Campus Center for Appropriate Technology Newsletter, Fall 2000

8/9/2019 Campus Center for Appropriate Technology Newsletter, Fall 2000

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Dedicated toPeter Lehmanr YearsExcellence f

FALL 2000Master PlanThermal CurtainPeter Lehman anJohn MeyerHabitait forHumanityPower for the PeCubaBiodieselBioneer ConferenCCAT Future Pla


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The Mission

Co-directors: Sean Dockery, Emilia Patrick, Johnny Gary.Not shown: SeanArmstrong, Brandon Hayden, April Rand, Kara Zertuche, Micah Gustafson,Leith Carstarphen.

A Word From The Lawyer:eAT Transferis the newsletter for the Campus Center for Appropriate Technology which is funded primarily by the Associated Studentsof Humboldt State University. The views and content of TheAT Transferare not censored or reviewed by the Associated Students, Allcorrespondences may be addressed to: The AT Transfer, CCAT, HSU, Arcata, CA, 95521. Please also send copies of correspondence to:

Associated Students, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, 95521.Appropriate Technology Transfer


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ReviewsBookReview pg. 4BioneersConference pg. 5

CCAT NewsMaster Plan pg. 6Future Happenings pg. 20-- "4Goo~byesandWelcomes pg. 14

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"Creating a Sustainable Future: ,in Harmony With the Earth"Revolurion From the Heart ofN

"ABombshell Was Dropped..."What's Happening at CCAT in tIFuture?Peter Lehman Resigns and John ~Jumps Aboard

TeehTalk "Power{or the People pg. 7 Grid Intertie vs.Off GridFuel fo}\MyFire"""""';r ,.; ;;pg,.~ Grease-mobileWhy Biodesi,(:l ,.~: pg. 1'0 VeggieOilTh~rmal Curtains pg. 11 ,Warm IdeasForWinter

H Garden Gardener's Notes pg. 12/J Activities From the Gardentoeal New~ ,.

ijabitat ForHuman~ty,,; pg. 17I IEditorial"I cl. .al r, ,"..". 1'5" ! E leon " ~ pg. ,t..'\ --"" ..: .,

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Internati~~al NewsCuba pg. 18

A Local Chapter Works for theCommunity-. Environmentalism... Radical?

Real Achievements in Cuba

Special Thanks to the CCAT Co-directors,Emilia Patrick (right), Sean Dockery(below), and Johnny Gary (bottom right).Your hard work and commitment to CCATis greatly appreciated.


4/24

Providing inspiration from poetry, guidance from environmental ethics, and knowl-edge from science and technology, Creating a Sustainable FUture: Living in Harmony withthe Earth explores problems and solUtions to today's impending

environmental crises. Forthcoming this spring, Creating a Sus-tainable FutUre paints the picture of the trouble we find our-selvesin now - then envisions and prescribes a harmoniousand sustainable futUre. It is a broad and basic introduction

to the "field" of sustainability - one which emphasizes the personal, communal, and societalresponsibility for implementing change. The book is readable, entertaining, and educational.It is intended tobe comprehensible and accessible to various audiences across the world.

Creating a Sustainable Future will feature CCAT as an example of an ecologicallysustainable living system. Beginning with an introduction to the concepts of appropriatetechnology, and a short history of CCAT, this inclusion goes on to survey the breadth ofCCAT's sustainable systems.

"How do the systems at CCAT provide for the basic needs of the residents, whilemaintaining environmental integrity? Primarily by using renewable resources, reducing con-sumption, recycling waste, and closing the loops of nutrients and energy."

In the book, the following CCAT systems are briefly summarized and simplified: Thesolar electric system, wind tUrbine, pedal-power, biodiesel, greywater, rainwater catchment,organic gardens, herbalism, cold box, passive solar design, insulation, solar hot water system,solar shower, solar ovens, parabolic cookers, compo sting, composting toilet, strawbale shed,and more!

Many photographs and diagrams of the systems will accompany the text. Addition-ally, an extensive reference list for additional reading is included. From information aboutCCAT, the book flows into exploring other concepts and models of sustainable home andlandscape design.

A great read, and very educational, Creating a Sustainable Future promises to informand inspire. Check it out in spring 2001 or ask me for a preview of the manuscript.Creating a Sustainable Future:Living in Harmony with the Earthby Peter B. Kaufman, Christopher W Coon,James E. Hoyt, Casey R. Lu, Barbara J.Madsen, and Sara L.Warber(and other people - like yours truly)

Appropriate Technology Transfer


5/24

Somewhere in the Pacific Northwest there is a mycologist working with fungiro breakdown plastic chairs. In the hallowed halls of Congress there is a medical doctor

fighting corruption and the cover up of cancer-causing agents in cow's milk. In rural Montana ascientist is marveling at what nature could teachus about solving problems. And in England theCEO of a multinational corporation is saying, "Upyour bum! to other executives who don't like herpolitical activism. There is a revolution taking placearound the world. The Bioneers conference is thepremier West Coast forum for bringing together

these revolutionaries in order to inspire, invigorate, and provide a means for connecting peopleand taking action.

The Bioneers conference is an annual gathering held in the San Francisco BayAreaover three days in October. It is sponsored by the Collective Heritage Institute (CHI), a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The conference isstructured into twoparts. The first part, held in the morning, consists of a series of plenaries, or keynote addresses,which all conference attendees listen to. Some of this years keynote speakers included AliceWalker, William McDonough, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Julia Butterfly-Hill and DaveForeman.

