastecollectionbyusingwastetogenerateelectricity.

District thermal systemsminimizedistributeduseofnaturalgastogenerateheatingandcooling;decreasedvehiclemilestraveleddueto24/7uses and services in district with intermodal transit;increased vegetation and wetland conditions sequestermoreCO2fromtheatmosphere.

Reducedenergyconsumptionachievescost savings for district occupants; renewable energyutilizedeffectivelytomeetlimitedloads.

Drinkingwaternotusedforanyuseforwhichpotablewaterisnotrequired.

100%ofstormwaterfilteredwithinthedistrict,andeitherreusedor infiltrated so as to recharge natural waterways andaquifers; wastewater treated 100% within the district,eliminatingspillsofuntreatedsewagetowaterways.

Openspaceplantedwithspeciesprovidingshelterandfoodforavianandriparianspecies;creatingconnectionsacrossdistrictviahabitatcorridorstonaturalareas.

Achieving truecarbonneutrality,asmanymunicipalitiesand organizations are now mandating, isn’t possibleunlessthebuiltenvironmentasawholecontributestothesolution.Whilefurtherresearchanddevelopmentontheindividual building levelwill likely improve results, andmustindeedcontinue,theseeffortsmustbecoupledwithsystemicapproachestosustainabledesign.

EcoDistricts provide a framework for such an approach,and in many communities policies are leading to theirconsideration and potentially to their adoption. What,ultimately, such a district will look like, or how exactlyitwilloperate, isstillbeingdebatedandconsidered– infacttheymaybehighlycase‐specific.Whatismorecertainis that such districts are critical to achieving significantenvironmentalchangeinthebuiltenvironment.

By approaching sustainable design from a systemicperspective,EcoDistrictsinessencetieallthebuildingsinaneighborhoodtogether,creatingeconomiesofscalewithrespect to power generation, water reuse, transit, andsoforth,thegoalbeingtocreateneighborhoodsthataretrulyself‐sufficientwithrespecttowaterandenergyandyetvibrantwithregardtoretail,culture,urbanliving,andoutdoorspace.

Thecomponentsofsuchadistrictareasfollows:

On‐siterenewableenergygenerationhastodateproventobeasignificanthurdletoachievingcarbonneutraldesign,especially in dense urban environments where surfaceareaconstraintslimiteffectivesolarcollectionandurbanwindenergygenerationisnotyetviableonalargescaleorapplicabletomostlocationsandbuildingtypes.

Inlightoftheseconstraints,architectsandengineershavebeguntolooktoalternativepower‐generationresources,includingfoodwaste.

Withthedenseconcentrationofrestaurants,residences,and offices in cities, food waste represents both anavailable and a relatively easywaste stream to source‐separate and utilize on‐site. In addition, food wasterepresentsalanduseburdenandresultsingreenhousegasemissions.Asaresult,manyproposalsforEcoDistrictshave includedwaste‐to‐energy as part of an integratedsystem, whereby technology could capture either foodwasteinananaerobicdigestioncogenerationsystemorallmunicipal solidwaste in a biogasification system toproducebothelectricityandheat.

Both systems operate on the same principle, wherebymicroorganisms break down biodegradable materialin the absence of oxygen, producing both methane andcarbondioxiderichbiogassuitableforenergyproduction.That energy, in turn, would be distributed throughouttheEcoDistrictviaaSmartGrid,asystemthatiscapableof not only augmenting the electricity produced viabiogasification with electricity generated by privatelyownedorthird‐partyownedphotovoltaics,butasystemthatcanalsorespondtovaryinguserdemand.

Ofnote,thebiogasificationsystemsignificantlyreducesthevolumeandmassoftheinputmaterials,andtheremainingsolids(at least fromanaerobicdigestion)canbeusedasa nutrient‐rich fertilizer, greatly reducing transportationneedsandlandfillwaste.

Waste heat generated by the composting and energygenerationprocessesisalsoofuse.Capturedasanenergysource, that heat can be used to generate hotwater forthe district,which in turn could be used in heat pumps

throughouttheEcoDistrict.Dependinguponthedemandsofthedistrict,heattransfercouldbeachievedforcoolingaswellthroughdistrictchilledwater.

Alternatively,anambientloopcouldserveaseitheraheatsource or heat sink, and additional heat could also begeneratedeitherviasolarthermalpanelsorviawasteheatminedfromthesewertreatmentprocess.

To date, on‐sitewastewater treatment has proven to beexpensiveandineffective,requiringbothsignificantinitialinvestmentsandhighmaintenancecoststoproducemoretreated, non‐potable water than most buildings createdemandfor.

An EcoDistrict, however, makes on‐site wastewatertreatmentscalable,spreadingthecostofthesystemovermore users and utilizing treated water for more uses.Forexample,excessnon‐potablewatergeneratedby thetreatmentfacilitycouldbeusedforfunctionssuchasparkirrigation or facilities that do not themselves generatesufficientvolumesofwastewatertobeself‐sufficient.

Moreover, by utilizing just one or two systems forwastewater treatment, an EcoDistrict also significantlyreducestheenergynecessarytosupportthepumpingandredistributionofwater,thusreducingenergydemand.

EcoDistrictsalsohelpaddresswaterqualityandwaterquantitywithrespecttorunoff,issuesthatareespeciallychallenging in dense urban environments that featurelarge impervious developed areas and significantpollutionchallenges.

Green infrastructure makes sense for tackling bothproblems.Codesandpoliciesthatencouragegreenroofs,pervious landscape, and onsite reuse and/or infiltrationwork hand‐in‐hand with strategies to distribute the

filtrationburdenforstreetrunofftogreenstreets.

Withstormwaterreuse,asimilarbenefitcouldbeachievedbysharingthecostofstorage,filtration,andpumpingoverawideswathofoccupantswhilemaintainingtheefficiencyofprovidingsuchservicestoasmallerarea.

