Green Globes: The Green Building Initiative Green Globes is a web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes an onsite assessment by a third party. Backed by excellent customer support, Green Globes offers a streamlined and affordable alternative to LEED as a way to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings. The program has modules supporting new construction - Green Globes for New Construction (NC), existing buildings – Green Globes for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings (CIEB), and Healthcare buildings – Green Globes CIEB for Healthcare. The program includes: A comprehensive environmental assessment protocol Software tools that speed and simplify online assessment Best practices guidance for green construction and operations Third-party assessors with green building expertise A rating/certification system Environmental Assessment Areas Green Globes Rating System To achieve Green Globes certification, buildings must: Building Certification
"Permaculture Magazine" More Parklets Popping Up Around San Francisco Payton Chung's flickr page/viaDeepistan National Parklet When I last wrote about parklets in July of 2011, there were fourteen parklets in San Francisco. The city now claims 31 parklets and counting, with 39 in various stages of review. How it Began The idea for parklets sprouted in 2005 out of PARKing Day, the annual fall day when residents reclaim a parking space for the day, by rolling out Astroturf, chairs, tables and plants to create a temporary park. The Pluses of Parklets A parklet’s diminutive size allows it to be built much more quickly, cheaply and with less red tape than a traditional park while still providing some public outdoor space. Research in Support of Parklets San Francisco’s Great Streets Project conducted a before and after study of the Mojo Parklet and found that after the parklet was built several activities increased. Concerns about loss of parking spots Parklets reduce the already limited number of parking spots in the neighborhood. Public Use Union Square
Open Source Permaculture – help to build the most comprehensive free resource for Permaculture education Talk, Uncategorized — By Irena Efremovska on 04/09/2012 17:37 Sophia Novack, the force behind Permaculture Media Blog and Permaculture Directory ‘What does your backyard look like right now?’ – asks Sophia Novack, a documentary film student passionate about creating a more sustainable world. It has the potential to become a thriving edible garden, but only if you’ve got the right resources. That’s what the Open Source Permaculture Project is all about. With Open Source Permaculture, you could have just the support you need to make that garden a reality. Permaculture is a school of design rooted in ecological ethics and principles. Photo by Southernpixel AlbyOpen Source Permaculture intends to become the most comprehensive multimedia resource of free, quality materials for Permaculture education. It would offer people all over the world the ability to easily learn sustainability skills on their own. Who doesn’t want open source education on sustainable design? PS.
Bats: Useful Permaculture Animals Bats: Useful Permaculture Animals In North American culture, bats are portrayed as scary creatures. Fortunately for me, I learned at a very young age that bats eat mosquitoes; and since learning this, I have always viewed bats as friends. Most of my permaculture designs call for bat houses, but this element of the design is usually ignored by those implementing the design or is met with strange looks when I suggest the idea. I hope this piece will explain my desire to incorporate bats into designs. Insect Control About 70% of the more than 1,000 species of bats in the world are insectivorous.1 They assist us in controlling biting insects, but their use in insect control is much broader than this. Recent research from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama shows that bats are vital in controlling plant-eating insects. Forest Expansion and Maintenance In the tropics of the Americas, bats can assist in reafforestation. The fruit bats of India tend to maintain forests. Footnotes
Austin Permaculture Guild Permaculture shows us the path to a backyard revolution (NaturalNews) People nowadays are feeling like their lives are spinning out of control. They worry about being able to provide the necessities for their families as food and fuel prices soar and out of control inflation looms on the horizon. Many are almost totally disconnected from nature and that which sustains them. There are many definitions for the holistic design system known as permaculture and the word itself derives from the combinations of permanent culture and permanent agriculture. The provision of food, shelter, water, energy and waste management are contained within permaculture design. Permaculture is the first design system in history to be based upon ethics. From these ethics the twelve Permaculture Principles have been further developed by David Holmgren. A teacher and permaculture designer, the author has traveled the world seeking and creating sustainable systems for self-sufficiency.
Permaculture Principles Permaculture Education Our Permaculture Design Courses are accredited internationally by the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia. The courses are delivered via downloads in pdf format. Students will receive emailed download instructions after payment is made (normally within 24-48 hrs). Introduction to Permaculture Course This course covers the first section of the full Permaculture Design Certificate Course. The Introduction to Permaculture Course includes the first section (about 1/4 of the full 72-hour Permaculture Design Certificate Course, or 18 credit hours). Students who take the Introduction Course and later decide to take the full PDC will receive a discount. The Permaculture Design Certificate Course: According to the Permaculture Research Institute guidelines, the full Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is a 72- hour intensive program. This PDC course should supply you with enough information and feedback to: Plan and implement a Permaculture system for yourself and others. The Online PDC:
Essence of Permaculture A 16 page summary of permaculture concept and principles taken from Permaculture Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren. It contains an introduction to permaculture, thoughts about the future of the movement and the values and use of the permaculture principles . A great way to expand your knowledge in preparation for the full length book. This pdf eBook contains interactivity that is best viewed using Adobe Reader, available from www.adobe.com English eBook download (468k pdf) Spanish eBook download (612k pdf) Portuguese eBook download (620k pdf) Hebrew eBook download (2.2MB pdf) French eBook download (1.9MB pdf) (Visited 80 times, 2 visits today) Tags: opseedbomb , permaculture