The second part of the conference, in the afternoon, is made up of aseries of workshops based on a host of topics. Conference goers choosewhich workshop they'd like ro attend based on their interest area. Theafternoon workshops are lengthier than the plenaries and allow thespeakers to cover more detail, aswell as dialogue with the audience.This year 60 workshops were offered and included such titlesas, "Fair Trade and Financial Activism, "Covering the Land:Environmental Journalism, "The Gaia Hypothesis Revisited,"Women Organic Food Entrepreneurs, and "Latin AmericanPermaculture.

The Bioneers conference is about inspiration, connectingpeople, and supporting each other's work. As a student, it providesa means to meet like-minded people from around the country, foster

relationships, and develop opportunities for "life after college. I haveattended the conference for the last two years and would strongly recom-

mend it as a healthy dose of what those of us who want to save the worldneed -- information, inspiration, and invigoration.

Getting to the conference can be expensive for folks on a student budget, however.The regular conference registration rate isabout $100 per day. But don't despair, becausewhere there's a will, there's a way!A student and activist rate is offered which reduces theconference fee to $48 per day. In addition, CHI offers work-exchange opportunities, whichallow a person to work at the conference one day and attend the other two days of theconference for free. At our university, the Environmental Politics Club was able to secure a$400 matching travel grant from the Club's office to help offset the cost for club membersto attend the conference.

If you're interested in learning more about the Collective Heritage Institute orthe Bioneers Conference, their updated web site (hup://www.bioneers.org) provides detailedinformation as well as links to other useful resources.

Fall2000 5


6/24

CCAT entered a new era last May. In a packed, standing room only Goodwin Forum,the Space and Facilities Subcommittee voted unanimously to approve a Master Plan that

reserved the Buck House site for CCAT alone. In one vote twentyyears of struggle to keep our house and site ended with success.

It happened so fast it was almost anti-climatic. Ken Combs,Director of Physical Services and principal author of HSU's MasterPlan, unveiled the "new" Master Plan on an overhead projector.It was his best attempt to reflect a consensus of campus opinion

for consideration by the Committee. The Committee faced front like the audience, so it wasdifficult to tell who they were or how they were responding to the changes they saw.. What we were looking for was the Buck House site. Did Ken give in to pressure fromJames Crawford, the Chair of the Art Department, and put the proposed Visual Arts buildingback on top of the Buck House site?And if the VA building was back on top of the BuckHouse, did CCAT have enough votes on the Committee to force its relocation?

By some magical combination of forces, and our meetings with every level of theAdministration from President McCrone to newspaper articles, tabling at events in the quad,collecting letters of support from professors, departments, local politicians, and perhaps evenKen Combs quiet advocacy, the final plan was in our favor. It showed the Art Building'sfootprint redesigned to fit into the parking lot. The battle was half won.Then Ken did something unusual: without opening the plan for discussion he asked theCommittee to vote yea or nay. John Meyer, Government and Politics professor, stood upand expressed his confusion as to whether there was going to be an opportunity for people toexpress their opinions. Ken responded yes, but they would be heard after the vote, and if aCommittee member later wanted to change the plan they could offer a motion. It appearedthat Ken was playing with procedure to make it harder to change the proposed plan. Kencalled for the vote, the Committee voted unanimously in favor of the plan, and then thingsgot truly surreal.

Art Chair James Crawford stood up and walked to the front of the room and begantalking about how he didn't want the Buck House site. It was a bombshell. He had refusedto even discuss that point for an entire year with the co-directors or our advisor Peter Lehman.He wrote an official letter to Ken Combs about how the Buck House site was better suited tothe needs of the Art Department than the parking lot, and he was recanting that position infront of our eyes. He talked about how he sympathized with CCAT's needs for space, and nowthat he was looking at a brand new Master Plan proposal he felt that the best site for the ArtDepartment was probably down by LKWood.

He sat down. We were thrown for a loop. Everything was going too easily.We hadpacked the room in preparation for a tense showdown over the value system of the University,and here we were winning before we had begun! We sent up some of our strongest advocatesjust in case. Green architect (and former HSU Art professor) Sylvia Plathe made the casethatCCAT was inseparably linked to the Buck House site, and offered a rough design of how theVisual Arts Building could use the parking lot site. Sustainable Economics Professor SteveHackett formally stated the support of CCAT's steering Committee for the Buck House site.Renewable energy systems installer Vince McClellan spoke to what a resource CCAT was forthe community. And we students scrapped most of our carefully scripted speeches to let othersspeak on our behal There was little more to discuss. A few people argued against the proposedBehavioral and Social Sciences building, but hearing no new motions from the CommitteeKen Combs adjourned the meeting. We stood up and grinned at each other wonderingly.Could it be that easy? Was it really over? Had we WON?!Master Plan continued on page 22.

6 Appropriate Technology Transfer


7/24

The people of California have the ability to make and sell their own electricalpower. By choosing our energy distributors we can determine how our energy is produced,and make sure that it comes from a source that is envi-

ronmentally safe. With the help of alternative energytechnology, our homes become the power plants.

In 1996, a complete restructuring of California'selectric utilities occurred. The California Public UtilitiesCommission ended a state monopoly of investor ownedutilities, much to the delight of many green energyactivists and renewable energy homeowners. Commer-

cial advertisements boasted about choices, green energy, and a free market. Five years laterthe deregulation of California's electric grid is under scrutiny. Southern California hasexperienced numerous brown outs, black outs, and extremely high electric bills duringpeak hours of the day. In response, many state agencies have called for the electric gridto be put back into a regulated form to offset the high electric bills, brown outs, andthe general havoc associated with depending on the utilities. However, one of the fineraspects of the deregulation policy is the utilities-interactive system, available to the peopleof California as the sole source of electrical power. This option is available to homeowners,small businesses, universities, and potentially...CCAT.

