20100113
Climate Change and action on Haiti disaster.
Thank you both for keeping in touch and keeping Sola Roof in mind for action during this year. We must move forward at the local level and I agree Robert (Director of Third Planet, that while national governments fail to act and international agreement is an illusive goal, the local level - community and family level response is most critical and most effective.
If we can get across to individuals and families that our very homes - an our general approach to the built environment is the key effective avenue for massive change that has the potential to reverse trends. I would ask you both to consider that once more we have urgent needs in the context of the Haiti natural disaster to create an exemplar project for sustainable development and create livelihoods and lifestyle transition to Eco Living - this is an Open Standard? and will use Open Source technology like Sola Roof and many other key methods to "work with nature" - so that we demonstrate that when humans work in synergy with the science of Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems. In very simple and low tech ways, Sola Roof enables these advanced approaches to sustainable living - that will produce security at the home and community level - through the self reliant and sustainable production of food, feed, fiber, and fuel from plant and algae biomass, while processing and cleaning water and providing pure water from recovered (precipitated) transpiration.
We have the potential do make an exemplar project and deliver these type of "living structures" using our best available Bio Mimicry? Architecture and solar climate control systems. Sola Roof controlled environment methods for transparent roof construction enables these systems to be adapted in very cost effective design approach to individual or multi-residential housing and as super-structures spanning over community facilities.
We can support rapid deployment of low cost shelter systems for clinics and hospitals, community centers and schools that will provide comfort in hot (or cold climate) in extreme situations, including disasters. Such high quality and advanced solutions can restore hope and dignity to life in conditions that otherwise lead to social depression and long term damage to population's spirit, health and education. We can support the transition process to a full recovery that allows these suffering communities to leapfrog forward to attain a higher social good build a new foundation on which to rebuild the fabric of the community.
Further, we can help communities that are rebuilding out of disaster, to establish a new pattern that will not be as fragile as what was destroyed. Our built environment must become more secure and safe in natural crisis situations. Earthquakes to not kill many people, but our buildings are causing vast death and injury. Living structures will not do such harm. We must move from a solar building paradigm of "massive passive" to our "light and bright" design standard. This is also the time to introduce in the context of the Haiti disaster the capabilities of Eco Dynamic design. Thus we deliver the FEED solution (Food+Energy Eco Dynamics) which provides shelter and resources that are produced locally and sustainably.
Thank you for considering these ideas - we must take these challenges as an opportunity to aim higher and do better for our bothers and sisters in Haiti and for others who are already suffering the impact of climate change. We must become ready to respond to millions of dangerous climate change refugees. Without a new paradigm our humanity is at risk.
We all want 2010 to be a year of great breakthroughs, let's collaborate to make it happen, Regards, Richard