A slide presentation showing the history of the Ramapo College Alternative Energy Center from its inception in 1974 through its demolition in 2001 and focusing on the sustainability lessons taught by the center. By Michael R. Edelstein, Ph.D., Professor, Ramapo College of New Jersey .
This presentation was done as part of the seminar work to be done by final year B.Tech students of Kerala University at Mohandas College of Engineering and Technology, dept. of civil engineering.
conservation of energy using earth sheltered techniqueAkash verma
this is a type of building which is surrounded by earth mass for giving better interior thermal comfort.
it can reduce the internal temperature of a building by 5-7 deg celcius.
This presentation was done as part of the seminar work to be done by final year B.Tech students of Kerala University at Mohandas College of Engineering and Technology, dept. of civil engineering.
conservation of energy using earth sheltered techniqueAkash verma
this is a type of building which is surrounded by earth mass for giving better interior thermal comfort.
it can reduce the internal temperature of a building by 5-7 deg celcius.
This is a seminar made on sustainable architecture, containing
INTRODUCTION
NEED
METHODS
ELEMENTS
PRINCIPLES
DESIGN STRATEGY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION
TYPES
EXAMPLES
REFERENCES.
This highlights the operational requirements that the user of the
solar cooker must fulfil in order to achieve optimum
performance of the cooker and ensure safety of the
user.
Presentation on sustainable home renovation and construction, including an overview of green rating systems, insights from two affordable LEED for Homes projects, and what you can do to make your existing home greener.
connection to habitat, sustainability in interior design, Architecture: The design strategies found in “Connection to Habitat” address sustainability through an architectural correlation with a regional definition of place.
The determination of a regional condition is geographic but broadly scaled, whether drawn from solar angles at a particular latitude, local meteorological conditions, or a specific architectural vernacular.
In each case, the habitat maintains a close relationship with its external environment by adapting to and learning from its locality.
The differences between various climactic and cultural contexts is not emphasized here so much as the variety of the methods attuned to regional conditions, since these residences are, in fact, all located in the northern and southern temperate zones.
Introduction
What are passive solar building
How does passive solar building use sun’s power
How does it work
Passive solar design (rule of thumb)
System involved
Material consideration
Benefits
Usages among countries
Levels of application
Passive solar draught cooling
Advantages
Disadvantages
Conclusion
These pages offer you a tour of what these homes offer—in terms of handpicked construction material, what it means to you as a long‐term resident, and in looks and aesthetic appeal.
The buildings and landscapes at Duke Farms have been designed to be sustainable. This means that they place minimal demands on non-renewable energy resources and reduce pollution and waste,creating healthier indoor and outdoor environments.
The infrastructure that supports the buildings at Duke Farms uses green technologies such as a solar array, geothermal wells, and a constructed wastewater wetlands to maximize energy efficiency. Renovation of existing structures minimizes the need for new materials and interior spaces are designed with human health and well being in mind by maximizing air flow and providing abundant natural light.
Managing the Evolution of Aspect-Oriented Software with Model-based Pointcutskim.mens
Presentation of our ECOOP 2006 paper:
A. KELLENS, K. MENS, J. BRICHAU & K. GYBELS.
Managing the Evolution of Aspect-Oriented Software with Model-based Pointcuts.
Proceedings of the European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming (ECOOP 2006), D. Thomas (Ed.), LNCS 4067, Springer-Verlag, pp. 501–525, 2006.
In spite of the more advanced modularisation mechanisms, aspect-oriented programs still suffer from evolution problems. Due to the fragile pointcut problem, seemingly safe modifications to the base code of an aspect-oriented program can have an unexpected impact on the semantics of the pointcuts defined in that program. This can lead to broken aspect functionality due to accidental join point misses and unintended join point captures. We tackle this problem by declaring pointcuts in terms of a conceptual model of the base program, rather than defining them directly in terms of how the base program is structured. As such, we achieve an effective decoupling of the pointcuts from the base program’s structure. In addition, the conceptual model provides a means to verify where and why potential fragile pointcut conflicts occur, by imposing structural and semantic constraints on the conceptual model, that can be verified when the base program evolves. To validate our approach we implemented a model-based pointcut mechanism, which we used to define some aspects on SmallWiki, a medium-sized application, and subsequently detected and resolved occurrences of the fragile pointcut problem when this application evolved.
