Can you think about the water runoff of a home and ignore the foundation? Can you think about the foundation and ignore the ground? Can you think about the ground and ignore the plants? Can you think about the plants and ignore the people? Can you think about the people and ignore how they interact with each other; their dwellings and environment? What kind of thinking integrates these questions and their components? I think the anwer is self-actualized thinking. Self-actualized thinking is done by self-actualized people.
I've just read a pretty succinct article on BrainMeta that outlines the characteristics of a few so-called "self actualized" people.
In it, the German word "gemeinschaftsgefuhl" meaning "community feeling" or "social interest", was described as one of the traits self-actualized people had. I got to this page via StumbleUpon while winding down after a very intense walk/talk around Greenlake with a couple of wise men in the building/environment/design field.
Non-coincidentally since this was likely building for a while, the conversation I had with Mike Broili and Wayne Apostolik was centered around the burgeoning field of holistic dwellings, high-performance homes, and residential energy/resource conservation. (Wayne runs a firm called NorthWest HomeCrafters Inc, and Mike Broili runs a firm called Living Systems Design).
What we discovered (likely again) was the truth about how the building trades (most all of them) need to truly integrate their services for both new and retrofit/remodel homes. In particular, we agreed that there is really no way to do this right without doing it entirely, thoroughly, holistically. From the site, to the design, to the materials, to the methodologies, to the workmanship, to the vegetation, to the integration of the people in their homes and beyond.
For new homes, the USGBC's highest LEED standards are getting very good at this holistic integration approach, but the retrofit/remodel world is not yet on board. Perhaps it's because there is no single (or even usable multiple) methodology or terminology for bringing tradespeople into this systems-based model.
I posit the possibility that the direction is towards an ideal that works in the the social sciences and psychological world: that of "self-actualization".
If human dwellings and human beings are to improve, we need some serious goals to strive towards. "The self-actualized home" is where the self-actualized human should live. Some do so already, but this idea must be brought to the population as a whole, and not be limited to people who have spare time or spare money to pursue this seemingly lofty endeavor for themselves, their families, and their community.
Self-actualization is not self-ishness. In fact, quite the contrary, it's about the capacity to move beyond one's self and into the work of sharing our gifts with others in a healthy and progressive fashion. Full integration is what we're looking for, and it must consider the outside and the inside in a holistic (sorry to bludgeon you with the term) way. All the outsides and all the insides.
That's what's meant by the social term "gemeinschaftsgefuhl", and if we could add the environmental bridge between humans/communities and their dwelling spaces (outside and inside kinds of dwelling spaces), we'd have a really solid target to hit in the field of residential energy conservation.
At Campbell Energy, we are in the process of shooting at that goal, the full integration and self-actualization of people and their dwelling spaces. While doing so myself, I am promoting the idea itself and pushing this mountain of humanity in that direction. If we are to survive as a species, this is the way it must be done.
What do these self-actualized dwellings look like? They consider the entire ecosystem all at once, and integrate themselves with it and their inhabitants. The dwelling space is the conduit between the animals we are and the land we live on. This three-way integration is not new at all, look at a cave and you'll see the ancient evidence of it.
I'm actually hoping not to define the self-actualized dwelling myself, but to offer the idea up to my readers and get their feedback on it. If you feel compelled to describe the characteristics of a self-actualized dwelling, please leave a comment.
Deep Green Love,
Aaron
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Something's Cooking!
And it's deep green. Kale? Apollo Alliance? holler back if you think you know what it is....
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Conservation Cult
Conservation Cult
Making saving energy better than pheremones. Imagine the day when that
guy who you used to chuckle at as he pulled an aluminum can out of a
trash bin suddenly becomes a hot commodity in the new energy economy.
Aaron
Campbell
Energy
206.898.8337
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sexy Conservation
Sexy Conservation
I have read literally hundreds of articles about solar manufacturing,
new windmill technology, algae biodiesel and the like; the supposed
cutting edge of the new energy economy. And while I am an unabashed
technophile, I keep coming back to the wisdom of "conservation
first". Reduction before production.
There are brilliant engineers developing excellent technology all the
time, but the major energy issues we face are often better solved by
inexpensive (read: free) changes in behavior, not changes in solar
panel coatings. It can take years before we see good reliable electric
cars or install one of these new helical wind turbines on our own
roof. We can, however, immediately save money and the planet through
conservation. Efficient lightbulbs aside, just paying attention to our
energy habits alone can lower our own utility bills 40% or more.
The trouble seems to be the fact that for most, conservation is not
half as sexy as a new solar panel or a new Tesla electric roadster.
How can we make conservation sexier, more fun, and more rewarding?
Seriously, I don't know how we do this or even if this is the right
question. But I know for a fact that we can't wait 5 years for cheap
solar in order to make changes.
