The NMC Magazine set out this semester to address an important issue facing us today. Where is our environment headed in the future given some of the catastrophes that have occurred within the past few years? To what detrimental extent are we depleting our resoures? We wanted the NMC community to think about the importance of “thinking green” and striving for thrivability, not just sustainability. Some of our staff went to Stockholm, Sweden in October to attend a Future Cities conference where such issues were addressed. We learned how other countries are re-inventing their public transportation systems in order to take more cars off the roads and use more energy-efficient trains. We visited a nearby city, Hammersby, that has installed a self-sustaining waste management system that automatically separates waste. In additon, we went to Bergh, a Graphic Design School that shared with us past student works displaying innovative ideas that cities could incorporate to help the environment. For example, one campaign is an idea for New York, but could work for any city with a subway system, where businesses get involved, purchasing special passes which donate to a fund every time they are swiped. The fund isused to plant a tree after a certain amount of swipes are attained. In this issue of NMC Magazine, you will find articles, research, poems, and art displaying various views on this important topic. We hope you enjoy these topics and maybe learn something about how you can make a difference. This issue is printed on FSC certified paper made from a wind powered mill. Some pages are laser cut to explore new technology that can eliminate the use of ink.

Anjanette MerriweatherEditor-in-Chief

One less face upon the bridge

Peering down at cancerous fish

Curling ‘round the slimy pylons,

Snapping up moldy bread cast down,

Gobbled quickly, messily,And none too quietly.

Heads turn to listenTo what bumps along

The bottom of the bedOf swirling, dirty water.

What it takes to listenTo the mud’s release,

Is not forgotten by the water,

Closed and cloying as it expires;

Losing purity to each extremity

Floating to the surface.

The bumping body rises,Testifying to the poison

It contains.Exposing worse hiding

Under the bridge,Under the mud,

Unseen.

by Deb Maison

One Less Face

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Alexis CAudill The purpose of this poster was to bring awareness to our

environment. Whether it be protecting our Great Lakes or planting trees;

when we work together we can accomplish anything and create a

better future for us all.

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While the Midwest states’ departments of natural resources continue to fight the penetration of Asian Carp into the coun-try’s sacred freshwater haven, the Great Lakes, restaurant owners and fish market owners alike ought to be preparing for an invasion. Since being introduced into the U.S. for the first time in 1963, Asian Carp (which includes the bighead, black, grass, and silver carps) have established themselves in the Mississippi River basin as well as the Illinois River, and are pounding on the door of the Great Lakes. According to Asiancarp.org, they can grow up to 60 inches and weigh 110 pounds. And with the ability to jump as high as 10 feet out of the water, Asian carp have been notori-ous for causing physical harm to boaters passing by, sometimes quite serious inju-ries. However, injury to boaters is just one of the major concerns the invasive spe-cies has caused in the Great Lake states. Asian carp are known to consume aquatic plants, zooplankton, snails and muscles, and phytoplankton, all of which native fish in the Great Lakes rely on for surviv-al. If even small numbers of Asian carp are able to make their way into the Great Lakes, their population will grow expo-nentially, as it has in both the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. This would, in turn, cause a substantial decline in the native fish populations. Not only would Asian carp greatly reduce the native fish stock of the Great Lakes, they would as a re-sult damage Great Lakes sport and com-mercial fishing, which is said to be valued at approximately $4.5 billion a year. (Jeff Gillies of Great Lakes Echo includes Can-ada in the picture and estimated the com-bined U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes fishery to be valued at about $7 billion.) Though it is unclear as to how big an impact Asian carp will have on Michi-gan’s economy, fishermen of all sorts will have to adjust in response to an Asian

carp invasion. Assuming that ongoing methods of blocking Asian carp from en-tering the Great Lakes aren’t sufficient, and that plans now being considered aren’t implemented soon enough or are also ineffective, sport and commercial fishermen, not to mention boaters of all types, will have to face drastic changes in their activities. But there is one pos-sibility for turning such an ecological change into something more than a total calamity. If local communities plan and act accordingly, Asian carp could become a source of revenue in some regions. How? China offers one example. There, Asian carp are considered a good food source, not an unwelcomed invasive spe-cies (and of course they are not invasive in their native waters); nor an undesir-able, “trash” fish, as many people in our culture label various native carp species. Perhaps Great Lakes commercial fisher-men can change their fishing methods to net or otherwise catch Asian carp. Then they could connect to markets here and abroad where such carp are a popular source of food, in some developing coun-tries probably a much-needed source of protein. The U.S. imports tilapia and sea bass from quite remote fisheries around the globe. What’s to prevent this large, well-fleshed fish from being exported to existing and new markets? And perhaps restaurant owners around the Great Lakes—as

Asian Carp: A Problem Needing a Solution?by Alex Walsh

While the Midwest states’ departments of natural resources continue to fight the penetration of Asian Carp into the coun-try’s sacred freshwater haven, the Great Lakes, restaurant owners and fish market owners alike ought to be preparing for an invasion. Since being introduced into the U.S. for the first time in 1963, Asian Carp (which includes the bighead, black, grass, and silver carps) have established themselves in the Mississippi River basin as well as the Illinois River, and are pounding on the door of the Great Lakes. According to Asiancarp.org, they can grow up to 60 inches and weigh 110 pounds. And with the ability to jump as high as 10 feet out of the water, Asian carp have been notori-ous for causing physical harm to boaters passing by, sometimes quite serious inju-ries. However, injury to boaters is just one of the major concerns the invasive spe-cies has caused in the Great Lake states. Asian carp are known to consume aquatic plants, zooplankton, snails and muscles, and phytoplankton, all of which native fish in the Great Lakes rely on for sur-vival. If even small numbers of Asian carp are able to make their way into the Great Lakes, their population will grow exponentially, as it has in both the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. This would, in turn, cause a substantial de-

cline in the native fish populations. Not only would Asian carp greatly reduce the native fish stock of the Great Lakes, they would as a result damage Great Lakes sport and commercial fishing, which is said to be valued at approximately $4.5 billion a year. (Jeff Gillies of Great Lakes Echo includes Canada in the picture and estimated the combined U.S. and Cana-dian Great Lakes fishery to be valued at about $7 billion.) Though it is unclear as to how big an impact Asian carp will have on Michi-gan’s economy, fishermen of all sorts will have to adjust in response to an Asian carp invasion. Assuming that ongoing methods of blocking Asian carp from en-tering the Great Lakes aren’t sufficient, and that plans now being considered aren’t implemented soon enough or are also ineffective, sport and commercial fishermen, not to mention boaters of all types, will have to face drastic changes in their activities. But there is one pos-sibility for turning such an ecological change into something more than a total calamity. If local communities plan and act accordingly, Asian carp could become a source of revenue in some regions. How? China offers one example. There, Asian carp are considered a good food source, not an unwelcomed invasive spe-cies (and of course they are not invasive in their native waters); nor an undesir-able, “trash” fish, as many people in our culture label various native carp species. Perhaps Great Lakes commercial fisher-men can change their fishing methods to net or otherwise catch Asian carp. Then they could connect to markets here and abroad where such carp are a popular source of food, in some developing coun-tries probably a much-needed source of protein. The U.S. imports tilapia and sea bass from quite remote fisheries around the globe. What’s to prevent this large, well-fleshed fish from being exported to existing and new markets? And perhaps restaurant owners

4

5

AnjAnette MerriweAther This design is influenced by the infamous Designer’s Republic. The idea is that if we keep on sustaining, instead of thriving, we are going to continue depleting our environment, visualized via the play on words “stained” out of “sustained,” and the red coming from behind the broken and fragmented earth.