In fact, there is alreadyprecedent for seeking to controlwaterpollutionandforplacingtheburdenondevelopersto minimize pollutant contributions to waterways, andanEcoDistrictwouldsimplymakemeetingthosetargetseasierbyprovidingthetoolsnecessarytostoreandcleanthewaterusedinthedevelopmentbeforeitisinfiltrated,reused or returned to rivers. Moreover, in communitiesfacingaslewofwaterrightschallenges,itisimportanttonote thatwhile thewaterused inanEcoDistrict isusedmore than once, it does ultimately return to the watertableorwaterways,preservingdownstreamflow.Thegoalistousewaterefficientlyandlessfrequently,notpreventitfromflowing.

Transportationaccountsfor30.2%ofthecarbonemissionsofaconventionalexistingbuilding,and137%ofabuildingdesignedtomeetASHRAE90.1‐2004.Butlocatinggreenbuildings in dense, urban locations, where citizens canaccessavarietyofserviceswithincloseproximity,reducesthosetransportationimpactssignificantly.

Thus,itfollowsthatanyEcoDistrictneedstoprovideforadiversemixofuses.Ideally,itwouldalsosupportastrongintermodal transportation system that links pedestrian,bicycle,bus,street‐carand/orlightrailtoachieveeaseoftransportationwithinthedistrict.

Thesamebusiness/userdiversity that reduces theneed

fortransportationalsotendstosupportasocially‐diversecommunity with workforce housing and places for allresidentstogatherandsharecommunityspace.Withoutthis physical manifestation of community, residents areeither not attracted to living in the district, or they aredriven to leave their neighborhood to visit places thatprovidethoseneeds.Ultimately,anydistrictisviableonlywhen social systems are supported and vibrant. Thathealth drives successful development and the ongoingimprovementofsharedsystems.

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Cascadia Region Green Building Council, Cushman & WakefieldandtheVancouverValuationAccordreleasedahighperformancegreen building valuation study in 2009 to bridge the gap inunderstanding between the building/design and financial/investment communities. The study provides information aboutthevaluationofhighperformancegreenbuildingswithafocusoncommercialinvestmentofficeproperties.Downloadthefullstudyhere. (www.cascadiagbc.org/resources/research). The followingarticleisa“progressreport”onrecentinitiativesinthisarena.

Innovationinfinancialinstrumentshaslongbeenrewardedby investors; unfortunately, current economic conditionsreflect some of the fallout from overly creative analystsandWallStreetbrokers.Thissituation, in turn,hasmadeinvestors, lenders and valuation professionals evenmoreskepticalofnewand/orinnovativestrategiesinrealestateinvestment.

Despite increasing awareness of the benefits of green/sustainabledevelopmentstrategies,theU.S.remainsbehindother areas of the globe, including Europe, Australia andCanadaintermsofadoptionandpromotionofinvestmentingreenbuildings.WhileenergycertificatesarerequiredintheUnitedKingdomforabuildingtotransfer,onlyacoupleofstateswithintheU.S.(CaliforniaandArizona)havemandated,orareclosetomandating,energydisclosurepolicies.

The broader investment community remains largelyuninformed as to the benefits of developing green orupgradingexistingbuildingstoimproveefficiency,mainly

focusingonfirst‐timecostsassociatedwithgreeninitiativesorthebroaderenvironmentalissuesofcarbonfootprints,offsetsandother related factorscurrentlyworking theirwayintocorporatesustainabilitypolicies.

Whenmydaughtersweresmall, Iused to tell themthat“books will take you wherever you want to go.” I stillbelievethat,butunfortunately,withouttherequisitebooks(orastatisticallyrelevantbodyofdata)thatcandocumentthe financial benefits of greenandguide the real estate,investment, valuation and underwriting communities,then,basically,we’renotgoingmuchofanywhere.

Given that sustainable building strategies have beenactivelypracticedintheUnitedStatesforatleast25years,why isn’t there more financial information available?Theanswerisquitesimple: foryearsthefocusongreenor sustainable development lay almost solely on theenvironmental benefits. Only inmore recent years haveinformed market participants recognized that “green”principles,practicesandprotocolsactuallyconstitute“bestpractices” inpropertydevelopmentandre‐development.Theseprinciplesarenotjustaboutbeinggreen,butaboutcreating themost efficient, best performing product forboththeenvironmentandtheconsumer.

Today,wefindourselvesmiredinaneconomicenvironmentwherethevalueofrealestateisanybody’sguess.Investors

don’t want to get their properties formally valued/appraisedforfearofwhattheappraisalcommunitywilltellthem.Banksareprettymuchinthesamesituation–theysometimes avoid formal validation of decreased valuesin order to steer clear of larger reserve requirements,so many properties that might have once been valuedexternallyarenowstayingin‐house,inconfidence.

How is thisall affecting themomentumof “green”?Likemanyotheraspectsofrealestate,manynewprojectshavebeen placed on hold. However, owners of and investorsin existing buildings are looking for every possiblecompetitiveadvantagetheycanfindforwhenthemarketturnsanddemandforcommercialrealestatereturns.Forthose versed in the benefits of green, there is no bettertimetoinvestigateupgradingexistingbuildingstoincreaseperformanceandbecomemorecompetitive.

Going forward, an emphasis on better performance– meaning greater efficiency in building systems andstandards, coupled with anticipated savings from moreefficient management strategies and better informedtenants‐‐willmostlikelysetthebenchmarksforbuildingperformance.ClassAbuildingswillnolongerbedeterminedby levelof finishandglitz,butbyanassessmentofhowthe buildings’ physical and operational efficiencies canpositivelyimpactbottom‐lineperformance.

