Best of
Sustainability

1994

Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect


David W. Orr - 1994
    Orr focuses not on problems in education, but on the problem of education. Much of what has gone wrong with the world, he argues, is the result of inadequate and misdirected education that:alienates us from life in the name of human dominationcauses students to worry about how to make a living before they know who they areoveremphasizes success and careersseparates feeling from intellect and the practical from the theoreticaldeadens the sense of wonder for the created worldThe crisis we face, Orr explains, is one of mind, perception, and values. It is, first and foremost, an educational challenge. The author begins by establishing the grounds for a debate about education and knowledge. He describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and challenges the "terrible simplifiers" who wish to substitute numbers for values. He follows with a presentation of principles for re-creating education in the broadest way possible, discussing topics such as biophilia, the disciplinary structure of knowledge, the architecture of educational buildings, and the idea of ecological intelligence. Orr concludes by presenting concrete proposals for reorganizing the curriculum to draw out our affinity for life.

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living (Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook)


John Schaeffer - 1994
    Clean technologies such as solar power, wind power, and biodiesel fuel are soaring in popularity. Real Goods Solar Living Source Book—Special 30th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate guide to renewable energy, sustainable living, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living, and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. This fully updated edition includes brand-new sections on Peak Oil, climate change, relocalization, natural burial, biodynamics, and permaculture. It also boasts the latest product listings and completely rewritten and expanded chapters on: Land and shelter Natural building Passive solar Biofuels Sustainable transportation Grid-tied photovoltaics Solar hot water systems Plus, over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, solar sizing worksheets, and much more Whether you’re a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the new sourcebook puts the latest research and products at your fingertips—all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality. John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods, the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable-energy products. Now merged with Gaiam, Real Goods has converted over sixty thousand homes to solar energy since 1978, when it sold the very first photovoltaic module in America. Real Goods hosts the annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California.

Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development


John Tillman Lyle - 1994
    John Lyle has written the best book nowavailable on the theory and practice of sustainability . . .essential reading for natural resource professionals, architects, planners, educators, environmentalists, and the general public.--David W. Orr, Professor and Chair Environmental Studies Program, Oberlin College.John Lyle has written a splendid book, Regenerative Design forSustainable Development. It is perfectly topical; it is committedto the unity of art and science, design and planning, man andnature. It is itself exemplary, and it is a repository of exemplaryadaptations. It has carried the environmental movement to a newthreshold of ecological planning and design. It should be widelyread and employed. --Ian L. McHarg, FASLA.In these times of widespread urban stress and regional disruption, the cogent thoughts of John Tillman Lyle on sustainable cities areon target and highly constructive. They are must reading forplanning professionals and all concerned citizens. --John OrmsbeeSimonds, FASLA.More designers need to broaden their horizons in the way John Lylehas put forth in this book. In general, there are far too few landplanners, landscape architects, or architects who have any workingprocedure that approximates what sustainable design entails. Thisbook provides important historical background and contemporaryexperience to help guide the way.--Pliny Fisk III, Center forMaximum Potential Building Systems.From the despoliation of our rivers and lakes by industrial runoffto the destruction of our atmosphere by sulphur emissions and CFCs, production cycles based on a one-way flow of materials and energyhave pushed us to the brink of environmental collapse. It is timefor a change, and in this groundbreaking book, John Tillman Lyleoffers us a blueprint for implementing that change.This book provides civil engineers, architects, land developmentplanners, and others with practical, realistic approaches toreversing this deadly course. Throughout, the emphasis is on provenregenerative practices for water use, land use, energy use, andbuilding design. Most importantly, it provides ways to reestablishconnections between people and nature, between art and science, andbetween technology and daily life.

The Great American Bear


Jeff Fair - 1994
    -- An enlightened and scientific look at the black bear.-- Over 150 captivating color photos.

Painted Prayers Womens Art


Stephen P. Huyler - 1994
    Some ground paintings are daily rituals, made every morning at dawn, while wall paintings and mud bas-reliefs are often made for special festivals to honor the deities and attract their benevolent attentions. It is the women of India who are responsible for communication with the gods on the behalf of their families, governing the activities of family members, and maintaining the sanctity and order of the home.

Wilderness Mother


Deanna Kawatski - 1994
    Without electricity or running water, over a hundred miles from the nearest paved road and cut off from most contact with the outside world, Kawatski, her husband, and their two children fashion a life almost unique in the 20th century. The book focuses on motherhood: the anxieties of bearing children in the outback without reliance on medical care, the difficulties - and joys - of coping with infants in a wilderness setting, and the challenges of education, socialization, and safety for the children in the face of almost total isolation. Wilderness Mother is a unique and inspiring story, wonderfully told.