C

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CM

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Thrive poster final for print.pdf 1 10/13/11 10:26 AM

thrive

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jAson stringhAM The intention of this poster is to communicate the idea that thinking sustainably is not enough. That it is just a matter of survival, and is backwards thinking. We need to go further than sustaining and begin to thrive.

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Could you start out by telling us a little bit about your company and how it was created? Eighteen years ago, Tim Coffey, a teacher at Traverse Bay area intermediate school district, started it as a way to help his students with dis-abiliities learn life and work skills and build self-esteem. Three years ago Goodwill acquired it and added people with disabilities. It has grown tre-mendously in those three years.

You have also created jobs for those (work-ers with disabilities) that have a tougher time finding jobs in this economy. How did this concept come about? See above. It was the Goodwill acquisition of Paperworks Studio that broadened our focus.

Paperworks Studio has also helped compa-nies contribute to sustainability by the re-use of paper and clothing scraps. Could you expand on this? Are there programs such as collection bins that can be placed at busi-nesses to encourage more participation, or are you at capacity (including finished prod-uct demand)? What are the limiting factors at this point? Right now we have partnerships with Lee Jeans, Baabaazuzu, and Higher Grounds Coffee. We also have a very big national partner that we will announce in 2012. We have many ways to get the scraps. Locally we get a lot, plus what we get with our partners, and much of it naturally comes from Goodwill.

In the recycling process other than material recycling, have you implemented any pro-cesses that further the “Green” label? For example, limiting the use of toxic chemicals or coming up with a more energy–efficient methodology? Is this an evolving process? That is a good question. We always look to be better on all levels of being environmentally smart, and, yes, it is always evolving. We have a long-term leader here who was environmentally aware years before it became standard. A good story about toxic chemicals. We received a call from a regulatory agency after they read about us, and they set up a time for an audit to review us. They came in for an hour and left knowing two things: that we are environmentally sound and that they would be a customer of Paperworks

Studio. It is irresistable.

Where do you see this company in the fu-ture? Any new concepts on the horizon? Our strategic plan is to grow to a national lev-el. We just checked our Google analytics and our growth and distribution have expanded dramati-cally in the last eight months. We launched our Facebook and YouTube accounts and a great new website this year, and that has been instrumen-tal to our growth locally and nationally. We will also announce a wonderful new national retail partnership in 2012 that will broaden our visibil-ity. And when you get to know us—you love us. We will have one or two big announcements in 2012 for new lines that we are excited about. One should be spring and another in the fall.

Could you tell a little about how social me-dia have enhanced your company? First off, this has been important. If you have something really special to share, it helps level the playing field with some of the big companies out there. Here’s a good example. We give tours at Paperworks Studio. When people (like the en-vironmental auditor) get a tour and see the cards being made one at a time and get to meet our amazingly talented artists—well, they connect immediately and passionately. As we say, when you see what we see, you fall in love with Paper-works Studio. So we decided to do a video that would act like a tour for people who couldn’t physically visit for a tour. With social media this video has con-nected us to many people and companies around the country. A year ago most of our customers and supporters came from Northern Michigan. With social media, that is changing—though it is also helping us grow in Northern Michigan, too. People put the video on their Facebook page, they post our new cards, and it spreads.

Anything else you would like to add? There is no way we would be where we are at without the support from Northern Michigan—in-cluding the college. Also, when you purchase our cards and share Paperworks Studio with others (just send our video!), it changes lives. Not only the lives of our artists, but also their families.

Paperworks Studio: an environmentally friendly enterpriseAn interview with Brian Lewis of Paperworks Studio October 7, 2011

by Cindi Russell, nmc magazine staff

8

CoMillA PAddoCk Whatever the future is like, I hope the city still looks nice at night. A city’s in its natural element when it can shine and sparkle.

9

elise tArsA Thriveability is a goal that affects everything: sky, sea and land, so I chose to use all three in my image. It is an up-close and personal choice, and we all need to decide to climb the steps to a brighter future.

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by Jim Crockett

Out of the care of soil, of husbanded bladeOut of tasseled and tractored days, the squishOf the milking cow, come the bowed head,The reverent speech, the need to reachDeep into the top four inches,Into the luscious mycelial life,The fungal life feeding livesYou depend on for your own.And out of grounded fatness, corn,Each silk a kernelled possibility.

??This Could Be Enough

tAeler AsPenleiter Future T.C., Park Place with windmills downtown. Used different textures to create in Photoshop.

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At the beginning of the semester, a colleague gave me an article, “8 Reasons Young Americans Don’t Fight Back: How the US Crushed Youth Re-sistance” by Bruce E. Levine ( AlterNet July 31, 2011). I was intrigued by the piece and decided to discuss the article with my students. While social change movements often receive their en-ergy from youth, I wondered how my students, today’s youth, saw themselves and their ability to influence change. I also wondered what role they thought higher education played in creat-ing thrivability. Prior to introducing a variety of speakers/curriculum on social change and related outreach opportunities, I wanted my students to read the article and tell me which points, if any, were applicable to them. After reading the article, several of the 8 rea-sons were selected by all of the students. Each item was identified as a barrier to their ability to meet the current social and environmental challenges.

Student Loan Debt This item received the greatest reaction. Stu-dents described feeling caught: If they didn’t obtain a degree, they would have no chance for entry into the professional world. On the other hand, they wondered if incurring all of their stu-dent loan debt was worth it. What if they took the same amount of money and started a business? Or learned skills in an apprenticeship? Students said it was getting more difficult to justify college

debt when they had no assurance that their col-lege education would get them a decent job and, therefore, a way to repay the debt. Many said their parents’ investments had been so devastat-ed by the changes in the market and economy that they were no longer able to help them in the same way they’d been able to assist their older siblings. Instead of an academic report card, students de-scribed their credit scores, as the infamous new “permanent record.” Many said that their debt de-pressed them and at the same time hindered them from doing anything that would put their ability to get further loans in jeopardy. Even those with minimal or no student loan debt said they knew it was inevitable that at some point they would need to borrow money to advance their education. Relative to their student incomes, they said their student loan debt appeared unreal—almost beyond comprehension/reality.

Psychopathologizing and Medicating Noncompliance A significant number of students reported using psychotropic medications. Many said they had been using these medications since junior high school. Some said they didn’t really know why they were taking them, since the benefits were questionable. Others said their meds allowed them to stay in school and focus. All of the students using the meds said that they often wondered if the stronger im-pact of the meds was the underlying message that they were weak, unfit and really unable to thrive compared to their non-medicated peers. Even after learning that many of their fellow students used psychotropic meds, most said there was still shame in admitting use.