Theinitialfocusonsolelyphysicalelementsofbuildings,promoted successfully via various building standards

suchasLEED,willnotbeenoughtoqualifyabuildingasa topperformer. Investorswill alsocloselyconsiderandscrutinize the “greenproficiency”ofpropertymanagers,assessing and ranking how successful managementprofessionals are at creating and implementing greenstrategiesintheirpropertyportfolios.

And finally, the importance of tenant engagement willalso play heavily in the determination of a truly “highperforming” building. Appropriate assessment of tenantneeds and implementation of tenant education policiesso that the tenant population can become engaged andparticipateinthebuilding’sgreenpolicieswillbecriticalto achieve the top performance necessary to attractinvestmentconsideration.

Realestatehorizonswillcertainlygetbrighterasthemarketimprovesandinvestmenthorizonswillbecome“greener”asrecognitiongrowsthat“goinggreen”canimprovebothbuildingperformanceandbottomlineresults.

“We’vegotalongwaytogoandashorttimetogetthere.”Butwe’reontheway.

Thebenchmarkdevelopmentprocesshasbeenalightningrod for intensive lobbyingby the twoopposing “camps”that back FSC and SFI: activists in the environmentalcommunityandthegreenbuildingmovementontheonehand,andbigtimberanditstradeassociationsandallieson theother. Thebattle reached a feverpitch in the fallof 2009 as strikes and counterstrikeswere launched byboth sides. The environmental group ForestEthics filedcomplaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)accusingSFIofdeceptiveclaims(greenwashing)andwiththeInternalRevenueServiceaccusingthemofoperatingaboguscharity.Amonthlater,acoalitionledbyanumberoflargetimbercompanies,includingWeyerhaeuser,filedacounter‐complaintwiththeFTCagainstFSCandUSGBC,allegingdeceptionandcollusion(seerecentarticlesintheNewYorkTimesandArchitectureWeek).

On the surface, this controversy centers on competingstandards,thetechnicaldetailsofwhicharebewildering(and boring) to all but the most pinny‐headed policywonks.However,penetratebeneaththeveneerof jargonand acronyms and you will find that what is really atthe heart of the fight are two fundamentally differentapproachestotimberproductionandforestmanagement.AndCascadialiesattheveryepicenteroftheconflict,fornowherearethedifferencesbetweenthetwomodelsmorestrikingthanintheprimetimber‐producinglandsthatliebetweentheCascadesandthePacific.

The dominantmodel for timber production in Cascadiais familiar to all who dwell in the region because it iseverywhere around us. Often referred to as industrialforestrybecauseofitsscaleandintensity,themodelcentersonclearcutting–frequentlyuptothesizelimitspermittedbylaw–andthereplantingandgrowingofmonoculturesofcommercialtreespecies.WestoftheCascades,muchoftheemphasisisonDouglasfir.

Manyrecoilfromlarge‐scaleclearcuttingbecause,tomostpeopleoutsideoftheforestproductsindustry,it’sugly.Arecentclearcutlookslikethesceneofecologicalmassacre:theacresofstumpsgapeupward,thesoilistornup,andthereisalotoftrashy‐lookingwoodydebrisaround.But,asindustryadvocatespointout,aestheticsarenotareliablebarometerofenvironmental impactorecologicalhealth.After all,most people do not react negatively to bucolicagricultural scenes that, nevertheless, may represent amonoculturethathasbeenestablishedattheexpenseofnativeforest.

The more serious effects of industrial forestry may bethe less visible impacts that accumulate over time: thegradual lossofnatural soil fertility; soil erosionand thesedimentationof fish‐bearingstreams; theaccumulationinsoilandwaterofthechemicalremnantsofherbicidesused to suppress plants that compete with commercialplantings; thedeclineofpopulationsofwildlife thatrelyon extensive areas of complex and mature forest thatindustrialforestrytendstofragmentoreliminate.

Sometimes the devastation wrought by industrialforestryismoredramatic,asintheinfamouslandslidesand flooding that occurred in Washington state inDecember2008andthatmanybelievewereexacerbatedby widespread logging byWeyerhaeuser on steep andunstable slopes. But the true environmental effectsof extensive clearcutting and tree farming may not beknownorfeltformanygenerationstocome.

Manybelievethattheprevalentmodelofindustrialforestrypracticed in Cascadia is not ecologically sustainable,and progressive forest land owners and foresters, folksin the environmental community, and others have beenworking foryears toadvancemoreenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsiblealternativestotheindustrialforestryparadigm.I’llusetheterm“ecoforestry”asshorthandforthis forestry counter‐culture, which is really a diversepatchwork of alternative practices and initiatives ratherthanamonolithic“model.”

Theecoforestryapproachisamirrorimageof industrialforestryinmanyimportantrespects:

ThegreathurdlethatecoforestrypractitionersinCascadiafaceismarketacceptanceofthecostoftheirproducts.Theproducts of ecoforestry cost more than the products ofindustrialforestryforseveralreasons:

The direct costs of practicing ecoforestry can be•higher. For instance, it can cost more to removevegetationthatcompeteswiththegrowthofdesiredspecies mechanically or manually instead of usingheavy applications of herbicides. Or the cumulativecostsofrelatively frequententries intoaselectively‐managed stand can exceed those of a single entryevery50yearswhenalltreesinastandareremoved.

Thebulkoftheprofitsofecoforestrymaybedeferred•intothefuture.Oneapproachtoecoforestryreliesontheremovalofaboutone‐thirdofthetimbervolumein

astandoneachentry,targetingthepoorestqualityandleastvaluabletimber.Thishastheeffectofimprovingthequality of the standing timberover time.As thestandmatures,theremainingtreeswilleventuallyputon largevolumesofhigh‐qualitywood, theoreticallyyieldingincreasinglyhealthyprofitswhileenhancingsocialandenvironmentalvalues.

