Draft Picks

When it comes to energy use in buildings, conservation should come first -- way first. Many people want to invest in some cool new energy technology, and while supporting that product development is important, conservation is more so. In residential buildings, insulation and stopping air leakage is the biggest issue by far -- this saves energy (and of course money) both in winter and in summer. Depending on your building, good simple conservation upgrades include adding insulation, weather-stripping, replacing single-paned windows, and upgrading old appliances.

Many ADPSR members are involved in alternative construction (or "natural building") with various materials, and I had the pleasure of working on a 25,000 square-foot straw-bale, low-energy winery project myself a few years ago. I hope to do more straw-bale work in the future; it's fun and fosters an optimistic attitude about how architecture can heal the world.

The problem with prisons isn't that they waste energy but that they waste people. Given the injustice built into the U.S. legal system today, we have the highest number of people in jail per capita in the entire world and five to 10 times more than any other industrialized country. Most of these people don't belong in prison, and in any case, the problems people are in for won't be solved in prison anyway. We could save far more money by closing prisons filled with people in for low-level drug crimes and doing community treatment and diversion programs than by making prison operations more efficient or "nicer."

As for the connection to the environment, I think the most important thing to recognize is that the same mentality that licenses the destruction of the environment is responsible for the U.S. policy of mass incarceration as well. This mentality privileges wealthy individuals (and the corporations they own) and tramples on those with little voice, from endangered ecosystems to people of color. I think to successfully challenge the inequality of the status quo, we must recognize the similarity of these situations and respond with a consistent message of equality, justice, and toleration for all, not just for the few. It is actually more possible to solve the environmental and prison problems together than separately. For Grist readers who agree and happen to be architects, designers, or planners, I hope you'll take a moment to join the prison design boycott's pledge campaign.

If you're looking for some education and you're willing to be patient, ADPSR is actually publishing in September a whole guide to ecological building programs via our publishing arm, New Village Press.

Building inspectors who are unfamiliar with these techniques can be a real obstacle (as can mortgage lenders, incidentally), although they mostly are serious about their role in protecting public safety. If only they put environmental safety on the same level! Various groups have support materials you can use to help building officials get educated, including the Development Center for Appropriate Technology, the California Straw Building Association, and The Last Straw journal. There's also a variety of books on adobe, cob, rammed earth, straw bale, and other methods on the shelves.

Different alternative materials lend themselves to different goals, from minimizing energy use to sculpting your house by hand. Please note that the energy-saving benefits of the thermal mass of earth materials are sometimes over-hyped; they are mostly lost if the building exterior is not well insulated by some other material with a high insulation factor (like straw). In my experience, the West Coast, Southwest, and Colorado are the most receptive areas to these techniques, but even here it varies by locality. Many alternatives are applicable almost everywhere, and I hope their use and sophistication will spread!

One of the biggest differences between Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative is that FSC requires third-party certification while SFI does not, so if a forestry company chooses to lie about its forest practices but sell its wood with an SFI stamp, no one would actually know. Because eco-labeled wood is more valuable, the incentive is there for forest companies to do exactly this; even President Reagan said "trust but verify." Another big problem is that SFI has less stringent standards for protecting overall forest ecosystem health -- for instance, clear-cut logging can be allowed under SFI.

In commercial and industrial buildings, investing in energy-efficient lighting, or window treatments that will allow you to use daylight effectively, are great candidates for energy savings. Don't even think of solar panels until you've done these.

Fighting sprawl is a huge concern both for environmentalists and the majority of planners. The American Planning Association supports policies to reinforce existing urban cores and reduce sprawl. The Congress for the New Urbanism has developed model codes for communities that want a "traditional" downtown. The state of Maryland is a real leader in "Smart Growth" legislation and might have some helpful examples and staff people to answer questions. Even the Centers for Disease Control has published information on the negative health effects of sprawl [PDF] and how to counter them. You should be able to get various resources from these groups. Good luck with rezoning; it's vitally important and a big challenge at all levels!