Findhorn Ecovillage Reports

A Barrel Housethe rst newdwelling to be created atFindhorn Ecovillage.

Findhorn EcovillageFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaFindhorn Ecovillage is an experimental architectural community project basedat The Park, in Moray, Scotland, near the village of Findhorn.[1] The project'smain aim is to demonstrate a sustainable development in environmental, social,and economic terms. Work began in the early 1980s under the auspices of theFindhorn Foundation but now includes a wide diversity of organisations andactivities.[2][3] Numerous dierent ecological techniques are in use, and theproject has won a variety of awards, including the UN-Habitat Best PracticeDesignation in 1998.[4]

A recent independent study[5] concludes that the residents have the lowestecological footprint of any community measured so far in the industrialised worldand is also half of the UK average.[6] Although the project has attracted somecontroversy, the growing prole of environmental issues such as climate changehas led to a degree of mainstream acceptance of its ecological ethos.[7][8][9]

Contents1 Beginnings2 Examples of eco-projects

2.1 Ecological building codes2.2 Eco-architecture2.3 Living Machine2.4 Organic food production2.5 Wind park2.6 Eko currency2.7 CIFAL Findhorn

3 Ecological Footprint Study4 Awards, UN connections and critiques5 See also6 Footnotes7 References8 External links

BeginningsThe October 1982 Conference Building a Planetary Village[10] hosted by the

Coordinates: 57.6539N 3.5908W

Findhorn Ecovillage - Wikipedia, the free encyclo... http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Findho...

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Findhorn Foundation marked the beginning of serious attempts by the intentionalcommunity, which had existed at Findhorn since 1962[11] to demonstrate a humansettlement that could be considered sustainable in environmental, social, andeconomic terms.[12]The term ecovillage later came to be used to describe such experiments and in1995 the rst international conference of ecovillages, Ecovillages and SustainableCommunities for the 21st Century, was held in Findhorn.[13][14]At rst almost all of the activities this involved, such as eco-house construction, a75 kW Vestas wind turbine and an ecological waste water treatment system wereundertaken by the Findhorn Foundation itself, or its trading company NewFindhorn Directions Ltd.[15] However, from 1990 onwards a growing number ofindependent charities, businesses, small sister communities, independentpractitioners and community bodies have grown up and signicantly extended thesize and diversity of ecological projects,[16][17][18] some of which are listed below.As of 2005 the Ecovillage has around 450 members centred around The Park (themain campus on the southern edge of Findhorn), but also based at numerouslocations in the nearby town of Forres and elsewhere in Moray. The projectsupports approximately 300 jobs in the Findhorn/Forres area and provides a totalaggregate economic impact in excess of 5 million per annum in the Highlands ofScotland as a whole.[4]

Examples of eco-projectsEcovillages usually rely on a wide variety of approaches to minimise theirecological footprint. Some of the most important used at Findhorn are listed herealthough it is important to bear in mind that in any given situation the singlelargest factor is likely to be the attitudes of the residents rather than thetechnologies themselves. The national scale is far better researched than themicro scale, and at this level it is easy to observe that countries with similar levelsof wealth may have quite dierent footprints see for example Chambers (2004).Ecological building codesThe site has a comprehensive building code that all new buildings are required tomeet. It goes far beyond current UK building standards[19] and includes featuressuch as very ecient insulation (typically using products made from recycledpaper), non-toxic organic paints, wood preservatives and boarding manufacturedwithout the use of toxic glues or resins and roong with natural clay tiles.There are a wide variety of other options used including low-energy light bulbs,'breathing wall' construction allowing a controlled exchange of air & vapourwater conservation features and locally sourced materials. Shared facilities such


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An eco-house at Findhornwith turf roof and solarpanels

as laundry, kitchens, lounges etc. are encouraged,thus avoiding unnecessary duplication.[20]Most new buildings incorporate design features thatinvite passive solar radiation to reduce buildingheating needs, such as south-facing windows,conservatories and minimal wall openings on northwalls. Sustainably harvested wood provides spaceheating for many homes both old and new, and anEcovillage company supplies solar panels fordomestic hot water heating to residential andcommercial customers throughout the UK.[21] TheHighlands and Islands Community Energy Companyrecently awarded a grant for the installation of ground source heating for theproposed new Moray Arts Centre based at Findhorn.[22]Simply Build Green Talbott (1993) is based on research undertaken atFindhorn Ecovillage and was the UKs rst technical guide to ecological housing.Eco-architectureThe rst new dwelling to be constructed at the Ecovillage was a small house inthe round made from a recycled whisky barrel. The idea was later developed andseveral buildings on this theme were constructed. Other innovative styles includea strawbale house, and an earthship electricity sub-station. Over fty new houseshave now been constructed, some in exotic styles, others more prosaic inappearance. The rigorous building codes contrast with an apparent absence ofvisual guidelines and the result is a diversity of design rather than a consistentapproach to aesthetics.Living MachineIn 1995 Jonathon Porritt opened Europe's rst Living Machine (also known asEco-Restorers in The UK) at The Park campus. This is an ecologically engineeredwaste water treatment system which is designed to treat sewage from apopulation of up to 350 people and in common with a number of other suchsystems[23] also provides a research and educational facility to promote thetechnology. It was constructed with assistance from the European Union. Theinvention of Canadian scientist John Todd, they use tanks containing diversecommunities of bacteria, algae, micro-organisms, numerous species of plants andtrees, snails, sh and other living creatures to treat the water.[23] At the end ofthe series of tanks, the resulting water is pure enough to be returned to the localwater table. Plans to use the water for irrigation have been considered but notimplemented to date.[24]