The ecoforestry industry is relatively small and•fragmented, and there are gaps in the distributionchain. Too often, logs and finished products aretrucked longer‐than‐normal distances becausemillsand distributors committed to ecoforestry and FSCarerelativelyfewandfarbetween.Thelackofalargelandbase that ismanaged to ecoforestry standards,and large manufacturers and concentration yardsthat are committed to making ecoforestry productsandgettingthemtomarket,meansthattheemergingecoforestry industry is well below the threshold ofeconomiesof scale achievedby the industrial forestproductscompanies.

Perhaps most important, the chasm that separates•ecoforestryandlegalindustrialforestryintheCascadiaregionisasgreatorgreaterthaninanyotherpartofthecountry.InthepredominantlyhardwoodforestsoftheEast, selective felling and uneven‐age management isoftenthenormratherthantheexception.InCalifornia,thestateforestryregulationsaremorestringentthananyotherstateintheU.S.,whichsetsthe“floor”ofindustrypractice relatively high and closer to an ecoforestrystandard.ButinthePacificNorthwest(andcertainotherpartsofthecountryaswell,suchasinMaineandmuchof the Southeast), intensive and extensive even‐age,industrialforestryisthestandardapproach.Thismeansthat,inCascadia,theunderlyingcostandprofitstructureofecoforestryandindustrialforestryarefarapart,whichtranslates intosignificantdifferences inthecostof theproducts that derive from them (largely constructionmaterialslikelumberandplywood).

For all of these reasons, the price of FSC‐certifiedDouglas fir framing lumber, CDX plywood, engineeredwood products and other regional products can besignificantly higher than their SFI‐certified or non‐certified counterparts. According to the best availableinformation,dependingonfactorslikeadvanceplanning,quantity, timingandotherdetails, thepremiumforFSCover non‐FSC products originating from the Cascadiaregiongenerallyrangesfrom10to35%.And,accordingto one ecoforestry practitioner, his costs for growing alogare30to35%higherthanforindustrialproducers.

Ecoforestry in Cascadia will only grow and, perhaps atsomepointinthefuture,supplanttheindustrialforestryparadigmifthemarketsupportsit.Industrialforestlandownershaveafiduciaryresponsibilitytotheirshareholdersto maximize profit. This all but forces them to managetheir forest lands to the lowestcommondenominatorofwhatstateandprovinciallawpermits.

Add to this thatdecadesofoverharvestingandabuseofNationalForestsledtothedramaticcurtailingofharvestlevels on federal lands under President Clinton, and thepressure on industrial private land owners to prioritizemaximumtimberyieldsandprofitsontheirforestlands–andtosubordinatelong‐termimpactstothehealthofsoil,water,recreationalvalues,timberqualityandcommunitybenefits–hasneverbeengreater.Cascadiacannotlooktothetimberindustrytoreformitself;instead,thecommittedgreen building professionals of Cascadiamust drive themarkettransformationofthemainstreamtimberindustryinthePacificNorthwesttowardgreatersustainability.

Individual homeowners and consumers are probably notin a position to drive thismarket transformation becausetheir significantpurchasesof forestproductsare relativelyinfrequent.Thesameconsumerthatiswillingtopayaheftypremium for organic producewhen buying it one grocerybagatatimemaywellbalkatpayingthepremiumforFSC‐certifiedconstructionmaterialsforanewhomeoraddition.

One would hope that the same is not true for greendevelopers and homebuilders who build project afterproject; for green architects and designers who specifymaterials;andforthegreenbuilderswhobuythem.TheLiving Building Challenge takes a huge step in the right

direction through its Responsible Industry prerequisite,whichrequiresthatallwoodusedinLivingBuildingsbeFSC‐certified (or salvaged).1 However, Living Buildingsaloneareprobablynotenoughtotipthescalesinfavorofecoforestryinourregion.

Thegreatestchallengeliesintheeconomicsandincentivesof standard practicewhen it comes to procuringwoodforconstruction.Ownersanddevelopersunderstandablywant to get their projects built as inexpensively aspossible, andplace pressure on contractors to come inwith the lowest bid. Contractors in turn often make aconsiderablepartoftheirprofitbybiddingmaterialsatonepriceandthenshoppingthemarkettofindmaterialsatalowerprice.Allofthisamountstoaracetothebottomwhenitcomestoforestryandforestproducts–onlytheproducts of industrial forestry can prevail if nothingchangesinthisscenario.

The fact is that wewill either pay for the true costs ofecoforestry upfront, or we will pay for the direct andindirectcostsof industrial forestrydownthe line, in theformofdepletedsoil,sediment‐chokedstreams,collapsingfisheries,increasedlandslidesandflooding,andtheboom

andbustof localeconomiesat themercyofmarkets forlow‐qualitycommodities.Wecaninvestinthestewardshipof our natural capital today, orwe can drive down thatcapitalanddiminishtheprospectsofourprogeny.

It is up to leaders in the green building movement toeducate their clients and hold the line when it comestospecifyingandprocuringtheproductsofecoforestry.During a session at the last Living Future conference,family forest landowner and ecoforestry practitionerPeter Hayes showed a series of slides depicting thelandscape‐levelclearcutswithwhichweareallfamiliar.With each slide, a speech bubble popped up with therhetoricalquestionthatmanyofusaskwhenconfrontedwithsuchscenes:“Howcouldtheydothat?”Attheendoftheseries,Peterposedachallengetotheaudience:“Themoreimportantquestion,”hesuggested,“istoask,‘Howcouldtheynotdothat?’”TheanswertothisquestionliesinthehandsofthegreenbuildersofCascadia.

Imaginesolar“trees”inparkinglots

Youmayenvisionafuturefreeofparkinglots.Untilthatday,seedthoseasphaltlawnswithsomenew“trees”thatproducesolarenergyandprovideshadeforthedominantlocalspecies...cars!