Schools That Educate for Compliance and Not for Democracy Students were furious that their compliance had not been more rewarded. They discussed en-titlements and expressed intense anger at those they perceived as major “deal breakers,” i.e., academic advisors, instructors, administrators, politicians, parents, etc. When they thought they couldn’t express their anger at the source, they admitted expressing it towards anyone nearby and themselves. Students described feeling very alone at school—

Revisiting a Trampled Energy Source: Youth Resistance by Susan Odgers

a. Student-Loan Debt

b. Psychopathologizing and Medicating Noncompliance

c. Schools That Educate for Compliance and Not Democracy

d. “No Child Left Behind” and “Race to the Top”

e. Shaming Young People Who Take Education—But Not Their Schooling—Seriously

f. The Normalization of Surveillance

g. Television

h. Fundamentalist Religion and Fundamentalist Consumerism

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wondering if anyone really knew them as people, if anyone really cared who they were. The most com-mon complaint against instructors and administra-tors was that both expected critical thinking yet re-ally only tolerated compliant thinking. One student said, “Rules simply rule our lives.”

“No Child Left Behind and “Race to the Top”Students described feeling “processed” at school, stating that instruction seemed to be for the pur-pose of being tested. Most objected to the one-size-fits-all approach of their education. Some of the variables of their favorite classes were creativity, fun, feeling like a community in the classroom, depth over breadth per course content, and the celebration of the quest in questioning everything.

Shaming Young People Who Take Education—But Not Their Schooling—Seriously One of my non-traditional students said during this discussion that she hoped the class wouldn’t think she knew everything because of her age. Mo-ments later, one of the youngest students in the class jumped in and said that he hoped the class wouldn’t think that he didn’t know anything be-cause he was so young. Students shared longing to rediscover the joy of learning, reading and investi-gating. Many students said they had loved school as a young child. All reported wanting to get excited about school and their career paths again. Many wanted to discuss the big business aspect of formal-ized education.

The Normalization of Surveillance Students discussed that their entire generation, since 911, had basically been under extensive sur-veillance. Cameras on buildings, inside stores, at road intersections, body scans at airports, GPS units in their parents’ cars (where they learned to drive), monitoring of their phone calls and social media by everyone in authority in their lives. All questions, some students said, are observed and often seen as unpatriotic and problematic.

Television Students agreed that most of them are looking at three screens on a daily basis: TV, phone and laptop. Some said the light of the screen has be-come the new water cooler, a place to find comfort and connect. Many students thought the devices had created a generation that watches life and is watched, more so than taking meaningful action. Others disagreed, citing the productive use of

technology in the Occupy Wall Street movement, Arab Spring, etc.

Students described the climate that they have grown-up in as emphasizing that “there’s only way one to do things, one way to be.” Many students discussed being fearful to express their individu-ality. Several said they took their cues from all of the major institutions—the press, government, etc.—and that few of them were doing much ques-tioning beyond the status quo. The majority of the class described the extensive push for endless consumerism. They questioned the value of being sold goods and services through fear—fear of not being like everyone else, fear of missing out, fear of not looking successful, etc. After our initial discussion, I started to think about the impact of these ideas for faculty who are responsible for educating students. What about college administrators who are providing both the day-to-day operation of the institution and trying to forecast where education is headed? NMC, as a community college, exists for and is supported by the community. How have these items influenced all of our community members? Thrivability. The word itself sounds so positive—the flourishing, enrichment and blossoming of “good things.” What “good things” do students want to con-tinue in northern Michigan? Do they feel as though they can really influence their environment? Are the barriers to their influence, as mentioned above, too great? How can we minimize these barriers? Last week after class, a student waited to speak with me. “Susan, I didn’t get it together enough to write something for the NMC Magazine on thrivabil-ity…though I really wanted to. I wanted to share with you, though, the core of what I would have written. I think college students need a thrivability mentality. By that I mean a big shift in our think-ing and behaving. To me, thrivability means ev-ery creature gets to thrive; it’s about equality, re-spect, dignity and fairness. We all need to be more emotionally intelligent. I’d like to believe school can teach us that. It won’t matter what technology we use to com-municate; it will matter what we communicate. We are going to have to share everything: resourc-es, problems and solutions. We are all going to have to become more responsible and creative. If we don’t make these changes, we will live more isolated from one another. We will be forced to be

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survivalists. Our lives will look like most of the futuristic movies we’ve seen: people trying to live on an inhospitable planet, fighting for food/water/air, combating each other and wondering how we ever got this way. Youth, my generation, has got to wade through our obstacles and struggle forward. Thrivability should be the gift we give to ourselves and the world.”

susan odgers has been a psychology instructor at nMC since 1989.

Leave your mark

as long as it’s green.

Recycle. Compost. Walk or bike. U

se energy-efficent light bulbs. Car pool. Dry laundry ou

tside

. T

urn

off

wat

er.

U

se p

ublic

tran

sportation.

A refreshing way to thrive for green

The energy from recycling one glass bottle can power a computer for thirty

minutes.

Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as

pouring out half of that can’s volume of gas.

By recycling one plastic bottle you can

conserve enough energy to light a

60-watt light bulb for six hours.

Make green your routine!

Even You

Can Make

A Change,

Why Wait?

Chelsea nelson An e-flier that can promote “living green.” The concept for this design was to get the point across about how im-portant it is to recycle cans and bottles.

jessica sorensen I feel as though my design for the green poster is simple but still forces one to think about the topic and what the ideas the poster is intending to portray.

danielle weber I chose to get images that were things that anyone could change at home. The ideas I chose were simple and easy to accomplish for everyone, even those busy bees.

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Thursday 10.13.11: I told myself that I would try to write something everyday... maybe not every thought but at least some ideas. We are currently 37,000ft above the earth, on flight D214. Before leaving Traverse City, I watched Steve Job’s famous 2005 speech on YouTube. Not having a lot of accessibility really encourages imagination and resource-fulness. There will be upsets and moments of discourage-ment, but it’s the conflict that helps to come up with new ways to resolve and grow… another random thought, “Ev-ery hug is a hidden treasure… a rarity that is very barely given out.”

The plane begins to level out as it touches down. And as we stand to part from the aircraft and leave our temporary communal living quarters, an urge of excitement begins to settle in.

Friday 10.14.11: It was 01:35am in Michigan after I had my last thought of home, family, and friends. I remember flying over the U.K and thinking to myself that I’m not a writer. I could only dream of having a touch of talent that people like Hemingway had. I’m not a writer, I just scribble nonsense. Sunny and 40degrees, not too bad out I guess. Everyone here looks as though they are out of an “Esquire” add. Perhaps it’s the jet lag thinking for me at the moment.

Saturday 10.15.11: 05:58am Michigan time. It was a beau-tiful morning here in Stockholm as the sun crested over the roof tops. There was the glow about all of the buildings against the opaque colors. It was amazing. If it happens again, I’ll have to get a photo of it. Well everyones going out to explore and take tours. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” was filmed here and some of us are going to go on a tour of the places that were in the film. However, I’m off to the subway to do some subway jumping and get a lay of the land. There was a lot of art at each and every stop. The Thorde stop had a pac-man themed environment. It is unbelievable how clean this place is, given the population and their con-stant use of all public transportation. And apparently the populace pass the time with their iphones and head set/ear

from an artist’s point of viewStockholm:

by Paul Cecilio

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plugs. Exiting the subway and hitting street level Sluessen the sun is finally out and in full bloom.