A utility interactive system allows the home or building to feed electrical energyback into the grid. The available resources on site, and the owner of the property,determine how the energy is produced. Electrical energy can come from any number ofpossible sources, such as, solar panels, wind turbines, micro-hydro turbines, methane andbio-diesel generators, etc...The utility-interactive systerm reduces the amount of electricitypulled through the meter, which results in a reduced electric bill. Another option is forthe utilities to buy your excess electricity, which means the electric company would pay

you for the energy you produce. This type of systemis different from a typical alternative energy home orbuilding due to the lack of batteries. Instead of usingbatteries the grid acts as a battery bank. It is stillpossible to have a battery bank for emergency backup in the event of brown outs or black outs.

Before California deregulated its electrical gridthe appropriate method of utilizing alternative ener-gies was to be an off-the-grid house that reliedon batteries to store electrical energy. The CampusCenter for Appropriate Technology has always beenan educational organization. Deregulation has pro-vided CCAT with an opportunity to demonstrate

the potential of a utility-interactive system. The benefit being the applicability of thesystem to all homes and buildings that are connected to the grid. It would be unreasonableto assume that even fifty percent of the homes in the westernized world could becomedependent on batteries. The environmental crisis resulting from their replacement wouldbe enormous. Utility-interactive systems are applicable to any building and provide asource of green energy. Furthermore, such a system would reduce or replace monthly bills, payfor itself in time, and help to reduce the peak demand.

Fal12000 7


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9/24

How Does it Work in the CarWhen 01' Rudolph created his diesel engine, it was able to run on pure vegetable oil. Hegot the idea from Mrican fire-starters. He wanted to make an engine that a farmer coulduse without ever leaving his/her farm for fuel. But the car companies who have co-optedhis creation designed fuel injection systems so that only a very thin, highly flammable wasteproduct of the petroleum industry could be used: our modern day diesel fuel. So what ourwhole process is really doing is slimming down the oil by removing its free-fatty acids andmaking it more flammable by adding the methanol. The engines love it. It gets the samemileage, the same power and torque. Diesels can be hard to start some cold mornings asthefuel will cloud or gel a bit, the same goes for biodiesel, and a winterizing agent can helpwith that. The exhaust smell is greatly improved -I can even talk people into putting theirface right up to the tailpipe.Lessons Learned

First, both vehicles had problems initially when the biodiesel (an amazing solvent)knocked loose all the gunk (rust, algae) in the bottom of our twenty-year-old fuel tanks andsent it up to our fuel filters. That's apparently a common problem when biodiesel is first putin old tanks, and for us it simply meant replacing the filter. Not only will biodiesel dissolvegunk in your tank, it will dissolve lastomir tank sealant. If you have already put that in yourtank, expect to spend an afternoon cleaning sticky goo from your screen inside your tank.A similar warning goes for rubber fuel lines, which should be replaced after 10,000 miles ofbiodiesel use, with silicon lines.

Second, we bought some unnecessary things when we were first planning our system,but have since discovered that making biodiesel really isn't that complicated. We began with aset-up where we filtered the oil before putting it in the mixing tank, which required expensivemetal shelving to support a barrel above the mixing barrel. We discovered we wanted to filterit later to get out extra glycerin. Filtering it at the end saved a lot of time, space, and mess.Something that we already had that was very useful was a flame box. For safety sake we keepthe methanol, lye, and other stuff we don't want little ones to play with in there.Third, and last,we have learned the profound

satisfaction of taking responsibility for making our ownfuel for CCAT's generator and our own vehicles. We'realso proud to be reusing a "waste" material, aswellasproducing no net increase of carbon dioxide in theatmosphere. Youcan hold your head a little higherwhen you're driving with last years soybeans and yourexhaust smells like donuts.

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JV$T~ 110. Resources:Biodiesel is taking off right now and there is lots of infoon it allover the place:The National Biodiesel Board www.biodisel.org

Great book, " From the Fryer to the Fuel-tank"Beautiful site: www.veggievan.orgPacific Biodiesel www.biodiesel.comPanamaBartholomy(707) 826-0298 or send correspondenceto:151 Hill StreetArcata, CA, 95521

Fall2000 9

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10/24

Biodiesel is recognized as a feasible supplement topetroleum diesel across the world and is rapidly gaining

acceptance in the United States.European Auto Manufacturersalready offer factory warrantiesfor biodiesel in their newermodels. In the United States,biodiesel is used by the military,the u.S. Postal Service, U.S.Department of Agriculture, and

in several city bus systems in the Midwest, amounting to a700% increase in the last 6 months.Currently there are at least seven companies marketing vegetable and soy based

biodiesel in the U.S.. However, their biodiesel costs over $2.501 gallon because the oilis fully refined virgin oil and not waste fryer grease. At CCAT our oil is used, usuallydestined for a landfill, or in small quantities, refined for livestock feed. We get our used ofor free and our biodiesel costs us under $1.001 gallon (labor not included).

In 1992, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act to promote the use of alternativefuels. Biodiesel is the only alternative that has been approved by the EPA's Health Effectstesting under the Clean Air Act. Biodiesel offers safer storage and handling thanpetroleum diesel, it is 100% biodegradable and a non-toxic fuel. As a supplementalfuel source, biodiesel can help reduce the amount of petroleum diesel burned, and indoing so can reduce the net amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by

78%. Biodiesel readily mixes with standard dieselat any fuel ratio with no complications. Moreover,biodiesel requires no engine modifications toreceive the fuel, and is equal to petroleum diesel interms of power and fuel economy.Homebrew biodiesel made from wastefryer grease is a viable way to reduce green housegases while also freeing ourselves from the clutchesof oil companies. You can make it for yourself orform a co-op that supplies your neighborhood.

by Andy Cooper

"'--....