We voted for Obama's promise of change, but are we going to wait until
2012 to walk our environmental talk? Are we hoping that the new $35
billion bailout of The Big Three car manufacturers will magically put
a Chevy Volt in our driveway this Christmas?
I submit to you that we cannot wait, and that hoping for an
engineering miracle is not as good a use of our time as insulating our
homes and sealing our leaky ducts. How we can see that behavior as
cool and rewarding is the trick. Help us all out with some
suggestions. The clock is indeed ticking.
Aaron
Campbell
Energy
Aaron
Campbell
Energy
206.898.8337
Monday, December 1, 2008
iPhone Scrabble Scorepad
No more backs of envelopes or margins of our dictionary. I want a free
iPhone app that simply lists and adds Scrabble scores.
iPhone app that simply lists and adds Scrabble scores.
Aaron
Campbell
Energy
206.898.8337
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
turn the hose back on! Thermo-Battery-Monitor
(I'm going to get back on the idea bandwagon. Who let me fall off? Oh, I did. Anyhoo, I want to do a deep green idea per day instead of just random ideas. A more targeted and eco-friendlier firehose...)
How about a new kind of battery monitor that uses a baseline heat signature to tell you whether or not the battery was still good? Thermometers are cheaper than ever. I am so tired of my batteries showing full and then leaving me huffing and puffing up 15th from University District on my Ezee Quando electric bike. Give me a better monitor, stat!
How about a new kind of battery monitor that uses a baseline heat signature to tell you whether or not the battery was still good? Thermometers are cheaper than ever. I am so tired of my batteries showing full and then leaving me huffing and puffing up 15th from University District on my Ezee Quando electric bike. Give me a better monitor, stat!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Leadership
With 349 Electoral College votes (as of noon on November 5, 2008), Barack Obama is the President-Elect of the United States of America. Let that sink in. Take some time with it. Bathe in the warm afterglow of knowing that the USA is not the worst country in the world, and might in fact be one of the greatest, again.
But, don't stay in the tub too long, my friends, we have ten times the work ahead of us now, and wrinkly skin won't help.
To that end, I am again putting my Idea Firehose hat back on and challenging anyone within shouting distance to join me in that work. What work? This work:
1. Recognize that it was absolutely proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that grassroots community organizing can directly change the very world. You can take down your yard signs now, but keep your names on those progressive list-servs and think about volunteering even more after the election than before. I'm personally fired up and ready for 2012. Maybe you might think about starting your own community organization.
2. Fulfill the promise of the campaign and the truth of deep progressive creed that says "This is not a black America or a white America, this is the United States of America". By that I mean that 46% of the USA did *not* vote for Obama, and those people deserve the same things that the 52% of us asked for: Health Care, Financial Solvency, Renewable Energy, Less Waste and Debt, More Jobs, More Peace, and a healthy dose of HOPE. The work will be to include the 46% in our 100%, to reach out a hand and work together like a neighborhood recovering from a hurricane. We're all literally in this together.
3. Get back to work on yourself, and your family. Yes, YOU. The deep work we need to accomplish cannot come from your solitary martyrdom. Barack worked out in the gym the morning of November 4th. He also worked out at the gym *this* morning, despite apparently needing to immediately pick his entire cabinet and lay out every single plan he has for the next 4-8 years. He brought his family with him on the campaign trail, and kept them close to him. Leadership is not simply telling people what to do, it's staying true to yourself and your family, doing the heavy internal lifting required to pull you through in hard times. These are still hard times, without a doubt, and you will need to truly know and love yourself to be of use as we work to change this world.
4. Walk your Talk: better yet, put your muscle where your mouth is. You call yourself Progressive? Prove it. Drop your energy consumption. Drastically reduce your waste. Reach out to your neighbors. Volunteer and keep volunteering. Grow some of your own organic food or herbs. Hire other progressives. Take fewer flights. The more we do as we say, the more progress we'll make.
Today I'm recommitting myeslf to develop my own leadership potential with an eye on those four major work areas. I'm committing to ongoing progressive alignment of my values and my actions. I'm committing to a focus on excellence in my company, Campbell Energy, bringing the message and game-plan of energy conservation and efficiency to everyone I meet. There's a lot of great challenging work to do, and I'm excited and inspired by this election (and my own part in it) to get out and do that very work.
If you'd like to join me in this struggle, I'd welcome your energy, ideas, and challenges and I will give you back all that you offer and more. That's what the IdeaFirehose and Campbell Energy and Aaron Campbell are all about, giving back and making offers of myself so that others will join me and do the same. Honestly, I don't expect many people to join me initially, since we all have our own dreams and challenges to work on, but I would like to offer you the opportunity to do those things with me. Whether that means as a friend or a colleague or mentor or student, I want to engage more deeply than ever before.