This is a seminar made on sustainable architecture, containing
INTRODUCTION
NEED
METHODS
ELEMENTS
PRINCIPLES
DESIGN STRATEGY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION
TYPES
EXAMPLES
REFERENCES.
This highlights the operational requirements that the user of the
solar cooker must fulfil in order to achieve optimum
performance of the cooker and ensure safety of the
user.
Presentation on sustainable home renovation and construction, including an overview of green rating systems, insights from two affordable LEED for Homes projects, and what you can do to make your existing home greener.
connection to habitat, sustainability in interior design, Architecture: The design strategies found in “Connection to Habitat” address sustainability through an architectural correlation with a regional definition of place.
The determination of a regional condition is geographic but broadly scaled, whether drawn from solar angles at a particular latitude, local meteorological conditions, or a specific architectural vernacular.
In each case, the habitat maintains a close relationship with its external environment by adapting to and learning from its locality.
The differences between various climactic and cultural contexts is not emphasized here so much as the variety of the methods attuned to regional conditions, since these residences are, in fact, all located in the northern and southern temperate zones.
Introduction
What are passive solar building
How does passive solar building use sun’s power
How does it work
Passive solar design (rule of thumb)
System involved
Material consideration
Benefits
Usages among countries
Levels of application
Passive solar draught cooling
Advantages
Disadvantages
Conclusion
These pages offer you a tour of what these homes offer—in terms of handpicked construction material, what it means to you as a long‐term resident, and in looks and aesthetic appeal.
The buildings and landscapes at Duke Farms have been designed to be sustainable. This means that they place minimal demands on non-renewable energy resources and reduce pollution and waste,creating healthier indoor and outdoor environments.
The infrastructure that supports the buildings at Duke Farms uses green technologies such as a solar array, geothermal wells, and a constructed wastewater wetlands to maximize energy efficiency. Renovation of existing structures minimizes the need for new materials and interior spaces are designed with human health and well being in mind by maximizing air flow and providing abundant natural light.
Managing the Evolution of Aspect-Oriented Software with Model-based Pointcutskim.mens
Presentation of our ECOOP 2006 paper:
A. KELLENS, K. MENS, J. BRICHAU & K. GYBELS.
Managing the Evolution of Aspect-Oriented Software with Model-based Pointcuts.
Proceedings of the European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming (ECOOP 2006), D. Thomas (Ed.), LNCS 4067, Springer-Verlag, pp. 501–525, 2006.
In spite of the more advanced modularisation mechanisms, aspect-oriented programs still suffer from evolution problems. Due to the fragile pointcut problem, seemingly safe modifications to the base code of an aspect-oriented program can have an unexpected impact on the semantics of the pointcuts defined in that program. This can lead to broken aspect functionality due to accidental join point misses and unintended join point captures. We tackle this problem by declaring pointcuts in terms of a conceptual model of the base program, rather than defining them directly in terms of how the base program is structured. As such, we achieve an effective decoupling of the pointcuts from the base program’s structure. In addition, the conceptual model provides a means to verify where and why potential fragile pointcut conflicts occur, by imposing structural and semantic constraints on the conceptual model, that can be verified when the base program evolves. To validate our approach we implemented a model-based pointcut mechanism, which we used to define some aspects on SmallWiki, a medium-sized application, and subsequently detected and resolved occurrences of the fragile pointcut problem when this application evolved.
PPT for class about the pioneer Alternative Energy Center at Ramapo designed, built and run by students under the direction of Bill Makfoske in collaboration with Mike Edelstein.