Sunday 10.16.11: Yesterday, as I explored the old district of Stockholm, I was having thoughts of home and everyone back there and wondered what they were up to, and as I drifted in thought I turned a corner and saw a refuse dumpster, and then I thought that maybe perhaps there was something I could use in there to draw or doodle on. And as I climbed the side of it and peered into it, I saw a full roll of brown paper bag material just inches away from the tip of my nose, as if it was there waiting for me to peak over to find it.

That night I stayed up and pulled out the pastels that I brought from home and started drawing everyone in the dinning area of our wonderful apartment. Every night we would always find ourselves around the kitchen table go-ing over our itinerary of each day. It was like an evening with the Waltons. We would go over our day and share all the experiences of the day’s events. And somehow I was inspired to draw on that paper I found. After creating over a dozen images in pastel, I hit the sidewalk and started looking for galleries or places that might entertain the idea of having art from a small town artist. The following days in Stockholm were filled with vis-iting design schools, design firms and attending a semi-nar about cities of the future and how we should look at sustaining our surrounding environment, starting with the community and working together for better living. Stock-holm was a good example of this. The days we spent there were not only motivating but also inspiring. These are just a few of the images taken from my journal.

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Introduction Heating and cooling are some of the main sourc-es of energy loss in a home. Standard above ground homes do not conserve energy well due to insuf-ficient insulation. Luckily there is an alternative which promotes a more energy efficient lifestyle; this alternative is an earthen home. These homes are partially or fully underground and are usually constructed out of reinforced concrete to support the ground’s weight. We will explore how an earth-en home can better harness the environment to in-crease the home’s energy efficiency. We will also investigate the certain advantages and disadvan-tages of an earthen home, by including a perspec-tive on short and long term costs and maintenance.

Advantages Efficient Use of Energy: The primary feature of an earthen home is its appeal to conservation, due to its limited impact on the surrounding environ-ment. This is due to its outstanding energy efficien-cy when compared to the modern home. An earthen home is more efficient than a modern home due to the greater amount of insulation; this protects the home against the volatile external temperatures. The second aspect is the natural heat/cold sink that earthen insulation provides to the home. This aspect is especially appealing in dynamic climates, such as the Midwest. Underneath 3-5 feet of earth, a fully underground home can stay near a constant of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Efficient Use of Land: In addition to this, an earthen home has a higher standard of land ef-ficiency than a modern home. The roof of the un-derground home serves as both shelter and yard, which frees up a large amount of space. Since the roof and walls aren’t exposed to the elements, they do not require re-shingling, residing or repainting. Safety: Due to the fundamental differences in the designs of earthen and traditional buildings, earthen buildings naturally tend to be more resis-tant to the low frequency oscillations and sheering motions of an earthquake. The structure resists an earthquake’s motion with up to two methods: • base isolation • elevation control

By their definition, all earthen buildings apply base isolation by eliminating the superstructure. Since the building lacks a superstructure, the building is protected against sheering, when the substructure separates from the superstructure. Another inherit trait of all earthen buildings is elevation control. Limiting the height of the build-ing increases the building’s natural frequency. This reduces the probability that an earthquake’s frequency could align with the building’s natu-ral frequency, causing constructive interference, which could create a catastrophic failure in the building. The low profile also protects against di-sasters like hurricanes or tornadoes. Energy: Many homeowners expand on the natu-ral theme by including forms of alternative energy such as solar, wind, and geothermal. Geothermal energy, in most cases, is the most efficient means for an earthen home to reach a high standard of energy efficiency. This is due to these renewable energy sources being limited to electricity produc-tion, which then must be distributed to a heating and cooling system. On top of that, wind and solar are inconsistent forms of energy production due to their dependence on the weather. Therefore, a geothermal heat pump is the most practical sys-tem to use because it is a reliable source of energy which will directly heat and cool a home.

Disadvantages Cost: A prospective home owner needs to be aware that even though these homes will save money in the long-term, the initial cost of building an earthen home can be up to 20% more than typi-cal homes. This includes extra digging, concrete forming, and waterproofing. The bulk of the cost depends upon the design of the house, the material used and the contractor hired. Possible Water Damage: Waterproofing is re-quired to prevent water from the ground reaching the house if the cement ever cracks. Water barri-ers are placed on the outside of the cement walls. Fire Safety: Fire code regulations require that each room have at least two exits. Since there are fewer or no windows in an underground home, doors must be the primary exits. This would re

Energy Efficiency of Earthen Homes

*this paper was originally an eng 112 for engineering research and design in which the students mentioned above designed an earthen home with optimal efficiency, complete with floor plan and conceptual drawings. This is an abridged version of the research paper, prepared and submitted by Alyssa hartman.

by Tom EarleAlyssa Hartman*

Chris KyroJake Soenen

17

quire careful planning to not waste any space. Alternatives could be installing a sprinkler system or smoke detectors. The third option is the easiest; however, some inspectors may not approve. Dim Atmosphere: There can be a lack of natural light in an underground home not well planned. Some home owners may wish to maximize insulation by covering all sides of the home and using only electric light. However, if double or triple pane windows are used, they can bring in natural light and help cool or heat the home. The right placement of windows and compass orientation can provide maximum light. Conclusion Although there are some disadvantages to an earthen home, they can be overcome with creative en-gineering and are minor when compared to the advantages. Earthen homes are by no means limited by their design. Many creative designs take advantage of their unique form of insulation. Here, we focused on heating and cooling efficiency but other strategies commonly applied in traditional homes, such as low-flow faucets or triple pane windows, can be integrated as well. Alternative energy alone will not sustain our current usage of energy. The best option is to find ways to make the way we live more efficient. So much energy is lost in stabilizing the temperatures of inefficient homes. Simple things like insulation and planning the layout of a home for the owner’s needs can save a large amount of energy. Planning with efficiency in mind allows the homeowner to pay less for the same amount of comfort. Underground homes accomplish this well and should be seri-ously considered by a prospective homeowner.

Works Referenced can be found at www.nmc.edu/nmcmagazine

MegAn Miller This is my depiction of a “sustainable” village. All the homes are earth birmed. Residing underground allows natural environment to flourish.