FLOATHousegetsLEEDPlatinum

GettingexcitedfortheupcomingNaturalTalentCompetitionanditsNewOrleansfocus?Well,checkoutwhatBradPitt,theMakeItRightFoundation,MorphosisArchitects,andUCLAstudentshavedonetorebuildNewOrleanshomesgreenerandmoreflood‐resistant.TheUSGBCgavepropstotheprefabprototypecalledFLOATHouse.

FW:ReadThis!

Articles, websites and other social media that are also turning the ship

DearReaders,Thissectioncontainsinterestingandforward­thinkingsocialmediapiecesthatarealsoraisingawarenessandfacilitatingchange.Weencourageyoutocheckthemout!Simplyclicktoview:

“Waterpleinen”

Speakingofwater,watereverywhere,howcanwaterintheurbanenvironmentbevisuallycaptivatingandsociallybenefical?Ratherthansendstormwaterundergroundtobeferriedaboutinsewers,thislandscapearchitecturepiecedesignedforRotterdammakesstormwatermanagementanurban“event...stagedfortheyoungandold”whendryANDwheninundated.

“McLennan’smissionisidealisticyetsimple:tochangethewaytheworldbuilds”

Onemanthinkingaboutwater(andenergyandmaterialsandsite....)isourveryownCEOJasonFMcLennan,recentlyfeaturedinSeattleMagazineasoneofSeattle’sMostInfluentialPeopleof2009!CheckoutthestoryonJasonandotherSeattlemoversandshakerswithaneyeonsustainability.

TheTop10GreenBuildingTrendsin2010

GreenBuildingServicesreleasedtheirlistoftop10trendstolookforinthenewyear.TheLivingBuildingChallengecomesoutonthetopofthelist!

FW:ReadThis!

From Lawn to LunchToconvertyoursunnylawntoalunchbox,removeturfinlong,18‐inchstrips.Cuttheedgesofeachstripwithasharp‐bladededgingtool.Whileonepartnerrollsupthegrasslikeajellyroll,anotherslicesthroughgrassrootswiththeedgingtool.Removeaboutaninchofrootysoilwiththetopgrowth.Whentherollgetsheavy,sliceitoffandloaditinawheelbarrow.

Tocompostthestrips,layergreensidestogether,thenbrownsidestogether,endingbrown‐side‐up.Coverthestackwithsoilandmulch(straw,choppedleaves,orshreddedbark)andletstandfor10‐12months.

Makebeds10to20feetlongandsixtoeightfeetwide(soyoucanreachthecenterfromeachside).Mulchthreetofour‐footwidepaths

betweenbeds(grassleftinthepathwillinfiltrateyourbeds)toaccommodateawheelbarrow.Nowforkoverthesoilstripsandremoveasmanyrootsaspossible.Aeratebedswithagardenfork,sinkingitasevenlyanddeeplyaspossible.

Spreadontwoorthreeinchesofcompost,thensetplantsaboutsixinchesapart,instaggeredrows.Topwithamulchcontainingcorngluten,ahigh‐nitrogenproteinthatpreventsweedseedsfromgerminating.

—AnnLovejoyisauthorofAnnLovejoy’sOrganicGardenDesignSchool(ARodaleOrganicGardeningBook,2004)andmanyotherbooks.

Eat Your VegetablesSome18percentofgreenhousegasemissionsarecausedbymeatproduction.TheUSDAattributes14percentofalldeathsintheU.S.topoordietsand/orsedentarylifestyles.YoucanimproveyourhealthandthehealthoftheplanetbyfollowingfoodcolumnistMichaelPollan’ssimplerule:“Eatfood.Nottoomuch.Mostlyplants.”

Party with Your PreservesTenquartsofpumpkinpureeinthepantry,andnotajaroftomatosauceleft?Throwacanningswapparty.Herearesometipsandrecommendationsfromfoodroutes.org:

BY SARAH VAN GELDER POSTED FEB 13 , 2009

Look who wants to TransFarm the White House lawn…

www.YesMagazine.org/lawn

PLAN AHEAD.Gaugeinterestwithyourfriendsearlyon.Thenremindthemthroughouttheplanting,growing,andharvestingseasontosetasideextrasforcanningandswapping.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO GROW A LOT OF SOMETHING.Ifyou’reabuddingsalsaartist,plantthatextrarowoftoma‐toes.Orifyouseeagooddealonaboxoflocalpears—getthem.

TRY NEW RECIPES ON YOUR SWAPPERS.Bustoutthatcrazy5‐alarmsalsaverderecipeyou’vealwaysbeenscaredtotry.Makesuretocanextrasoyoucanpopajaropenforsamples.

BE AWARE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A “FAIR” TRADE.Thisissimple.You’reallfriendsandcannerswhoknowhowtime‐consumingcanningcanbe.Beopenandaskwhatyourneighborfeelscomfortablereceivinginex‐changeforonejarofGrandmaEdie’sapricotchutney.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BALL JAR.Noteverythingatthecanningswappartyhastobepressure‐cannedorboiledinahotwaterbath.Drieditems,homemadebakedgoods,candies,andhomebrewedbeerarealleligible.You’llbeamazedbywhatcanbepre‐servedfromtheseason’sbounty.

Glean Those Fields CleanAlotofperfectlygoodfoodislefttorotinfarmfieldsandunderfruitandnuttrees.Withabitofwork,youcangatheragroupto“glean”thisfreefood,providingfresh,nutritiousfoodtoyourcommunity.

Togleaninyourarea,talktofarmers,gardeners,andorchardowners.

Explainyourpurpose,shareacopyoffederal“GoodSamaritan”law,which

protectsthemfromliability,andaskforwrittenpermissiontoglean.Recruitgleaners.Family,friends,students,andmembersofyourfaithcommunityarepotentialvolunteers.Youcanalsoputanoticeoncraigslist,bulletinboards,atfarmersmarkets,orinthelocalpaper.