Resources and Sources:The National Soy Diesel Development Boardwww.biodeisel.orgwww.vegglevan.orgwww.woodwind.com/dancing-rabbit/biodesiel/index.htmlThe Environmental Protection Agencywww.epa.govAndrew Cooper at 707.826.2963 ordad [email protected] can also phone CCAT at 707.826.3551 toorganize demonstrations or tours.



11/24

So your house is drafty, your windows are single paned, and its cold in the winter!What are you going to do? Insist your landlord install double paned windows at $300 apop and then raise your rent proportionately? Or if you own your own house, do you wantto spend the rest of your year going room to room replacing

windows and living in a perpetual construction project? Maybeyou do, and if so, more power to you, but here's a possibility forthose of you that need a third route.Thermal curtains are neat. They look nice. They insulatetwice as well as double paned windows, and they cost about atenth as much. If you were to compare the amount of work you'dhave to do to (A) convince your landlord, (B) install windows

yourself, or (C) work to pay someone else to do the work, they are by far your best option.So what are they? They can be a lot of things, everything from a blanket from yourbasement (not always pretty, but it can work) to a very fancy and attractive curtain with a pullcord. This article will be a brief overview of the different curtains, with special focus on themost attractive option that is still relatively easy. First, some principles of making a thermalcurtain that apply no matter what kind of curtain you're making.

1) You'll want to be able to keep your curtain tight against the wall. If you can't seal thecurtain to the wall fairly well, cold air will flow out of the "cracks" in the seal like water. Belowwe'll talk about different ways to seal the curtain.2) You want to be able to easily raise your curtain, or push it to the side. Nothing ismore depressing than a dark room. If you don't expend a little extra energy up front makingan easyway of getting your curtain up in the morning, you'll get lazy and just start leavingthe curtain down during the day.

~~JIJIIOIiUt""3) Make a pouch in the bottom of the curtain to

hold a heavy bar, wooden dowel, rod of metal, or somethingthat will pull the curtain straight and can rest on the windowframe to make a seal (or can push against the wall if there isno window frame).

4) Wrap the top of the curtain around a lx2 board,staple, screw,or nail it to the board, and then mount the boardto the top of the frame. This will allow you to hide the mountwith pretty fabric wrapped over the board, and will make fora secure mount.

5) Aesthetics make a difference. If you make an uglycurtain, you'll live with it for years, or until you get sick of itand take it down even though it could last many more years.Try to resist the forces of convenience and spend the extra time

CLn!lnl finding materials you like and making the edges neat, ete.6) Things fall apart. Curtains, normal and "thermal",don't generally last beyond a decade. Plan to take a look atyour curtain every year or three and make sure it's holdingup. If you make a curtain with more moving parts (a pullcord, for example) it will suffer more wear and tear than asimpler curtain.

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Thermal curtains continued on page 22.Fall2000 11


12/24

Diverse activities are happening in the gardenrealm. Last week we were shoveling horse manure

with volunteers, and today we areprinting internship manuals andworking on a living fence pro-posal. It is a great pleasure towork with students on projects,while facilitating the vision ofmore integrated garden systems atCCAT. I would like to share with

you that vision and some of the exciting events takingplace. To truly understand the scope of our activities in theorganic vegetable gardens you will need to do two things.First put on you thinking cap and second imagine you are on site at CCAT's organic gardens.The first thing you might notice is flowing patches of tall buckwheat, newly emerging favabeans from a blanket of straw, and the bustling activity of 15 or so gardeners. The last of thesummer flowersmight also catch you attention, as they radiate beautifully amidst gardenerswho are planting the seeds of plants and ideas.

Community Gardening InternshipCCAT is beginning a new gardening internship this semester for 1 unit of academiccredit through Environmental Science 480. Our focus is a hands on approach working directlywith the garden projects while teaching along the way.Applied learning through projects,reading assignments, attendance, and a final garden design project, will result in a certificateof completion for each intern.

Some of our projects are building a strawbale compost terrace, stabilizing a hillside, and distinguishing pathway borders. In addition we are planting cover crops, weedingthe infamous morning glory root, planting a fall garden, snacking on tomatoes from thegreenhouse, pruning raspberries, and preparing for the harvest sale.

Community Gardening ManualThe first edition of the community gardening manual was printed in Septem-

ber as a supplement to the Community Gardening Internship. The manual is a90-page compilation of reading materials from organic gardening, farming, andpermaculture experts. The aim is to teach the basics of gardening and usefulthings to know.

Organic Gardening JournalOur journal will be used to track weather patterns, planting dates, observa-

tions, integrated pest management outcomes, soil analysis testing, crop rotation,seed varieties, projects, and reflections on life. The journal will also providefuture gardeners with a historical reference of CCAT's garden activities.