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During our trip to Stockholm for the Econo-mist Future Cities conference, many thoughts at light-speed and flashes of opportunity came to mind. Visiting with my brilliant former NMC Visual Communications student Andrew Sekora, who is now lead Art Director at Zound Indus-tries, designing the literal way headphones might evolve, and visiting several progressive design colleges in Sweden, was just the icing on the fu-ture cake. I have always been an advocate and chaste user of design for social change and awareness — identity for windmill makers, branding for Lammas EcoVillage in the UK — even educat-ing clients that might not be so socially conscious, finding ways to push and use processes that con-sidered the planet as well as the present. In my NMC classes I require books like Cradle to Cradle by Michael Braungart and Green Graphic Design by Brian Dougherty so that my students can be exposed to the possibilities that I was not while in Art School. Sweden was a reminder that this focus can become the everyday not just an ideal. Shipping containers as houses on the street right in front of you, usable paper stacked in reams as a coffee table in art schools, windows that double as stained glass beauty and usable Pantone color charts, even technology riding along with function on the Arlanda Express high speed train, an LED clock integrated in the bathroom mirror, all electric and self–fueling. Most of all, a trip to the Hammarby Sjöstad Eco Village (a live/work development just South of where Lisbeth Salander had her fabled penthouse apartment in The Girl Who Played With Fire) put idea to real-ity, and with financial progress and environmen-tal thrivability. The idea was to showcase a unique opportu-nity – expanding the inner city with a focus on the water and human happiness, while convert-ing an old industrial and polluted harbor area into a modern green neighborhood that fueled its own power by its own waste while cleaning up the toxic fresh water. Now the village has its own eco-system with its own wastewater plant, opened in 2003, where wastewater is purified, heat recycled

and nutrients recovered using new technology, af-ter which it is returned to agricultural land. En-ergy is produced in the local district heating plant that uses renewable fuel. Combustible waste from the area is recycled as heat, and food waste be-comes biogas. This approach for handling energy, waste and water is called the Hammarby Model. An environment information centre, GlashusEtt, (Glass House) is in the city center showcasing the technical solutions where residents can seek advice on various environmental issues, and ex-hibitions are held, field trips welcomed. Imagine throwing into vacuum “garbage cans” your trash and recyclables, getting sorted in mid air stream and entering the on-sight plant where they are converted to energy and other by–products that fuel the village. They did, and once again, this kind of thinking is part of the daily life in this town. My charge for this campus and our world campus after this experience is to think this way too, make the change, design a better new way that will become the everyday way that will not end our earth prematurely. What better way for even NMC to be “global” than to put the planet first, by considering every person, product and place before the first dollar or second of time is spent, especially since we sit on one of the larg-est fresh water sources in the world. It is simple; just a new order of thinking. Even with this issue of the NMC Magazine you are reading, we have used all FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certi-fied paper and printing, choosing local paper mills (French Paper Co., based in Niles, MI) and repur-posed traditional materials in an inventive way that uses waste and usual materials inventively. How can you do what you do every day differently and better? Now that Steve Jobs is up making iHeaven more well designed and beautiful, there is plenty of space down here for brilliance and cre-ative critical thinking that betters not only Wall Street, but humanity. Caroline schaefer-hills is the design adviser for the nMC Magazine and Art department head.

Stockholm Tripby Caroline Schaefer-Hills

Distric

t heating – District cooling

B iogas

Biogas

Hazardous and e

lect

rical

was

te

S torm w

ater

Wastewater Street storm w

ater (rain water)

Organic waste

B iofuel

Combustible waste

District heating and electricity

B

iofu

el

B iosolids

Drin

king

wat

er

Purified wastew

ater

New packaging

Pur

ified

was

tew

ater

Sjöstaden’s and Henriksdal’s wastewater treatment plants

Lake Hammarby Sjö

Högdalen’s combined heat and power plant Hammarby heat plant

Environmentally friendly electricity

Sedimentation

Equalizer

The sea

Lake Mälaren/drinking water plant

Recycling – paper boxes, glass, t

ins

B iosolids

Waste

Energy

Water

Energy

Water & Sewage

Waste

Energy• Combustible waste is converted into district

heating and electricity.

• Biofuel from nature is converted into district heating and electricity.

• The heat from the treated wastewater is converted into district heating and district cooling.

• Solar energy is converted into electrical energy or used to heat water.

• Electricity shall be “Good Environmental Choice”-labelled, or equivalent

Water & Sewage• A pilot sewage treatment plant facility has

been built to evaluate new sewage treat-ment techniques.

• Biogas is extracted from the digestion of sewage sludge.

• The post-extraction sludge – the biosolids – is used as a fertiliser.

• r ainwater from courtyards and roofs is not drained to the wastewater treatment plant, but into Hammarby Sjö.

• r ainwater from streets is treated locally/set-tled and then drained into Hammarby Sjö, not to the wastewater treatment plant.

Waste• An automated waste disposal system

with di�erent refuse chutes, block-based recycling rooms, and area-based waste collection points help the residents to sort their waste at source.

• Combustible waste is converted into district heating and electricity.

• Organic waste is converted/digested into biosolids and used as fertiliser.

• All recyclable material is recycled: news-papers, glass, cardboard, metals, etc.

• Hazardous waste is incinerated or recycled.

The Hammarby model

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In this article we will touch on some alterna-tive housing history, move on to some current trends, and then finish with our shipping con-tainer example. So, what is alternative hous-ing? In its broadest sense alternative housing is really just housing, with the caveat that it tends to be out of the mainstream of whatever the cur-rent “normal” is. But really when you live in Mongolia a yurt is very normal, so here, where they are also utilized, they are considered “al-ternative.” It is a peculiar thing how policies of industrialized nations’ insurance and regulato-ry agencies tend to dictate the acceptable norm. Even within this framework enterprising indi-viduals have pushed through with ideas that continue to take traction. In the USA the list of tried and somewhat ac-cepted examples of alternative housing contin-ues to grow. Many of these started in the cultural revolution of the sixties. In that era many of the ideas were totally fresh, domes for example. This was an exciting design that continues to get re-fined but certainly isn’t a blockbuster. Another more mundane yet largely used “new” example is the mobile home (yes, the tornado magnets). These filled the bill for affordability and confor-mity to codes and have a visual kinship to a “real” home. Mobile homes aren’t very energy efficient, but that is slowly changing. Mobile homes may undergo a major transformation or become a sig-nificant part of alternative housing as discussed here, but minimally they need to keep up with the efficiency demands of the future. Other examples were adaptations of earlier basic shelter models, with things such as un-derground, adobe, or even corncob houses. The refinement of earlier humanity’s shelter meth-odologies continues to this day. Certainly living underground is not new, but how we do it is. This is a key point, that we don’t get too stuck in too few housing models. We should remember that early humans had to be efficient because

resources were hard to retrieve and utilize. Hu-man survival on this planet is based largely on our ability to quickly adapt and in certain cases be very mobile. This reference to an adaptable mobility is somewhat akin to being nomadic. There goes the neighborhood. When we say “mobility,” we don’t mean commuting from the suburbs. The above reference is more nomadic minded. What we have now is a suburban mod-el which is proving to be troublesome. This is mostly because it has largely been based on cheap gas for all the cars needed to make the model work. This form of mobility has more to do with comfort and preference than surviv-ability. Even with electric cars of the future, the suburb-model’s footprint of resource usage would remain large. Adding to the list of prob-lems associated with current suburban life, you have things such as home size, efficiency and sustainability. Simply put, suburbs really don’t work well anymore. Suburban life is going to get very expensive, and even if suburbanites can sustain it financially, does that give them the right to “hog” resources? Many homes built just 10-15 years ago don’t come close to what the current energy efficiency standards are. Older homes built in the fifties, sixties, and seventies? Well, re-insulating, caulking and new windows all help, but a “wall” of effectiveness is quickly reached. This hugely popular suburban model of living is loomed over by an ominous reality of future resource cost and availability. Many sub-urbs could adapt, however, if zoning regulations adapt to allow suburb residents to offset their sustainability footprint costs with things such as super-insulated homes, family sustainable gar-dening, and chicken farming. Those in the sub-urbs, in other words, will have to do what all of us must do: we have to view how we provide for our lives differently. It seems that when we talk about the future, China and India always get mentioned. There