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The Living Machine wastewatertreatment plant at Findhorn.Photo: L. Schnadt.

EkoValue: 1 Eko = 1.00 sterlingObverse Design: Wind turbinesReverse Design: Low-cost housingDesigner: Posthouse PrintingDesign Date: 2006

Organic food productionOne of the most signicant factors in theEcovillage's low eco-footprint (see below) is itsattitude to food production and consumption.Various smallholdings associated with theEcovillage contribute to a communitysupported agriculture or 'box' scheme whichprovides organic produce for the local area,some of it grown using permaculturetechniques. This horticulture '"provides morethan 70% of the community's fresh foodrequirements"[25][26] and Phoenix CommunityStores, based at the Park, is one of the largestretailers of organic produce in northernScotland.[27]

Wind parkAnother reason for the low ecological impact of the settlement is the presence offour Vestas wind turbines which can generate up to 750 kW. These make the Parksettlement net exporters of electricity produced from renewable resources. Therst V17 generator was installed in 1989 and three additional three V29s inMarch 2006. The original site was a caravan park and as a result the Ecovillagehas its own private electricity grid. Most of the generation is used on-site with anysurplus exported to the National Grid.Eko currencySince 2002 a local currency has been inoperation. Launched by Ekopia, thecommunitys development trust, it isaccepted by almost all Ecovillageorganisations. There are roughly 20,000of notes in circulation and issuing themhas enabled Ekopia to make low interestloans and donations to support variousinitiatives including an ecological guestfacility, the wind park (above) and the local Youth Project.[28] The current issue,which is due to expire in 2011, is at par with sterling i.e. 1 Eko = 1, and notesare in one, ve, ten and twenty denominations.[29]

CIFAL Findhorn


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The wind turbines at Findhorn,which make the Ecovillage a netexporter of electricity.

The Findhorn Foundation has been running educational programmes inenvironmental education since the early 1980s, but a new development occurredin September 2006 with the formal launching of CIFAL Findhorn.[30] This is a newsustainable development training facility, which is a joint initiative between TheMoray Council, the Global Ecovillage Network, the Findhorn Foundation andUNITAR.[31]

Ecological Footprint StudyAn ecological footprint is an attempt tomeasure the total environmental impact ofhuman activities in a given area. The resultsmeasure the amount of land and water that thepopulation requires to provide the resourcesthey utilise and to absorb their wastes. Thecalculations used converts this into a measureof land area, global hectares (gha). It is widelyaccepted[5][32] that the human impact onplanet Earth now exceeds the availablecapacity of natural systems to sustain it, andthat western countries typically have aresource usage that would require threeplanets to maintain if every citizen on Earthhad a similar impact. In October 2006preliminary results of the ecological footprint study[5] for the Findhorn Ecovillageundertaken by The Sustainable Development Research Centre of the UHIMillennium Institute in collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Instituteconrmed that ecovillages can tread signicantly more lightly on the Earth thanmore conventional communities.The study found that residents of The Park and the nearby campus of Cluny HillCollege have, on average, a footprint of 2.71 hectares per capita, a little over halfthe UK national average of 5.4 hectares. (By comparison the comparable gurefor the United States is 9.5gha, whilst Uzbekistan is rated at the average 'globalearthshare' of 1.9gha).[32] Of particular signicance are the results relating tofood, home and energy' use, and 'consumables and personal possessions' whichhave 35%, 27% and 44% of the national average respectively. Findhorn residentshave an eco-footprint some 13% lower than those at the London eco-housingdevelopment, BedZED. The study is also intending to measure the additionalimpact caused by visitors to the Ecovillage but results are not yet available.

Awards, UN connections and critiques


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A larger, 200 m plus Eco-house.