Forest GardeningThe grounds department and organic vegetable gardens are teaming up this

fall to begin planting forest gardens at CCAT. A forest garden combines multi-storied forest patterning with edible garden plants. Diverse varieties of fruit trees, legumes,perennials, vines, annuals, root crops, vegetables, herbs, and animals, are assembled togetherin harmonious configuration. The design of a forest garden mimics the patterns of naturalforest. At the same time it provides resources to people without energy loss (excesswork) orpollution. Our plan this year is to incorporate forest gardening so that the garden does most ofthe work (self mulching, low weed germination and minimum water loss) which would alloweach CCAT gardener to assume the role of garden stewardship.

by Michael Padget

CCAT gardenersMichael Padget andSarah Wolf



13/24

Living Fence DesignA multi-purpoe fence design is in the workings to keep oUt deer and to

provide a barrier between the CCAT site and current construction, which willbe ongoing for the next few years. Gardeners and grounds keepers are drawingup a proposal a integrated living fence. We will be designing a fence whichdemonstrates different appropriate technology ideas. For example, we wouldlike to experiment with building composting fence, strawbale and stone walls,bamboo fence and recycled wood fence. A five-year plan will be drawn up todesign interpretive signs, and an outdoor class room into the fencing system fora radically new, creative, and artistic educational tool.

Volunteer Beka Wilsonweeding CCATgardens.

Jude Gavigan CCATgroundskeeper.

Fall 2000 13


14/24

After twenty-two years of hard work and dedication, Dr. Peter Lehman is retiringfrom the faculty advisor position at CCAT. Peter has been working with students, university

administration, and other steering committee members since CCATbegan in order to develop the best possible program. He has seenus through numerous "last stands" and has been there to celebrateexciting developments and victories.

We would like to offer Peter a deep and heartfelt thankyou from all CCATers of the past, present, and future. However,

it would be impossible to extend enough thanks in order to express theimmense gratitude that we have for Peter and for all that he has donefor CCAT over the years. Peter is the director of the Schatz EnergyLaboratory and is a professor in the Environmental Resource Engineeringdepartment, so he will not be far, but there is no question that he will stillbe missed. I feel fortunate to have been able to work closely with Peter as aco-director this past year. The insight, perspective, guidance, and supportthat Peter has provided for us at CCAT and to the program and missionin general isirreplaceable.Without him CCAT would not be what itistoday. We thank you Peter,and appreciate you very much.

CCAT ishappy to welcome John Meyer aboard as our new facultyadvisor.John isan Assistant PoliticalScience Professor who has been activewith the Environmental Science

Degree curriculum and has been on CCAT's steeringcommittee. As ournew advisor,John has been working with us in our everyday (and notso everyday) dealings! John's introduction to being faculty advisor wassomewhat of a trial by fire wherein he got to respond to some Masterr Plan aftershocks his firstday. Just10 minutes after he signed hisinitial paperwork, Dr. Meyer wascalled into an emergency meetingto discuss paving CCAT's backyard for a handicap parking lot.

Thanks to Dr. Meyer and allthe folksworking on the project,we were able to movethe lotout of the yard and provide better handicappedaccess to both the new BSS building aswell as to CCAT.Since then, Dr. Meyer has activelybeen helping uswith the innumerable challenges found only at CCAT.Thank you and welcome aboard.

by Emilia Patrie& Sean Dockery



15/24

Socialism, progressivism, the Civil Rights Movement. . .throughout history these ideologies developed from the quest for justice- for what is right. Today a new ideology

emerges, born also from the desire for what is right- environmentalism. Tomany, environmentalism brings images of "bleeding heart" liberals pleading wibig businesses and the government not to take advantage of the earth. And we("bleeding heart" liberals) see big business generally as perpetrators of capitaliswithout regard to the environment. It is these images of environmentalismthat we need to change. Environmentalism is not an antagonist to capitalism.

Environmentalism is just one aspect of appropriate technology, and appropriate technologyis any technology or idea that is sustainable, balanced, and efficient. Therefore, environmentaism is not only about pollution, logging, or saving the rainforest. But it is evidence of afundamental change in the way our political, economic, and social ideologies are developing.Rather than these systems developing from conquering and exploiting, as they historically hadone, we are shifting these systems towards balance. This balance exposes itself in one aspectenvironmentalism, but the shift towards a more balanced environment will also bring balancto our industries and economies. Balance will in turn bring efficiency and growth. As with thenvironment, nothing, including our economy, can survive for very long out of balance. Ourindustries have already felt the pressute of being out of balance, and the economic rewardsof appropriate technology.

Recognizing this shift in consciousness, it isvital that we understand why and wherethe shift is going. The environment is not a place, a thing, which has finite boundaries that wcan fence in and separate from ourselves. Environmentalism transcends environmental issueand effects every aspect of our lives. Our earth is an ecosystem and the environment, oureconomy, our politics.. .are reactants and products within this system. One infinitely affectsanother. So, rather than clean polluted reservoirs just so we have safe drinking water, weneed to clean them because they are polluted. Our bad drinking water is just one effect ofthe upset of balance within the whole system. Much greater effects lie beyond our sight andimpose innumerable consequences. We must create equality for all people not because it ispolitically and economically advantageous, but because our societies need to be in balance wione another. As reactants in the system, what we do to one another will determine what weproduce. We have seen the effects of slavery,bigotry, intolerance... we have seen the effects oour economies, our societies, and our environment.

Critics will ask who cares.. .what difference does it make? Look to yourself, yourchildren, to find out who should care. What we do now will affect what we deal with inthe future and what we leave our children to deal with. Exploitation of people and theenvironment came about from ideas and they can come about again unless we change theseideas. What can we do.. .What can you do?. .It's all about our ways ofliving and acceptingresponsibility for actions of which the outcomes may not necessarily be evident. As individuawe cannot change the world and fight every cause, but our beliefs will shape our lives andaffect others (especially our children). We can focus on one or two things and do them.We can talk about the rest. Listen to others. Educate and allow that education to spread.So choose one cause and believe in it- ACT on it. Your belief will make a difference.Not necessarily an immediate, glorifYingdifference, but a small shift. It is these small shiftsthat will change the world.

