Comments for Carol Steinfeld: flowscapes http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog adventures in ecological systems thinking Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:32:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on The true obstacles to “green” solutions (a minor rant) by carol http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-363 carol Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:32:36 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=196#comment-363 @Jean Interesting points. I'd say we have to make up our own minds with the information we have and gather as much information as possible. In this case, it sounds like you wanted a solar system because it reflects your values. You already knew you had low gas bills, so it was unlikely a solar thermal system was going to have a quick payback. But I know what you mean. The decisionmaking criteria isn't always obvious. Someone called Ecovita last week and wanted to know all about the composting toilets. He then said he wasn't sure if he and his wife should just continue using a bucket or upgrade to a composting toilet---and what were my thoughts about that? I told him they had to decide if they wanted a composting toilet. I wasn't sure what else I could tell him. Some would say he wanted to be talked into buying one, but I didn't feel like doing that. @Jean Interesting points. I’d say we have to make up our own minds with the information we have and gather as much information as possible. In this case, it sounds like you wanted a solar system because it reflects your values. You already knew you had low gas bills, so it was unlikely a solar thermal system was going to have a quick payback. But I know what you mean.
The decisionmaking criteria isn’t always obvious.
Someone called Ecovita last week and wanted to know all about the composting toilets. He then said he wasn’t sure if he and his wife should just continue using a bucket or upgrade to a composting toilet—and what were my thoughts about that? I told him they had to decide if they wanted a composting toilet. I wasn’t sure what else I could tell him. Some would say he wanted to be talked into buying one, but I didn’t feel like doing that.

]]> Comment on The true obstacles to “green” solutions (a minor rant) by Jean http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=196&cpage=1#comment-360 Jean Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:56:49 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=196#comment-360 Here is the number 1 problem I encounter myself as an end-user who wants to do the right thing but has limited time and mental capacity is figuring out what the green solutions are and whether each one makes sense for me personally. My solar water story illustrates this. I bought a fixer house that needed its roof replaced and was looking at the possibilities for how to make use of my roof. Having been an apartment/dorm dweller since age 4, it was my first time thinking of such issues and so I looked for the greenest GC I could find to help guide me through them. Solar was an obvious option and my GC gave me the good advice to consult Sungevity about it. Sungevity determined that my roof was too shaded but that Solar water could work. So I went back to my GC with that information and he consulted with a solar water installer who wrote up a contract for a roughly $8,000 system heating an 80 gallon tank. It felt off both in terms of price and capacity. But when I tried to ask about this, all I got from my GC and the solar water installer were the selling points about buying the system before solar water heater prices went up and insuring against future hikes in energy prices. Fortunately I found out about the Build-it-Green hotline in time and asked them about solar water. The first question they asked was my monthly gas & electric bill which is currently $27 per month. They suggested that solar water would not be cost effective for me and told me about simple cost effective things I could do to conserve water. Thumbs up to Build-it-Green! Now I am still scratching my head about things like what sort of grey water and rainwater catchment systems might make sense for me and whether hydraulic lime stucco and green countertops are worth the cost. Guess I'll have to get back on the phone with Build-it-Green, but what about the questions I don't even know to ask? Shouldn't there be more of an ethic among green providers to become better at diagnosing which green solutions make sense for the given circumstances and not encouraging the ones that don't? Here is the number 1 problem I encounter myself as an end-user who wants to do the right thing but has limited time and mental capacity is figuring out what the green solutions are and whether each one makes sense for me personally. My solar water story illustrates this.

I bought a fixer house that needed its roof replaced and was looking at the possibilities for how to make use of my roof. Having been an apartment/dorm dweller since age 4, it was my first time thinking of such issues and so I looked for the greenest GC I could find to help guide me through them. Solar was an obvious option and my GC gave me the good advice to consult Sungevity about it. Sungevity determined that my roof was too shaded but that Solar water could work. So I went back to my GC with that information and he consulted with a solar water installer who wrote up a contract for a roughly $8,000 system heating an 80 gallon tank. It felt off both in terms of price and capacity. But when I tried to ask about this, all I got from my GC and the solar water installer were the selling points about buying the system before solar water heater prices went up and insuring against future hikes in energy prices. Fortunately I found out about the Build-it-Green hotline in time and asked them about solar water. The first question they asked was my monthly gas & electric bill which is currently $27 per month. They suggested that solar water would not be cost effective for me and told me about simple cost effective things I could do to conserve water. Thumbs up to Build-it-Green!

Now I am still scratching my head about things like what sort of grey water and rainwater catchment systems might
make sense for me and whether hydraulic lime stucco and green countertops are worth the cost. Guess I’ll have to get back on the phone with Build-it-Green, but what about the questions I don’t even know to ask? Shouldn’t there be more of an ethic among green providers to become better at diagnosing which green solutions make sense for the given circumstances and not encouraging the ones that don’t?

]]> Comment on Creative reuse, my new handbag, and the iBra by Rozel Cruz http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=53&cpage=1#comment-290 Rozel Cruz Thu, 26 May 2011 02:52:28 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=53#comment-290 I love Joy and all the things that she creates! She's a crafty genius! I love Joy and all the things that she creates! She’s a crafty genius!

