Is sharing and caring too old hat for ecovillages to have legs?
Ecovillages could offer an alternative path towards truly sustainable living. But can they break into the mainstream before it’s too late? Giles Crosse finds out.
What do you consider a truly sustainable settlement? Might it include ecological buildings, on site wind turbines and recycling, or organic food production? How about green sewage treatment, or sustainable values embedded throughout the community’s education and social systems? These fundamentals, and more, are at the heart of an Ecovillage.
“Most Eco Villages aren’t interested in reverting to a Paleolithic lifestyle.” explains Russ Purvis, President of the Ecovillage Network of Canada. “They are interested in taking the best and most environmentally sustainable technologies of today and integrating those with more natural surrounding, building materials, and socially interactive aspects of village life from our recent past.”
The movement is now worldwide, and it’s gathering pace. The Global Ecovillage Network covers Asia through to Mexico, Europe, the Middle East and even places like Senegal.
“Considering that there are literally thousands of projects all around the world established without government help, or even awareness of their existence, I think we have come far in a short time.” says Ross Jackson, Founder of the Gaia Trust. “The Global Ecovillage Network is growing all the time.”
Green or greed?
Ecovillages face tough competition. Today’s businesses and governments see land with money and job making potential; through intensive farming or building offices. This is at odds with a subsistence based ethos.
“UK planning law leaves little space for real sustainable development.” says Tony Gosling, who works for the Ecovillage Network UK. “It looks at economic factors when granting planning permission.” He points to the Welsh Ecovillage Lammas, saying it took six years of campaigning to get the go ahead. Construction began on the site in Autumn 2009.
“Gathering enough like minded people together, and holding them together for two to five years to get a project off the ground.” says Purvis, explaining the difficulties slowing the process. “Government planning regulations: on density, infrastructure, and recognition that much agriculture is labour intensive. If the labour is on site it eliminates many costs.”
Such challenges seem worldwide. “A major problem in many countries is the lack of flexibility in local zoning laws.” explains Jackson. “For example, in Denmark, only one family is allowed to live on a farm, although thousands of abandoned farm buildings could be used productively. Some governmental or private financial help would also accelerate development. Ecovillagers typically have very few resources.”
Finding meaning
There may be sociological advantages to Ecovillages, with more people-based lifestyles lessening crime, greed or violence. “Ecovillage living provides a better quality of life with a lower ecological footprint, less than half the national average.” says Jackson.
“This is shown in measurements from Findhorn, Scotland, Ecovillage at Ithaca USA, and Eco Valley, Hungary. Ecovillages recreate community and cohesiveness, a sense of belonging and meaning in life, qualities that are often lacking in traditional settlements.”
But the model is far divorced from conventional capitalist theory. This makes it tough to bring about in today’s climate. “Governments are locked into an unending economic growth path and cannot see any other alternative.” continues Jackson.
“We are all sort of walking the plank with blindfolds on. Not enough people can see clearly what is ahead. Many who can are paralysed by the outlook and can see no way out. So they focus on business as usual as long as it lasts. Governments, and most people, will not act until they are forced to.”
Purvis agrees. “The complexity of modern life and the competition inspired by consumption has restricted the freedom to create alternative land development schemes.” In spite of this, Hildur Jackson does believe the model has a place in tomorrow’s future:
“It not only solves climate problems by reducing our emissions considerably, it also solves the other systemic problems of global injustice, poverty, diseases, and education.”
Making it happen
As with much sustainable thinking, only external drivers may force policy makers to embrace what today seem like radical solutions. “I suspect a major shift will occur when the ‘peak oil’ crisis hits Wall Street seriously, and energy production goes into decline for decades while prices explode and the economy tanks.” predicts Ross Jackson.
“The problem is that our whole urban/suburban infrastructure is based on a 100 year old model of cheap oil and the automobile that is soon going to be history. Globally, we are literally attacking the ecosystem, which is close to collapse.”
“Increasing population and economic growth cannot continue for very much longer. We must change our lifestyles, either voluntarily or by force of environmental and economic circumstances. Our global ecological footprint is already about 25 per cent over replacement level by photosynthesis.” he concludes.
The selfish gene
Should governments accept such new ideas, we’ll need radical alterations to thinking surrounding profit, consumerism and selfishness. It’s tough to predict how this would go down.
“Some individualists, who are used to managing alone and independently without a social network or any economic problems, may find it difficult initially to get used to sharing and caring, and may well prefer another lifestyle.” points out Jackson.
Purvis is more optimistic. “All the myriad models and tools exist. Human relationships take time. Therefore an Ecovillage which ultimately is about human relationships cannot be built in six months or even one year, maybe it could be built in 10 years? Our current society is too impatient.” The question is whether such time remains in hand.
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Resources: BedZed- Beddington Zero Energy Development, Sutton
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