Use your power.Challenge your limits.Strive for equilibrium.

Experience with an open heart.Learn with an open mind.

Fall2000 15


16/24

All-Purpose Household Cleaner1 quart warm water1 teaspoon liquid soap1 teaspoon boraxsqueeze of lemon or splash of vinegarThis solution can be used for a mul-titued of cleaning jobs including countertops, floor, walls, rugs and upholstery.

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Mildew CleanserScrub with baking soda or borax. For extended mold inhibition, do not rinse off.

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Oven CleanserScrub with 2 tablespoons or more of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of borax in 1 gallon of wateusing very fine steel wool (0000). Wear gloves.For very baked-on spots, try scrubbing with pumice.Spot RemoversAll purpose: 1/4 cup borax in 2 cups cold water. Soak the stain prior to washing as usual.For blood: Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide solution directly on the stain before rinsing with watthen wash as usual.For Ink: Apply a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Allow it to dry, then wash as usualToilet Bowl CleanerScrub with a 1/4 cup borax in 1/2 gallon water.Laundry DetergentsUse soap flakes with 1/2 cup borax added as a water softener.As a compromise, use a synthetic detergent that does not contain added fabric softeners(cationic surfactants) or bleach (sodium perborate or percarbonate).

Glass Cleaner1/4 cup vinegar in 1 quart warm water (do not use this as a windshield wiper solution, as itmay damage the pump; use plain water for this purpose).Furniture Polish1 pint mineral oil with a few drops of lemon juice.Disinfectant1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon hot water.



17/24

byMichelle Ridlehoover

Housing is a basic need for every individual on earth. Approximately a quarter of theworld's population does not have adequate housing. Without adequate, affordable housing,

families cannot live productive lives and children suffer physical (asthma,electrical fires, anemia, lead poisoning) and psychological damage. Manyof our housing problems are faced by poor families with children, seniors,single parents, minorities, immigrants, and families who are renting andtherefore receive no government assistance.

Mfordable housing- the government defines it as "any type of hous-ing that absorbs no more than 30 percent of a family's income. But morethan 14 million households in the United States pay over 50 percent oftheir income for rent and utilities. (Builder magazine, July 1999)" What w

need to focus on is equity-building ownership. That is just what one international organizatiois doing. Founded in 1976 out of the need for basic affordable housing, Habitat for HumanityInternational has helped build over 100,000 homes around the world. Habitat houses givefamilies modest, decent, and affordable places to live. They are sold at no profit and with nointerest on the mortgage. Homeowners and volunteers build the houses with trained supervi-sors. Financial support is from individuals, corporations, and other groups. There are 1,900Habitat affiliates worldwide including our own local one- Humboldt Habitat for Humanity.According to Michael Margenau, local volunteer coordinator, homeowners are chosen basedon need, ability to repay, and their willingness to work on the house... "sweat equity." "Sweatequity" is one way that Habitat can keep the cost of the house down. A family's hands-oncontribution generally amounts to about 300 to 500 hours. This reduces the cost of the houseincreases the families stake in the house, and helps build community development. If youput yourself into a house- physically help to build it- you will respect it as you do yourselfYour pride in yourself extends into your home and into the community. A sense of self fostersa sense of place and a sense of hope. Local projects have included the Habitat Village inMckinleyville. Approximately two acres were donated and one Habitat house was built a fewyears ago. A second house was finished in September of this year, and seven more will be builtalong with a central parkway.

Habitat for Humanity also focuses on sustainable housing. The "Green Team" is agroup of individuals within the organization that place their emphasis on resource efficiency,the conservation of construction materials, energy efficiency, and environmental sensitivity.Also, Green Home, a non-profit group based in Washington, D.c., has partnered with HabitaInternational to increase efficiencywithin the houses. One project, Operation Caulk, sendsvolunteers to completed Habitat homes to make the sites more energy efficient and to educatefamilies on living efficiently.These organizations are heroes to the housing industry. Theirefforts are vital and support is needed to maintain these programs.Resources:www.habitar.orgwww.greenhome.org or (202)686-0883Habitat for Humanity International121 Habitat StreetAmericus, GA 31709-3498(912)924-6935Local affiliate:Mike MargenauHumboldt Habitat for HumanityEureka, CA 95502-6710(707)441-1006

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Cuba's achievements in organic agriculture, reforestation, alternative transportationand energy conservation have the attention of the world's environmental community. The

fall of the Soviet Union, while causing a severeeconomic crisisduring the 1990's, has spurred ingenious efforts in sustainabilitywhich Cubans recognize as having made them a stronger, moreindependent nation. They have taken the Chinese proverb to heart,and have turned crisis into opportunity.

In September of this year the Cuban government announcedan ambitious 6 month plan to install PV systems on the remaining300 schools in the country that currently are without power. In

order to achieve this Herculean task, layworkers and students are forming "microbrigades"-much like the way Cubans cooperate to build their houses, that will help PV techniciansinstall the systems. Imagine the "Take your bedroom off the grid" workshops that our localRedwood Alliance puts on in Arcata-but on a massive scale, and you start to get the idea ofthe national calling that is taking place in Cuba at this time. Cuba is ripe for "demand-drivendevelopment". As I have found through my severalresearch trips there over the past year, theyhave been demanding development for 41 years. This strange odyssey called my mastersdegree began in January 2000 during my first visit to Cuba. On that trip I sought out andmet severalpeople in the renewable energy field in Cuba and was graciously given copies of"Energia yTu" (Energy and You), the Cuban popular magazine on renwable energy. I readabout the need to "democratize energy for development" through the use of solar power world-wide, and the need to "create a new energy conscience" based on conservation and efficiency,the promotion of renewable energies, and respect for the environment. Ten thousand copiesof the magazine are published quarterly in Cuba, and are distributed throughout the schools,the professional energy sector, and to their congress (the National Assembly). It was then that

I began to think about CCAT and our ownefforts at public education and outreach.