Contactfoodbanks,shelters,andotherfacilitiestocheckontheirneeds,andtoarrangedeliverytimes.Ongleaningday,bringcollectionbasketsandbuckets,snacks,water,andothernecessitiesthatwillensureasuccessfulexpedition.

Asthedayends,gatheryourfreshlyharvestedfood,thankthelandowner,distributesomethingtoeachgleaner,andleavethelandinbetterconditionthanyoufoundit.—KimNochiSource:UniversityofMaineCooperativeExtension

BARBARA K INGSOLVER

Buy dinner fresh from a roadside stand. Get the kids involved.

LESL IE M . FR IEND

Shop Outside of SupermarketsIt’seasytosee,taste,andfeelthebenefitoflocallyproducedfood,butformanyofusit’sahassletolocatealternativefoodsources.Localfoodsarenotnearlyaswell‐advertisedorvisibleaschainsupermarketfoods,soeventhosewhowanttogivelocallyharvestedfoodatrymaynotknowwheretogetit.Herearesomewaysyoucanfindlocalfoodsourcesinyourarea.

Getthelayoftheland;considerwhattypesofagriculturearenaturaltoyourenvironment.Doesyourareahaveahistoryofblueberryfarmingorcodfishing?Aretheretraditionalfoodsthathavebeenneglectedinthefast‐foodage?

Talktooldtimers,askaroundatfarmersmarkets,lookforroad‐sidefoodstandsandU‐pickplaces.Watchforhand‐paintedsigns.Youmayfindawidevarietyoffreshlyharvestedfoodsandgettoknownewcommunitiesandregionaltraditionsatthesametime.

Visitlocalharvest.org,sustainabletable.org,andeatwellguide.orgtofindsourcesofaffordableandenvironmentallyfriendlyfood.—HeatherPurser

Start a Community GardenStartbycallingameeting(orbetteryet,apotluck)todecidewhatkindofgardenyouwant,whatlocationsmightwork,andhowtomanageplots.

Identifypossiblesites.Lookforlandthatgetsplentyofsunlight,hasawatersource,isconvenienttogetto,andisfreeofsoilcontamination.Youcouldconsidercombiningbackyardsifseveralneighborsareinvolved.Identifytheownerofthelandandnegotiatealeaselongenoughtomakeitworthbuildingthesoilandthecommunityinvolvement.Inviteimmediateneighborstojoin.

Testthesoilfornutrientlevelsandcontaminants.Cleanthesite,mark

plotswithgardeners’names,and,ifpossible,includeon‐sitestoragefortoolsandequipment.Alsodesignateaspotforcompost.

Whenthefirstplantingseasoncomesaround,considerhiringsomeonetoturntheearth,orthrowaworkpartytobuildraisedbeds.

Meetnowandthenwithyourfellowgardenerstoswapseedsandseedlings,advice,andproduce,andtoresolveanydifficulties.Havepotluckstoenjoytheharvest.

Formoreideas,includingsamplebylawsandinsurancepolicies,gotocommunitygarden.org

Plant a Row for the HungryAsunemploymentrises,morepeoplearewonderinghowtheywillputfoodonthetable.Howcanyouboostfoodsecurityathome…

• Skiptheso‐calledconveniencefoods;processedfoodsalmost

L IZ DEANE

alwayscostmoreforwhatyouget.

• Formabuyingclubtogethealthyfoodinbulkatdiscountprices.

• Growyourown—startacommunitygarden,ortransformyourlawnorparkingstrip(see#1and#6).

• Buyinseason,orharvestandpreserveityourself.

• Study(and/orteach)theartofcookingandpreservingtasty,nutritiousfoodonabudget.

…andinyourcommunity:

• Contributesomethingfromeveryshoppingtriptolocalfoodbanks.

• Glean(see#4above).• Plantarowforthehungryanddonatetheproducetoashelter,daycarecenter,neighbor,orfoodbank.

• Startafoodbankoutofafaithcenterorcommunitycenteriftherearenosimilarprogramsnearby(seewww.yesmagazine.org/pantry).

Share Your TableThebestantidotetofast‐foodcultureisascloseasyourtable.Invitefriendsandafewstrangerstoalocal‐foodspotluck.Ingoodweather,eatoutside.Shareaneveningofconversationandenjoythegoodlife.www.YesMagazine.org/sundaydinner

SarahvanGelder,AnneLovejoy,KimNochi,andHeatherPurserwrotepiecesforthisarticleaspartofFoodforEveryone,theSpring2009issueofYES!Magazine.SarahistheExecutiveEditorofYES!Magazine.

Meet Jim Haynes, the man who invites the world to dinner.

www.YesMagazine.org/sundaydinner

PATRICK BARBER

Iftheideaofadeveloperreceivingastandingovationatacommunitypresentationof theirproposal seems like thestuffoffantasy,it’stimetomeetDocksideGreen,anurbandevelopmentinVictoria,B.C.that’samodelofsustainabledevelopment. With strong commitment on the city andcommunitylevel,theRFPtopotentialdevelopersoutlinedthateachproposalwouldbegradingonthetriplebottomlinesothatenvironment,economy,andcommunitygoalswere all addressed. Franc D’Ambrosio and D’AmbrosioArchitecture+UrbanDesignwereuptothechallenge.Thefirst phase, called Synergy, has been built and lauded byboththeCaGBCandtheAIACommitteeontheEnvironment.Thesix‐minutedocumentaryNaturalGrowth:TheStoryofDocksideGreen introducedthekeyplayers in theprojectandmakesacaseforthissustainableurbandevelopmentmodel as “theway for cities to step into the next urbancentury”.