The center operated from 1975 to 2000, when it was bulldozed to make way for a housing project, the Village.
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis. It is an important source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power.
what is solar energy definition
10 advantages of solar energy
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interesting civil engineering topics
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Solar energy, Solar trees, concepts of solar tree, working of solar panel and solar trees, spiralling phyllatry, fibonacci pattern, examples, comparision, advantages and applications.
Architectural acoustics is not only about space acoustics but it also deals with form, character and comfortable utilization space.
Energy conservation is hot topic in today’s contemporary world due to increasing fuel crisis and environmental degradation. Energy conservation is also a major issue in the field of building construction.
Earthships are primarily designed to work as autonomous buildings using thermal mass construction and natural cross ventilation assisted by thermal draught (Stack effect) to regulate indoor temperature. These are generally off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun. In this age of increased garbage accumulation, it is essential to reduce the waste clutter and earthships are an ideal option. This paper discusses the construction aspects, merits and demerits of earthships.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Safalta Digital marketing institute in Noida, provide complete applications that encompass a huge range of virtual advertising and marketing additives, which includes search engine optimization, virtual communication advertising, pay-per-click on marketing, content material advertising, internet analytics, and greater. These university courses are designed for students who possess a comprehensive understanding of virtual marketing strategies and attributes.Safalta Digital Marketing Institute in Noida is a first choice for young individuals or students who are looking to start their careers in the field of digital advertising. The institute gives specialized courses designed and certification.
for beginners, providing thorough training in areas such as SEO, digital communication marketing, and PPC training in Noida. After finishing the program, students receive the certifications recognised by top different universitie, setting a strong foundation for a successful career in digital marketing.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
The French Revolution Class 9 Study Material pdf free download
Aec Briefer Version Pdf Version
1. Defining Sustainability:
A Virtual Tour
• The Alternate Energy and
Environment Center (AEEC) 1975
by students and faculty
• Response to the energy crisis of
the 1970's.
• Demonstrate alternative methods of
producing and using resources,
particularly energy, food, and
shelter, that were not heavily based
on depleting and polluting sources
of fossil fuels.
• Create experiential and
interdisciplinary learning
experiences.
2. Creating a Sustainable Legacy
• provide people with the
necessities of life, food,
shelter, heat, electricity
and water
• ecologically sustainable,
able to be provided in the
long-term without
depleting the life-support
systems such as pure air,
water, soil, micro-
organisms and bio-
diversity of life essential
for the well-being of future
generations.
3. Public Education: Green Demonstrations
Demonstrate technologies
and ideas that could easily
be incorporated into a
visitor’s current household
and lifestyle, including:
• small-scale production of food
• yard and organic waste composting
• energy efficiency
• minimizing use of all resources
• reuse and recycling
• maximizing the use of the sun to
provide energy
4. Building Community
Model social and
community sustainability:
• full participation
• climate of equality
• mutual and environmental
respect
• achieve personal self
reliance and collective
survival
• demonstrate technological
and social/community
approaches
6. Experiential and Participatory Learning
Many students experienced their first opportunity to create,
understand design, and participate in shaping their setting to fit the
environment.