In April of this year, thanks to HSU engi-neering faculty and Graduate Council support,I returned to Cuba to participate in an interna-tional conference on renewable energies. Theconference was organized by CUBASOLAR,Cuba's leading NGO entrusted with coordinat-ing the country's renewable energy program. Ina poster session entitled "Culture and EnergyConscience: General and Specialized Forma-tion", I presented CCAT as a university modelof teaching consciousness about energy use andsustainable living. Now Cubans, being bothsmart and visionary, loved CCAT.

Ironically, the conference took place just athe time when CCAT was in danger of beingstepped on by the footprint of the new Fine

Arts building. I was moved by the international show of solidarity with our humble centeras I got over 60 conference participants to sign a statement of support for CCAT asan "internationally significant model of energy and resource education." They admiredthe incorporation of CCAT projects into the engineering curriculum at HSU, out center'smultidisciplinary appeal, aswell as the student-run activities and workshops.

During my research in Cuba this summer, I went to see a professor at the Eastern

Photovoltaic panelselectrify a rural schoolin 1Jigue, GranmaProvince.



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University in the colonial coastal city of Santiago de Cuba. I found out that he and otherfaculty had been interested in my poster of CCAT at the CUBASOLAR conference, and

had themselves begun plans for a CCAT-styleconversion of not one, but threeunused houseon their university's campus! Students, too,have become actively involved in this home-grown project. It will be fascinating to see howtheir project develops, as it could hold lessonsfor such centers in other universities, especiallin the developing world.

As the AT Transfer goes to press, part of anational aid caravan, organized by Pastors forPeace (www.ifconews.org) is passing throughArcata on its way to Cuba. "Los Pastores,"as the Cubans fondly call the caravanistas,have been organizing these caravans for overa decade in order to bring aid to Cuba andto raise awareness in the American publicabout the U.S. embargo against the island.

The theme of this next caravan is renewable energy and alternative transportation aid.HSU engineering students are making an electric bicycle and a pedal-powered washingmachine/blender to put on the caravan. We will also spend the day that the caravan ishere painting renewable energy signs and mes-sages of friendship on the bus, which will bedonated to Cuba and used in public transpor-tation there. Viva international AT transfer!Resources:CUBASOLARwww.nodo50.org/convocaticubasolar.htmwww.igc.apc.org/cubasoli/aawh.htmiwww.global exchange.org/campaigns/ cuba/

Top: Members ofCUBASOLAR at theAppropriate TechnologyResearch Center (CITA) inCamaguey. Bottom: Solar-powered radio and lamp,distributed to teachers inrural unelectrined schools.

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by Matthew Rhode

As the 20th century comes to a close, the future holds fruitful opportunities and statemandated challenges for the Campus Center forAppropriate Technology. Recently, CCAT has

been the center of HSU Physical Services attention, due to therecent placement of CCAT on the Master Plan. The engineersand inspectors of the Physical Services have cited a number ofimprovements in the structUral integrity. The staff and volunteersat CCAT view this as a perfect time to focus the creative energiesof the CCAT community on cleansing, healing, and regeneratingCCAT programs and physical structUres. In the upcoming year,Buck House will be retrofitted with a "beefed-up" foundation, as

well as a new electrical system that may be re-connected to the grid via a utility inter-activesystem.While many volunteers and staff are focusing on regenerating the Buck House, many

others are looking to the futUre of the CCAT program. When the Buck House was placedon the Master Plan, the CCAT program also was given a site located just two blocks east ofthe Buck House. The cite will be the future home of the CE.E.T building, a green buildingthat will act as classroom and research center for stUdents. While the CE.E.T building isstill years in the future, there are still plenty of creative opportunities available at CCAT inthe next semester.

On going projects include: finish up the straw-bale shed, perma-culture designcourses, pedal power technological innovations, solar cooking, alternative fuels (Biodiesel),"interp" projects, and a variety of workshops, just to name a few. Join us on our many excitingprojects or offer your own workshops through CCAT.

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" !\(,. a Big DiffereT\~& c'~,~,:.,;,,"...",,:::;;,:,'}"'" "m.m_m.:.C=.'--~\:



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sSometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame byanother human being. Each of owes deepest thanks tothose who have rekindled this light.

Albert Schweitzer

The CCAT Organic Gardeners give our thanks and greatest appreciation to GeorgeStevens at Confluence NatUre Farm for his generous donation of premium quality organicheirloom seeds. Synergy Seed, George's seed company name, is an important step forwardfor CCAT's own heirloom seed bank. A seed bank at CCAT will enable a more accuratedemonstration of sustainable farming. Plus, the storing of our own seeds can provide aworthwhile financial retUrn in futUre years.If you would like to purchase Synergy Seed from Georgeat Confluence Nature Farm please visit his web site orsend an email.Email: synergyseeds.comWeb: [email protected] YouGeorge!Michael & Sarah

As always, the AT Transfer would not happenwithout the help of so many people. We would like tothank all of the volunteers, interns, CCAT staff, andAssociated Students. A special thank you goes to PeterLehman and John Meyer who have (and will) tacklemany of the issues CCAT faces.

