Between the sacred and the profane.
The Manifesto for an Ecosocial Energy Transition from the Peoples of the South, is an important new call from the Global South for a real, clean, and equitable transformation away from fossil fuels, the trashing of nature, and the disproportionate consumption patterns of the wealthiest countries. The manifesto can be read and individuals and organizations can add their signature here.
As a building energy use professional and ecologist, I have been appalled at the invention and use of the term ‘net-zero’. Here is an article which lays out the problem with it. Read and be informed!
I helped train 10 professional architects here in Pretoria in building energy performance simulation modeling using DesignBuilder software. Thank yous to the University of Pretoria Department of Architecture for use of their classroom facilities, to the Pretoria Institute for Architecture for arranging attendees, and to the Fulbright Specialist Program for bringing me to South Africa to share my knowledge and experience.
I received a Fulbright Specialist Program grant back in 2017. Under the three year grant I was eligible for up to two assignments during the grant period. My first assignment was to Bolivia. South Africa was scheduled to be my second then COVID-19 struck. I was pleased to hear from Fulbright that the opportunity to go had reopened. #southafrica #pretoria #fulbright #teaching #university
Energy conservation (benign) could offset production (destructive). But no. Capitalism demands production, extractivism. Nature then pays the price. What we do to nature, we do to ourselves, as we are nature. The latest report of the IPCC Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability), points to the importance of integrating ‘indigenous and local knowledge’ in research and adaptation. Now even scientists understand that our dominant epistemology is a failure. The sooner we listen to this truth telling, the better. We can then change our behavior, rearrange our priorities, and begin to mitigate the worst effects of climate chaos.
Touring Bolivia giving lectures about localization expressed as ‘ecopueblos’ as a response to climate chaos in an effort to cease migration to the cities. Working with UNDP, the private sector, government, academia and civil society groups. We all need to be on the same page in this effort! #climatechange #environment #climate #climateemergency #globalwarming #climatechaosmitigation #climatechaosadaptation #climatechaosresilience
It’s been awhile since I last undertook a significant construction project (years actually). Building this superstructure for a 2.9Kw solar photovoltaic array out of simple materials for my off-grid house was a personal challenge. The design is a replica of one my neighbor up the road devised. Except for a little help from my son in the beginning (digging the shelf into the hillside and placing 4 of the 6 steel pipe columns), I did the entire project myself. With this array charging a 595 amp hour battery in sunny California weather, I expect to rarely, if ever, need to use the back up generator!
On this Earth Day I am posting a link to an online event that was recorded on April 17th as in my opinion it speaks to what this day is supposed to be all about. While some people may have differences with the event sponsoring organization, when it comes to the other than human natural world, I admire their truth telling, as disturbing as it is, and that is why I am sharing it here.