7. CONVIVIAL SYSTEMS
• relatively simple
• easy to use
• easy to understand
• participatory
• easy to maintain
• use local resources such as soil,
water, and the sun to provide
for human needs
• integrated technology and
social processes
• defining a new vernacular
8. The Center’s Integrated Systems
• Green Shelter
• Renewable Energy
• Materials Cycling
• Food Production
• Water Conservation
and Protection
• The Lessons
9. Shelter: Off-Grid and Renewable Power
The sun, wind, and biomass
(wood) provided the solar
schoolhouse with:
• heating,
• cooling,
• electricity
• hot and cold water
• cooking
10. The pioneering passive solar greenhouse
• Erected in 1974 in the midst of
the first Energy Crisis to
redirect people from a fossil
fuel dependent world
• Used discarded or donated
materials
• Off grid but never froze
• The greenhouse was directly
lit and heated by the sun
• The building was oriented due
south
• Only the south wall was
fenestrated
• The rest was tightly built and
insulated
11. Greenhouse as a Passive Solar Collector
In passive solar mode:
• Sunlight entered the structure;
• its energy was stored and re-
released automatically from
thermal mass by natural
processes without the use of
fans or pumps run by electricity
• The building is a solar collector
that collects, stores and releases
energy
• temperature kept above 40 dgrs
• Suitable for cool-loving plants
• No fossil fuels used
13. Reflection in the Solar Greenhouse
To assure adequate light for
optimum plant growth, many
surfaces in the greenhouse were
painted white to reflect light
from all sides, especially the
north. Storage was black.
14. Illustrating the Primary Uses of a Passive
Solar Greenhouse.
Winter growing of cold and
temperature swing tolerant
vegetables
Starting seedlings before
putting them out to the
garden
Extending the season for
certain crops: 1. summer
crops such as cucumbers,
tomatoes and peppers can be
grown into late fall and 2.
early winter and spring
crops such as brassicas can
be grown earlier.
16. Passive Solar Design
• The structure itself is the collector and heat storage system
• South facing windows are a form of passive solar collector called a
direct gain system– they collect solar heat.
• Sunlight enters and is absorbed by surfaces, changing into heat.
• Heat is transferred throughout the house without the use of fans or
pumps.
• Each square foot of south facing window typically saves you a gallon
of heating oil over the winter heating season.
• The building has no windows on the north or west sides, where heat
loss, not gain, occurs.
17. Storing Heat for Cold Nights
• To avoid overheating the
building and store energy
for nighttime use, thermal
mass is required in the
form of a concrete slab,
masonry, tile, or water
barrels.
• These absorb the sun's
energy, warms, and
reemits the energy later
when the house is cooling.
• The slab under the
Schoolhouse was insulated
to prevent heat loss to the
ground.
18. The Trombe or Vertical Mass Wall
• Indirect solar heat gain, passive solar collector
• No fans or pumps involved in the system
• Located at the far left front of the building
• Glazing looked onto concrete blocks painted black
• Openings at the top and bottom allowed warm air to
circulate
• The concrete block wall is superior storage
19. Energy Efficient Construction
Proper insulation of the walls and
roof: R-25 to R-30 for walls and
R-40 for roofs.
Windows R-3 or higher
Houses with large amounts of
insulation are sometimes called
superinsulated houses.
Air infiltration is stopped by tight
house construction
Very tight construction may
require use of an air-to-air heat
exchanger
20. Comfortable Functionality
• The recycled post and
beam construction
allowed for a large open
room without support
partitions
• Perfect gathering place
for classes, tour groups,
or social events
• Allowed heat to circulate
freely
21. Solar Electricity from Photovoltaic Cells and Wind:
Resilience from Off Grid vs Grid Options
Two photovoltaic cells sat in maximum
direct sunshine (30+ year life)
50 kW-hr a month for lighting and some
appliance use (1/10th use of typical
U.S. home)
A Windcharger wind mill produced 100
watts of power (14 volts at 7 amps
DC) when the wind exceeded 20 mph,
beginning at 8-10 mph.
OFF GRID: Electricity charged 12 volt
rechargeable batteries
DC-AC inverter brought the voltage up to
120 volts AC
NET MTERING: synchronous inverter
connects to utility power.
Excess electricity is sold to the utility.
At night, electricity bought from utility.
Meter runs backwards and forwards
22. Solar Hot Water
A passive batch solar water heater was
made from a 30 gallon metal water
heater painted black set in an
insulated box with a transparent
cover.
Reflective foil on the sides and back of
the tank directed all the incoming
sun's rays to the blackened tank.
This was a warm weather system.
As cold water was pumped from the
ground, its temperature was raised
from 50 degrees F to around 110
degrees F
Stored for night time use.