At a time when resource depletion and global warming are international concernsit is not perhaps surprising that these activities should receive various accolades.

In September 1995 The Findhorn Ecological Village Project was awarded the'We the Peoples 50 Communities' award given by the Friends of the UnitedNations as part of the 50th Anniversary of the UN Celebrations.[4]In October 1998 the Ecovillage Project, together with other 100 leadershipInitiatives "which are inspiring innovative action on Earth", received BestPractice Designation from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements UNCHS (Habitat) and Dubai Municipality.[4]In September 2000 the conservationcharity Trees for Life received theMillennium Marque Award in recognitionof its work in helping to restore theCaledonian Forest in Glen Aric.[33]The following year the United NationsEnvironment Programme noted that mostof the problems identied by Agenda 21have their roots at the local level,therefore UNEP appreciates yoursignicant contribution at the local levelto models for holistic and sustainableliving in harmony with the environment.[4]

Various critiques exist in print, although these tend to concentrate on the eclecticspirituality of the Findhorn Foundation rather than the environmental aspects ofthe Ecovillage. There is a statement of core values for the Ecovillage and itsassociated community called Common Ground[34] but other than arming acommitment to active spiritual practice (which is diversely understood andinterpreted[15]) it concentrates largely on preferred interpersonal behavioursrather than prescribing a spiritual philosophy. Objections were raised by a localpressure group against the expansion of the wind park[35] but the concerns oflocal people[1] about the Ecovillage appear to have reduced, partly due to theproactive stance of the ecovillagers themselves,[15] especially perhaps as a resultof the gift of some amenity land to a local land trust by Duneland Ltd., anEcovillage company.[36][37]While many houses are modest in size some are large, exceeding 200 m in builtarea for a single household. Diversity of lifestyle may well be part of any humansettlement but the magnitude of such structures hints that the commitment toliving lightly on the Earth is not as whole-hearted as rst appearances may


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Moray's location in Scotland.

suggest. Nonetheless, working examples of how a western lifestyle might bepossible whilst living within the means of the Earth's renewable resources tosupport it are likely to be of interest at a time when the consensus of mainstreamopinion is moving towards the view that business as usual may no longer be anoption.[7]

See alsoSustainable development in ScotlandRenewable energy in ScotlandCentre for Alternative TechnologyDiggers and Dreamers

Footnotes^ a b Local relationsbetween the FindhornFoundation and thevillage of Findhornhave occasionallyfoundered overinconsiderate use ofthe word 'Findhorn'to mean either theformer or theEcovillage. See forexample Walker(1994), Talk:FindhornFoundation and alsoFindhorn(disambiguation).

1.

^ Lovie, R. et al.(2005) MoraySustainabilityHandbook. Keith.REAP.

2.

^ "FindhornFoundation"(http://www.ecovillage.org/php/public/contacts/prole.php?ev=314&lg=1). EcoVillage.org.Retrieved2012-12-30.

3.

^ a b c d e Burns, B.et al. (2006) CIFALFindhorn. FindhornFoundation.

4.

^ a b c Tinsley, S. andGeorge, H. (2006)Ecological Footprintof the FindhornFoundation andCommunity. Moray.SustainableDevelopmentResearch Centre, UHIMillennium Institute.

5.


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^ Edwards, Rob (August 4, 2007)."Findhorn eco-footprint is worldssmallest"(http://www.heraldscotland.com/ndhorn-eco-footprint-is-world-s-smallest-1.827780). Sunday Herald.Retrieved 2012-12-30. "A new expertstudy says the multinationalcommunity's ecological footprint is halfthe UK average. This means Findhornuses 50% fewer resources and creates50% less waste than normal."

6.

^ a b Stern, Sir Nicholas. (2006) TheEconomics of Climate Change. London.HM Treasury. ISBN 0-521-70080-9

7.

^ An Inconvenient Truth (2006)Directed by Davis Guggenheim andstarring Al Gore. Paramount Classics.

8.

^ Cavendish, C. (31st October 2006)The only debate left on carbonemissions is political. London. TheTimes newspaper.

9.

^ Scott, M. (2005) A Living Record ofthe Findhorn Community. FindhornFoundation.

10.

^ Riddell, C. (1990) The FindhornCommunity: Creating a HumanIdentity for the 21st Century. FindhornPress.

11.

^ McLaughlin, C. and Davidson, G.(1986) Builders of the Dawn:Community Lifestyles in a ChangingWorld. Sirius.

12.

^ Bang, Jan Martin (2005).Ecovillages. A Practical Guide toSustainable Communities. Edinburgh:Floris Books. p. 22.ISBN 0-86315-480-8.

13.

