FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
 
 
Eavesdrop on On-going Discussions at the Forum
 
           
 
 
 
ecological design
and

green
building
 
safe, secure and
sustainable
energy policy
green & healthy communities &
bio-regions
peace, justice
non-violence and disarmament


Definitions:

What do you mean by "ecological design"?
What is "green building"?
What makes a material or process "green"?
What are "resource efficient" processes and materials?
What is a "natural material"?
What is meant by "bio-mimicry"?
What is "whole systems design"?
What is "organic design"?
What is "natural design"?
What is a "pattern language"?


Ecological Design:


Why should I change the way I design and specify?
If we don't change, how long before we run out of common materials?
Are there technical specifications and test results for these products?
Are materials with "recycled content" safe to specify?
Isn't it riskier to use "green materials"?
What is the significance of LEED certification?
I've taken a workshop on "green building" do I really need a designer?


Green Building:

Where can I buy "green materials"?
Are "green materials" expensive?
Do "green materials" hold up over time?
As a builder do I need a special skills for a "green" project?
Aren't all building materials natural?
Do building and planning officials allow "green building"?


General Requirements:


Site Work:


Concrete:


Masonry:


Metals:


Wood & Plastic:


Doors & Windows:


Finishes:


Equipment:


Furnishings:


Special Construction:


Conveying Systems:


Mechanical:


Electrical:



Definitions:

What is an "energy source"?
What is a "safe energy source"?
What is a "secure energy source"?
What is a "sustainable energy source"?
What is energy conservation?
What is energy efficiency?


Safe Energy:

Is global warming real?
Do we know that global warming is caused
by burning fossil fuels?
How much damage is caused by unsafe energy sources?
What kinds of damage is caused by unsafe energy sources?
I'm hearing commercials about cleaner coal;
how clean is it?
Can't nuclear energy be considered "green"
because it doesn't produce greenhouse gases?


Secure Energy:

Why does ADPSR oppose the use of nuclear energy and fossil fuels?
Doen't all energy sources pose risks?
Can't all energy sources be the target of a terrorist attack?
Can't any energy source be used in a terrorist attack?


Sustainable Energy:

How much does sustainable energy cost?
Sustainable energy makes sense, why isn't it required already?
Is it true that oil will be gone in this century?
Is natural gas in short supply?
Is coal in short supply?
Can't gas be made from coal?
Why not energy made from corn?
Is bio-diesel a sustainable energy source?
How about oil from shale?
Won't Hydrogen provide unlimited energy?
Won't Nuclear Fusion provide unlimited energy?


Energy Sources:


Can we recycle energy?
How does energy get from one place to another?
How many forms of energy exist?
What is the difference between an "energy source" and an "energy carrier"?
What is meant by the "intensity" of an energy source?
Are fuel cells an energy source?


Conservation: Doing Less with Less

Can conservation be considered an "energy source"?
Doesn't conservation mean a reduced standard of living?
How much can we hope to conserve?


Efficiency: Doing More with Less

Can efficiency be considered an energy source?
What is the difference between conservtion and efficiency?
How much more efficient can we possibly be?


Passive Solar: Solar Buildings

 


Active Solar: Using Pumps and Fans

 


Photovoltaics: Solar Electricity

Why is there so much interest in PV when it's so much more expensive and less efficient than other solar technologies?


Wind: Fastest Growing, Not for Everyone

 


Small Hydro: Won't Stop the Flow

 


Geothermal: Heat from the Earth

 


Bio-mass: Energy from Plants & Animals

 


Definitions:

What is a "community"?
What is a "bio-region"?
How do you know if something's "green and healthy""?
What is the "commons"?
What is the "tradegy of the commons"?
What are "natures services"?
What are the five types of systems?
What are the four forms of capital?
What are the seven "E"'s?


Communities:

How do I know if my community is healthy?


Bio-regions:

What's a bio-region and why are they important?


The Commons:

Do we really need government?
Don't I know how to spend my money better than some bureaucrat?
Why can't I live my life without other people telling me what to do?


Ecological Capital: Land

 


Human Capital: Labor

 


Social Capital: The Commons

 


Manufactured Capital: Capital

 


Economy:

Aren't markets the most efficient way of allocating goods and services?
Don't we have to keep growing to be prosperous?

I've heard economists say that it's possible to substitute capital for the environment is that really true?


Environment:

 


Equity:

 


Energy:

 


Education:

 


Entertainment:

 


Geo-Physical Systems:

 


Biological-Systems:

 


Social Systems:

 


Belief Systems:

 


Built Systems:

 


Definitions:

What is meant by "peace"?
What is meant by ""justice"?
What is meant by "non-violence"?
What is meant by "disarmament"?
What is "free trade"?
What is "fair trade"?


Peace:

Isn't world peace a little pie in the sky?


Justice:

Don't we already have a reasonably just society compared to most places in the world?


Non-violence:

What would you do if someone was going to harm a member of your family?
Doesn't turning the other cheek just result in a lot of red faces?


Disarmament:

Isn't it true that If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns?


Free Trade:

 


Fair Trade:

 


Weapons Industry:

 


Chemical Sensitivity:

 


White Collar Crime:

Why can you go to jail for stealing a loaf of bread, yet if you steal investors life savings you may not even go to jail at all?


Child Labor:

 


Child Soldiers:

 


Slavery:

 


Homelessness:

 


A Living Wage:

 


Race:

 


Religion:

 


Gender:

 


Sexual Orientation:

 


Control of Ones Body:

 


Wrongly Convicted:

 


Victim's Justice:

 


The Death Penalty:

 


Death with Dignity:

 


Environmental Justice:

 

       

 

last update: 07/08/2003
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1998