]]> Comment on Creative reuse, my new handbag, and the iBra by Pien http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=53&cpage=1#comment-289 Pien Thu, 26 May 2011 02:50:25 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=53#comment-289 Your iBras are amazing! I want one, but first I want to see them all together. I remember you showed them to me when I visited you in Vallejo. Congratulations with this article! Joy, your purse may be the answer to my prayers. I'm waiting for my first pay check an will come and find you two on Etsy. With love, Pien Your iBras are amazing! I want one, but first I want to see them all together. I remember you showed them to me when I visited you in Vallejo. Congratulations with this article!
Joy, your purse may be the answer to my prayers. I’m waiting for my first pay check an will come and find you two on Etsy.
With love,
Pien

]]> Comment on Not ready for prime time composting toilet projects by carol http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=211&cpage=1#comment-288 carol Wed, 25 May 2011 21:30:42 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=211#comment-288 Reya, will you need to get local approvals, a permit? I'm guessing you will, so the local requirements will drive your decision. The county likely requires an NSF- or state-listed composting toilet, such as EcoTech Carousel, Clivus Multrum, Phoenix, and the Sun-Mar Centrexes. The self-contained composting toilets are too low-capacity for what you describe. The Carousel is a batch composter and the Clivus (and Phoenix) are continuous composters. The advantage of the former is that the end-product is more thoroughly composted when you remove it. But you will need to change the compost bin occasionally, something you don't have to do with the continuous composters. I favor batch composting for this reason, but it's not always the best choice for situations where the level won't be monitored or where there is little maintenance. Then your choice is what kind of toilet stool to choose: dry, micro-flush or urine-diverting, etc. If you do not need a permit, there are site-built composter options. Reya, will you need to get local approvals, a permit? I’m guessing you will, so the local requirements will drive your decision. The county likely requires an NSF- or state-listed composting toilet, such as EcoTech Carousel, Clivus Multrum, Phoenix, and the Sun-Mar Centrexes. The self-contained composting toilets are too low-capacity for what you describe. The Carousel is a batch composter and the Clivus (and Phoenix) are continuous composters. The advantage of the former is that the end-product is more thoroughly composted when you remove it. But you will need to change the compost bin occasionally, something you don’t have to do with the continuous composters. I favor batch composting for this reason, but it’s not always the best choice for situations where the level won’t be monitored or where there is little maintenance. Then your choice is what kind of toilet stool to choose: dry, micro-flush or urine-diverting, etc.
If you do not need a permit, there are site-built composter options.

]]> Comment on Not ready for prime time composting toilet projects by reya http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=211&cpage=1#comment-280 reya Mon, 16 May 2011 04:17:59 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=211#comment-280 Hi Carol, We are thinking about putting a composting toilet in at the Yellow Deli in Valley Center Ca. We are out in the country and located next to a creek. We do not own the property and have over 100 people per week. We know we are going to get a lot more people in the future. I have been looking at the Clivus Multrum and the Carousal. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Reya Hi Carol,
We are thinking about putting a composting toilet in at the Yellow Deli in Valley Center Ca. We are out in the country and located next to a creek. We do not own the property and have over 100 people per week. We know we are going to get a lot more people in the future. I have been looking at the Clivus Multrum and the Carousal. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Reya

]]> Comment on Manure as medicine by a hUUmanist http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=163&cpage=1#comment-109 a hUUmanist Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:56:16 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=163#comment-109 I was just guided to your site from Daniel Harper's blog (http://www.danielharper.org/blog/) - it looks awesome! I've been a strong believer in this for years, having grown up on a farm. Eating a little dirt - or a bug or two now and then - is no big deal! Our bodies were designed, through millions of years of evolution, to work in cooperation with our environment. It's no surprise that when we sterilize our lives, we run into problems. I was just guided to your site from Daniel Harper’s blog (http://www.danielharper.org/blog/) – it looks awesome!

I’ve been a strong believer in this for years, having grown up on a farm. Eating a little dirt – or a bug or two now and then – is no big deal! Our bodies were designed, through millions of years of evolution, to work in cooperation with our environment. It’s no surprise that when we sterilize our lives, we run into problems.

]]> Comment on “The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader” by Dan http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=155&cpage=1#comment-104 Dan Mon, 11 Oct 2010 06:28:55 +0000 http://carol-steinfeld.com/blog/?p=155#comment-104 Thanks for pointing out this video. I actually did what the shirtless guy in the video did. I was at an Ornette Coleman concert in 1981, back when he was playing with Prime Time. Ornette's bassist, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and his drummer, Denardo Colemn, were laying down an unbelievably danceable groove, but no one was dancing because it sounded like free jazz, and everyone knows that you don't dance to free jazz. Screw that, I thought, I'm gonna get up and dance -- and I did, right down in front where several hundred people could see me. Yes, I felt like a lone nut. And how relieved was I when someone else stood up and started dancing? Unbelievably relieved -- now I wasn't a lone nut any more. Actually, that's not quite true. I loved Ornette Coleman, and I was going to dance no matter what. The only reason I could be perceived as a leader was because of those first people who stood up to dance after me. Because of them, the aisles were packed with people dancing for the rest of the concert. If it wasn't for them, I would have been seen for what I was -- a lone nut. Followership is more important than leadership. Thanks for pointing out this video.

I actually did what the shirtless guy in the video did. I was at an Ornette Coleman concert in 1981, back when he was playing with Prime Time. Ornette’s bassist, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and his drummer, Denardo Colemn, were laying down an unbelievably danceable groove, but no one was dancing because it sounded like free jazz, and everyone knows that you don’t dance to free jazz. Screw that, I thought, I’m gonna get up and dance — and I did, right down in front where several hundred people could see me. Yes, I felt like a lone nut. And how relieved was I when someone else stood up and started dancing? Unbelievably relieved — now I wasn’t a lone nut any more.

Actually, that’s not quite true. I loved Ornette Coleman, and I was going to dance no matter what. The only reason I could be perceived as a leader was because of those first people who stood up to dance after me. Because of them, the aisles were packed with people dancing for the rest of the concert. If it wasn’t for them, I would have been seen for what I was — a lone nut.

Followership is more important than leadership.

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