Last but certainly not least, Kristi and I would like to express our undying gratitUdeand appreciation to Carolyn Widner and the Resource Planning and Interpretation Depart-ment, without whose help and understanding we would not have completed this issue in goodtime- THANK YOU!


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Master Plan contunued from page 6.We have won, at least until the next Master Plan review in ten years. Celebrations

took place at a local Den of Inebriation and Revelry, and we're still basking in the glow ofsuccess. Donations are up now that people know they're not throwing their money away,and we've begun a serious physical overhaul of the house, from the foundation on up throughall the systems. And to all of you former volunteers, employees, co-directors and communityadvocates we, the current herd of students at CCAT, would like to extend our most heartfeltthanks for the work you did to make CCAT strong enough to deserve a permanent place atHSU. We all won last May.

Thermal Curtain continued from page 7.Types of curtains: The Blanket Curtain

This curtain is especially popular among college students. You know, one of thosesynthetic blankets that is pulled out of the closet when guests are visiting. You don't want awool blanket, because it will mold more readily than synthetic fabric. A blanket doesn't offer asmuch insulation as the Warm Windows material discussed below, but it's cheap and fast. Takethe blanket, cut it to fit your window, nail, staple, or screw it to the lx2 board and mount thatabove window. It can be that simple. If you want it a little fancier, sew a pretty piece of fabricto the blanket so the side that faces in looks like a real curtain instead of an old blanket. Ifyou want to spend a little more money, you could buy an emergency blanket, one of thosespace age looking things you bring on back packing trips, and sew to the first blanket asadditional insulation. Since it is reflective it will reflect infrared light, which is about 15%of the heat in your home.The Warm Windows CurtainThe blanket curtain is cheap but not as effective an insulator as buying a pre-made materiallike the Warm Windows material. It's made by the Warm Company, and it is great stuff.Warm Windows material ismade of many layers of insulation and reflective material sewntogether into one "fabric." It comes by the yard and is 45 inches wide, so it fits most windowsand can be sewn together for bigger picture windows. If a single pane of glass has an "R" value(resistance to heat flow) of .5-1, and a double paned window has an "R" value of3-4, WarmWindows has an "R" value of 8! It costs between $10 and $20 a yard, depending on yoursource. When you buy Warm Windows material it comes with instructions, which I did notfind very easy to follow when I made my first curtain. In particular, their design calls for apull cord, guide to be hand sewn in rows on the back of the curtain, and magnetic strips bothinside and ourside of the curtain to hold it against the wall. This makes for a very attractivecurtain, bur it is extremely labor intensive to sew the guide rings by hand, fairly complicated tosew channels for the magnets to go inside of the curtain, and both the pull cord and the ringstend to break over time. If you want a "conventional" looking curtain, this is the right one foryou, although I recommend buying the supplemental instructions if this isyour first curtain.But if you don't mind a few small alterations, read on.The Modified Warm Wmdows CurtainThe first change I would recommend is to avoid installing the pull cord. This prevents allthe installation difficulty and maintenance problems mentioned above. The question is then,"How do you raise the curtain?" A medium sized window curtain can easily be rolled up byhand, and if there is a tie sewn behind the curtain you can pull it around and tie it to a screwor loop it over a hook. This will hold the curtain up and require very little energy to install.



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The second change is to ditch the magnets. Instead, install a piece of lx2 on either side of thewindow on spring hinges. These hinges are available at any hardware store. Get large ones sothey have enough force to hold the curtain and wood together. Then paint the wood (or leaveit bare if the frames are bare wood) so it matches the window frame or the wall. If you have nowooden window frame, you can still mount the lx2s with drywall screws. The advantages ofusing lx2 on spring hinges are the easeof installation, their durability, and their attractiveness.If you can't or don't want to use lx2s, I would still recommend finding another way besidesmagnets to seal the curtain against the wall.Magnets are just so difficult to sew into the curtain, even putting snaps or Velcro strips on thewindow frame and curtain would be easier.

What if my window is a sliding door, or is too big for a hand rolled curtain? In eitherof these cases I recommend making a sliding curtain. This requires installing a large woodendowel at the top of the window that can let the curtain slide back and forth. This allows youto avoid hand sewing all the loops for the pull cord, but since the dowel will hold the curtainfarther away from the window it is even more important that you have a way of keeping atight seal around the frame.

Where can I get materials?Fabron Window Covering has the cheapest Warm Windows material in the Humboldt Bayarea as of fall of 2000, and they're in the YellowPages.All other fabric can be bought at oneof our fine local sewing establishments.

Thermal curtains will make your home much warmer and more attractive. They willalso saveyou many times the cost of their installation over the years, and prevent the releaseof greenhouse gassescreated by heating your house with wood or fossil fuels. Good luck, andhappy home heating!

-",::';ifp

Resources:www.humboldt.edu/ ~ccat/renew/curtain.htmlwww.kie.berkeley.edu/ned/data/EOI-981009-008.htmlwww.teplllc.com

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Campus Center ForAppropriate TechnologyCCAT,HSUArcata,CA 95521(707)826-3551Fax(707) 826-3772E-mail:[email protected]:/ /www.humboldt.edu/~ccat

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONu.S. POSTAGEPAIDPERMIT #78ARCATA, CA95521

~" t;:;oTreesare the earth~s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.-Rabindranath TagorFire(lies7 1928

Documents

Campus Center for Appropriate Technology Newsletter, Fall 2000