Alternative Housing and the New Interest in Container Living

by Thomas Walters

213800 square ft bldg/office

Simple 3 container (2 x 40’, 1 x 20’) beach house

is a good reason for this: they are already living parts of our possible future. With populations that are three times larger than ours EACH, they are on the front lines of resource- based adapt-ability. Their substantial presence in the world population has a direct impact on all resource and food demands worldwide. We are talking world-crushing populations. The demographic trend seen in these two countries has the rural populations moving to the cities. This is part of a pattern of increasing efficiency. It may not seem so, but by even using a domestic example, New York City is more efficient per capita than any suburban model we currently have. The same economics of scale apply to the two most popu-lated countries. Of course there are ouside needs, and city farming will not feed everyone, but with all factors taken into account, even with trucked-in food the city model is still more efficient. “Hey Honky cat, living in the city ain’t where it’s at…” So, screw the city, I’m heading out on the highways and the byways. Why not? No real reason not to, but those bound for the countryside must realize the resource realities they will face. For example, to create a single-family dwelling with some of the out-buildings and equipment needed to be at least partially self-sustaining, a large capital outlay is needed at the onset. For many this means looking into creative alterna-tives—um—do we hear alternative housing? Ru-ral settings are perfect places to implement alter-native housing, as social and zoning norms are less influential. So let’s look at a relatively new method of alternative housing and storage: ship-ping containers. Talk about recycling, this is a truly usable artifact in the age of consumerism. Shipping containers are literally “the box it came in.” They are extremely strong, steel boxes designed and used for shipping goods mostly over the ocean. The thing is, due to our dubious con-sumption of foreign-manufactured gadgets, we have a lot of them sitting around. We don’t seem to be shipping much stuff back where they came from, either. Shipping containers are cheap to buy and easy to, well, ship. Their modular size lends itself to a children’s building block analogy; so de-sign, visualization and implementation become easier. There are some cons to go with the pros, to be sure, but containers are literally prefab and secure shelters at as little as $1500 a pop. Shipping containers have been used for secure storage for some time now, but living in contain-ers is relatively new. Containers as living spaces

started as offering very basic shelter but have since evolved into some very shining examples of what can be achieved on the cheap. As alternative housing design goes, this is probably the fastest evolving genre of our current era. There are now several websites and a few books on the subject. Straight-out-of-the-box (excuse the pun) con-tainers are a bit ugly and very energy inefficient. It is a metal box. It conducts thermal energy in and out. Yet, it is a very nice and strong box. It is a box that can be modified and redressed with relative ease. Remember that refrigerator box that you cut doors and windows in as a kid? Fundamentally, modifying containers is not that different. “We can rebuild him!” So as with all building projects, planning and design come first. Make your mistakes on paper (or the computer) and, as stated earlier, we have to keep an eye on efficiency and cost. There are several design firms now that specialize in using containers for housing design. As a result, containers are getting better looking all the time! Containers come in a lot of different footprints and a couple different heights. Because of ship-ping conformity, they are almost always 8’ wide. Heights can vary, but externally they are usually either 8’6” for a standard type and 9’6”for what is called a “HI-Cube.” Lengths run from as little as 8’ to 45’. Beyond 10’ they usually are longer in in

22

Basic 20’ container

crements of 5’. Additionally, the configurations include open frame, open top, sealed top for liquid transfer and insulated containers for refrigerated cargo. It seems like a lot of choices, but really when you start looking at a design for yourself, you will find working with them as modules rather easy, kind of like working with toy blocks. The very strength of these shipping containers al-lows for flexible configurations. Some sizes or configurations are harder to find, and units that are insulated will of course cost more. Yet they

represent an extreme bargain for structurally strong, modular shelter units. People have used them as beach, underground or even stilt houses. Remember you could just plunk one down and sleep in it, but to become a home it requires windows, a bathroom with plumbing and electricity (on or off grid). So plan carefully, allowing for electrical and plumbing clearances. You may want to utilize the Hi-Cube type or the insulated ones to better meet your needs. This is not required but allows for certain design flexibility. You can even eliminate a concrete foundation if you use a properly compacted, crushed stone base. A design of mine for an underground mode protects all but the exposed ends of the contain-ers with an affordable waterproof membrane, then covering with 1-2’ of foamed concrete for in-sulation. Foamed concrete is an aerated, foamed suspension of concrete grout that is up to 1/15th the density and weight of regular concrete. One

cubic yard of concrete becomes ten or more when foamed, and acts as a fireproof, efficient insulat-ing layer. It does not, of course, have the struc-tural integrity of full density concrete , but that is provided for by the inherent strength of the shipping container. The design possibilities are vast and also ac-cessible to the average “Joe” or “Josephine.” I would encourage the adventurous to download the very awesome free Google 3D modeling pro-gram called “SketchUp.” It is extremely easy to learn and has a bunch of video tutorials to get you on your way. That is only the beginning. Associated with SketchUp is a repository of 3D models called “3DWarehouse.” Here you will find completed models of everything from single container dwellings to entire cities. Mostly these models are free for non-commercial use. They are searchable and viewable directly from the 3D Warehouse’s website (no registration neces-sary), so you don’t need the software installed to peek. This is not a commercial for Google, but rather an endorsement for a free product that has democratized the 3D design process. What all of this means is that we have to open our eyes and see that housing needs for a continually growing population will cut a wide swath in our natural resources, both in raw materials and energy. We are only a part of a world population whose housing and basic shel-ter needs are of utmost importance and require global thinking. It is important to embrace and nurture many alternative approaches to hous-ing. No one approach will suffice. If we imple-ment methods that re-use existing materials and constructions, it will help us be prepared for our future. Shipping containers are an excellent example of an element of our life that can be repurposed with minimal effort into a livable space. Noth-ing else we have “lying around” does it so easily. I encourage you to go to our website companion article and click on the links for more informa-tion and examples.

(Photos of different container-housing designs are at www.nmc.edu/nmcmagazine)

23

We float on the wind like autumn leaves. Transients. Gripping and coming away hold-ing only air like those dreams I’ve been having where I try to collect all I can before it ends and I wake up empty. Cigarette smoke swirls around me like a scarf before it drops to the concrete. I hear the largest landfill in the U.S. is as deep as the Statue of Liberty is tall. I try to use less disposable things, why can’t I find a real spoon amongst all the plastic? We buy a water filter to cut down on the 24 packs of bottled water we buy weekly only to fill our plastic garbage bags with. She brings home plastic cups as well. I look up at the white sky contrasted with the thinning branches of trees. They make me forget the bath water people wade in near the power plant, the trash that flies past my passenger-side window, the war and everything that hurts. Something is brewing in the air and I keep hearing that the American dream of buying ev-erything to advance evolutionally is a myth. The chasing and competition tears us apart, destroy-ing families and communities at the core. This miseducation we’re paying for is a sacrifice; we place our burning minds on the altar and trade them in for factory hands and false eyelashes. We stick to what feels good; we don’t waste our time worrying with what we can’t see. There’s a deficiency in math and science, a de-ficiency in the abstract. We’re fueled by feeling and urges. I thank Allah or the Great Spirit or just other people’s willpower and persistence for caring about our future enough to begin to give a voice to it, even if we haven’t stood up or even begun to think that it’s our future they’re de-manding change for. A generation enslaved and beginning to wake up and realize there’s more to the world than escapes. The leaves turn various shades of orange when I pass them; they sparkle and turn to dust. Seasons change with supermarket inventory, wardrobes, and attitudes. How is this all held together? Tell me, if you know. Bake bread, mend your shirts, plant a garden with seeds that have ancestry. Save your souls.