Have an idea for an organization that might need my help? Send it on. Want to join one of mine? give a shout. See an idea on the Idea Firehose that you think you'd like to move forward on? I'll brainstorm with you to get it out there. Have a friend who you think would be a great Senator? Introduce me. Want to franchise my company? Want me to help you franchise yours? Let's sit down and talk business. Need a public speaker at your next deep green event? Hand me the microphone. Got a harebrained scheme you want to bandy about? Holler back. Let's just make sure we don't spin our wheels in the mud when there's a winch on the truck down the street, know what I mean?
Here's how to connect to me online:
I blog: http://ideafirehose.blogspot.com
I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/alphacampbell
I am on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/glowplug
I am a Stumbler: http://alphabeta.stumbleupon.com/
I actually read books: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/campbellenergy
I'm a Washington Fuse Progressive: http://www.fusewashington.org/page/community/blog/aaroncampbell
You might also see me in the physical world at the Northwest Eco-Building Guild meetings, or Meetup group Seattle Renewables, or walking the Meadowbrook Pond with my daughter.
I'm actually fired up, and quite ready to go. Thanks Barack.
--Aaron
But, don't stay in the tub too long, my friends, we have ten times the work ahead of us now, and wrinkly skin won't help.
To that end, I am again putting my Idea Firehose hat back on and challenging anyone within shouting distance to join me in that work. What work? This work:
1. Recognize that it was absolutely proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that grassroots community organizing can directly change the very world. You can take down your yard signs now, but keep your names on those progressive list-servs and think about volunteering even more after the election than before. I'm personally fired up and ready for 2012. Maybe you might think about starting your own community organization.
2. Fulfill the promise of the campaign and the truth of deep progressive creed that says "This is not a black America or a white America, this is the United States of America". By that I mean that 46% of the USA did *not* vote for Obama, and those people deserve the same things that the 52% of us asked for: Health Care, Financial Solvency, Renewable Energy, Less Waste and Debt, More Jobs, More Peace, and a healthy dose of HOPE. The work will be to include the 46% in our 100%, to reach out a hand and work together like a neighborhood recovering from a hurricane. We're all literally in this together.
3. Get back to work on yourself, and your family. Yes, YOU. The deep work we need to accomplish cannot come from your solitary martyrdom. Barack worked out in the gym the morning of November 4th. He also worked out at the gym *this* morning, despite apparently needing to immediately pick his entire cabinet and lay out every single plan he has for the next 4-8 years. He brought his family with him on the campaign trail, and kept them close to him. Leadership is not simply telling people what to do, it's staying true to yourself and your family, doing the heavy internal lifting required to pull you through in hard times. These are still hard times, without a doubt, and you will need to truly know and love yourself to be of use as we work to change this world.
4. Walk your Talk: better yet, put your muscle where your mouth is. You call yourself Progressive? Prove it. Drop your energy consumption. Drastically reduce your waste. Reach out to your neighbors. Volunteer and keep volunteering. Grow some of your own organic food or herbs. Hire other progressives. Take fewer flights. The more we do as we say, the more progress we'll make.
Today I'm recommitting myeslf to develop my own leadership potential with an eye on those four major work areas. I'm committing to ongoing progressive alignment of my values and my actions. I'm committing to a focus on excellence in my company, Campbell Energy, bringing the message and game-plan of energy conservation and efficiency to everyone I meet. There's a lot of great challenging work to do, and I'm excited and inspired by this election (and my own part in it) to get out and do that very work.
If you'd like to join me in this struggle, I'd welcome your energy, ideas, and challenges and I will give you back all that you offer and more. That's what the IdeaFirehose and Campbell Energy and Aaron Campbell are all about, giving back and making offers of myself so that others will join me and do the same. Honestly, I don't expect many people to join me initially, since we all have our own dreams and challenges to work on, but I would like to offer you the opportunity to do those things with me. Whether that means as a friend or a colleague or mentor or student, I want to engage more deeply than ever before.
Have an idea for an organization that might need my help? Send it on. Want to join one of mine? give a shout. See an idea on the Idea Firehose that you think you'd like to move forward on? I'll brainstorm with you to get it out there. Have a friend who you think would be a great Senator? Introduce me. Want to franchise my company? Want me to help you franchise yours? Let's sit down and talk business. Need a public speaker at your next deep green event? Hand me the microphone. Got a harebrained scheme you want to bandy about? Holler back. Let's just make sure we don't spin our wheels in the mud when there's a winch on the truck down the street, know what I mean?
Here's how to connect to me online:
I blog: http://ideafirehose.blogspot.com
I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/alphacampbell
I am on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/glowplug
I am a Stumbler: http://alphabeta.stumbleupon.com/
I actually read books: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/campbellenergy
I'm a Washington Fuse Progressive: http://www.fusewashington.org/page/community/blog/aaroncampbell
You might also see me in the physical world at the Northwest Eco-Building Guild meetings, or Meetup group Seattle Renewables, or walking the Meadowbrook Pond with my daughter.
I'm actually fired up, and quite ready to go. Thanks Barack.
--Aaron
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