^ Dawson, J. (2006) Ecovillages: NewFrontiers for Sustainability. Totnes.Green Books. According to this source400 people attended the conferenceand a further 300 were turned away.

14.

^ a b c Walker, Alex (Ed). (1994). TheKingdom Within: A Guide to theSpiritual Work of the FindhornCommunity. Findhorn Press.

15.

^ EcoVillage Findhorn(http://www.ecovillagendhorn.com/).

16.^ Metcalf, B. (2004) The FindhornBook of Community Living. FindhornPress.

17.

^ Pewters, V. and Stengel, M. (eds.(2005) Eurotopia: Directory ofIntentional Communities andEcovillages in Europe. Bandua.Okodorf Sieben Linden.

18.

^ Talbott, John. (1993) Simply BuildGreen. Findhorn Foundation.

19.^ Talbott, J., and others (2001) TheEssential Guide. Findhorn.Titleholders Association.

20.

^ AESSolar(http://www.aessolar.co.uk/).

21.^ HICEC Community Energy News(http://www.hie.co.uk/HICEC/CEnews_oct.pdf): October 2006.

22.

^ a b LTL UK (http://www.ltluk.com/).23.^ West, Sarah. (2002) Proposal forReuse of Sewage Euent from theFindhorn Living Machine. SydneyWater.

24.

^ Findhorn food(http://www.ecovillagendhorn.com/food/).

25.

^ EarthShare(http://www.earthshare.co.uk/).

26.^ Phnix(http://www.ekopia.ndhorn.com/community.html#phoenix) CommunityStores.

27.

^ Rainbow Bridge. (September 2006).Findhorn Foundation.

28.^ Eko(http://www.ekopia.ndhorn.com/eko.html) currency.

29.

^ An Agreement for the opening ofCIFAL Findhorn. UNITAR DCPannouncement. (http://dcp.unitar.org/An-Agreement-for-the-opening-of.html)

30.

^ UN picks Findhorn as site for rstUK training centre. (Sat 13 May 2006)Edinburgh. The Scotsman newspaper.

31.


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^ a b Chambers, N. et al. (2004)Scotlands Footprint. Best FootForward.

32.

^ Trees for Life(http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/).

33.^ Common Ground(http://www.ndhorn.com/nfa/NFA/CoreValues), the core values of theNew Findhorn Association.

34.

^ Action group maps out last chanceto halt wind farms. (27.5.2003) Elgin.The Northern Scot newspaper.

35.

^ Duneland(http://www.duneland.co.uk/history.html).

36.

^ Findhorn village community(http://www.ndhornbay.net/ndhorn/dates/page27a.htm).

37.

ReferencesChambers, N. et al. (2004) Scotlands Footprint. Best Foot Forward. ISBN0-9546042-0-2Dawson, J. (2006) Ecovillages: New Frontiers for Sustainability. Totnes.Green Books. ISBN 1-903998-77-8Findhorn Community. Thompson, William Irwin (Forward). (1968) TheFindhorn Garden: Pioneering a New Vision of * Man and Nature inCooperation. Harper & Row Publishers.Gilman, Robert and Diane (1991) Ecovillages and Sustainable Communities.Denmark. Gaia Trust.Jackson, H. and Svensson, K. (2002) Ecovillage Living: Restoring the Earthand Her People. Green Books. ISBN 1-903998-16-6Metcalf, Bill. (1996) Shared Visions, Shared Lives: Communal Living Aroundthe Globe. Findhorn Press.Talbott, John. (1993) Simply Build Green. Findhorn Foundation. ISBN1-899171-90-8Tinsley, S. and George, H. (2006) Ecological Footprint of the FindhornFoundation and Community. Forres. Sustainable Development ResearchCentre. UHI Millennium Institute.Wackernagel, M. and W. Rees. 1996. Our Ecological Footprint: ReducingHuman Impact on the Earth. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.ISBN 0-86571-312-XWalker, Alex (Ed). (1994) The Kingdom Within: A Guide to the Spiritual Workof the Findhorn Community. Findhorn Press. ISBN 0-905249-99-2

External linksFindhorn Ecovillage Project (http://www.ecovillagendhorn.com/)CIFAL Findhorn (http://www.cifalndhorn.org/)Ekopia, the communitys development trust(http://www.ekopia.ndhorn.com/)Global Ecovillage Network (http://gen.ecovillage.org/)


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Supertech Eco Village 4 (http://www.supertechecovillage4.in/)Living Technologies (http://www.ltluk.com/)New Findhorn Association - links to diverse Findhorn Ecovillageorganisations (http://www.ndhorn.com/)New Findhorn Directions Ltd. (http://www.ndhorn.org/aboutus/community/nfd/)Trees for Life (http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/)

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Findhorn Ecovillage Reports