23. The Wind Generator
Our first wind
generator experience
at the AEEC places
the grid/off-grid issue
in historical
perspective. This was
a Jacobs Generator
from the late 1920s or
early 1930s (see
http://telosnet.com/
wind/20th.html).
24. The Jacobs’ Generator
1920's Jacobs brothers built
wind energy system to
electrify their remote
Montana ranch.
Mid-1920's, Jacobs Wind
Electric Company
Moved to Minneapolis in the
early 1930's.
Manufactured thousands of
wind electric plants which
provided power to isolated
farms and ranches. (http://
www.windturbine.net/history
.htm)
25. People Power
It was an unforgettable moment
in the mid-1970s when, the tall
wind tower having been
assembled by fifty Ramapo
College students on the ground,
they heaved together on long
ropes to pull the tower upright.
After the tower was secured, the
Jacobs Generator was moved
into position by a crane. Two
faculty then climbed the tower
and prepared the generator for
operation.
26. The Modern Windmill
After two decades of service, the
Jacobs was replaced by a modern
lightweight Whisper generator. The
new machine could generate 1
kilowatt despite its much smaller
size and it began generating at 7
mph breezes, unlike its heavy
predecessor, giving it wider utility
(http://www.electricalternatives.co
m/world_power_technologies.htm).
27. A Monument to Renewability
While the Whisper will be
re-erected at the new
RCSEC, the Jacobs will
be a centerpiece sculpture
in one of the gardens.
Thus, the Jacobs will
continue to tell its story
about the grid and the
history of alternative
energy to future
generations of learners as
it has for the past thirty
years.
28. Materials Cycling: The Recycling Center
A 1976 “ramada” structure
designed as a model
community recycling
center
Processed entire
household waste
stream even waste car
oil.
1986 NJ Recycling Law
transferred recycling to
Mahwah
29. Modeling the 3-R’s
3 R’s of waste
management:
• Reduce avoid waste
creation
• Reuse longer use life
• Recycle recapture
resource
values
90%+ of the 6+ lbs. of
waste we each generate
daily
30. Food Production: Four Season
Gardening
An integrated food
system combined:
• a three-season
intensive organic
garden and
• a passive solar
greenhouse
31. The Garden
The High Cost of Modern industrial
large-scale agriculture:
• 20% of all our energy (farming,
processing, transport, storage
and preparation)
• artificial fertilizers, pesticides
and herbicides (resources and
pollution)
• land degradation from erosion
and salinization
• water use for irrigation
• natural ecosystems (grasslands
and forests) are being destroyed
Yet very large amounts of
food can be produced on a
small scale without these
negative effects.
32. Becoming a Food Producer: Eating
Fresh Local Foods
With some knowledge and a
relatively small effort, we
can grow a lot of our fruit
and vegetables for
consumption in a small
space in our backyards.
The AEEC gardens
empowered students to
grow their own food with
most ecological and
sustainable approaches.
33. Intensive Small Pot Gardening
• intensive spacing of plants on
raised beds
• mulching
• enriching soil with natural
organic fertilizers and nutrients
• extended three-season planting
and growing techniques
• natural pest control (for insects,
plant diseases and animals)
through cultural methods,
mechanical and biological
controls, and safe use of natural
chemicals
34. Soil: The Crucial Resource
The goal of an organic
gardener is to continually
increase the fertility of the
soil, leading to better
plant growth using
intensive spacing and less
problems with disease and
insects (healthy plants will
usually outgrow the
problems
37. Permaculture
Permaculture:
• perennial and self-seeding food
plants
• require little care
• supply an edible landscape,
productive ecosystems, and good
land management.
• The AEEC featured a small
orchard, extensive plantings of
edible perennials and a small tree
nursery to support campus
planting.
38. Water Pumping Wind System and Water
Storage
DO you know where your water
comes from and goes to?
We must consider both water
quantity and of water quality.
