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Environment & Community Praxis -- 12th Anniversary (1998-2010)

 


'Let us design to make the world work for 100% of humanity, in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone.'

'You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.'

~ R. Buckminster Fuller

*   *   *

'I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.'

~ Michael Jordan
   former NBA basketball player

*   *   *

'History is clearly presenting us with a new set of mandates: get local, get finer, downscale, and get going on it right away.'

~ James Howard Kunstler

*   *   *

NEVER GIVE UP
No matter what is going on
Never give up
Develop the heart
Too much energy in your country
is spent developing the mind
instead of the heart
Develop the heart
Be compassionate
Not just to your friends but to everyone
Be compassionate
Work for peace
in your heart and in the world
Work for Peace
And I say it again
Never give up
No matter what is happening
No matter what is going on around you
Never give up

~ His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama

*  *  *

 

Welcome to our web portal -- and thank you for helping extend our 12 years of innovation for Social Work and sustainable communities!

Join us on Twitter:  @designtrek

We collaborate on design projects that engage people and connect systems in service of livable, healthy homes, schools, and communities.

** NEW: read about the Sustainable Food Systems and Permaculture Design series. Here's the Program Flyer. PDF

We share interests in social work for social change, local-through-international Transition Town efforts, food security, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy systems, organic recycling & composting, amateur radio communications, (to name a few). Go here for more details.

Our solar home and .11 acre (5000 sf) city lot offers a variety of urban permaculture design and sustainable home features. We enjoy fresh herbs, veggies, berries, cherries, apples, plums, peaches, figs, flowers, etc. from around our yard and neighborhood.

We host individual and group visits, weekend workshops, and extended courses on permaculture and ecological design. Email us for more information and scheduling.

And, our home is also the 2nd in Washington State to use the super-efficient, zero-emission Hallowell Acadia All-Climate Heat Pump. Go here for info.

BTW, here is our solar oven (via the Solar Oven Society) -- in use since 2007.

Scherch Solar Oven

Fun, useful, and works great!  We easily cook vegetables, soups, stews, rice & beans, salmon fillets, quesadillas, muffins and quick breads, etc. in just a few hours. :)

Many others models are available (or can be made), though this model get's our thumbs-up for price, performance and quality.

Scherch Solar

Affordable Solar in Seattle
Get emPowered!

how?
improved energy efficiency +
520 watts of PV power +
450 amp hr battery bank +
12VDC & 2000-watt AC inverter =

electricity for home appliances

In 2007, we designed & installed
our affordable PV system;
small-scale solar works!

~ as of July, 2010,
we've generated over
33,000 amp-hours of
emission-free sun power!


We are a host site for the

ASES Solar Tour

________________________
System performance =

~ reduced "phantom" loads +
~ smaller carbon "footprint" +
~ reduced demand from grid +
~ minimal upfront system costs +
~ lighter monthly electric bills +
~ new community of RE friends =
reliable (and fun) energy options!
___________________________

How did we do it?
Read here

Want to use solar energy?
We can help you design a system
Email us for details

___________________________

Mmm -- our backyard raspberries have come!

Backyard Raspberries



 


 

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