Fragile Footsteps

by Kayla Bell

Dare to name a way to know the whole of somebody until you’ve seem him throughthe seasons—i.e.:

This is my autumn me; this will be my winter me.

We have seen our spring and summer selves, liked them well enough.

Soon there will bethe icicles on my head, feigningtheir long hair sisterhoods— I say we can relate this way—

your backhand brushing mine,imagining a self-made fist inside-

out as I and I walk alongthe sterile sidewalk,our autumn swaddled in black bags of dead leaves by the door.

This is the future:a white little land of wonder, all color packed away, mementos in basement boxes—the way

we rake our pasts away for compost trucks to take.

NEoNoSTALGIAby ALLISOn LEIGH PETERS

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To have known the river, then Until I moved to Traverse City in the mid-six-ties, I’d not heard of the Boardman, though I had grown to love clear-water streams in other parts of Michigan and at least one snow-fed mountain creek in Colorado. But those trout streams of my boyhood were the sort you could jump across with a bit of a run, and fishing them seems now almost like hunting, stalking a narrow run along a bank or sneaking up to a stump beneath whose roots brookies lay in dark holes. When I first saw the Boardman River south-east of town, just below the Forks, it looked fast, wider than streams I’d known, and in places quite deep. I was impressed. My second summer in Tra-verse I had the chance to canoe it from the Supply Road crossing, there where the two branches join, to Sheck’s Place campground, and the next day on down to the fast, shallow water at the Beitner Bridge landing. You might say I fell in love with the river then—how it ran as clear as a spring-fed brook, but also how wide it became in a low-banked meadow, then narrowing into deep shade beneath over-hanging cedars, places where cool river air would suddenly meet the warm, sweet breath of bracken basking in the next sunny opening. Over the years, those who waded or canoed the river saw few changes, and those changes seemed slight in terms of the shape of the river, its high banks or the thick forests on either side. Yes, there might be a new cottage built here and there, or an old one remodeled. And, yes, in the late six-ties and early seventies, Ranch Rudolf increased its offerings to tourists looking for rustic accom-modations, horseback riding or trout fishing. Once its canoe livery and tubing rental took off, the river did become a noisier, sometimes rowdier place, especially on hot summer weekends. But one could still find a place to stand in waist-deep water, early in the morning or far into the eve-ning for a late Mayfly hatch and be alone or, may-be, with a fishing friend ahead on the next run. It was easy then, in the late decades of the past century, to take the river as a gift from the land-scape, from the hills flanking the valley and the ground water moving secretly from them. But it was a gift from nature that had a human history,

too. How drastically the river valley had been cut through a few generations before, when white pine was harvested like wheat fields, no longer showed to the untrained eye by the 1960s, though anyone who knew even a bit of history about Michigan’s northern forests understood all that wounding of the landscape, however much the scars had healed. And the dams that downstream pooled and warmed the river’s clear water may have been interruptions for fly fishermen who worked cur-rents and deep runs, but they were old dams and seemed part of the river’s history, somehow be-longing where they were. Then, much more recently, in 2005, the city and county commissions, owners of the Board-man’s aging dams (Sabin, Boardman, and Brown Bridge dams), decided that they be shut down as hydroelectric plants and, after an intensive study by the Boardman River Dams Committee, these owners further proposed to remove all three. This proposal became an official plan on April 11, 2009, when the Traverse City Commission and the Grand Traverse County Commission reached a split vote in favor of the removals (McWhirter).

“The largest river restoration project in Michigan’s history” This is how the project, already well underway in 2011, has been described by the Watershed Center, Grand Traverse Bay, in its document ad-vocating the dam removal and the “rebirthing” of the Boardman as a natural river. Removing the dams and monitoring subsequent habitat restora-tion will also be “the single largest ecological res-toration project ever in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed” (“The Boardman River”). Opinions about this project have clashed from its first proposal, through the study phase, and even now, as the waters recede from the shores of Brown Bridge Pond leaving a muck-flat coated with algae and spiked with old tree trunks where there was once a lake-sized pond. Before that, of course, the pond’s bottom had been a natural wet-land and meadow through which the Boardman once flowed, no dam on that site until 1921. So advocates have said all along that removing this and the other two dams south of Traverse City

Flowing into the Future: What’s around the bend for the Boardman River

by John Pahl, NMC Magazine literary advisor

25

will return the Boardman to a natural state, a freely flowing river, with wetlands or firmer banks along its route, depending upon the terrain. Opponents bemoan the loss of higher “lake front” property values, especially at the Sabin site, and the loss of the forms of recreation that ponds provide but nar-row, colder and faster rivers cannot. They also point to the mess: Instead of watching a sunset across a blue pond, they initially complained about an expanse of grey mud, decomposing aquatic plants, and new foliage that blocks the view of the river winding through it all. Some advocates point out another sort of benefit from removing the dams: that steelhead and even Pacific salmon will be able to make spawning runs up the Boardman, after they ascend the fish lad-der at the only dam to be left—the Union Street Dam right in the heart of town. Instead of a ten-inch brook or brown trout, such arguments go, imagine hooking into a ten-pound steelhead in upstream waters where the current adds to the challenge—and thrill—of landing such a fish. But trout-fishing purists cringe at the thought of salmon wallowing their way through shallow stretches of the Board-man, taking over fragile spawning areas, dying and rotting along the banks. The clash of values and opinions about the dam removals raises a broader question: After a century and a half of human impact on the ecology, landscape, and flowage of the Boardman River—from early farming settlements, drastic clear-cutting of lumber, to a series of hydroelectric dams, and then their imminent removal—is it possible to have a “natural” Boardman River again? Can the river thrive as we think it should, with clean water, healthy indigenous species, and a flow unimpeded by human barriers? And if it recovers from the radical changes brought on by removing these barriers, will its “rebirth” attract even more and more tubers, canoeists, kayakers and fishermen and fisherwomen, posing their own incremental threat on this freshwater resource? Maybe it’s time for a difficult but valuable commitment: To see the Boardman River where it winds through woods and open fields outside of town, in, say, twenty or thirty years, and know that it is truly thriving, perhaps we should leave it alone once the dams are gone, and just walk to its banks once in a while and look at it.

Works Cited

McWhiter, Sheri. “Board Votes to Remove Dams.” Traverse City Record-Eagle.com, April 11. 2009. Web. Oct. 21, 2011.

The Watershed Center, Grand Traverse Bay. The Boardman River. Web. Oct. 20, 2011.

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Methemoglobinemia River by Matt Esckelson

Water, water, in the ground

Creeping, weeping, seeping down;

Makes a river, down below

Rolling under, moving slow.