The AEEC demonstrated both
water conserving lifestyles,
buildings and landscapes and
efforts to protect aquifers from
contamination. Water must be
treated as a renewable resource.
39. Water as Renewable Resource
Need: the garden, greenhouse and
solar school house
Source: drilled 100’ well to
aquifer
Delivery: An encased pump
powered by a windmill and
later a solar panel.
Water was pumped into a raised
cask for storage.
Gravity was used to move the
water to its point of use.
40. Conservation as Renewal
Water conservation Steps:
Plants require 1 inch of
water per week:
Drip irrigation to plant roots
to avoid evaporative
losses
Hose and hand watering were
done early in the morning
Mulch was used to keep
garden beds moist and
prevent evaporative
losses.
41. The Composting Privy: Coming
out of the Water Closet
waterless toilet served to
challenge visitors to think
about their assumptions.
the waterless toilet not only
avoids substantial water use
but it also allows for recovery
of human waste as composted
soil. Although not suitable for
food crops, this soil is a great
nutrient source for ornamental
plants. (See Sim Van Der Ryn
and Stuart Cowan’s chapter
“the Compost Privy Story” in
their Ecological Design, Island
Press, 1996).
42. Ecological Literacy
Those who toured the former
Alternative Energy Center
learned to understand how
their observations reflected
the very fundamental laws of
science. The First and Second
Laws of Thermodynamics,
The Law of Conservation of
Matter and the Laws of
Ecology. In sum, they gained
an ecological Literacy, the
knowledge and wisdom of
how to live on our earth.
43. The Law of Conservation of
Matter
The first principle is that we can
neither create nor destroy
matter; we can only change it
from one form to another. There
is really no such thing as waste
in nature since the wastes of one
species is food for another. We
thus try to reuse and recycle all
matter within our local system.
Everything that we think we
have thrown away is with us in
some form or another; there is
no away.
44. The Law of Conservation of
Energy
The second principle
involves energy flow.
We cannot create or
destroy energy; we
can only change it
from one form to
another. But at what
efficiency do operate?
45. Second Law of Thermodynamics
(or Entropy Law)
As we convert energy from one
form to another, energy quality
is always degraded.
Concentrated or high quality energy
is useful and can do many
things. Dispersed energy is low-
quality and not very useful.
In other words, energy once
degraded cannot be recycled to
do useful tasks.
Low quality energy = pollution.
Dispersed pollutants are practically
impossible to remove from the
environment.
47. Laws of Ecology
The laws of ecology tell us that:
humans are interconnected and
interdependent with everything else
on earth
Everything is interconnected: we
cannot do just one thing
Nature knows best:
we must not interfere with earth's
natural biogeochemical cycles in
ways that destroy our life-support
systems.
Everything goes somewhere: there is no
"away"
Unassimilated Waste = pollution
48. Nature as the Ultimate Teacher
Participant learning followed Barry
Commoner’s ecological rule that
"nature knows best."
Students created, built and
experimented with nature as a
guide---the ultimate teacher.
They witnessed the cyclical
relationships of nature---how
compost fuels plants that are
eventually composted.
They came to see nature as a learning
process, where response to
feedback builds highly variable
and adaptive systems.
49. Collective Problems and Promise
It may seem at first that one person can have
little effect.
Remember that each positive thing we do
has a multiplier effect.
• Saving water saves energy and also
reduces pollution.
• Recycling an aluminum can reduces the
need to mine more ore, process it,
transport it, and produce the can.
• All along the chain, energy and pollution
is reduced.
As the world climbs toward 9 billion people,
the cumulative ripple effect we each
create is significant indeed.
But the solution is not merely individual.
We must act together to address our
collective impacts. A sustainable future
requires our participation and leadership.
51. Remember the Lessons of the AEEC
The concepts that we
see in this tour ---the
AEEC’s Legacy---can
play a major part in
helping to achieve
long-term stability or
sustainability.