Your Ecological House

Why have we devoted a special section of Ecotecture, the Journal of Ecological Design, to houses? Because by creating a more environmentally friendly house, you can work directly on the planet’s problems — and benefit directly from your work. Keep addressing the broad issues discussed in Ecotecture, but learn what you can do at Your Ecological House . . .

Can Gross National Happiness Lead to an Eco-nomic Revival?

Gross National Happiness has been intentionally contrasted with Gross Domestic Product, a standard measure of economic activity…
Can Gross National Happiness... cont'd >

Visualizing A Sustainable Economy: How Much Is Enough?

Sustainable Economy Discussion Group evaluates sufficiency in terms of Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs and the "Hungry Ghost"…
Visualizing A Sustainable Economy... cont'd >

How Can We Stop Global Warming? Brains, Bodies or BioChar?

...embark on a crash energy-conservation program to buy ourselves time, and initiate a massive biogenic carbon sequestration program...
How can we stop Global Warming... cont'd >

Is It Too Late for Renewable Energy to Slow Global Warming?

In 2011 the IEA issued a stark warning... it could be too late for renewable energy to stave off a climate crisis...
Too Late for Renewable Energy... cont'd >

Man-Made Global Warming: It’s Real, Get Over It!

…if you don’t believe in man-made global warming, you’re visiting the wrong web site.
Man-Made Global Warming... cont'd  >

Eco-nomics: Modeling a Sustainable Economy on Ecosystems

The growth and health of “the economy” is usually seen as unrelated to, or in conflict with the health of the planetary ecosystem, or ecosphere. This is an artificial distinction, because the human economic system is entirely dependent upon the ecosphere to sustain it...
Modeling a Sustainable Economy... cont'd >

The Future of Sustainable Design

It’s no longer just the peak resource freaks, environmental gurus and the anti-globalization crowd. Now, even the mainstream economists are beginning to wake up and smell the offing. We have entered what I call the Not-So-Great Depression, a double whammy of eco-nomic and ecological crises...
The Future of Sustainable Design cont'd >

Features

Sustainable Development

ILLUMINATIONS: Cuba’s Fate and Ours, PART 1
—PHILIP S WENZ
A decade ago, Cuba was on the verge of starvation and economic collapse. Then she turned to sustainable development and is doing well despite a severe US trade embargo. What can this small island teach the rest of the world?

Havana, Cuba from the old Spanish fort
Havana, Cuba's, Malecon (seaside roadway) and hotel district as seen from the old Spanish fort across the harbor.

Ecotechnology

REVOLUTIONARY GEOMETRY:
A Foundation for Nature-Based Architecture

Helical geometric forms

—JAMES JACOBS
An architect and geometrician explores the fundamental helical form generators of nature and structure.

EcoCities

Prague Gnosis
— KIRSTIN MILLER
The patient is the Biosphere. The disease is sprawl development. What are the chances of survival?

Appropriate Technology

QUESTIONING ECOLOGICAL DESIGN: A Deep Ecology Perspective
—Eugenio A. Lomba-Ortiz
It is apparent that the "ecology" within ecological design is in need of critical revision.

Archive

The Ecotecture Library
Ecotecture's articles never disappear. They move to our Library when new articles are posted.

 

Departments

new

Give and Take
ECOTECTURE contributors Richard Register and Frijtof Capra air their (sometimes) divergent views on the automobile, sprawl and ecological design priorities.

Coming Soon

Green Building Catalog™

ILLUMINATIONS: Cuba's Fate and Ours Part 2: Programs and Parameters
-Philip S. Wenz