Poison, Poison, in the well

Leaching from what leaked and fell;

River’s turning yellow, brown,

Pulling poison towards the town.

Faucet drips and faucet drops,

Flowing ‘til it’s made to stop;

Drooling poison down the sink

Dripping what one shouldn’t drink.

Blackish, brackish, filling up

A standard household drinking cup;

The water has a sickly hue,

Turns the children’s faces blue.

Here is a sieve and a watering can—with these and our bare handswe can build something: castle and moat,a sea lion or pretend-boat.I’ve brought plenty of pails—one blue,one green—and shovels for each of us.Your children already dig to China,they laugh in the bright rays, runin cold currents where Betsie Rivermeets Lake Michigan,where tankers unload their tonnage.Look, these bluffs rise majestic—they also crumble towards edges, sandsifting into water, They arrest our speech,stun all of us, no matter what else we are do-ing.Come: this bread is still good, there’s Cheese and tomatoes; peaches, the firstCorn of the season. It’s almost evening.Do not be so sure that to separate is better.Look at this place: everything is touching.

Holly Wren Spaulding is a published poet and teaches a poetry writing workshop at nMC.

Here by Holly Wren Spaulding

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PAtriCiA sChAub Nature will always fight back. Nature will always win.

jennifer hAAse This poster is a tribute to William Morris design; he is responsible for inventing the klemscott press and elaborate wallpaper pat-terns that considered nature as well as progress. He was a poet.

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Drelles_NMCposter.indd 1 10/13/11 11:21 AM

MegAn Miller

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Urban agriculture (or farming) by definition is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in or around a village, town or city. It is not limited to the growing of plants and trees. Beehives, pigs, chickens and goats have also been utilized in our cities. The idea and practice of the ur-ban farming movement cannot be summed up in one sentence. People from all over the country with countless backgrounds are all growing food for a lot of different reasons. Some of the reasons that are contributing to the growth are current eco-nomics, individual health and well-being, community health and well being, landscape beautification, environmental res-toration, and recreation. Urban farming is not a new concept but an old one, be-ing renewed and reinvented. Water in Machu Picchu was con-served and reused as part of the stepped architecture of the city, and vegetable beds were designed to gather sun in order to prolong the growing season. “Ancient cities like Babylon had their hanging gardens and farms in or in the vicinity of urban areas. During World War II, it is estimated that nearly 40% of the fresh vegetables and fruits in this country were produced in the Victory Gardens,” writes Job S. Ebenezer, Ph.D., in his “Guide to Container Gardens.” Citizens were asked to use va-cant lots for gardens in areas such as Detroit, Michigan, dur-ing the Great Depression. Populations during WWI grew fruit, vegetable, and herb gardens in U.S., Canada, and UK, gardens that were created and tended by citizens to reduce pressure on food production that was to support the war effort. As the world’s populations increase so does the need for additional food resources. Currently 50% of the world’s popu-lation lives in cities (“Urban Agriculture,” Wikipedia, comp). With rising gas and food prices, and other economic difficul-ties, this number is likely to grow. There are an estimated 250 million people currently living in cities who are hungry (Food 2050). Individuals and families with low incomes spend be-tween 40% and 60% of their incomes on food. By 2015, about 26 cities in the world are expected to have a population of 10 million or more. Cities with this number of citizens would re-quire a minimum of 6,600 tons of food each day to support the populace (RUAF foundation). At present, 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world-wide and contribute to urban residents. The idea of knowing where your food comes from and how it was grown is another force which is adding to the renewal of urban farming. Concerned with the level of standards in which more “industrial” farms are operating, many engage in urban farming as a way to know what they are consuming. The economic preference for “buying local” also factors into this concept. Residents can purchase from a farm that they can easily visit and also support the area’s economy. Although not always, many urban farms use organic methods both to grow their crops and tend their animals. The social benefits that have emerged from urban farming are better health and nutrition, increased income employment, food security within the household, and community social life.

Carrots on the Rooftops,Onions by the Garage

by Pamela Bennett

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Community gardens, urban farming and farmers markets are all currently on the rise and in our area. The apartment community in which I live is planning a community garden for next year. We are fortunate to have a number of farmers markets in our local area. For the future, though, we will need more. A change must be made that incorporates a more permanent solution. We need an ap-proach that will lead to a design for our cities, towns, villages and agricultural systems that is based on the relationships found in nature. Our goal for our future should be to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs. Plans need to be made to get back to producing rather than just consuming. Our future cities, towns and villages need to be self-sufficient. Our future cities will incorporate ideas from the disciplines of organic farming, agro-forestry, sustainable devel-opment, and applied ecology. In fifteen years we might see our buildings being structured to incorporate both on and around them large areas filled with soil enabling the buildings’ tenants to plant personal or community gardens. We may see a place set aside for beehives or domestic animals and the means to care for them. Irrigation systems may be seen running throughout the building structures to supply water for our new gardens and for the animals. In our future we may see hanging gardens of our own, towering far above us as we walk on streets below. In the future, perhaps we will once again be living more inti-mately with the nature that surrounds us now.

works Cited available at www.nmc.edu/nmcmagazine

sCott PAtriCk wAllACe Detroit of the present and future.

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light 3

million

homes with

energy saved

in one y

ear

light 3

million

homes with

energy saved

in one y

ear

light 3

million

homes with

energy saved

in one y

ear

light 3

million

homes with

energy saved

in one y

ear

light 3

million

homes with

energy saved

in one y

ear

Energy star pr

oducts meet

strict energy e

fficien

cy

Energy star-pr

oducts meet

strict energy e

fficien

cy

Energy star-pr

oducts meet

strict energy e

fficien

cy

Energy star-pr

oducts meet

strict energy e

fficien

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Energy star-pr

oducts meet

strict energy e

fficien

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produce

s about 7

5% less heat-so i

t’s safer

to ope

rate

produce

s about 7

5% less heat-so i

t’s safer

to ope

rate

produce

s about 7

5% less heat-so i

t’s safer

to ope

rate

produce

s about 7

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produce

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r

75 per

cent less heat than incandes

cent bul

bs

75 per

cent less heat than incandes

cent bul

b

5 per

cent less heat than incandes

cent bu

75 per

cent less heat than incandes

ce

compact fluorescent light bulb compact

fluores

cent

compact fluorescent light bulb co

mpact f

luo

compact fluorescent light bul

b compa

ct

compact fluo

rescent

compa

ct fluo

rescen

t light

compact fluorescen

t light

compact fluorescen

t light

compact fluorescent light

C F LSave Energy With

dis connect

help resolve global warming dis connect

help resolve global warming

brAndy beeler This design is meant to look like an illustration, with the text wrapped around the image. All of the information about saving energy is within the CFL light bulb. The small sentence of “compact fluorescent light” is turned upward with a gradient color of electric blue to white, simulating light coming from the bulb.

blAke hArrigAn The design objective was to represent a simple

concept that could raise global impact. Designing the canvas to look like a standard American outlet, was

intended to create recognition that would be more effective than most

green campaigns. The campaign is simple enough to remember yet

strong enough to have an effect on the disconnecting of unused appliances.

fall stăff 2011N

MC

MA

GA

ZIN

E

jon Alexander My idea was to take normal things and use high magnification to great colorful patterns