Cities up and down the West Coast are beginning toadopt various green building certification requirementsand incentives. In late November, the city of BainbridgeIsland,Wash., became the first in the nation to providedevelopmentincentivesforprojectsaimingtoachievetheLivingBuildingChallenge.

Withasmuchheatstoragecapacityas15cm(7.4 in)ofbrickworkor9cm()ofconcretewall,thethin,1.5cm(0.6in)profileofMicronal®PCM(Phase‐ChangingMaterial)is attrative to projects that want to maximize passiveheating and cooling strategies without bulking up thewalls. When the outdoor temperature rises, the phase‐changing spheresmicroscopically embedded in thewallbecome liquid, storing some of the environmental heatandmantaininga constant interior temperature. As theoutdoor temperature drops, the spheres phase‐changebacktosolids,thusreleasingtheirstoredenergyintotheinteriorspace.Treehuggerreportsthat“inEurope[wheretheproductissoldasKNAUFPCMSmartboard]theyhavebeen studying [PCM drywall] for years, and in climateslikeLondon’sandParis’stheyfoundthat itcouldreduceenergyconsumptionbyupto30%.”Whilesamplesfroma U.S. manufacturer National Gypsum were featured atGreenBuild2009,thePCMisnotyetavailableforprojectsthissideofthepond.

City dwellers support local agriculture through farmer’smarkets as CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)subscriptions,butsomeengineersarelookingtobringnotjustthefoodbutthelandintothecitylimits.GLOBE‐net

celebratedwithagrandreopening.InpursuitofSilver,theredesign features “free charging stations for up to eightelectricvehicles;extensivebikeparking;alargeselectionoforganicfoodsandproducts;asushibarwithsushitrainconveyorbelt;noplasticbagsatcheckstandsandproducebags made of recycled plastic; and a community muraldesignedbylocalartists.”

In the world of factory‐fabricated, site‐erected homebuilding,theflatbedhasbeenking,dictatingthewidthsofthehomespossible in thismodel. BluHomeschallengesthatpremicybydesigninga“fold” intothehousedesignsthat allows homes to be up to 20 ft wide on site whileonly10ftfortravel.BuildersattheLittleton,MA,factorypraisetheefficienciesandcomfortofbuildingindoors,thenfoldingupthehouse,shippingittothesite,andaddingjustafewadjustmentsonsite.Reductionofconstructionwasteisa jewel in thecrownof theprefab industry, seeking toclaimitsplaceingreendesign.

In an effort to capturewind energywhile side‐steppingresistencefrompropertyowners,windenergyisheadingover the horizon. Offshore wind farms, far enoughoffshore to keep turbines hidden from view, must floaton the surface, rather than send turbine shafts tooceanfloorfarbelow.“Hywind,afloatingwindturbineprojectof Germany’s Siemens and StatoilHydro of Norway isnow being tested inmore than 700 feet of watermorethan 7miles off the Norwegian coast”with the state ofMaineclose in line to test the technology. Withsupportfrom theU.S.DepartmentofEnergy, in the formof an8milliondollargrant,“consortiumledbytheUniversityofMaine’sAdvancedStructuresandCompositesCenterwilldevelopanddeploythreesmall‐scaledeepwateroffshorewind turbines thatwill float onplatformsoff the coastsofMaineandNewHampshire.” Government investmentin renewable energies has been much touted as key tobuilding a green economy in thewake of the recession.

interviewedDicksonDespommierofColumbiaUniversity,NY, to catch a glipse of what verticle farming mightbe. Despommier reminds urbanites and farmers alikethat“”Weknowhowtogrowfoodinside. That’snottheproblem.Whatwedon’tknowyetishowtointegratethattechnologyintoatallbuilding.Thatappearstobeasimple,butperhapsexpensiveengineeringproblem.” Vegetatedhigh‐rises that feed densly populated cities more land‐efficiently that traditional agriculture have “inspired adazzlingdisplayofproposedprojects thatpresentnovelarchitectural, energy, farming and recycling solutions”including the graphics featured here of both cylindricalandprismatictowerswithinthecity.

Of all the carmyths in theworld, SimonHackett set outto clear up one misconception about electic vehicals(EVs):pointAandpointBbetternotbefarapart. AsheparticipatedintheAustraliansolarcarrace,GlobalGreenChallenge,Hackettsaidheandco‐diverElilisPrelgauskas“wantedtoproveapointabouttheabilityofEVstodrivetrulylargedistances‐‐andwehavedoneso!Thisendsanycontention that EVs aren’t practical cars. They’re morethanthat‐‐theyarethefutureofmotoring.”Hackett’sEVisaTeslaRoadster,poweredbymorethan6,000lithium‐ionbatteriestogivethecaritsrange.

Whilea5centdiscountforbriningyourownbagstothegrocery store is nice, the opportunities for greening thegrocergofarbeyonddisposables.GreenOptionsreportedin Nov 2008 that thewell‐known Northwest institutionwas undergoing a rennovation to pursue LEED Silvercertification.LEEDquailityconstructionandmanagementis“’anaturalfitforsupermarkets. Theirenergybillsaresohighbecauseof refrigeration that theyareconstantlylookingforwaystobecomemoreefficient.So,it’salittlemoremoneyupfrontinconstructioncostsbuttremendoussavings in the long run. And it’s the right thing for theenvironment,’...according to Justin Doak, who managesthe LEED for Retail program”. In November 2009, thetheHawthorneFredMeyerat3805S.E.HawthorneBlvd.

