Putting A Value On Nature

 Over father's day weekend, my father and I went up to Estes Park in Colorado. During our visit we saw several beautiful waterfalls, lakes and wildlife. After seeing such lovely scenery and reading all the different sustainability issues over the past few weeks I wondered how anyone could put a price on such beauty and the substance it provides to our ecosystem and livelihood. However, after reading Ann Thorpe's Economy section I soon found out why. Our government doesn't place any value or price on it! According to Thorpe it is hard to place a money value on non-material items, such as breathable air and clean drinking water, and because our society doesn't give it any value we-as a whole-treat it as having no value. Maybe because of this thinking, it has been so hard for our society to become sustainable. 

"As long as we let the market make decisions about the environment, it will appear cheaper to destroy natural resources than to preserve them"

According to Ann Thorpe, a sustainable company with a competitive advantage in the marketplace is often referred to as “the business case for sustainability.” One design firm that has taken sustainability to heart and is trying to add value to our environment with a competitive advantage is LPA Inc. Located in California, LPA Inc. is a pioneer in the sustainable design and at 79% LEED accredited, LPA's staff is one of the greenest in the nation - having completed and worked on many milestone projects including:

•First LEED NC project in the Country: Premier Automotive Group

•First LEED Police Facility in the Country: Woodland Police Facility

•First LEED Platinum project in Orange County: Environmental Nature Center

•First LEED Gold completed building for NASA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory Flight Projects Center

LPA Inc. designs are guided by three sustainable principles. First, “Take What The Site Offers For Free” this means that they design the building based on its natural surroundings. Second, “Make Sustainability Part of The Building's DNA” good design and sustainability should work together. A building should wear its sustainability not only as a demonstration serving to inspire those who interact with the facility, but also as a model of achievement for the community. Third, “Design Differently” LPA’s approach to design is in contrast to the conventional method which most firms apply to sustainable building design and helps to give LPA a more competitive edge. First, they begin with the site itself (Principle One). The understanding of the local climate and environment offer clues necessary in designing a facility where passive systems are maximized and reinforced by the building structure and shape. In the third step, LPA applies the latest conservation measures to begin at a lower base line for all energy uses and renewable offsets. LPA's reversed approach gives the client a new project that uses fewer resources and is fundamentally more cost effective than the typical sustainable project. LPA uses the public sector design approach as their way to demonstrate the connection that environmental buildings can have. Not only in the economic/ecological aspects of a building’s efficiency and sustainability, but also in the cultural as a productivity booster among its employees. 

Besides discussing the economics of what it takes to go green, Thorpe mentions our culture and how consumption driven we are as a society.  As designers one of our main cultural roles is to “push” the latest materials and products onto the public. According to Thorpe the average consumer spends eleven hours a day with media that places an emphasis on material wealth and appearance but little to zero emphasis on sustainability. As the “pushers” of society, shouldn’t it be our job, role, and duty to educate the general masses about sustainability? In The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability, for a person to gain a sense of well-being and  fulfillment they must engage and connect with their surrounding environment. One way to achieve a sense of involvement within design could be through the process of Do-It-Yourself. Other ways to change the way we shop is to keep objects for longer periods of time or that they even become heirlooms. By adjusting a few simple techniques with the way we purchase products we could help people develop more successful methods of meeting needs, improving cultural conditions and contributing to cultural sustainability. 

The idea of becoming more sustainable has been discussed a great deal over these last few weeks and by now we are all aware of the magnitude its benefits can have. But now we need a call to action. The time for more sustainable decision making on a daily basis is now! The first step can be as simple as reducing your daily energy or water use, or to become more attentive about recycling. One basic rule to help you begin becoming sustainable is simply “to use less than you were using before.” 10 quick and simple ways to do this include:

1. Re-lamp existing light fixtures with LED lights

2. Set printers to automatically print double-sided

3. Start a recycling program

4. Turn task lights off when not in use

5. Unplug micro-electronics (cellphone, iPod, and computer chargers, coffee pots, toasters, etc.)

6. Use coffee mugs instead of plastic or Styrofoam cups (there are cups and utensils manufactured from corn, and plates manufactured from sugar cane)

7. Read digital magazines

8. Use recycled cardboard instead of plastic (PVC) binders

9. Let daylight in - open the blinds!

10. Set monitors to power down automatically at a certain time

Other ways to become more sustainable is by supporting companies that are permanently committed to giving a significant part of their profits to worthy causes. Corporate Tithe is a website that is dedicated to providing a list of all corporations that donate 10% of the company’s total value to worthy causes. Another website that helps to connect businesses, consumers and non-profits through philanthropy is 1% for the Planet.  

 

 

One company that seeks to integrate voices from all over the globe is the Green Economy Coalition. The Green Economy Coalition is a global network of organizations that are committed to accelerating a shift to a new green economy by inspiring the policy discussions at the international level and help to improve communication between stakeholders and among green economy initiatives. This organization also helps to promote ways of halting bad practices and to encourage that the best practices are being utilized.  

1% for the Planet: www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

Corporation Tithe: www.ct10.org,

Green Economy Coalition: www.greeneconomycoalition.org