Whatdoesthegreenbuilder,architect,ordesignerhaveonhisorherwishlist?AgoodplacetostartisEnvironmentalBuildingNews’2009listoftopgreenproducts. Longthesourceforqualityproductreveiw,EBNandit’spublicationGreenSpec shine the spotlight on products that helpdesignersspecsustainabiliy.Thisyear’shotitemsincludePozzotivePlusconcretemasonryunits(CMUs)andconcretebrickwhichusegroundrecycledglasstooffsetsomeoftheconcretecontent,savingaboutonetonofCO2foreverytonofcementreplaced,andtheRheemHP‐50heat‐pumpwaterheater which boasts an Energy‐Star rating and “amongheat‐pumpwaterheatersonthemarket...hasthelongestwarrantyandisthequietest”.

TheSeattleCityCouncilrecentlyapprovedthepilotprogramwhichwill allow up to 12 Living Building projects to bedevelopedinSeattleofthenextthreeyears.

Doyouhavealeadoncutting‐edgegreenbuildingprogressintheregion?

Contact andput“MovingUpstreamNewsLead”inthesubjectline.

WhilelobbyistswinedanddineddelegatesduringrecentconversationsinCopenhagen,AlGoreremindsusthatthefutureoftheclimatecrisisisinourcollectivehandsbyofferingushisnewestbook,OurChoice:APlanToSolveTheClimateCrisis.ThatGoreopenswithKurtVonnegutisawelcomebeginning,providingasensethatweshouldpreparetodigestarawandspiritedtruth.ThemessageGoresendsonthewingsofVonnegut’scynicismisthat

“despairservesnopurposewhenrealitystilloffershope.Despairissimplyanotherformofdenial,anditinvitesinaction.Wedon’thavetimefordespair.Thesolutionsareavailabletous!Weneedtomakeourchoicetoactnow.”

AsonethatismorenaturallydrawntoVonnegut’spenetrating,somewhatdarkviewofhumanity,itisthiskindofhopethatI,andlikelymanyofus,needinthesetroublingtimes.

It’sclear,too,thatMr.Gorehasrespondedtothecriticismof“AnInconvenientTruth”asbeingshortonsolutions

byprovidinguswiththisincrediblyapplicableguide.Indoingso,hehandsustheneededframeworktomovefromafossil‐fuelbasedeconomytoonethattransitionstowardsthegoalof“350parts‐per‐million”,theupperlimitforsafeatmosphericcarbonconcentrationthatNASAscientistJamesHansenidentified.

Gorebeganhistaskbygatheringleadingexpertsfromaroundtheworldfor30intensive“SolutionSummits”.Theculminationoftheselengthyconversationsprovidesthisbooks’blueprint,withpracticalandwell‐developedresults.

First,Goreexaminesenergysources;concentratedsolarthermal(CST)powerandphotovoltaic(PV)powerarelogicallyexplainedandevaluated.Windharvesting,geothermalenergy,andbiomassareallwellanalyzedversusthebackdropofourpresentcoal‐hungry,fossilfuelbasedaddiction.Nomentionwasmadeofusingsolarthermaltechnologiestoheatwaterforresidentialapplications,though,whichisdefinitelyanoversight.

Still,Goremakesupforitbyprovidinganupdatedviewonsmartgridtechnologies,includingmodernizingourpresentgrids,storageopportunities,andprogressinthedevelopmentofbatteries.Healsodoesagreatjobofinsistingthatenergyefficiencyistheneededfirststepinsolvingourclimatecrisis,affirmingthatitisalsothemostcost‐effectiveandmostquicklyimplementedoptionwepossess.

Theeasy‐to‐grasparcmappingourcurrentcrisisandthesciencebehindit,anoverviewoftheoptionswecanpresentlyrelyon,totheveryrealpoliticalobstaclesweface,formsalogicalpathwaytohelpuscreateafuturepositiveoutcome.

Firstandforemostisourneedforaparadigmshiftinboththewaywethinkaboutthiscrisis,andinourconsumptivebehavior.ThisthinkingremindedmeofThomasPynchon’sTheLogicofSufficiency,inwhichtheideaofsufficiency(notmeanttoinfer“doingwithout”,butratherdoingwell)claimsthatasocietycannotoperateasif“there’sneverenoughandnevertoomuch”.

Goreprovidesagreatanecdote,too,retellingthestoryofconstructingmedievalcathedrals.Hedescribeshowourancestorshadtheabilitytothinklongterm,knowingthattheseprojectswouldtakeacenturytocomplete.Themessage,ofcourse,isthatwedopossesstheabilitytoactnowtoaffectchangeforafuturewe,ourselves,willnotfullyexperience.

Touchingoneverythingfromhowasimpleturbineworkstocarboncaptureandsequestration,fromdeforestationandagriculturetocarbonoffsetprograms,thistextbook‐likecompilationprovidesthelaymanandexpertalikeathoroughandcomprehensivereferenceguide.

Presentedinbookformthatfeelslikeapowerpointpresentation(noneedtoreinventthewheel,right?),thegraphicsareattimesbeautifulandstarkindepictingthegrandnessofourplanetanditslife,todownrightpedestrianwhilevisuallydescribingthe“urbanizationandgrowthofmegacities”andotherrobustideasthatrequireasimplertranslation.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LECTURE SERIES:KEVIN CAVENAUGH Bend, OR – 02/04

ROBERT YOUNG Portland, OR – 03/11

MARK FRANKEL Bellingham, WA – 04/17

WORKSHOPS PRESENTED BY CASCADIA:

DESIGN & BUILD NEW ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOSPITAL AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN BC Vancouver, BC – 01/28

OTHER EVENTS:INTEGRATED LARGE-SCALE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS WORKSHOP Victoria, BC – 01/27

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ADVISOR PROGRAM Bend, OR – 02/5 + 02/6

LIVING FUTURE Seattle, WA – 05/5 – 05/7

Workshops, lectures and other opportunities throughout the bioregion

10LIVING FUTUREMAY 5-7 2010 SEATTLE WA

10LIVING FUTUREMAY 5-7 2010 SEATTLE WA